DIY LK - BED COVERS COMPILATION // MY THOUGHTS
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It seems fitting that music would bring me back to this little space on the internet. One thing that has remained constant is my love for all things DIY LK. Formed in 2017, the lads have been consistent in the wildly talented acts they've booked for shows in Pharmacia, and let's not forget last year's smashing weekend for the second annual Féile na Gréine in August 2019. I have found that music has been a major source of solace throughout this pandemic, transporting me far away from my house in rural Kilkenny back to my beloved Limerick. There is nothing quite like the atmosphere of a live gig; hair flying, jostling bodies, and thundering drumbeats, however, this seven-band compilation DIY LK Bed Covers has satisfied my appetite for live performances for now.
There is something comforting in listening to anything DIY LK, it feels like a warm hug. The tracks in their entirety evoked an unusually large variety of emotions in me. I've spent most of the days during this pandemic sat in front of my laptop, typing hundreds of words and deleting them again, trying to finish my Master's degree. I have listened to this compilation for many of these days. I've loved the spin put on each song, I am pleased that I can detect signature sounds of each band in each track. Bands were paired randomly and were left to choose a song to cover. For a compilation recorded at home in houses all over the country, it is remarkably polished - I was told it was a lot of back and forth sending recordings, I can only imagine how long this project has been in the works!
I am not an expert in music terminology so you won't get a fancy review here. I guess I just wanted to show my appreciation. On May 1st, Bandcamp is waiving their fees so that musicians with their discography on the platform will receive the full amount paid! In this case, proceeds go towards Limerick-based charity Doras Luimní who protects the rights of migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in direct provision. So please, if you haven't yet, consider spending that fiver you were going to spend on another bag of chips on this compilation!
Anna's Anchor kicks off the compilation with a strong cover of His Father's Voice's 'No Room For Romantics'. Marty has such a unique tone to his voice, it runs right through the track. I particularly like the arrangement of the chorus. When speaking to him about his experience creating his cover he said, 'I really loved it. It's my favourite His Father's Voice so it was a natural choice to choose that one and it was super fun to work on... it's certainly one of the most collaborative Anna's Anchor recording out there.' Marty also touched on a serious issue, the damaging effect of the pandemic on the music industry. As a full-time musician who makes his living through playing and teaching music, he spoke of his fears; 'I can't state enough how worrying it is. If venues stay closed, myself and a lot of my peers cannot do what we do for a living, that's been a bit of a worry that something like Bed Covers has kept my mind off of.' Anna's Anchor has started work on their third album, so that is something we can look forward to in the near future, fingers crossed.
Returning to the music scene is Bleeding Heart Pigeons after a hiatus, their musical abilities are showcased powerfully in this emotional cover of Casavettes' track 'Winter Smoke.' Towards the closing of the cover, there is a rhythmic instrumental that especially moves me. Micheál Keating has dazzling vocals. Cathal Histon, the band's keyboardist, and sampler told me how there is 'an incredibly friendly and supportive musical community here in Limerick and the compilation speaks to the strength of that.' Bleeding Heart Pigeons released a single titled 'Real Connection' recently, accompanied by a fantastic video created by Graham Patterson and Hugh Heffernan from Piquant Media.
Next up is Cruiser's cover of 'Bob & Rachel' by Anna's Anchor. Ger Devine's gravelly vocals emphasize the ominous tone of the cover. I especially appreciated the harmony between Ger and Rachael Drennan's vocals during the chorus, a powerful combination that I've often heard during the band's live performances. Let's not forget the wizardry of Steve Savage and Chris Quigley! Speaking to Ger he informed me that 'Bed Covers was our attempt to put something out into the world using the means we have available to us at home.' Cruiser's work recording their second album has been put on hold during quarantine so let's hope that lifts soon so we can hear more from them!
Casavettes' cover of 'Since We Were Strangers' was the track that inspired me to write this little piece. The alternative rock band released their debut album 'Senselessness' in February of last year. Diarmuid O' Sé's vocals add such a heartwrenchingly poignant tone to the lyrics, I guess the song took me back to a time in my life when I felt similarly to the situation described in the lyrics. The song's melody is so beautiful. Diarmuid praised the song highly, saying "'Since We Were Strangers' was to be released only a week before the cover compilation so we thought it would be fun to have a cover of it so soon after. Aside from that, it's a stunning song. Lyrically, compositionally, everything'
I've been an avid supporter of 'His Father's Voice' since I first heard their anthemic single 'No Room For Romantics'. Ash O'Connor has a dazzling tonal quality, the combination of her vocals and the lyrics are stunning, her voice was running through my head throughout the writing of this. I really admire the band's ability to create energetic instrumental arrangements for song choruses and this cover is no exception. The strings and percussion combination creates an absolute headbanger. If you haven't listened to their discography yet, what are YOU doing? James from the band spoke of their cover choice, exclaiming 'Cold is a banger, so it was a bit of a no brainer the second we found we had Scenes.'
Hey Rusty puts a delightful slow spin on Cruiser's 'Rubbernecking,' it makes for a fascinating contrast. This stripped-back version of the track is honestly gorgeous. In this cover, John Ahern adds some harmonica to the cover and it honestly creates such a lovely atmosphere when you listen to the song. I also enjoyed his accent coming through the vocals, the whole cover is very soothing. John told me 'it was really fun to strip it back to just guitar and vocal. I played around with the melody and chord sequence a little to make it more like something I'd normally do.' Of Casavettes' cover of his track 'Since We Were Strangers' John gushed, 'I was really touched by Casavettes' version of the track, the guys did such a gorgeous job on it'
Last but not least we have Scenes covering Bleeding Heart Pigeon's track. I found one section of the song reminded me of the opening of Sigur Rós' 'Hoppíolla.' For me, it made the track all the more emotive, the more I listened the more the cover resonated with me. I have yet to see Scenes live but I hope when this quarantine finally ends and gigs resume that I will get the chance to. I chatted with the mastermind behind the cover, PJ Galvin who modestly said, 'I got to attempt my favourite Bleeding Heart Pigeons song and His Father's Voice turned one of my tunes 'Cold' into a super synth masterpiece. The whole thing was really fun to get stuck into and everybody produced incredible results using only the equipment they had at home'
hope you enjoyed my ramblings on what is a MUST LISTEN collection of tunes.
HUGE thanks to the musicians involved for taking the time to give me a few words on their experience!
HUGE thanks to the musicians involved for taking the time to give me a few words on their experience!
- Eilís.
purchase the compilation here:
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