Exclusive Interview with 'THE ART CRIMES BAND'

The Art Crimes Band, a six-piece R&B/Soul group from Cork City, Ireland, made the decision to take a break from it all in 2020 and start a new journey centered only on our own music after a decade of performing night after night in pubs and bars. In April 2022, late at night, they recorded their most recent single at the studio especially for International Jazz Day. Grace McMahon (vocals) and Katie O’Donnell (piano), two of their members, give you a private performance of their jazz ballad from 2015, “If Only.” Check out the exclusive interview and the performance below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you all come from and how it all got started?

Niall Dennehy: We’re all from the southern part of ireland. Gary Baus is originally from Baltimore, USA. Around 2011 a bunch of us just started jamming around a table in the back of a pub in our hometown of Cork City every Tuesday night. We had no objectives or a name then, it was just fun. Then we decided by September 2011 to book our first gig at a live showcase night called the KC Sessions. Myself and Gary are the only two original members from that era but by 2015 we settled on the group we have now. Takes a while to find your tribe I guess, but that’s life, isn’t it?.

2. Did you guys have any formal training or are you self-taught?

Grace McMahon: It’s a bit of both, I was really lucky with my Secondary school in Fermoy here in Ireland. They were very much focused on music, drama and the choir was very successful, So i was so lucky to be a part of it. I learnt alot from being in a choir. From there I went to college in UCC and I got more formal training with my vocals, and was given the space to create and experiment.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘THE ART CRIMES BAND’?

Grace McMahon: Oh I loved Soul/R&B girl groups growing up. Like TLC, All Saints, En Vogue. They had a huge influence. Then I found Billie Holiday!

Katie O’Donnell: My brother introduced me to most of the first bands I ever listened to. This would have been the likes of Muse, Arcade Fire and Queens of the Stone Age. He also was the person who introduced me to the world of gigging, which is when my love of playing live started.

Stephen Kirby: This is always such a tough question as there’s so many avenues you can go down (writer, new/old, style icon). I’ll say Keith Richards, a giant in every way, and David Byrne. Also, my good friend Tiz McNamara for being the hardest working musician I know.

Niall Dennehy: myself and one of the other guys at the pub sessions we originated from in 2011 used to joke that some of our song ideas were crimes against art. also steely dan did a tour in the mid-nineties called the art crimes tour. so basically an in-joke and a nod to The Dan.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

Stephen Kirby: Diverse is probably the most accurate word to describe our sound. We all come from very different places musically and are very open in the writing process. So, the end product shows this…Oh, and groovy as hell.

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, which is known as R&B?

**Grace McMahon:** Surprising! From a young age, performing for me was a great escape. Over the years being an artist has changed so much. I went from playing the fiddle at trad sessions to singing in late night jazz gigs. Creating new music was never something I thought I could do and now I enjoy that process so much and look forward to days in the studio recording.

**Katie O’Donnell:** I definitely learned from others before trying to write music myself. I would often look up songs and try to figure out the meaning behind the lyrics or lyric structures. I found this really helpful for getting ideas for my own lyrics.

**Niall Dennehy:** Our first album in 2015 sounded like a collection of songs, as opposed to a focused album with a cohesive sound and vibe throughout. It had all the hallmarks of a band searching for their sound. Over time from playing every week in different bars and clubs we kept covering songs from a Soul/R&B vein. We felt most at home with this palette as a band. Then we began to write songs in those styles too.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – 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?

Gary Baus: Well I believe all of life is political, cultural, spiritual, and social, so whether we address those elements directly or indirectly in the music they are contained there nonetheless. We all come from different places with different pasts and that informs our music. All the stuff of life, the imagery that enters the mind when you’re performing with your eyes closed, the memories, the heartache, I think it all adds flavour to your music. It’s your musical accent. And I think the listener can pick up on it without the performer addressing any of it directly as a theme. But to create music that affects people I think you have to tell them a story, with lyrics or instrumentally, and that requires technical artistry. When all of these elements balance out and combine into music, it makes for the best entertainment in the world.

Tim O’Leary: I’d argue they are two sides of the same coin. Music encompasses all those things mentioned. If you are a heavily political/spiritual etc. person it will come out in your music (aka punk). On the other hand if you only listen to abstract music it might occur to you that music is a higher aesthetic and one shouldn’t lower it to the baseness of human struggles. In the end I feel music encompasses the entirety of human emotion and if people want to sing about the injustices of capitalism, the cosmic dance of the stars or just make a song that’s ridiculously hard to play, there’s room for that. If there’s an emotional attachment to it, there’s a song for it.

7. 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?

Tim O’Leary: That’s a tricky one. As for me personally, the fulfillment comes from conceiving and creating the song. After it’s recorded, mixed and mastered it’s released it’s up to each individual to like (or not). I suppose you can say fulfillment comes from knowing you’ve done your best for this song instead of being told by others.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do you 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?

Tim: O’Leary: Well, At the time of writing our latest single ‘If Only’ I was obsessed with jazz theory and I loved the idea of playing one chord and then playing different contrasting bass notes underneath. This juxtaposition of harmony can really sing but can also create a certain dissonance. The interchangeability of these melodic lines lends itself to certain melancholic sadness which really resonated with me. Lyrically the words came to me in a strange fashion, I went for a few beers with a friend of mine (former Art Crimes guitarist Colm Hayes) and I ended up sleeping on his couch. Now Colm lived on top of a big hill of which I lived at the bottom. Walking home the chords of the song ran through my head like a treadmill and, because my phone had died, I started rhyming words. By the time I got to the bottom the lyrics were fully formed and I had to grab some scrap paper to jot it all down in case I forgot them!

Katie O’Donnell: I usually start by opening up a Logic session, coming up with some kind of demo drum beat,then either adding a bass line or chords next, finally following it up with melody and lyrics. This is the method I usually gravitate towards, but I’m trying to mix that process up a bit. these days as it can lead to more creative ideas.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

Niall Dennehy: Like most in the entertainment business the pandemic was pretty difficult. Granted our health was all good so we count our blessings there. but we tried to make the most out of the downtime and use the lockdown to write and record in our own homes. A lot of the songs we are coming out with now are a product of that time in lockdown.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

Niall Dennehy: I’m proud of everything we’ve done so far and proud to be a part of this group. Everything we’ve done thus far was a launch pad onto the next thing, and the next, and so forth. It’s not just a bunch of great professionals but great friends too. So many bands just make some music, play a few gigs, get paid, go home, job done. But I’m proud we can be thousands of miles away from any musical instruments and still have an amazing time together. Real mates don’t let egos or lack of egos get in the way of things. Land the six of us anywhere we’ll have a good time.

Filmed, recorded, and audio mastered by Andy Walter at Abbey Road Studios in London, UK, and Flashpoint Creative Studios in Cork, Ireland.

The Art Crimes Band are:
Gary Baus / Alto Saxophone
Stephen Kirby / Guitars
Niall Dennehy / Drums & Percussion
Grace McMahon / Vocals
Tim O’Leary / Bass
Katie O’Donnell / Piano & Keyboards