In May 2024 Barry released his first solo single Rescue Me, a breezy scorcher of a song, thundering in with Revolveresque buzzsaw riffs, slashing guitars, nimble bass and blocks of cascading harmonies. It received a giant Macca-style thumbs up from critics and fans alike, popping up on radio everywhere from his native Ireland, the UK and particularly the US where itโs Powerpop sensibilities were welcomed like a long lost son. Now comes the release of his follow-up single The Sound. Shuffling between the stomp of Mod, four on the floor Northern Soul and the swagger of New Wave itโs a gobstopper popsicle of a song so suck it and see. Check out the exclusive Interview below:
1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?
BARRY J WALSH: The cover of my latest single The Sound features my Dadโs old radio. Itโs over 60 years old now and not working anymore but my Dad is 95 and still in perfect working order! The radio was always on in the house and taken on Sunday trips or on holidays to the seaside. It was where I heard all my first music right from the time I was in a pram โ I have the photos to prove it! Later I would smuggle it up to my bedroom at night and fiddle around with the dial until I found something good on Radio Luxembourg. The echoes of all that music soaked up under the covers are still ebbing away in my music.
2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?
BARRY J WALSH: I first learned to play an instrument in the Breffni Boys Accordion Band when I was 9 or 10. There was some formal training, and I learned to play โpartsโ which were the counter melodies in a tune. The notion that you could have two different, competing melodies being played at the same time yet perfectly complementary to each other was fascinating to me. When I started playing guitar and writing songs it was very intuitive, by ear, but my early experience on the accordion can still be clearly heard in my music. The Sound is a very good example of this where you can hear a lot of different melodies weaving in and out of the arrangement but fitting in nicely with each other.
3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound?
BARRY J WALSH: I remember being around 12 or 13 years old and in a youth club, in the small town where Iโm from in Ireland called Cavan, where we would hang out and listen to music on a rickety old record player. Among the handful of old 7โ singles were scratched copies of She Loves You and I Wanna Hold Your Hand by The Beatles. I felt a huge surge of excitement the first time I heard them; and thatโs where my Beatles obsession started. More importantly it was where my obsession with songwriting began as I thought the idea of creating something out of thin air that could have that effect on people was mind blowing. I suppose with my songs I am vainly trying to recreate in others that initial excitement I felt listening to those songs for the first time. A vain but noble and glorious pursuit!
4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?
BARRY J WALSH: I think my songs have an immediacy but also bear repeated listening where different layers are revealed both musically and lyrically. I like the idea of juxtaposing buoyant, upbeat music with lyrics that have a bit of an edge and seriousness to them. ย Musically, the mainstay of my songs is the guitar and lots of them! However, I also use organ and piano on a lot of material for colorization while I have a number of songs which are currently being recorded for my album that have brass and strings on them which I have arranged myself.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style?
BARRY J WALSH: Everyone starts out enthralled by someone else, itโs the main reason why a lot of artists get into music. They learn from them by playing and listening to their songs and this immersion can lead to early material having more of their influence than your own style. For me developing your own voice came with playing with others in bands where they would put their musical stamp on top of yours and hey bingo, you have something that isnโt totally derivative. Your songwriting also grows organically over time anyway and you put more of yourself into your writing just through having more life experiences and that makes it more distinct.
6. Music often transcends entertainment. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
BARRY J WALSH:
I think music has a place within all the above and has soundtracked the huge changes we have seen in our world and massively enriched it in doing so. But it can be pure escapism too. Political songs can be political with a small โpโ as well, after all, the politics of relationships have provided the world with hundreds of years of great songs that endlessly fascinate!
7. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment youโre still seeking?
BARRY J WALSH:
Iโve always felt music is its own reward. At this stage I only really aim to write and record songs that I am happy or impressed with myself and trust my judgement that there are enough people out there who feel the same way about the songs. If your main aim in writing is to please others you are placing your mental wellbeing in the hands of others, and you will slip through those fingers time and again! Be true unto thyself!
8. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, whatโs the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?
BARRY J WALSH: To me songwriting is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration, but it is that 1% that is the Holy Grail. I always start with my acoustic guitar and just try not to get in the way of things filtering through. That could be a phrase, a chord, a lick or a rhythm. I predominantly write the music first which more often than not at least suggests a phrase or some words that sound good together and thatโs the 1% youโre looking for. From there, I arrive at a finished structure, lyrics and melody and then build up the full arrangement on Garageband, I use a Midi keyboard for any keys, strings or brass to get an idea of what works. After that Iโm lucky that my son has his own studio in the house, and he plays guitar and drums, so we re-record my arrangement, get a final mix and then have it mastered. For The Sound we used Jon Astley who has remastered The Who and George Harrison among countless others and he was wonderful to work with.
9. Whatโs been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?
BARRY J WALSH: Putting your music out there is like revealing a part of your soul, you cannot imagine doing anything more intensely personal. What you soon realize is that although there are people who resonate with this (God bless them), for many listeners the experience is less intense, and you have to grapple with indifference and rejection. This to me is the most challenging part. Having the measure of success being the degree to which you are happy with your music inures you against the slings and arrows of the outrageous fortune of being a would-be pop star!
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