Irish musician Lugh is something of a newcomer to the music scene, which is one of the reasons his music is so impressive, as it sounds very accomplished already! Lugh created a fantastic piece of music recently called Pandemic Country Ballad (Instrumental) that I shared here. If you missed it, a stream can also be found at the end of the interview.
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a track titled Pandemic Country Ballad – Instrumental. What can you tell us about the song?
The title sums it up. I wrote in April 2020 in full lockdown. I was playing these chord inversions and licks on the acoustic guitar. The main riff came up, I kept playing, the rest came along. Within an hour I had all the parts for this instrumental, which was also fun to play.
Being in lockdown I had more time at hand than usual, so I recorded all the different parts with a Telecaster, either on the same day or the following day. The guitar and drums were done quickly in a couple of afternoons. The organ was added two years later. It sounds odd, but for over two years I didn’t think I was going to release it.
While I loved the melancholic vibe I had achieved, especially the distant, weepy guitars on the bridge, I didn’t think it was representative of Lugh. Recently, I decided it wasn’t an issue as no one has any set expectations about the stuff I put out. Besides, I like throwing curve balls, even at myself sometimes.
How has the reception to Pandemic Country Ballad – Instrumental been so far, and where can the song be purchased?
Reception’s been okay. It seems people are afraid of instrumental tracks nowadays. Some reviewers complained it has no vocals. Fortunately, York Calling summed it up nicely in the relevant article saying it’s an “instrumental piece, but it’s perfect as it is” and “the guitar licks are incredibly bluesy, acting as a vocal line otherwise would”. You guys nailed it.
Why did you decide to release an instrumental track instead of adding vocals?
As I said, I was quite proud I had written a guitar instrumental where each lick flowed nicely into the next. It reminded me of the guitar interludes I loved on some 70s records.
I did try a few times to write lyrics, but they didn’t seem to capture the languid vibe as well as the music does. It felt like explaining rather than conveying a mood.
Do you plan to release any more singles soon?
The next single will probably be a song from my upcoming EP.
A solo EP called Proof of Concept was released in 2021. What can you tell us about it? Any other EPs on the horizon?
The EP I am working on is totally different from my debut. It’s a concept EP – i.e. the songs are connected by a theme – but unlike a classic concept album, the theme is developed not only through the lyrics but through the music itself.
The theme being the late 70s/early 80s transition from an old world of cultural and ideological diversity to a new one of uniformity, I tried to create a musical language which, while borrowing elements from the music vocabulary of that era, steers clear of the post-punk/new wave pastiche. Quite the opposite. It’s like music of the future coming from the past.
Are there any plans to release a full-length album anytime soon?
I’m not planning to release a full-length album anytime soon for a couple of reasons. People have less free time than ever before, so few are willing or able to spend forty minutes on an album. That’s just a fact, music fruition is fragmentary. To be honest I’d probably struggle to find the time to create a full-length album myself given my commitments.
Your music contains a number of different genres, leaning into the country-rock scene. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
As mentioned earlier, the country thing was a bit of an accident, even though I was probably listening a lot to the Stones and The Flying Burrito Brothers at the time.
Like for most people, the earliest substrate of influences acquired in the early years as a listener is the strongest. For me it was all about the 70s and the 90s initially: grunge, alt rock, the British Invasion, prog rock, psychedelia…
Later on I started being more surgical, filling the gaps and joining the dots in music history. I’m still working on that. Recently I have been listening to a lot of goth rock, which I’m sure does not sound very à la page.
As to the question about what influences me, not just who, I’d like to mention the influence of French symbolist poetry which does surface from time to time and did especially in the lyrics from my debut EP.
You’re based in Ireland. What is the music scene like in your part of the world?
Ireland is a very musical country, as music is engrained in the country’s cultural identity. Besides the track record of world class artists, it has a thriving contemporary music scene with a constant stream of indie bands reaching popularity on a regular basis. The post-punk scene has finally enjoyed the spotlight in recent years, but there’s no shortage of stylistic diversity and opportunities for exciting new artists.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
Haha no. As a one man band it’s kinda hard to do tours. It’s a shame, of course. When I was in bands I loved playing gigs and touring, especially in the UK. One of the best gigs I played in my life was at Leeds University in 2009 with the band I was in at the time. Unforgettable gig, even more unforgettable crowd response.
Any last words for the fans?
Get angry. Get together. Enjoy art, not content.