The Irish indie band Good Strangers will release a brand-new album in 2023, with their first single, โEgyptian Summer,โ and their most recent single, โPrivate Hell,โ both from their eagerly awaited debut EP, โAdult Teenage Novels,โ due out in the fall of 2023. The bandโs name, Good Strangers, honors the many kind strangers they have encountered while on tour, traveling, and attending numerous festivals. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): We all come from the midlands of Ireland. We started working together as a five piece band in 2021. I feel like we are a group of misfit mates that just started jamminโ rather than a carefully formed band. Our guitarist Kev & I founded the project back in 2017 when we were experimenting with some 80โs synth influenced dream pop writing sessions. Then Niamh and I then moved to Berlin in 2019 and played around the underground circuit under the guise Good Strangers, where we started to write most of the songs from our upcoming EP, โAdult Teenage Novelsโ. When we came back to Ireland in 2021, we needed a band to play live in the studio and so we called the guys and arranged our first rehearsal as a band. As soon as we were in the rehearsal room, there was a great energy in the room and everything just all just came together very naturally and it very much just started form there.
2. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): This is tough one because for me personally, the songs on the EP like Private Hell & Egyptian Summer are so personal to me and Iโm writing about very hard hitting truths about myself, that it can be quite intimidating to share more than you already have with others. I tend to not really delve too deep in to the meaning of songs because I think music is always very subjective to the listener and who am I to take that away from other people. Years ago, a friend of mine was going through a really tough time during her pregnancy and she said that one of my songs from a previous band I was in, helped her through that period of time and really resonated with her. I didnโt have the heart to tell her that the song was actually about me coming out as gay. LOL!!! I think if a person is resonating with a song from their own personal experiences, even if they are different from what you wrote about, then you are doing your job right as a songwriter.
3. 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?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): In my opinion I think that if you are an authentic band/artist your political/cultural views will translate into your music naturally within your personal narrative as a songwriter. I donโt think there are any rules as to what influences you as a writer. I know for myself when I go to write a song, I donโt think, Oh iโm going to sit down and try and write this political activist song about gay rights. I tend to write more from an insular personal standpoint about my own experiences and if you are an honest enough writer, your opinions/spiritual beliefs translate into your writing through everyday life experiences. Music in general has always been highly influential to cultural, political or spiritual beliefs and vice versa because this is what moulds peopleโs beliefs in their everyday lives, so itโs unavoidable in many ways.
4. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
GOOD STRANGERS: Well Itโs hard being an independent band in this day and age. The music industry has changed so rapidly in the last few years, whereby many artists now act as their own record label essentially. Itโs a lot of hard work which often times doesnโt pay off. Bands can make great sounding records from the comfort of their own bedrooms and release it that day online to the world, which means that the industry often feels saturated and itโs hard to be heard above the noise. So therefore you can feel that you are not getting enough streams, gigs or radio plays etc which can be pretty soul destroying. But for me as I get older, you learn to ignore these industry expectations more. If you are lucky enough to be able to release music that you are passionate about and that represents you as a person, there is a sense of self fulfilment that comes with that achievement alone. I think as Iโve gotten older, Iโve learned to not compare myself to other artists and there achievements as much and rather focus on your own goals and accomplishments.
5. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โGOOD STRANGERS?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): As a collective, we have such a wide variety of influences that range from The Cure, Fleetwood Mac, The Smiths, Radiohead, The National, Nirvana, Big Thief, Sinead O Connor, Feist, Belle & Sebastian, Wolf Alice, The Fontaines DC, Lankum, The Cranberries etc. The list is endless. But at the minute weโre really liking the new Boygenius record. The name Good Strangers is a celebration of community and the many good strangers the band has met throughout our time touring, travelling and attending many a music festival.
6. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): Not too like a complete narcissistic dick but I feel like Good Strangers music is quite difficult to pin point to a particular niche or genre of music. We all come from very different musical influences & backgrounds that somehow merge together. We believe that we have elements of Indie pop, folk & rock but try not to pigeon hole ourselves into any particular genre. For me personally I think that the key component to our music is the emotional delivery in the performance, whether that be in the studio or in a live setting. Subconsciously I think we tend to write quite honest & often times quite sombre lyrics, but we like the idea of using uplifting chords and melodies to work as a kind of juxtaposition to the meaning behind the songs. We want people to feel all the feels and we write about the trials of everyday life but at the same time, we want people to feel uplifted and enlightened as much as possible.
7. 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, which is known as ROCK?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): We have all been in the music industry for quite some time and I canโt speak for the rest of the band members but I know for me personally, it took me a long time to find โmyโ sound as a song writer & vocalist. I used to have a habit of trying to emulate my idols & there is a risk of mimicking your heroes too much that you can become a bi-product of someone elseโs creativity. But I do also think that most artists are either consciously or subconsciously influenced by their musical idols on their journey to discovering their own sound. I think that all writers & musicians have that one band that got them to pick up the guitar or start writing songs in the first place. Itโs unavoidable and I think its so important to draw inspiration from your influences to pave your own way as a musician. And I think over time, if you put enough work in, you gradually discover your own qualities and strengths as a musician/songwriter that are uniquely individual to you regardless of who influenced you.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): In terms of the creative process for us, it changes all the time. But generally I start by writing the lyrics first. I find this the hardest part of the creative process as I can be a bit of an over thinker when it comes to lyrics, so I could take me a couple of months to finish the lyrics to one song and other day I could write 3 songs in one sitting. Once I have most of the lyrics down, Niamh would usually help me finish the song structure and write her parts and weโd usually find the melody on the piano or the acoustic guitar. Then weโd send the idea over to the lads or jam it out over & over again at the rehearsal studio until we find something we all vibe to. But again, it rarely is the same process, but it is very much always a collaborative effort.
9. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): For me, the unknown is the biggest challenge within the music industry. Nothing is guaranteed. As a band in our early 30s, we have a lot more responsibilities to be โadultsโ, than we did when we were in our 20s and it can be very hard to juggle the balance between the real world and being a musician. Whether you are rehearsing, writing, recording or being on the road, it can be a hard slog to maintain relationships within your personal life. But at the same time, the feeling of not knowing whatโs around the corner can be the thing that motivates you and drives you on. Itโs hard and overwhelming at times but if you truly love what you do, no matter what the risks are, you have a reason to get out of bed in the mornings. Nothing in life comes easy and you are inevitably going to come across many challenges along the way. But if you work hard enough, you learn from these challenges and in my opinion, they make you a more resilient person.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
GOOD STRANGERS (Conor): For me, recording our upcoming EP โAdult Teenage Novelsโ, which is coming out this Autumn, has been the proudest moment of my career so far. We worked really hard to find the sound for our first record and In terms of songwriting, its the most honest Iโve ever been which is equally as scary as fuck, as it is gratifying. I was going through a rough time mentally when I started writing these songs and there were times when I didnโt think I would be able to write about what I was going through in a meaningful enough way, to the point where I doubted if I could finish the EP at all. But through a collaborative effort, everything just came together in such a naturally progressive manner. We had such a great time in the studio with our Producer Alex Borwick, and he really understood what we were trying to achieve and really helped us in pushing ourselves to our limits which we are all really super proud of. We canโt wait for everyone to hear the EP!
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