Formed in the north-west of Ireland in late 2017, The Midnight Preachers blasted onto the Irish music scene with a distinctive hard rock sound. Avoiding the modern trappings of overexposure on social media, the bandās approach is to leave more to the imagination of the listener, and to make the music their priority
Interview conducted on Aug. 24, 2020
By Dan Locke
Irish rock band The Midnight Preachers released their new single titled “Pusher Woman” to all digital outlets via The Label Group/INgrooves. The band also released the official music video for the single that was drawn by the band’s very own Emer McLaughlin on her iPad.
THE MIDNIGHT PREACHERS IS:
Eoghan MacSheain – Singer / Guitarist / Pianist & Producer
Emer McLaughlin – Singer / Bassist
What is your upbringing?
We both grew up in the north west of Ireland, in a fairly rural area. Weāre by the sea, which is a blessing.
How did you discover music?
Through our parents mainly.
How did you start to write music?
We were inspired by our favourite bands – Queen, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzyā¦
Eoghan- You are session man. How was it to work with AC/DC and GNRs?
Iāve had the fortune of performing live with Chris Slade – AC/DC drummer, as well as Ron āBumblefootā Thal, who was in Guns Nā Roses from 2006-2014. Chris is a total pleasure to be around and work with – it was fantastic to see him return to AC/DC a few years back. Ron and I have become good friends and have put together a couple of music camps in Ireland (www.facebook.com/bumblefootmusiccamp) as well as having done a few charity shows together. Ron is also a pleasure to work with. You learn a lot from being around Ron.
Eoghan-How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I was given a guitar for Christmas in 2001. I still have it š
Emer- How did you get your first bass and what was it name?
Emer got her first bass when I was 15 – somehow, she never Christened it, but thereās still time!
What was your first together performance at like?
Our first live performance was in OāFlahertyās Bar, Buncrana a few years back. It went well. Itās one of our favourite spots to play.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Our first original song was probably one called Against The Tide. Itās recorded and will hopefully be on the album.
How did you start the band?
I (Eoghan) wanted to start a rock band a few years back. I enlisted the help of a friend – Rickey, who drums on the track Pusher Woman, and later on asked Emer to join.
How the band did get its name?
The band got its name as a gift from the universe. I wanted something that captured that southern rock feel, and also had plenty of connotations – in terms of imagery etc. I thought of things that felt southern and tried a few different combinations of words until I got there.
Why did you stay away from social media in the beginning?
We wanted it to be about music. The internet is great in that it gives everybody a voice, with that saidā¦ itās difficult to sift through and find things that are relevant. We like mysticism. We donāt see the point in revealing everything on Facebook, Instagram, etc. It pasteurizes.
How was it to work with Bumblefoot?
Ron is one of the shining lights in the music industry. Heās completely professional, always offering advice and help, and has played a huge role in our bandās progress to date.
āPusher Womanā is the single which just got released. Tell me about it?
Itās a big ole rock song. Heavy riffs, massive drums, singinā bout a womanā¦.
The video was drawn by Emer, on her iPad. What model iPad do you have and what software did you use?
Itās an iPad Pro, and she used ProCreate.
What is your favorite track on the album?
Our favourite track is probably Pusher Woman.
How do you stay healthy while touring?
Avoiding fatty foods, and getting as much sleep as possible.
What are youāre feeling about streaming music?
Streaming – needs to give more revenue to the artist! Digital vs. vinyl? DSD š Our new favourite formatā¦. With that said, thereās something about the experience of putting on a record – it commands your attention.
Can you tell me about Bumblefoot Music Camp in Ireland?
Yes! Weāve done two so far. Ron does the teaching, and itās my job to make sure things go according to planā¦ We try to involve some Irish culture, visit local places of interest – and most importantly, Ron teaches classes on performing, music theory, practicing, recording, and basically all things music industry. We have people come from all over the world – Sweden, Texas, Germany, France, England, etc. Itās a blast. People make lasting friendships too, which is fantastic.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Kurt Vile – Heās Alright. Great track. Itās got a beautiful haunting quality to it.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Itās a waiting game at the moment. There are so many people in the industry other than musicians that are out of the job – technicians, lighting engineers etc. Hopefully a vaccination comes soon.
Tell me about your pre pandemic concert that you had in Feb.
Our last pre-pandemic gig was in The Drift Inn, Buncrana. Itās kind of an old Railway Station. Cool spot.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Chores, ha! The house has never been so cleanā¦ Plenty of writing and rehearsing. š
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Growing tomatoes.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
Probably Netflix.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. What are you planning to do?
Weāll hopefully be doing some live stuff on Social Media soon š
Live Nations just started Live Nation from Home. Which are concerts from artist homes. An all-new virtual music hub keeping fans connected to their favorite artists featuring daily live streams, performances, new music and more. Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
The audience is part of the bandā¦ I think the adrenaline rush would be lacking in that type of settingā¦ not that itās a bad idea, but I donāt think anything compares to hearing music live.
For smaller bands who do not play large crowds, this is not really an issue. How do you see bands going back to smaller venues and doing things like play for the door, with no guarantees?
It will definitely be a challenge – but hopefully things will begin to progress soon.
With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it maybe the end of music fest for the next couple of years?
Maybe for a short time. It might result in some positives – we may rethink our strategies and revenue streams, and hopefully some positives will come out of it.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Definitely an interesting one! Perhaps weāll see Freddie Mercury strutting along our masterpieceā¦
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
Hopefully living in a pandemic free world!
Anything you would like to say in closing.
We hope that you and your families are safe and well. Thank you so much for the platform to discuss all things āPusher Womanā. Eoghan + Emer
