Interview: The Radioactive Grandma
Well lads, how are things? Loverly, thanks for asking. How are you?
So, let’s start at the start, how did The Radioactive Grandma come to be?
We started out just myself (Johno) and Peter (the other guitarist) playing around with some folksy stuff, nothing amazing – but we wanted to get out there and do something with ourselves. We did a couple of very low-key gigs around old ‘middle of nowhere’ pubs to get some free pints and just be out there doing something. We met Ben at one of these gigs and decided to get him on-board. Not a very interesting story really, but then band formation stories rarely are. Next time I’m asked that question, I’m going to say that Ben and Peter are androids that came from the future, they were trying to get to 1963 to stop Kennedy from being assassinated. They got the date AND the place wrong, and ended up here with me. I reprogrammed them (hit their head circuits with a hammer) and turned them into musicians to serve the greater good.
The Radioactive Grandma is a pretty unusual sounding name, how did ye come up with it?
We were called this even as a 2 piece folksy duo, we basically had no idea what name to go under, or even what our main musical style was, so we left it as it was. And why not. We could have been called “Gorilla Milkshake’ or C*ck/Paper/Scissors. These were some of the other names we were cultivating as possibilities.
Your self-titled début album (which is awesome by the way!) came out around this time last year to some pretty rave reviews, how does it feel to be getting such high praise?
It’s an odd one really, it’s amazing for us that people are enjoying the music we write and record, and we’re happy that the album has made it where it has. Not really sure how to explain how it feels without coming across as a dork… We write the music that we like play, and there are people out there who enjoy it also. That’s not to say that EVERYONE likes it, because that’d be a lie. I don’t think any band (or not many bands) can appeal to everyone, but then you already know that and I’m sounding like a dork already…
Can you tell us a little bit about the recording process? How long did it take, where you recorded it etc.? What made you choose Suite Studios for the mastering job?
The recording process was a lot of fun; we recorded it ourselves at my own studio here in Cavan so it was an easy and comfortable process to get done. The whole process took about 6-7 months of recording and refining. We wanted the album to sound as we did live, with no overdubs or anything like that. We took time to make sure the songs stood up as we play them, and we managed to do that, I think.
We chose Fergal Davis to master the album because he has done some great work for some great bands, and for us he was recommended as the go-to-guy for mastering. So we decided to take a look, and subsequently gave the job to him.
Recording and producing all your own music is become an increasing trend amongst musicians these days. Why do you do it? Is it just to keep costs down or is there another reason?
I think the fact that people are able to afford recording gear these days just means that those who are creative are now able to compete with all the other guys who have been doing it for ages because they had the fund to do so. I have been recording myself and other bands for a long time, so I’m always going to end up recording my own band. The costs of doing that are obviously nothing, but that’s once you have the gear to do it with. That stuffs not cheap!
Looking at your calendar, you guys certainly like to keep yourselves busy! How was the trip over to London, and how have the gigs all over Ireland been going? Seems it would be easier to list the places you haven’t played!
The trip to London was great, we played 5 dates in 5 days and it was great fun to get over there and see how the scene is over there. Thank god for the underground, getting around was a lot of fun too! We’ve been gigging pretty heavy for a while over here, and we enjoy it. We get to see parts of the country that we wouldn’t otherwise see, and it just makes sense to keep the gigs rolling. We’re very much looking forward to playing this year’s Arcade Con!
You guys have a pretty stripped down sound. Who are your main influences?
Our influences are pretty wide, I can only speak for myself, but Personally, I don’t really know who my main influences are. I like to hear some Dream Theatre, Devin Townsend, Focus, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Crowded House, ABBA, Jamiriquai, and in addition to that, whatever is on the radio in the car on the way to gigs. However, I spend more time listening to unsigned Irish bands, mostly because I’m recording them, or listening to ‘their’ friends unsigned Irish bands. It’s much better than listening to the radio.
Being an as yet unsigned band, what do you think of the current music scene in Ireland for smaller bands?
The scene for unsigned bands is great, there are SO many bands around the place doing great things, and the gigs are there for bands to take more or less whenever they want. There’s no real lack of gigs for small bands at all.
Going back to touring, it’s festival season now. Will ye be playing at any of them this Summer?
We shall be playing Sunflower fest in Belfast, Knockanstockan, Life Festival, and a good many more to be confirmed! Happy days! 🙂
Which do ye prefer, the bigger outdoors shows, or the smaller pub shows? Your sound is certainly one that could work in any scenario.
We have played in a good few venues, and sometimes the smaller ones are better, and other times the bigger ones are better. It all depends really… not a very interesting answer haha! We’ve played tiny venues with loads of people in that have been stormers, and most times I like the smaller venues, personally, sometimes.
You sell your album via both bandcamp and itunes. What made you choose the bandcamp route, and can people buy the album on CD?
We do have albums for sale on CD, and they can be gotten from us at our Arcade Con show for 5 buckaroonies! We chose the bandcamp route for the simple fact that its free to put up, and we have control over how much it sells for etc. iTunes doesn’t let you do the same thing.
What are the plans for the future? Any more jaunts overseas for gigs, and any new tunes on the horizon?
We have a good load of new tunes on the horizon so keep those ears peeled! We will be playing 1 or 2 of them for you this year at Arcade Con! We do plan to tour again this year, but at the moment we’re concentrating on new videos, and getting more songs sorted to unleash on the ears of the public! 🙂
Thanks for the interview lads, anything extra you’d like to say to your fans and readers?
Not a problem, thank you very much for the interview! I’m not a public speaker by any means, and trying to say something cool here would do nothing but backfire, so all I can say is that we are looking forward to playing for you, and we hope to see you all rock the shop!
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