Poetic and distinctive, Kerry man Junior Brother (Ronan Kealy ) released his second album, The Great Irish Famine, earlier this year. He'll be at the Roisin Dubh this Sunday, December 18, to wail through his glorious catalogue of stories from this album and the last (Pull The Right Rope ). We sat down for a quick chat with him ahead of the gig on Sunday.
What was the experience like making this new album?
I started recording the album nearly straight away after the first album, so it took a long time to do. Of course there was the pandemic in the middle of it as well. It's about two years in the making, so there are some older songs and some very new songs. I think it encapsulates the last few years in a fairly succinct way for me. Subconsciously looking back, I can see that I was definitely aiming to push forward in every way I could from the first album. There were dissonant elements I had touched on that I wanted to explore further, but also more conventional elements that I wanted to delve deeper into as well. I also wanted to push how I was using my voice, and how I play the guitar with the tambourine.
How did you land on the title?
When it comes to choosing titles, the main thing for me is if it sticks in my head, and if I listen back to the music and look at the artwork and I find it just fits with the music and scope of what's being said. There has to be at least six or seven reasons for choosing a title. Ultimately I'd like the listener to come to their own conclusion once they've listened to the music. Hopefully it fits subconsciously for them like it does for me.
You're already working on a third album, is that right?
I haven't started recording it yet, but I have it written and arranged. So I'll put that together in the new year.
What kind of music did you like growing up?
When I was very young, I suppose The Beatles would've been played in the car a lot. Then, as an early adolescent I got started into pop punk. I was big into Green Day, Sum 41, stuff like that. When I was 13 or 14 I heard Damien Dempsey, which was a big game changer for me. Later, I got into the likes of Nick Drake, Joanna Newsom, The Chieftans. And then other sorts of mad things like the composer Harry Partch and similar stuff. So a real mixture of things, a lot of which I've tried to put into my own music and songwriting, and I think it's all in there.
What are you listening to now?
At the moment I like the new albums from Denzel Curry and Kendrick Lamar. I'm on tour at the moment with CMAT, and I think she's the greatest. I love a lot of the Irish stuff - John Francis Flynn, Lisa O'Neill, The Mary Wallopers. There's plenty of great stuff going on just out the back door.
What are you reading at the moment?
I'm reading The Dalkey Archive by Flann O'Brien. And I'm nearly finished Ulysses by James Joyce, which I've taken my time with - I heard someone say before that the book itself is like a bottle of whiskey. You wouldn't drink it all in one go. You take it out off the shelf, take a little sip and enjoy it. You give yourself a chance to process the taste. And then, when you feel that you might be getting a bit too drunk, you put it away. The book is very like alcohol that way - it's potent.
What do you make of it now you're almost finished?
It's extremely weird. It seems to have been written by a very weird man with a lot of time on his hands. But it's just phenomenal. It's kind of like looking at the pyramids or something. It's a triumph of human stubbornness. The scope of it and the range of language in it - you gotta give it to old Jamesy.
You have been touring with CMAT - how is it going?
It's been great. I'm a huge fan of hers and I've known her for years too. It's amazing to see her doing her thing, on that rocket ship to the stars. We have a Christmas song together (Uncomfortable Christmas ), and I've been going out and doing that with her which has been lovely.
How do you find living in Dublin as an artist?
When I first moved up, I didn't know anyone and I ended up living way outside the city center. And then as I got to know more people it was better, but it's a hard city to move to when you know no-one. If I moved up there for the first time now, I don't know if I'd find a place at all. A lot of that sort of urban city living anxiety seeped into this new record. It was written in Dublin, as opposed to first album which was written when I was still living in Kerry.
So you're back to us in Galway this week! How do you find the Roisin Dubh as a venue?
I love playing there. There's a sort of magic in the walls. You can feel the energy in there - it's very hard not to have a good night in the Roisin. I love Galway in general. Can't wait to be back. I'll have a full band with me as well so it'll be lovely.
It will indeed.
Doors are at 8pm on Sunday December 18. Get your tickets here: www.roisindubh.net
