Mystik Fool “Gone with the Wind”
“Gone With the Wind” elevates you in every splash of sounds and twangs. The track opens you up and pushes you through the leaves into the clouds, where your view is wider. Curious and open-hearted, Mystik Fool leads you journeying through different grounds, where pop disappears into rock blurring between alternative and independent, spiritual and medicine. In the end, it doesn’t matter where it goes because everything is connected and the sonics in the track have a life of their own.
“Gone With the Wind” sees everything linked together, coexisting in harmony, inspiring and bouncing between one and another, and together, they are a stronger thread. A deep bound among genres that are perceived as different or even in conflicts share the same root and harmony, which in truth, reflects nature and the world as they are, and humans are part of them.
Mystik Fool is the music project of multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Galen Deery. Like Mystik Fool’s past releases, “Gone With the Wind” is liberating and refreshing, spirited but rooted in peace and truth. One needs to be grounded to fly high. While “Gone With the Wind” sparks electrifying energy like an eagle, its strength, stillness and transparency feels like a thousand-year old tree. From the scenic mountains of Alaska to a stadium-filling, transforming sonic experience, the track sees a massive growth in Mystik Fool’s songwriting. Breathy vocals vibrate with floral sonics and booming grooves. It sets its scene in sounds that exist organically in nature, and its sonic palettes absorb that life and vibrancy.
Check out our interview with Galen Deery, where we chat about spirituality and spreading love through music.
Punk Head: I love how expansive “Gone with the Wind” is. Can you talk us through your creative process?
Mystik Fool: The process behind this song was very organic. Alaska was where the song started back in 2020, and throughout the years, it evolved. Drums and guitar were added, lyrics changed, and more elements started to take shape. In the studio while recording, the process was very smooth and easy because the song was written already. We just had to record it. The creative process changes for every song.
PH: To us, Mystik Fool's music sparks a strong connection with nature and spirituality. Is that true? Can you tell us more about it?
Mystik Fool: Spirituality is a big part of my life, I just remember being inspired deeply by sounds and teachings of eastern mysticism from a young age. And the common thread of each path always leads back to nature. So this music carries that message to attempt to reharmonizes us with the natural world.
PH: What motivates you as an artist?
Mystik Fool: Motivation for an artist comes in different ways. musically, visually, spiritually. For me, when it comes to music, I am motivated by experiences that take place in my life. I’m motivated by the people I surround myself with. A deep place in my heart longs to live a beautiful life, so I try to create that for others first using music.
PH: Who are your biggest influences?
Mystik Fool: I would say that growing up with a household filled with music from the 60s and 70s. Led Zeppelin, The Who, Santana, and Crosby, Still, & Nash. Then hearing the raw sounds from the 90s alternative scene like Janes Addiction, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Rage Against the Machine. And then leaping forward to a scene of music that brought spirituality back to the forefront like Nahko, Trevor Hall, Tash Sultana, John Butler.
But I'm also heavily influenced by visual artists like Andrew Goldsworthy, Claud Monet, and Mitch Gobel.
Other influences include Maharaji, Ram Dass, Hazrat Inayat Khan, Johnny Depp, Ananda Maim.
PH: What would you like to say to your fans out there?
Mystik Fool: There’s a seemingly lost idea of love. Loving each other and encouraging each other to pursue our passion and purpose. So many people feeling depressed, anxious, alone, discouraged. The earth being torn apart and over populated, the political climate, the social infiltration of technology. All these issues must be tended to with careful attention. We must come together. We must find common ground to speak with each other. We must attempt to raise our consciousness so we can make better choices with the next generation in mind. Music is a huge way we can spread this message. I hope to see you at our concerts soon! I love you
Spearside “Not Up to Much”
“Not Up to Much” finds 90s garage rock mixed with the disobedient, upbeat but cynical, disillusioned punk attitude. Spearside’s lushly noise-coiled soundscape easily evokes a sense of belonging. “Not Up to Much” touches on nostalgia though the song itself doesn’t dwell in the past. Old and new feelings exist in conflict with one another, engaging in an end-of-the-world carnival-style dance party— the vibe is quite unusual in “Not Up to Much.” Nothing like what you’ve heard in a while.
The track talks about a person who revels in their descent into nihilism with a sensuous, scenic undertone in the soundscape, throwing a atmospheric, drastic draw of complex feelings in mixture. Sharp-edged and raw, however, like an expressionist painting, it’s these unsorted, raw, exposed nerves and emotions one has to savor. Spearside’s music is definitely something you can put on repeat, just to disappear in, or to ponder upon, or to feel. The Irish three-piece rock outfit manages to evoke a very interesting combination of experiences through one single song.
Lead by brothers Oisín (vocals/guitar) and Cian Walsh (vocals/bass), along with their friend Dylan Zovich (drums), Spearside is fiercely on the rising. Their dynamically fuzzy sound draws comparisons to The Stains and Magazine. From March through July, the band will be playing live around Dublin and London. If you’re in the area, don’t forget to check out their shows! Mark the dates:
Sat 11 March-DUBLIN, Whelan’s (Upstairs)
Fri 17 March-DUBLIN, Whelan’s (Main Room) St Patrick’s Day Festival
Wed 12 April-LONDON, Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes with Bag Of Cans
Sun 23 July LONDON, The Finsbury, Pump It Up Power Pop Weekender 22-23 July
Check out our interview with frontman Oisin Walsh where we chat about their influences and the time they built a home studio in rural Ireland.
Punk Head: I love how authentic “Not Up To Much” is. What inspired the song?
Oisín Walsh: The musical inspiration for “Not Up to Much” was a blend of The Byrds, Badfinger, and The Saints. I'm also a big Brendan Benson fan, who definitely had a big influence on this song. He has a lot of songs that are quite up beat musically but have darker lyrics in contrast, I've always loved that.
When the musical backdrop is major key and up-beat, it can offer some extra license to explore darker lyrics without the song feeling too laborious. “Not Up to Much” is about someone revelling in their descent into nihilism.
The character in the lyrics takes the tragedy of their life, their apathy, their social isolation, and uses it as an excuse to give up, blame others, and crack a wry smile while they do it.
PH: I read that you guys built a home studio in rural Ireland and this song is recorded entirely in your home studio. Can you tell us a bit more about that experience?
Walsh: We've only ever recorded our own music, we've never been in a proper studio. I've always been somewhat of a wannabe DIY producer. During the covid lockdowns I just started hoarding recording gear, got a reel to reel tape machine and tried to take producing seriously. In my experience the best way to learn is to schedule a release of music you've self-produced and just force yourself to figure it out. I record a lot of my friends' bands too like Unstuck, I track and mix all their stuff in our studio.
PH: What is your creative vision as a band?
Walsh: We would love to be a band that sounds like everything and nothing you've heard before. The challenge is to make music that is rooted in the rock n roll tradition without sounding pastiche or retro, our favourite bands have always managed this. I think true creativity comes from walking the line between utility and novelty, familiarity and freshness.
PH: What’s your goal this year?
Walsh: Our main goal this year is to keep recording and releasing new music. We also hope to play more shows, particularly outside Ireland. We've got some dates in London coming up which will be the first time we've played abroad so we're really exited for those.
PH: What is the one thing that you’d like your fans to know about you?
Walsh: When we're not playing music we're probably playing golf.
In The Middle “Brain Games”
Mesmerizing melodies journey through retro sonic landscapes, In the Middle explores the idea of a game of survival if one were to step into the maze of one’s mind in “Brain Games.” Visually stimulating, they step into the state of audio-visual interaction, taking listeners to a multi-dimensional ride with many surprising encounters. The recurring melodic motifs seem no coincidence, while it intrigues you to delve deeper into your own thoughts, it also evokes new ideas and perspective. Beyond its luscious, addictive sonic view, there seems to be a deeper game, one only you could see. “Brain Games” is definitely a track that haunts you and intrigues you to come back. Like an ever-changing maze, there’s always a deeper secret left for you to uncover.
World-building through songs is an interesting, and “Brain Games” gives you the first sonic taste of the world inside one’s brain. Logical and sensuous. Clarity runs the risk of overthinking. Inspiration comes with each new realization, but the mundane and the ordinary sits in most of the day. There are so many areas to explore in the audio-visual world of “Brain Games.” Sits with it, and you’ll find your brain relating to it.
The titular single marks the first release from In The Middle’s upcoming debut album Brain Games. Brain Games is a multi-faceted project, where In the Middle combines their love for music with comics. To accompany the concept album, they will launch a comic book that dives deeper into the lore of the album. If you love music and at the same time enjoy comic books, Brain Games will definitely bring you a lot of fun.
Punk Head: I love the idea of world-building through an album of songs. I’d love to know more about it! Base on the first release “Brain Games,” whats can fans expect from the rest of the album?
In the Middle: Thank you! Fans can definitely expect to hear a lot of different genre influences in the remainder of the album. What’s pretty cool about a concept album is that there’s so much cohesion within the storyline already that it gave us a bit more room to experiment with different sounds. We really feel like there is something on this album for everybody because of that. There’s also a lot coming up in the remaining comic book chapters that take fans through the lore of the album, and there’s a big twist at the end that we think will really shock people.
PH: How did the idea come to you? And did it evolve through time?
In the Middle: The idea definitely evolved over time, and while we knew we wanted our first album to be a concept album, it took a while for that idea to come to life. It’s hard to say the exact moment when we came up with the idea for “Brain Games,” but there were definitely a few big moments where a song would come together and inspire a major part of the storyline. We’ve been building this fictional world for a few years now and it’s slowly come together in a way that we couldn’t have imagined when we first started.
PH: What are some challenges you faced while making the album?
In the Middle: We wanted to create a cohesive storyline that people could really dive into and get lost in. If we had unlimited resources, we probably would have made an entire movie for this album, but as an independent band we had to adapt to what we had. We chose to tell the story in the form of a comic book because we felt it was the best way to tell the whole story in a creative and engaging way that fit within our abilities.
PH: What are you most excited about this project?
In the Middle: What we’re most excited about is seeing everybody’s reactions to the album and interacting with fans. We’ve had so much fun online interacting with people over music, theories on the album, and even memes. We can’t wait for live shows and meeting fans in person.
PH: One message that you’d like to share with your fans and listeners out there.
In the Middle: Thank you! You all are what keep this project going and we appreciate the support endlessly. There‘s so much to come with this album and comic book, and we’re thankful that you’re here with us.