Seamus O’Muineachain Discusses His New LP, Travelling Across Southeast Asia, And More

---

---

We sat and chat with Irish artist Seamus O’Muineachain about his music whilst he bounces across Southeast Asia

It’s a hard thing to craft a narrative without vocals but Seamus O’Muineachain is one of the rare gems that is able to weave a story without uttering a word. His latest release, his 7th studio album ‘Liminality’ is a shining example of his ability to take you on a journey via his experimental sounds. Deep emotions surround the listener with every track and each one giving them something new to experience, it is masterful work.

After delving into his work we wanted to chat to Seamus to find out more about him, his music, and everything else in between.

---

Kieran: Hey Seamus, thank you for chatting with us today! How are you? 

Seamus: I’m doing well today, thanks. I’m currently staying in a 29th-floor apartment in coastal Thailand, which isn’t great for my fear of heights. So, right now I’m just concentrating on not looking out the window. 

Kieran: How’s your summer been so far? 

Seamus: Full of ups and downs really. I’ve been visa-hopping between South East Asian countries since April in an attempt to avoid the cost-of-living crisis back home in Ireland. I’ve also been grappling with some derealization, which is a hard thing to explain. Basically, I am too aware of the fact that I’m thinking, and I feel separate from my thoughts.. I’m trying to get better sleep and spend less time on screens, which seems to help a lot. 

Kieran: So, how did you start making music and when did you know you wanted to release it into the wild? 

Seamus: I started as a kid. I think I was around 7 when I got an acoustic guitar for christmas. I learned the D, C and G chords and then just started putting some songs together. I had a band in secondary school called Kumari. We played a couple of shows and released an EP. I guess half the motivation to release music was to express myself, the other half was to get validation from the world. At least one of those things has happened.

Kieran: How has growing up in Ireland affected your sound? 

Seamus: I grew up on the coast, in a remote area of County Mayo. I’m a millennial, so before the internet took over my only source of music, besides the traditional Irish music I heard in pubs, was from radio and TV. Stations like Kerrang and MTV 2 were really exciting for me because they were like a window into a fantastical world. Also, the scenery in Mayo is quite rugged and wild, and the weather can be quite dark and extreme. I suppose that would’ve affected my outlook on things, but I can’t pinpoint how. 

Kieran: What’s life like as an artist in Ireland? 

Seamus: If money isn’t a concern for you, I think Ireland is a great place to work as an artist. There’s a lot of natural beauty, and the people are infused with centuries of traditions and stories. A conversation with a randomer on the street could likely inspire a million ideas.   

Kieran: You recently released your latest album ‘Liminality’, can you talk us through what this album means to you? 

Seamus: I’ve been moving around a lot for the last few years, and haven’t had a permanent base. This is down to circumstances, but it’s also in my nature to move. “Liminality” comes from this lifestyle, and the songs on the album look for somewhere cozy and warm in the fleeting moments. It was written and produced between Thailand, Georgia, and Ireland, so for me it’s somewhat of a diary of my journeys and my emotional states as I moved through new places.  

Listen to ‘Liminality’ here:

Kieran: How do you go about the writing and recording of your music? 

Seamus: It’s a fairly straightforward affair. I sit at the keys and improvise around a click track. I’ll get some basic ideas down, and then start building from that. 

Kieran: Lastly, what else can we expect from you in 2024?

Seamus: I wish I knew!

---