Irish indie alt-rock band Friendmaker presents ‘Weird’, the second single from their forthcoming debut album. Musically, this deliberately repetitive ear worm subtly changes on each refrain, reflecting the abstractions of dreamlike repetition. With audio samples of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung’s dream theory bookending the piece, this is three minutes of rhythmic indie rock with hooky melodies and pounding choruses.
This release also includes a previously unreleased B-side called ‘Leaky Mick and Vinny P the Talker’. On both tracks, Marron’s endearing storytelling approach and insightful lyrics blend with a rich soundtrack of carefully crafted folk-tinged indie rock.
A five-piece fronted by singer, songwriter and producer David Marron (Sanzkrit, Somefinn), Friendmaker hails from Carrickmacross (County Monaghan). Marron (vocals and guitar) is joined by Maolíosa McMahon (vocals and keys), Paul Finn (guitar and vocals), Paul Markey (bass) and Fintan Marron (drums).
Last month, the band released their debut single ‘You, Me and Everything Else’, an endearing and reflective folk song that wilfully loses itself to a darker undertow – the pause before a new chapter and love beyond the initial spark and the early excitement. The new release sees the band up the energy with their indie rock influences on show.
Speaking on the new release ‘Weird’, songwriter David Marron says, “Lyrically, the song searches for meaning in a recurring dream, examining the semi-consciousness experienced between waking and sleeping, specifically the changeover between abstraction and lucidity and asks why the events of a dream often stay with us beyond slumber, dictating our conscious mood as if rooted in reality? Do we pay enough attention to the foreshadowing presented in our recurring dreams? And can we afford to ignore a subconscious that consistently throws up a repeated story line?”
The accompanying video takes its cues from the artwork of the De Stijl movement. Like the works of Mondrian and Van Doesburg, the video attempts to distill its subject matter to the very simplest form. The minimalistic primary colours of DeStijl are gone. Refined further to a monochromatic palette that basks in its own absurdity. A fragmented surrealism unfolds to the song’s rhythmic patterns attempting to smother the viewer in what could and should be a straight forward performance video. A suffocating truncation of half shots and obscured movements creates any perceptual discomfort.
Marron, who also created this video, notes, “I wanted the viewer to feel uneasy, almost frustrated by not seeing the whole picture. As close as I could get to creating that confused dreamlike experience.”
After Marron’s previous band Sanzkrit ground to a halt, Marron found himself trying to fill a void by playing guitar in a few bands DJing, doing graphic design for bands and running an Arts Festival. Even though he was keeping busy in creative fields, he felt he was still ignoring a big and important part of himself. He notes, “Music was solely personal therapy for dealing with difficulty. It wasn’t something I really felt like sharing at that time.”
On April 21st, ‘Weird’ will be released via the band’s own imprint House of Strange Vinyl and will be available everywhere digitally, including Bandcamp, where ‘You, Me & Everything Else’ can also be found.
CREDITS
Written by David Marron
David Marron – vocals, guitar
Maolíosa McMahon – vocals, keyboards
Paul Finn – guitar, vocals
Paul Markey – bass
Fintan Marron – drums
Recorded and produced by David Marron at Samhlaíocht Studio, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan.
Additional recording, production and mixing by Darren Clarke
Mastering by Peter Montgomery
Video & Artwork by David Marron
