GIRL BAND are a group with no female members. An ironic moniker? A piece of hipster humour? Or a name in the tradition of Girls and Girls Names, groups who are also all-male configurations?
Whatever the reason, a momentum has been building around the Dublin noise quartet since the release of their early EPs and singles, and is likely to increase with the release of their debut album, Holding Hands With Jamie, on Rough Trade, tomorrow; and their Irish and British tour, which includes Strange Brew at the Róisín Dubh on Thursday October 1 at 9pm.
To whet the appetite for the new album, the band - Dara Kiely (vocals ), Adam Faulkner (drums ), Alan Duggan (guitar ), Daniel Fox (bass ) - released the single/video 'Pears For Lunch', directed by Bob Gallagher, who also made the videos for the band's cover of Blawan’s 'Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?' and 'Paul', the latter also features on Holding Hands With Jamie.
The album was recorded in Bow Lane studios, Dublin, and working in the one studio, rather than recording individual songs in different places, as Girl Band had previously done, “required a different mindset,” says guitarist Alan Duggan. "It was way more challenging to stay focused – tricky to find a balance between keeping a distance from the songs for perspective but also to fully concentrate on them," he says. While they had the luxury of studio time - “we spent three or four days just setting up drums, amps, and mics,” Alan adds - the band laid down seven of the album's nine tracks in less than two days, ensuring the record pulses with visceral, aggressive, industrial/punk vitality.
Girl Band have also won acclaim for their live shows. As NPR.org said: "It's hard to overstate how heart-stopping it is to see these four guys from Dublin play live, but I'll say they make it sound like the whole world is going to literally explode in a massive, interstellar, ball of fire. It's the end of everything and they're both indifferent and full of rage."
Tickets are available at www.roisindubh.net, the Ticket Desk at OMG Zhivago, Shop Street, and The Róisín Dubh.
