Derry Vibe Meets Irish Band Moxie:
By Mark O'Reilly
So on Saturday Night I got to meet Irish musicians Moxie for the first time and they really where a fun, friendly bunch of lads with a great music talent. I remember watching Moxie for the first time when they played at Fleadh in Sligo about a year ago and I’m not usually a fan of traditional music but this is something completely different from your usual traditional music. This is a band from west coast of Ireland that bring mixture of traditional roots with a bit of everything really they are worth a listen.
Moxie are currently touring across the UK and Ireland with the final date of promoting their new album in Bennigans Bar in an intimate gig which went down really well with the crowd. The new album "Planted" is out now to buy and last night they performed some of their new tracks from the album and I caught up Moxie before they went on stage and they tweeted before coming to Derry on their excitement coming back to the city.
Moxie Tweeted their excitement playing in Derry:
On the road to Derry. Come down to Bennigans Bar, kick off 10.30 hi! A few tickets still available -... https://t.co/24o4kf2RC6
— M O X I E (@Moxiemuso) October 24, 2015
So I started by asking Cillian and Patrick when they arrived to Bennigans Bar. So Hi Cillian and Patrick, Welcome to Northern Ireland. So I believe this is your first gig in Derry?
Cillian: 2nd actually, we played at North Atlantic fiddle convention that was here 3 or 4 years ago. Yeah so we only started a short while and we played at that and was a great gig actually, it was kinda earlier days though and i guess we are kinda more developed now and doing a lot better now so we are here in Bennigans now and it's great"
So you've played quite a few gigs across Northern Ireland and in Belfast too?
Cillian: Yeah we played some great venues like Blackbox and Duncairn Arts Centre too. It's been really good and we've always had some nice receptions like whenever we play up in likes of these places it's really good.
For anybody that doesn't know of your band, tell us a little bit about you and how Moxie came together?
Cillian: Down through the years we were always meeting up at festivals and playing sessions, we kind of got to know each other more and came familiar with each others tunes and we tried to meet up with each other at festivals and find quiet spots to play music and we'd stay their for hours and hours. Then myself and Ted where thinking over a period of months, which must have been after the festival period over the summer that we have to do something with this. We have to form a band so that is kind of how it started and we kind of did a few rehearsals and it kinda escalated from their.
Patrick: Yeah we did and it's been great. Good old journey, it's 5 years actually from today, Sligo live is on now, it's around that but it's been a long time.
So you are playing here in Bennigans Bar in Derry Tonight, what do you think of this bar is it any different to anywhere you'd play back home?
Patrick: No I don't think so, I mean this is a nice warm pub atmosphere around Derry. Some of the spots are kinda like this that we do play in Ireland.
Cillian: Generally it's just as friendly, as their is a lot of friendly people around and it's just nice atmosphere
Cillian: 2nd actually, we played at North Atlantic fiddle convention that was here 3 or 4 years ago. Yeah so we only started a short while and we played at that and was a great gig actually, it was kinda earlier days though and i guess we are kinda more developed now and doing a lot better now so we are here in Bennigans now and it's great"
So you've played quite a few gigs across Northern Ireland and in Belfast too?
Cillian: Yeah we played some great venues like Blackbox and Duncairn Arts Centre too. It's been really good and we've always had some nice receptions like whenever we play up in likes of these places it's really good.
For anybody that doesn't know of your band, tell us a little bit about you and how Moxie came together?
Cillian: Down through the years we were always meeting up at festivals and playing sessions, we kind of got to know each other more and came familiar with each others tunes and we tried to meet up with each other at festivals and find quiet spots to play music and we'd stay their for hours and hours. Then myself and Ted where thinking over a period of months, which must have been after the festival period over the summer that we have to do something with this. We have to form a band so that is kind of how it started and we kind of did a few rehearsals and it kinda escalated from their.
Patrick: Yeah we did and it's been great. Good old journey, it's 5 years actually from today, Sligo live is on now, it's around that but it's been a long time.
So you are playing here in Bennigans Bar in Derry Tonight, what do you think of this bar is it any different to anywhere you'd play back home?
Patrick: No I don't think so, I mean this is a nice warm pub atmosphere around Derry. Some of the spots are kinda like this that we do play in Ireland.
Cillian: Generally it's just as friendly, as their is a lot of friendly people around and it's just nice atmosphere
So for anybody that hasn't listened to Moxie it's something I describe as a mixture of everything from Jazz, Rock and with a local Irish traditional flavour, So was that intentional or was that something that just happened when you came together?
Patrick: I mean we have all grown up from a very young age listening to Irish music likes of Beoga, Dervish, but recently we broadened our minds and started listening to a lot of Jazz, lot of bands like Snikey poppy, Bill Lawrence and all those people in Jazz.
Cillian: It's not even particular Jazz it's bands across a load of different genres, You (Patrick) Like a lot of electronica dance music.
Patrick: and I like Rock aswell.
Cillian: Josh in the band he is the keyboard and box player he plays a lot of funk and listens to a lot of funk and it comes a lot whenever he is playing and when he is rehearsing with us it comes out and it changes it again like if one person is listening to Jazz, then their might be a few chords that come from jazz. He might bring a riff in from funk and then their is the whole traditional style element rather than traditional melody's. As most of these days it's most of our own music.
Patrick: I mean we have all grown up from a very young age listening to Irish music likes of Beoga, Dervish, but recently we broadened our minds and started listening to a lot of Jazz, lot of bands like Snikey poppy, Bill Lawrence and all those people in Jazz.
Cillian: It's not even particular Jazz it's bands across a load of different genres, You (Patrick) Like a lot of electronica dance music.
Patrick: and I like Rock aswell.
Cillian: Josh in the band he is the keyboard and box player he plays a lot of funk and listens to a lot of funk and it comes a lot whenever he is playing and when he is rehearsing with us it comes out and it changes it again like if one person is listening to Jazz, then their might be a few chords that come from jazz. He might bring a riff in from funk and then their is the whole traditional style element rather than traditional melody's. As most of these days it's most of our own music.
The Debut album cover from Moxie "Planted"
Watch Moxie's Cool Video for their single "Planted"
So I continued my interview with Moxie and asked about their debut album.
Your debut album "Planted" is out now and I watched the video for the single of the same name "Planted" last night and it's really quite a cool video. Tell us a bit about the story and background of that and your new album?
Patrick: Think we kind of planned to tell the story of a rebirth of our version of Irish music.
Cillian: Paddy is right in saying that, it was kind of a rebirth and styles within the Irish music scene and we just kinda wanted to stamp it down especially with the theme planted but I think the video came out so well is because we are involved with a hugely talented videographer called Peter Cline. He has worked on numerous projects over the years from surf documentaries to working with many music groups and large scale filming sets and he is just a very creative guy and and i think we are all as a band we are all very open minded. So any ideas he had for us we were all kind of really accepting of that and likewise with us towards him. We'd a lot of ideas with him and we just kinda shaped it from there.
Your debut album "Planted" is out now and I watched the video for the single of the same name "Planted" last night and it's really quite a cool video. Tell us a bit about the story and background of that and your new album?
Patrick: Think we kind of planned to tell the story of a rebirth of our version of Irish music.
Cillian: Paddy is right in saying that, it was kind of a rebirth and styles within the Irish music scene and we just kinda wanted to stamp it down especially with the theme planted but I think the video came out so well is because we are involved with a hugely talented videographer called Peter Cline. He has worked on numerous projects over the years from surf documentaries to working with many music groups and large scale filming sets and he is just a very creative guy and and i think we are all as a band we are all very open minded. So any ideas he had for us we were all kind of really accepting of that and likewise with us towards him. We'd a lot of ideas with him and we just kinda shaped it from there.
Moxie Performing in Bennigans Bar on Saturday:
So you been touring for quite a while around the UK and Ireland and you just came back from Newcastle. So how was that over there? How was your music received over in the UK?
Patrick: Well we just got back actually as you say from Newcastle just yesterday. The reception over there was pretty well, pretty good I must say. It was our first time to be in Newcastle and Josh was their with a different band Beoga. The band player from that is our manager so he got invited over to fill in for one of the guys. It was his second time over there.
Cillian: But even last night really well organised gig and lovely people and a really nice atmosphere around and everyone was friendly like here where we are right now you couldn't beat it. Great reception for such different music like a lot of people haven't heard I think they received it quite well. A success I would say.
We played in Manchester and Carlton Irish Club in Liverpool and St George's Hall and last night in Newcastle. I think of places in England like they would be costumed to traditional like folk music even English folk music and there is a big Irish traditional music scene over there. So even coming from that and listening to Moxie I think it must been quite a big difference. I can personally say that Moxie is not traditional in sense as it's too open minded to be called traditional music not that traditional music isn't open minded but i think it's completely different genre to be honest with you.
Tell us what you've got planned next and where we can see you perform next?
Cillian: Next big gig is in Sligo in 5th on Teeling on Stephens Night and i think their is another few dates here and there but it's kind of a mix really and the next big tour is March 2016 in Australia. I think it's a month long and we are really looking forward to that and we are delighted to have the support of Culture Ireland, Which they have been really great to us.
So the album is out now and where can we find your music and new album to buy?
Cillian: It's available to download on I Tunes.
Patrick: It's also on Soundcloud where you can listen to some of the tracks.
Cillian: Some of the EP Tracks are up on Soundcloud too and you can go to website Moxiemuso.com
Thanks Moxie for talking to us and we wish you all the best for the future.
I watched the band perform in Bennigans Bar and this band had the place up dancing and know how to put on a great show and it's a band to watch in the next year or so as I expect big things for these talented guys.
So you can get the brand new "Planted" album on MoxieMuso.com and listen to some of the bands tracks on Soundcloud too.
Some links below to listen to some of Moxie's music.
Patrick: Well we just got back actually as you say from Newcastle just yesterday. The reception over there was pretty well, pretty good I must say. It was our first time to be in Newcastle and Josh was their with a different band Beoga. The band player from that is our manager so he got invited over to fill in for one of the guys. It was his second time over there.
Cillian: But even last night really well organised gig and lovely people and a really nice atmosphere around and everyone was friendly like here where we are right now you couldn't beat it. Great reception for such different music like a lot of people haven't heard I think they received it quite well. A success I would say.
We played in Manchester and Carlton Irish Club in Liverpool and St George's Hall and last night in Newcastle. I think of places in England like they would be costumed to traditional like folk music even English folk music and there is a big Irish traditional music scene over there. So even coming from that and listening to Moxie I think it must been quite a big difference. I can personally say that Moxie is not traditional in sense as it's too open minded to be called traditional music not that traditional music isn't open minded but i think it's completely different genre to be honest with you.
Tell us what you've got planned next and where we can see you perform next?
Cillian: Next big gig is in Sligo in 5th on Teeling on Stephens Night and i think their is another few dates here and there but it's kind of a mix really and the next big tour is March 2016 in Australia. I think it's a month long and we are really looking forward to that and we are delighted to have the support of Culture Ireland, Which they have been really great to us.
So the album is out now and where can we find your music and new album to buy?
Cillian: It's available to download on I Tunes.
Patrick: It's also on Soundcloud where you can listen to some of the tracks.
Cillian: Some of the EP Tracks are up on Soundcloud too and you can go to website Moxiemuso.com
Thanks Moxie for talking to us and we wish you all the best for the future.
I watched the band perform in Bennigans Bar and this band had the place up dancing and know how to put on a great show and it's a band to watch in the next year or so as I expect big things for these talented guys.
So you can get the brand new "Planted" album on MoxieMuso.com and listen to some of the bands tracks on Soundcloud too.
Some links below to listen to some of Moxie's music.
