If you’re from Baltimore (especially south Baltimore), you may know where J. Patrick’s is. Hidden to most in a nook of Locust Point, the windowless Irish Pub is the place to go when you want to hear amazing Irish folk music. I’ve gone there alone (surprising, I know) just to listen to a fiddle dance while sipping on a Guinness. There are few things in this world more relaxing. I simply can’t get enough of those Irish folk traditions like the fiddle and bagpipe… so it goes without saying that I’ve been blasting live sets on YouTube from our latest feature, The Killdares non-stop in the office today. What could be better than a merging of Irish tradition with the rock sounds I listen to all the time?? Tim Smith, Roberta Rast, Matt Willis and Brek Lancaster have forged together a Celtic style that infuses the fiddle and bagpipes with rock guitar riffs like never before!
If there are any questions about the talent behind this band, just check out the history: 6 records that include 1998’s “Broken with a Word”, 2001’s “A Place to Stand”, 2002’s “LIVE”, 2005’s “Any Given Element” and 2008’s “Secrets of the Day”, many of which earned various Grammy nominations. Today, the Killdares bring us a 3-disc live collection title “Up Against the Lights”… and it’s an excellent ride. Just check out my YouTube history! Smith gets into it: “This latest release is more than just an album. It was an 8-month process to complete this. And as I said before, we are ‘truly’ an independent band. No label support, no outside investors. So, we literally did this all on our own. We are known for our live show, and we really wanted to capture that experience on audio and video since we hadn't done that yet… We filmed it at the historic Granada Theater in Dallas, TX with 7 cameras, a moving jib camera and mobile recording company. The result is a 21-song package, with over 2-hours of footage and exceptional audio.”
Pick it up – seriously, if you have an Irish music fan in your circle, this is the holiday gift for them. The band is taking a well-deserved break after playing 5 shows a day for 24 straight days at the Great State of Texas Fair, but they’ll be busy back in studio next year. Check out “Up Against the Lights” and keep reading for all the answers to the XXQ’s.
XXQs: The Killdares
PensEyeView.com (PEV): How would you describe your sound and what do you feel makes you stand out over the others in your genre?
TS: We were once called "...a Celtic version of Collective Soul." We've always flown the "Celtic. Rock" flag, but there is a lot of variation within the genre. I think what sets us apart from all the others, is our clever use of the bagpipes and fiddle. These two instruments play both lead and supporting roles in the sound of our band, which in and of itself is pretty unconventional. Bagpipes are traditionally in the not so friendly key of B-flat. However, our piper also uses a custom A 440 standard concert pitch chanter, which allows the instrument to play along side the string instruments without those instruments having to "tune up" and compromise their sound. This allows for a lot more variation in song and style. Also...having a lead guitar player with showcasing solos and riff-driven songs is vastly different than any other band in the genre. Add to that a drummer lead singer, and you can't get much different than that.
PEV: What kind of music were the members of the band into growing up? Do you remember your first concert?
TS: My first concert was KISS in 1979 at the Tarrant County Conventions Center in Ft. Worth, TX. My father took me and my older brother, and although he never liked the band. I blame dad for fueling the fire that led to many more face-painting dress up moments in the years that followed. Moving into the 80's, I became a true alternative music listener. I would tune in weekly to George Gimarc's "Rock N' Roll Alternative" radio program, as it was one of the main veins in Dallas where I discovered such great bands as R.E.M., The Smiths, XTC, The Cult, The Alarm, Elvis Costello and countless others.
RR: I grew up listening mostly to Country Music & Western Swing, specifically George Strait, Vince Gill, Dixie Chicks, Asleep at the Wheel & Bob Wills. First Concert: MC Hammer (Yeah...I know)
BL: Grand Funk Railroad, Three Dog Night, YES, Led Zeppelin, Kansas, ELP, Styx, The Who, The Beatles, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, Pink Floyd... First Concert: Grand Funk Railroad (with 5 of my best buddies and my Dad and his girlfriend). She hated it and walked out. My dad probably stayed to make sure 6 boys of 7 years old each were not getting into trouble...
MW: I listened to a lot of Jethro Tull growing up, and Tull was my first concert as well. I also listened to a lot of 70s & 80s heavy metal; Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. To balance that out, I also was a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel. Nirvana was the greatest thing during my freshman year of high school, but I never got into grunge. I became a very big fan of Fiona Apple during my college years.
PEV: What was it like trying to break into the music scene when you first started out as a band? What was your first show like together as a band?
TS: When I first started the band, the music scene in Dallas was rampant. Cell phones didn't really exist, computers were foreign things, iTunes was a dream away...and bands like The Toadies and Tripping Daisy were our local competitors. So...you can imagine what we were up against. At first it was very difficult to land a gig ANYWHERE. We were seen as a gimmick band that only got popular during one time a year: St. Patrick's Day. No club owner would give us a chance.
I was literally going door-to-door demanding face to face meetings with the club managers so I could hand them a press kit and recording in person. Most of them never called me back. Many of them laughed in my face telling me a band like ours would never play in Deep Ellum (the hotbed part of Dallas where anybody who was anybody played). Who got the last laugh? Our first show together as a band was in 1996 at a local Irish Festival to a packed tent of over 200 people. We had arrived! In 2002, 6-time national fiddle champion Roberta Rast joined the band. And in 2004, she and I rebuilt the band with a whole new personnel. A new chapter of the band emerged that later would become the current line-up. Our first show as this next new chapter of The Killdares was opening for Marcia Ball at a festival in Lincoln, Nebraska.
PEV: What can fans expect from a live The Killdares show?
TS: A non-stop family-friendly environment with music that appeals to an age group of 5 to 75. An experience that you won't get at many (if any) other shows. We also make time for meet-n-greet CD signings and fan interactions after every show.
PEV: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you step on stage?
TS: "This sure beats working in a cubicle. Wait...I still do work in a cubicle! Oh well...name me one person that works at a desk...that also gets to be in a national touring band, and play to thousands of people across the country."
RR: "I hope I'm getting sound when I start playing...troubleshooting once the show has started is not my ideal way to kick of a show."
BL: "That euphoric feeling of bonding with the fans and..oh, what's the first chord of the first song..."
MW: "Please, universe, don't let my bagpipes self-destruct..." (There are so many things that can go awry with the pipes at any moment, it's amazing there aren't more mishaps on stage).
PEV: What do you think of mainstream music today – as in what’s being played on the radio?
TS: We actually don't think of it much. On the other hand XM Radio rocks! We find all kinds of new music from underrated bands on there. However, on mainstream terrestrial radio, many songs are either manufactured or way over-played...or both. We try our best to support community radio stations that are actually listener-driven, such as KXT 91.7FM here in Dallas. In the end, indie bands deserve more radio play in the mainstream markets...
PEV: What was the underlining inspiration for your music? Where do get your best ideas for songs?
TS: There is no specific inspiration really, we love working & listening with others to gain inspiration. What I like about The Killdares is knowing we are a team & each member will contribute at different times in different ways. Not knowing where we are headed and where a piece will end up is all part of the journey and excitement. Many ideas for my songs come from whatever we are currently reading. For instance, a piece we are working on right now was brought to the band by Matt, and was inspired by his reading about Spiral Dynamics. We are increasingly looking beyond the common concepts and topics like "love" when creating the lyrics of a piece; not to say there won't be more love-inspired lyrics in the future. But, we think there is more out there. Probably depends on what we're reading at that time. For Roberta on the other hand...it's all random (after all she is a Gemini). She and I are similar in that realm. For us, ideas sometimes come from listening to another artist/band. Sometimes by making a mistake while playing, and it turns into a new idea. Sometimes a certain guitar chord or tone will get the ideas flowing, and other times a certain quote or something someone says will give me a song lyric idea. Totally random.
PEV: Thinking back to when you first started out do you ever look back at your career and think about your earlier days and how you’ve arrived where you are today?
TS: Sure...that's a very natural and expected process. Reflection is a powerful tool and can offer a lot of insight. Where we are now did not just arrive overnight. It arrived as the result of a lot of blood, sweat, tears...and personnel changes. But, no regrets. I am proud of every step this band has made. We always swing for the fences, and have gotten where we are today on our own, with no label support. That is something to be proud of.
PEV: What’s one thing we’d be surprised to hear about the members of The Killdares?
TS: "I have a killer 3-point shot percentage...and I can challenge anybody to movie trivia."
RR: "We are all a bunch of nerds. Wait, you may already know that..."
BL: "I might be the only Pittsburgh Steelers fan in the entire Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex"
MW: "The piper spends a lot of time watching belly dancing..."
PEV: Was there a certain point in your life when you knew that music was going to be a goal for you?
TS: When I played drums in my 8th grade talent show. We played "Stray Cat Strut" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go", and lost out to a solo gymnast. It was then that I knew I could enjoy doing this for a long time.
RR: I had played the fiddle since age 5, so when I had to choose my college major, it was then that I knew music was THE only route for me."
BL: When I was about 13 years old and joined my first band, I had a realization of accomplishment with other musicians and realized this was something I thoroughly enjoyed.
MW: "I had always had an interest in music, and have been playing various musical instruments since age 8, but it wasn't anything more than a serious hobby until my early 20s when I began playing with the Silver Thistle Pipes & Drums of Austin, TX. I suddenly had opportunities to regularly perform at pubs and festivals. When my day job at the time was outsourced and I was forced to find new employment, it seemed only natural to start giving bagpipe lessons and to spend more time focusing on what I was best at, which was making music.
PEV: Tell us about your latest release, the 3 disc (2 audio CD & 1 DVD) live collection “Up Against The Lights”. What can fans expect from this album?
TS: This latest release is more than just an album. It was an 8-month process to complete this. And as I said before, we are "truly" an independent band. No label support, no outside investors. So, we literally did this all on our own. We are known for our Live show, and we really wanted to capture that experience on audio and video since we hadn't done that yet. Originally we were only going to record the audio, and release a double-live album. Mainly so we could release a lot of the songs that we didn't plan on putting on any studio record...but were known for being showstoppers and fan favorites. But as the idea developed, I decided to once again swing for the fences and do an all out video shoot as well. We filmed it at the historic Granada Theater in Dallas, TX with 7 cameras, a moving jib camera and mobile recording company. The result is a 21-song package, with over 2-hours of footage and exceptional audio, that rivals many of the DVDs I've seen from much bigger bands with much bigger budgets.
PEV: What is the feeling you get after a song is complete and you can sit back and listen to it being played the way you envisioned?
TS: I usually don't have the sense that a song is complete, until it makes it onto an album.
Until that point, any song is fair game for interpretation, rebuilding or change. And so, I guess on some level I never really feel that a song is ever complete. It is always changing, and always generating new feelings for me. So, my challenge is having to learn when to call it "done" at some point. Still...once a list of songs is forever imprinted on an album...the feeling of accomplishment is like no other I've ever felt.
RR: I was a runner growing up, cross country and track...it really feels like I just completed a race. It's a "high" you only get when you have put yourself out there...and completed something successfully.
BL: A feeling of accomplishment with the emotion that possibly someone else will experience the feeling that the song is trying to convey.
MW: I don't know if any song I've written has turned out as originally envisioned. Songs have a way of morphing in their journey...as an idea to the reality of getting played. So sitting back and listening to a completed piece is always interesting, as I can't help but compare and contrast what I'm hearing to the original idea I had conceived.
PEV: With all your traveling is there one area you wish you could travel around and play that you have not yet?
TS: Yes. California and the West Coast for sure. And of course Ireland and Scotland.
PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your career? What’s it like when you get to play at your hometown?
TS: One thing we've always fostered in the band is the importance of family. As a result, not only do we operate like a family...we also rely on our own individual spouses and families for support. And they have been phenomenal. Without them, we could not do what we do. Having a supportive network of family and friends breeds a better quality of life, improves our performance, and allows for much better times while on the road.
And we see this in our hometown (and home state of Texas) like no other place. The support we get from our hometown fans is simply amazing! It is a welcomed return from the road and always gives us the lift we need to go out there night after night...even when we're away from them.
PEV: What can we find each of you doing in your spare time, aside from playing/writing music?
TS: Riding my bike around the lake, jogging, going to Dallas Maverick games, sleeping...
RR: Making "to-do" lists, attempting new cooking recipes, going to yoga classes, watching movies, or cussing under my breath as I try to get my iPhone to sync with my MacBook properly.
BL: Enjoying coffee with my spouse, reading, playing laser tag with my cats, water skiing, reading, going to the movies...
MW: I make time to regularly go to the gym, and spend time studying health, wellness, and weight training. I also spend more time than I should detailing my car... I have a fascination with older cars. First it was old VWs, but lately it's turned to early 70's Mopars (classic Dodge and Plymouth cars).
PEV: Name one present and past artist or group that would be your dream collaboration? Why?
TS: Present: U2.....I would love to hear what Bono and gang thought of our sound. Would he find it a compliment to his motherland? Surely his experience with genius producers like Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois could produce something interesting with a fiddle and bagpipe.
Past: The Pogues. How can you go wrong with Shane MacGowan?
BL: Past: Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad because he always writes songs from his heart and soul and that's where I try to write from. Present: Ed Roland of Collective Soul pretty much for the same reason and because the hooks from his song are incredible...
RR: Present: Coldplay Past: The Beatles I could learn so much from being around both these bands... I absolutely love everything they put out and never tire of their songs. Timeless. I'd like to be around during their writing sessions to hopefully get a glimpse of what's it's like for them on a day to day basis.
MW: Present: Norah Jones. She seems very personable, and I love that each of her records has a unique style. Plus, I'd like to see what she could do with some Celtic instrumentation. Past: I'd have to say Tull. It's been rumored that Ian Anderson could be a bit of a task master, but I'm a diligent worker. Tull's unusual instrumentation and creative use of time signature, as well as the varied lyrical content was always fascinating to me, but again, I can't help but wonder what a having some pipes in a few Tull songs would sound like.
PEV: Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?
TS: MuteMath. Hands down...one the most unique sounds happening right now.
PEV: If playing music wasn’t your life (or life’s goal) what do you think each of you would be your career?
TS: I would probably become a counselor or put my Psychology degree to use. Wait...as band leader I already do that. Hmmm... I guess I'd work with children. Or...be a full-time dreamer.
RR: <blank stare>
BL: Managing an office of some sort...and reliving the movie OFFICE SPACE.
MW: I would probably be teaching somewhere. I received my degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (elementary school education), but by the time I graduated, I was already supporting myself solely through my music. The long summers allow time to pursue all sorts of other interests.
PEV: So, what is next for The Killdares?
TS: We just finished our annual 24-day run at the great State Fair of Texas. We played 5 shows a day for 24 days straight (do the math). Then next week we will open a show for 90's rockers Third Eye Blind. After that, we will take a little break during the holidays to catch up on sleep and continue writing new songs in hopes of having a new studio album in late 2012.