Alternative-folk act Corner Boy are set to release there new E.P True North on Friday, February 28th. TheLastMixedTape’s Stephen White spoke to the group ahead of the record’s release about their time recording in Grouse Lodge and the band’s sound.
You are set to release your new E.P True North. What can you tell me about the writing and recording of the record?
Michael D’arcy: It started when we won a National talent competition which featured about 400 other artists. From that we got the opportunity to work in Grouse Lodge, which was amazing. We brought Joe Chester in, who is a great engineer and really professional, and recorded the whole E.P in the space of a week. Which was really quick.
Was the E.P planned from the beginning?
Michael D’arcy: We had about 6 months worth of work done before hand and as a result had about thirteen songs we had been touring live and were ready to go to the studio. Grouse is such an amazing place and we didn’t want to waste anytime there.
Matthew: You kind of get a bit “Mammied” when you’re out there as well. Your clothes are washed and you get diner as well, so it would be very easy to relax and lose focus.
Michael D’arcy: And we just wanted to go there and work as hard as we could. We began at nine in the morning and continued til about eleven at night. The whole band put in a massive effort and it really paid off.
Leo: We also a little surprised and delighted to get an entire E.P done in that period of time but the months of touring before hand helped us when it came to the studio.
How where the songs chosen to record onto the E.P?
Michael D’arcy: We had thirteen songs and Joe liked ten so from there we needed to narrow them down to five to make the E.P, and have enough time for overdubs as well. We wanted the record to be eclectic so it was hard to choose and leave ones out.
Matthew: We all had personal favorites as well. But Joe brought a pair of fresh ears to it and we were able to work them down to the final five.
Leo: And there were some songs that we never thought would make it onto the record that came into the mix towards the end and made the cut like ‘Oxen of the Sun’.
Do you think the rural atmosphere of Grouse Lodge influenced the sound of the record?
Michael D’arcy: We began organically really. We’re from the countryside in Wexford and the group started out practicing in an old milking parlour, so the secluded atmosphere of Grouse felt a lot like home to us.
Matthew: Yeah even if you wanted to make a phone call you had to walk up the hill to get some reception. That kind of secluded nature meant we could really focus on the work, without distraction and that was a massive help.
Do you think the heavy touring schedule helped the making of the E.P?
Michael D’arcy: Massively. We knew each track inside and out before we came to the studio so we had the energy and structure of each song down before hand. We’re a live band and that’s where our sound comes from, playing together.
Karen: It also built up our stamina for performing each of the songs, especially when it came to doing multiple takes which I think would have been a more arduous experience if we hadn’t had the tracks so well practiced.
True North by Corner Boy is due out on February 28th.