Feature: mudd•shovel Decodes ‘Little White Hair’
Punk Head: Debut albums are often identity statements. What part of who mudd•shovel is today had to be immortalized on Little White Hair?
mudd•shovel: I'd have to say “Little White Hair” itself, after years of playing straight up Rock I felt the need to try something different and a little uncomfortable, so I started taking jazz lessons. Jazz was certainly a challenge after years of power chords and the same old scales but it definitely expanded my musical mind. It's ok to have one phrase repeat over and over again as long as you can build on it. When we first jammed “Little White Hair” it became clear that the lads were looking for something different as well, we gelled pretty quickly. We are all experienced musicians and it's nice not having to worry about stepping on toes or hurting feelings, we all aim for something to make the song better, even if it's outside of what we usually know or play. So “Little White Hair” was the catalyst for the rest of the album, without it the songs on the album might never have seen light of day, it made us into a band, made us muddshovel.
Punk Head: "Heavy, honest, unvarnished” describes your sound perfectly. Have you always leaned toward the darker side of rock or did life push you there?
mudd•shovel: In fairness, the heavier side of our sound probably came from seeing amazing live bands, darker is normally more dangerous and on the fringe of mainstream sounds so it’s easier to experiment and get a reaction live. We've all been to gigs where we were blown away by the heavy, loud and abrasive thump of killer drums and guitars, it’s exciting. I wouldn't say we leaned towards the darker side of rock, more the exciting side, just not angry anymore.
Punk Head: Cavan isn’t usually the first place people think of when they hear “alt-rock.” How has growing up in that environment shaped the band’s voice?
mudd•shovel: Garreth and David grew up in Cavan and to be honest it has talent in spades. Being a landlocked county with Drumlins and hills it seems to create hollows that allow introspection and creativity. The music scene is small but vibrant and the opening of the Cavan townhall to bigger bands has the town hopping when bands play, it's a great venue. I am originally from Vancouver, BC, so I've always been exposed to rock, alt-rock, etc. Canada is a big rock-loving country, it's well appreciated at venues and radio stations so plenty of influence there.
Punk Head: From folklore warnings (“Third Time Today”) to addiction and self-destruction (“Deep Fried Soul”), the album covers some heavy ground. Which track hit closest to home while writing?
mudd•shovel: Definitely "Deep Fried Soul", it was written at a time when I was physically and mentally injured, the car accident I was in left me in a lot of pain and financial stress; insurance companies love to drag things out in Ireland. I wrote "Deep Fried Soul" when I looked into my shaving bag and realised that I needed another prescription of pain meds filled. While writing the song I realised that there were so many things we start and then can't stop using, I'm not against modern treatments or medication at all, it's just that an awareness took hold, sometimes things creep in without us even realising it, the extra beer a day, more skin cream to enhance youth, maybe the ping from a video game, it's all addictive.
Punk Head: You’ve been carving your path in the Irish underground rock scene. What’s the biggest misconception outsiders have about the rock community here?
mudd•shovel: The biggest misconception is that it’s a small community, sure it’s not as big as some pop or country music but its base is loyal and will play a great tune over and over with the same enthusiasm. Rock concerts are still a bundle of energy where long hair, beards, t-shirts, daddys and mummys still belong!!
