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Day 137: Barn

KODALINE

For Kodaline, music isn’t just music. “It’s therapy,” says singer Steve Garrigan.

Teaching each other the principles of songcraft, the music they came up with – some of which can be found on their self titled EP (released in Ireland on Friday 7th September) – isn’t wan or introspective or self-serving. Instead, it’s bold, epic and stirring.

Currently maintaining an air of understated mystery (their Facebook bio used to state, merely, “we’re four lads in a band”, Kodaline are soon set to unveil themselves to the world with these first four tracks recorded with Steve Harris (producer for Dave Matthews band, mixer for U2).

Steve, Mark and drummer Vinny May – all aged 22 and 23 – have been working towards this moment for much of their young lives. Growing up in houses just two minutes away from each other in Swords, Steve and Mark met aged eight, when they were the only boys in the school choir. “We were there to pick up girls, of course”, jokes Mark.

Six years later, at a youth retreat, both were placed in the same house and both took guitars. A musical bond was formed over late night singalongs. Returning to Swords, they recruited Vinny, who also lived two minutes away (“Swords is a small place, for a big town” says Steve), and set about forming the first of myriad bands. The line-up was recently completed by bassist Jason Boland.

Having spent two years doing nothing but writing, with just a belief in their talent keeping them afloat, Kodaline is their be-all and end-all. “I dropped out of college and my parents were just freaking out saying, What the fuck are you doing?” says Steve. “There was no deal in place and no money, we just thought, Fuck it, let’s have a crack at it.”

The band’s name, incidentally, means absolutely nothing for the moment – they wanted something they could take ownership of. “We made it up ourselves, but we later found out it’s a character on fuckin’ World Of Warcraft,” says Mark. “I promise you, we’ve never even played the game. It’s just a bizarre coincidence.”

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Doors: 8.15pm // Show: 8.30pm

Age: 21+

Tickets: $15

https://www.stereoposter.com/events/14629

June 6th - Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2