Featured Photo Credit: Jim Fuller
Rising artist, Somebody’s Child has already made a name for himself in Ireland. However, his newly released debut album is set to make him a “Somebody” worldwide.
On the album, featuring his single “I Need Ya,” he returns back to his youth in the Emerald Isle soundtracked by The Cure, Joy Division, and 90s rock.
Recorded at East London’s Hackney Road Studios with the producer Mikko Gordon (The Smile, Gaz Coombes, Thom Yorke), the 11 track project is a “gentle reminder to stay young for as long as you can,” he says.
We chatted with Somebody’s Child about the album, his world tour, what he hopes fans experience after listening to the debut project.
Congrats on the release of your debut album! What was the writing and production process like for this project?
Thanks. The writing was long. Almost all half of my life if you really think about it. I’ve been trying to write my first album for years, I just don’t think I was probably ready for it. Other external circumstances made it take a little longer than expected too. The production was fairly swift alright. Mikko (Gordon) did a great job.
You’ve lived in Paris, Ireland, and London. How have those places influenced your sound?
I actually spent a few months in New York one summer too. I think it’s definitely opened up my eyes to a different life. Seeing myself being Irish through the lens of other people opened up my consciousness a little. All of those experiences have a part to play in who I am right now and as a result the music I make.
One of the tracks off the album is “I Need Ya.” What inspired that single?
That I think stems from a fear of growing old. It’s nostalgic and joyful, and something that makes me feel fun. I wouldn’t say anything in particular inspired it except for a need to get it out.
“I Need Ya” follows previous singles including “We Could Start A War,” “Sell Out,” and “Broken Record.” In those tracks you grapple with the fear of getting older. Through writing and recording the album, have you made peace with getting older or discovered anything more about yourself?
I’ve certainly discovered more about myself, sometimes for the better, othertimes not so much. Music is a therapy through which I see parts of myself I woudln’t otherwise be able to see or feel. It’s a constant evolution that has it’s own life really, it’s own ups and downs. But like anything in life it’s about finding that balance, not pushing too hard but pushing just enough that the momentum keeps going.
The music video features drifting, which is a big thing in Ireland. What drew you to that concept and what was it like to film the video?
I have a couple of friends who are big into it. It’s a massive subculture over here so when the director (Jack Cantrell) brought the idea to me I thought it was great, and it fit the aesthetic and feel of the music. It was an interesting insight into something I knew very little about prior.
Do you have any favorite memories from the making of the album or the music video?
I have lots of memories from Dublin of writing this album. Mainly traveling into our studio over the Samuel Beckett bridge and getting high on coffee. The recording process was a really fun time too. I’m looking forward to getting back in the studio again.
If you could set fans up in the perfect environment to listen to the album, what do you imagine it looking like, and how do you hope they feel?
At a gig. That’s definitely how our music should be listened to, no doubt about it. I hope they forget where they are for a minute. I hope they transcend.
What can fans expect from your upcoming tour?
No bullshit. I hate bands that sound exactly like their records so expect the unexpected.
What is one quote that you have heard or that you go by that you want to ECHO out to the world?
The best side of life is on the other side of fear.
Catch Somebody’s Child on tour! Grab your tickets here!