Northern Irish trio Ferals have released their latest track Separate. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
Influenced by the likes of And So I Watch You From Afar and Biffy Clyro, Separate sees the three-piece take on a new direction.
Speaking about the song, songwriter Shane McMullan says, "This song is an exploration of my experience of being a child of divorce. Two people who were once blissfully in love, now feel nothing and wish to go their separate ways.
"They may separate but can never truly be completely split from each other as there is this one living, breathing thing that will forever tie them together. An attempt to capture the reality of being caught in the middle of love collapsing around you, this song is a fast-paced, aggressively cathartic release and constantly teetering on the edge.
"Musically it's driving and intentionally more uplifting sonically than the lyrical content woven/weaved throughout."
Tell us three things about yourself?
We figured that because we are a trio, we should tell you guys one fun fact about each of us. Shane plays bass and sings, and on the side, he likes to DJ under the name S_M_C_M. Dan plays the drums for us and in 2014 he slapped former WWE champion Al Snow on the back. Sam plays guitar and he spends his free time watching football.
How would you describe your music?
We like to think our name serves more of a purpose than just an alias, and we try to draw from that "feral" energy in our music. We love to play with dynamics in our songs, go hard for the hard parts but also soft for... well the soft parts. Sounds like a simple concept, but we use this balance in our songs to create a real peaks ’n’ valleys motion.
Who are your musical inspirations?
We take inspiration from all sorts of music from thrash metal to hip-hop and hopefully that can be seen in our music. We try to write under the influences of many, from bands like Deftones, the 1975, Foals and even Limp Bizkit! The list could go on and on for ever, especially when we get into the bands we were raised on in our local scene, especially ASIWYFA. Those guys have really shaped our attitudes toward music.
How did you occupy yourself during the last coronavirus lockdown?
During lockdown we got to be a part of a compilation album for charity, so we recorded a cover of another act from home, Dan makes hip-hop and has been releasing tracks on Soundcloud (check out dzilla). Shane curates the layout and graphic design for an online zine called Stranger Dais that was set up during the pandemic. Sam took up running to stay healthy. I reckon other than that we did what a lot of other musicians did to be honest. Drink Harp and be angry. But seriously for it mostly consisted of writing new music and playing video games.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Collectively as a band we are obsessing over the new Deftones album! That first track Genesis just hits all the right places. For a band that has been around for so long it’s wonderful to see that they’re pumping out quality after quality.
Favourite lyric of all time?
This will probably be different for the other two, but for me my favourite line is from Frightened Rabbit’s State Hospital. The line "Her heart beats like a breezeblock, thrown down the stairs. Her blood is thicker than concrete, forced to be brave, she was born into a grave". The late Scott Hutchinson has always had an amazing talent to paint a visceral, visual experience when you listen.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life what would it be?
This is such a horrible question - to think of a world without some of my favourite songs. Although for an answer I guess it would have to be End of an Affair by the wonderful Ben Howard. Watch the live session with Jools Holland and the final sequence will bring you goose bumps every time!
Where can people find your music/more information?
Check out our website www.ferals.co.uk
Find us on Spotify @Ferals
Facebook @FeralsOfficial
Twitter Ferals_Official
Instagram ferals_official
