Susie Long
Susie (she/her) is a freelance writer from Cornwall. She is based in Bristol, where she is studying for her Masters in Journalism.
She loves finding new music, and can often be found at obscure venues in Bristol looking for the next thing that makes her tick, whether it’s dad rock, indie folk, or punk.
Ahead of the release of their new album ‘Something Soft’, out this Friday, we chat with Irish post-punk band M(haol)
Irish post-punk band M(h)aol have become well-known for their intersectional feminist, powerfully political music, celebrating resistance and self-expression through their music. The group are set to release their sophomore studio album, ‘Something Soft’, tomorrow (May 16th), and promise a “cathartic” record that displays rage, empathy, compassion and resilience.
Ahead of the album’s release, I spoke to the band about their transformation and a band and the creative process in the build up to ‘Something Soft’.
Your latest album, ‘Something Soft’, is being released imminently. What are the main takeaways you hope listeners will get from this record?
Jamie Hyland: A friend of ours always says to me when he hears new M(h)aol stuff “I feel afraid and guilty and I’m not sure why”. To have men hear the experiences of women and to understand them.
A lot of your work is angry, political, and fiery. Why the name ‘Something Soft’ for this album?
Sean Nolan: The title comes from a line in the song Snare about gendering instruments by their perceived characteristics – the piano and violin are soft and therefore feminine, the drums by inference hard and masculine. Ignoring the fact these are all false equivalences anyway (there’s also nothing “soft” about listening to someone learn the violin) the title is a response to that assumption/expectation.
Why do you think it’s so important to express these intense emotions publicly?
Constance Keane: I can only speak for myself, but I like having somewhere productive to put my frustrations.
What are your main motivations in your music? What drives the sound that you create?
J: I think our motivations are generally to make something that we enjoy playing and enjoy the sound of. There’s one track on the album (I won’t divulge which one) that we all really enjoyed playing but we have realised that we aren’t sure if it’s actually that much fun to listen to.
Can you give us an insight into your songwriting process? Do your lyrics drive the tone of the songs you create, or vice versa? How do these brilliant tracks come together?
C: Most of the time we start with the music, as I generally come up with lyrics while I am already playing the drums.
The line-up of your band has changed substantially since the release of your debut album. How has this changed your creative process and how you perform?
C: Yeah of course. I am now doing vocals while drumming, and Jamie is doing vocals while playing bass. For me it has changed how I approached songwriting for sure. It has also shifted how we are presented on stage, now it’s less of a stereotypical hierarchy.
You are about to set off on your next tour to promote this album. What do you most hope to experience while you’re on the road?
C: Nice time with my bandmates. We live in different cities, and have for years, so touring and recording is the only proper time we get to spend together really.
Given the political flux of the world at the moment, many punk bands are being observed closely and criticised for the messages of their songs (none more prevalent than Kneecap in recent news). How do you retain your socio-political self-expression within your music, and how important do you think it is to do so?
J: I think that the idea that one can actually separate politics from music is misguided. All artistic work is inherently coloured by the artist’s background and viewpoints. I don’t believe that is a choice but I do believe it is important to understand and engage in that.
C: I write my lyrics for myself. It’s always a bonus if people connect with them or agree with what I’m saying, but for me it’s just self expression. I don’t claim to be an expert on anything, but I do write about issues in society that I perceive. I would find it quite difficult to not be impacted enough by the world around me when writing.
What are your plans next as a band? Where do you see your music taking you next?
C: We’ve already started working on some bits for a next record which we hope to record later this year.
‘Something Soft’ is out this Friday 16th May via Merge Records.
Listen to ‘I Miss My Dog’ here: