How can you not love the Divine Comedy whose inspirations include Tom Lehrer and “Landfill Indie”? And Neil Hannon wrote music for Wonka, Father Ted and the IT Crowd. There’s a new album, Rainy Sunday Afternoon, and a tour in October and all bases are covered in this conversation from Kildare, these among them …
… seeing U2 at Croke Park “and feeling as though I’d won the Wonka Golden Ticket”.
… favourite bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s - Pixies, Sugarcubes, Sonic Youth and Ride.
… the miserably cancelled Father Ted musical and how he’s recycled the songs he wrote for it.
… a research trip to an Indie Disco with Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian.
… how it feels to record at Abbey Road.
… his teenage band inventing new words to R.E.M songs in an Enniskillen youth club.
… how new songs begin.
… supporting Carter USM and Suede, “the moment I first felt like a pop star”.
… Mar-A-Lago, a childhood trip to London and further melancholia on his new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon.
… rocks on the street in Derry en route to Primary School during the Troubles.
… Hepworth and Ellen appearing on a Duckworth Lewis album - “nudging and nurdling!”
… his first stab at “witty pseudo-intellectual lyrics”.
… “never leave your tour bus, be rehearsed before you start rehearsals” and other ways touring saves money.
… and the five songs he always plays.
Divine Comedy tickets here: https://thedivinecomedy.com/live
Pre-order Rainy Sunday here: https://lnk.to/RainySunday
Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear
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