How have the Aran Islands provided inspiration for the EP 'Oileáin'
The Ushmush project is an identity trip for me, my father is from Inis Oirr, I spent the first four or five years of my life on the island. For a long time, I would have rapped or sang in English, with an American twang, started in that style, then progressed to an Irish accent and wondered then what it would be like if I rapped in Irish itself. It was a way for me to explore my heritage.
Your tracks are a mixture of English and Irish, how do you go about putting a track together when using two different languages?
For me, the musical element comes first. That’s the way it’s always been. Melody and drums first. I’ve done a lot of research into the process. To me, it’s the sound of a word that is important, sometimes I’ve added words in that aren’t real, because it happens to rhyme. All the Irish language words are correct, but when English slips in it’s the right place to do so.
How has it been marketing Irish language music? Have you gotten a positive reaction to it?
Overwhelmingly positive. There is a large Irish language music scene that I’m not part of yet, but I was nominated for an award last year for Newcomer of the Year by Nós.ie. They are an Irish language culture magazine. There, at the awards ceremony, I met the likes of KNEECAP and IMLÉ. Also SÍOMHA, who’ve played Limerick. It’s great for me to be a sort of crossover between music scenes.
The EP released on April 25th is a 6 track EP. Did you produce the entire EP yourself?
Yes! Mixed, mastered, wrote and recorded. I’d never do it again! Not the mastering and production. I had the tracks done in October of last year, but I just sat on them and kept questioning myself as many people do when they’re about to release music. The only problem with DIY music is that there’s a standard that you just can’t achieve on your own. I do like the freedom of being an independent musician, however.
Describe your sound? I came across the term reggaelton when doing my research.
I’m not sure if I did, but I remember discussing it with Roo Honeychild, she’s a DJ/Producer based in Dublin, part of the Comfort Club crew. They have supported me from day one after finding me on Soundcloud.I am a trad musician in my spare time so I would sample pieces of trad music and put them into my work. If there is a stylistic underpinning for me, it’s the fact that I mix trad with the likes of dancehall, reggaeton and afrobeat.
What were you aiming to explore with the EP?
I was hoping to encourage white Irish people to listen to music that Afro-Irish people would. There is a large Afro-Irish community here and sometimes there is a problem with integration. As well as being an ode to Inis Oírr, the EP is an ode to the Caribbean, to try to tie in those two island influences. That’s why the EP is titled ‘Oileáin.’
Festival season is upon us shortly, is there anywhere we can see you performing in the near future?
Not currently no. Hopefully, after the EP drops, you’ll see some gig updates. There’s something in line for Féile na Gealaí, an Irish language music festival in Rathcarran in Meath. I’ve been just working on the music so I haven’t done a major push for gigs just yet. I’ve applied to a few festivals, so we’ll just have to wait and see! It’ll be later in the summer I reckon.
What will you be working on next?
I hope to have another release out before the end of the year. I have some ideas going and collaborations in the works, I’m constantly working on tracks and that’s the best way to be.
