Kieran Webber
Director and Founder of CLUNK Magazine, CLUNK Events, and other CLUNK affiliate businesses. You’ll probably find me tucked away somewhere sending emails, listening to music, and creating content.
The Baltimore band talk to us about the gut wrenching story behind their latest single, life as a band, and more
Sometimes a song comes a long that has a story that absolutely rips your heart out. One said song that recently tugged violently on our heartstrings was the latest release from Baltimore based Icarus Phoenix, titled ‘Painting’. The track tells the story of the lead singers mother, who got into painting to help the trauma and grief of losing her third child to cancer.
It’s a beautifully crafted song that boasts the ability to craft music so deeply personal yet so widely relatable and engaging. It’s an incredible skill and one that has made us instant fans of Icarus Phoenix. So much so, we were desperate to find out more about the bands life, their latest single, and more.
Kieran: How have you all been?
Drew: We’re great. Working hard. Gearing up for an album release and mini-tour. Excited to share these songs we’ve worked so hard to create.
Kieran: How’s 2024 treating you so far?
Drew: It’s been really great. Plenty of difficulty like everyone else but we’re staying positive and focused on the things we have. Not on what we don’t. It’s truly a blessing to be able to play music and connect with others in that way. A privilege we don’t take lightly.
Kieran: So, let’s start at the beginning. How did you all meet and at what point did you decide to create music together?
Drew: I moved out to Baltimore 3 years ago and have been writing songs and touring for decades. I met Eli through Old Bank Barbers in Baltimore, his co-worker Zach knew he was looking for a drummer and introduced Eli to him. Someone suggested we talk to Brendan about playing bass during a haircut as well. Leena has been in a local band called Little Lungs here in Baltimore and we’ve all been fans for a long time. Right out of the gate the connections were established with the intent to create music together.
Kieran: Did you all have a collective influence or does it vary? How does this affect your sound?
Drew: It’s crazy because not only do we like all the same bands, but we like all those bands for the very same specific reasons. It’s brand new for all of us. Usually with bands, someone is way into something else and it’s a collaboration built around compromise. But with this group we’re all doing this for the same reasons and love all the same stuff.
Kieran: You recently released your latest single ‘Painting’, which by the way is heartbreakingly beautiful. Can you please talk us through this track and what it means to you?
Drew: I grew up surrounded by paintings that my mother had made while attending an art therapy class after her third son died of cancer. She never painted again after the class was over. I grew up never knowing she had made them or why because I never saw her paint in my entire life.
That’s what it’s about. Understanding that your parents came from struggle, grief and tragedy. Understanding that the people who raised you were broken by life and that they were probably doing their best.
Listen to ‘Painting’ here:
Kieran: How did you go about writing and recording this one?
Drew: A lot of the songs start with an idea and then slowly develop. With “Painting” I refer to it as my Patricia Polacco song. She’s a children’s author that I really like. She tells these amazing heartfelt stories and a lot of times ends them with an explanation of how the story is true because it happened to her specifically or her relative or something like that. I wanted to write a song about my Mom’s life and end it with an explanation that let the listener know the story is true and I can verify it. She had a tough life. I wanted to write something that kind of empathized with what she’d been through.
Kieran: Was it a struggle to write from such a personal space or do you consider it cathartic?
Drew: Absolutely cathartic. Therapeutic. Necessary. I sometimes worry it’s too personal, but I always hope someone else can find some sort of help knowing someone else has gone through similar situations and difficulties.
Kieran: Do you prefer to write from this space or would you like to experiment with less personal songwriting?
Drew: I like it. I probably won’t ever stop. But also, I’ve been writing a lot of songs from other perspectives. I like writing songs about what I think others might be thinking. I like putting myself into another person’s shoes. See things from another perspective.
Kieran: Lastly, what else can we expect from you guys in 2024?
Drew: Consistency. Gonna keep putting out singles every few weeks all the way into Sep 2025 and play as many shows as we can!
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