POST PUNK PODGE & THE TECHNOHIPPIES // LIMERICK CITY PRIDE
19:45
If you've read my blog for a while, you'll know I love sharing independent musicians' work. I was fairly excited when Post Punk Podge, reached out to me about collaborating on an interview. The music was eclectic, fast-paced, but it surely makes you think. Art is supposed to take you out of your comfort zone, I certainly was taken from my comfort zone when preparing for this interview, but I'm glad I did.
For those who don’t know you, talk me through how the title ‘Post Punk Podge’ came about?
I became friends with Naïve Ted from going to his shows and following the rap scene in Limerick. He sampled some of a Violin piece I recorded under the name Paddy Courage. I then wrote a song called 'Post-Punk Election Party' and he agreed to record the song. Naive Ted just blurted the name out all in one go as a joke and it just sounded so fully formed and funny that it just stuck. Naïve Ted wears a wrestling mask when he performs live so I had to come with a mask to do some shows with him. I was just sitting at home one day and the idea of the envelope came to me. The brown envelope is a symbol of deception and corruption in this country I am trying to flip that and speak out against that behaviour but in a humorous but also serious manner.
‘Post Punk Podge & The Technohippies’ have a very distinctive sound, how as that sound developed over the years?
Post Punk Election Party and the Kick against the pricks ep were heavily influenced by Krautrock which is experimental music from Germany. I wanted to fuse that with punk, hip hop, classical and electronic music. I would go into the studio and record layers of instruments over sampled beats. I just love experimenting with mixing different sounds. Sometimes the words come first sometimes the music. Sometimes it might come from a bassline or chord progression other times from something I hummed into my phone whilst walking down the street or from a melody I wrote on the Violin. Our sound will continue to change its fun to try new things I consciously try and do something different with every song.
Your songs seem to have a message behind them, what influences to write your songs?
Subjects like the Anglo-Irish banking scandal, the bailout and it’s repercussions, the tragic fire in Carrickmines, the Catholic church’s scandals and corruption by politicians. I chose to address these subjects in my songs because anger turned in on one’s self is a form of oppression on the mind, body, and soul. That’s what the first EP and set of Technohippies songs dealt with. I wrote about mental health from a very personal point of view all the events in the songs on the ‘Stark Raving’ EP are based on real events. I wrote about my feelings around all this as a form of therapy for myself. By helping myself I taught I can do something with the lyrics and maybe help other people. The message overall is to stay positive and do your best to be a good person and be good to those around you and goodness will find you.
You released an EP in December of last year, describe the process behind the making of this?
I wrote all the songs on guitar which is weird because it's not my main instrument. I would make a basic demo at home and then write all the other music to that demo. I record myself with a zoom recorder playing each part along to the demo. It’s kind of like making a jigsaw in a way as I am piecing all the parts together. Once I have all the parts written and have practiced them and the vocals for a few weeks I would go into the studio and record the song over two days with Chris Quigley of the band Cruiser. All the beats were sampled but we add electronic drums to them and modular synth.
Last month, a music video for ‘Mass Deception’ was went live, it was very interesting to watch, was it important for you to shoot a music video in Limerick?
I am glad you enjoyed it. I am very proud of Limerick and its people and wanted to show how beautiful the city is but also show the parts which have been affected by austerity. For example, the dormant Parkway valley shopping centre on the Dublin road is an example of the effects of the banking crisis on Limerick. We create art from the world around us and the song focuses on corruption and deception by the Anglo bankers and those in power that is why I chose that location. It is supposed to be a humorous jibe at the madness of the actions bankers and politicians have got away with.
Why did you get involved with DIY LK?
DIY LK is all about creating a community of like-minded people with a similar interest in alternative music. Limerick badly needed a place for young bands to develop and play live. I became friends with Cruiser from going to shows and it’s such a satisfying feeling to put on a show with three often very different acts for a fiver in and see the appreciation both band and audience have for itWe are trying to build up a network of bands and artists throughout the country who can help each other putting on shows. The musical talent in Ireland is astounding and needs to be nurtured for it to grow and it can’t grow if bands have nowhere to play. The opening of Pharmacia was critical in all this and they have been very accommodating and supportive by letting us run these shows there. Long may it last.
What does the festival season look like for ‘Post Punk Podge & The Technohippies’ ?
We will be playing at Body and Soul, Townlands, Knockanstockan and Arcadian Field. We are hoping to cause a proper ruckus at all of them and will have surprises in store. “Mondays don’t matter anymore” is our general theme for the festivals, we will be trying to help people cleanse themselves of their worries and have an ould dance.
Have you plans to release new music soon? Can you give us a bit of information on what you’re working on at the moment?
There will be two one-off singles over the next two months one in May called, ‘Revolution! Yeah!’ which is kind of a noise rock/Jungle tune which is influenced by The Chemical Brothers. The single in June is a psychedelic hip-hop/soul kinda song about the homelessness crisis in Ireland called ‘Home is where the heart bleeds’. All the proceeds from the sales of that song will go to the Novas charity in Limerick to help the homeless. We will have videos for both of them and then in July, we are releasing an EP called 'Post Millennium Tension' which is a lot more dance-oriented.
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It was so interesting to read about the creative process behind 'Post Punk Podge & The Technohippies', the music brought me out of my comfort zone and also got me thinking about issues that I hadn't really ever done so in depth. Big thanks to Post Punk Podge for agreeing to take photos with me on a rainy Sunday evening in Limerick city!
Thanks so much for reading and do listen to Post Punk Podge and the Technohippies' work.
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