A CHALLENGE two Galway musicians set themselves, and embodied in their band name, has resulted in the last thing they probably expected - a European tour from June to August, and gigs in Asia in September.
Until April, the indie-electro collaboration between vocalist David Owens and drummer/instrumentalist Alan Walsh started as a six month project in November 2015. The pair challenged themselves to create their show, recordings, videos, and brand within that timeframe. Last month April arrived. One month past the deadline, what is the verdict?
"We're quitting jobs and other projects to really make this happen," says Alan. "We never thought it'd go this well when we started," added David, ahead of shows in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland during June and July, and at the Edinburgh Fringe in August.
In that time the duo also released their debut single ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, an energetic, vocal-rich track, complemented by a video set in Galway, depicting a young women trying to catch the attention of someone special:
“Our timeline proved to be a big motivational force and made us step way outside our comfort zones.” Alan says. "In month two, we headlined our first gig in the Workman’s in Dublin to a packed crowd, with what was effectively untested material. It paid off and gave us a massive confidence boost early on.”
However Alan and David are happy to acknowledge the help and support they received along the way to help make the band a going concern past the April 2016 deadline.
Galway street artist Finbar247, called “Galway’s Banksy” by The Irish Times, added live graffiti shows to their performances. Meanwhile LakshikaFilms, made videos for the band. “We’re so lucky to have such a bunch of positive and creative friends to call upon," says David. "You can’t do everything by yourself, and they have really made the difference."
The band now have their sights set further afield. “We plan to tour internationally for the next year, pushing forward outside Europe after the summer," said David. “Having busking experience in our toolkit means we can gig in new cities without worrying too much about getting feet in the door - we can promote by playing directly on the street, giving us a big advantage over traditional touring bands.”
‘I Wanna Be Yours’ can be downloaded from iTunes. See www.joinuntilapril.com and Faceook.
