Irish alt rock artist Dubh Lee has released her debut EP Animals and Friends, and focus track, To My Sisters. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
Speaking about To My Sisters, Dubh Lee says, "t's a deceptively upbeat song that recounts how internalised sexism has coloured my relationships with the women and men in my life.
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"Everyone is subjected to so much gender-biased rhetoric growing up, it took a lot of self-reflection for me to rewire my brain as an adult.
Thurs 18th May
— Spirit Store (@SpiritStore) May 15, 2023
Hubert Murray with Dubh Lee
Backroom@Spiritstore 8pm
No Cover Charge
Distorted-Folk sound evolved from being lost in a house of mix-tapes and stacks of old folk & blues records. pic.twitter.com/YdHd2iafOB
"The verses look at how I was manipulated by various men growing up; with the chorus, I'm trying to apologise to my female friends for my past transgressions. The choruses swell with female backing vocals. For these I took inspiration from Make me Smile by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I'm cursed with the cruel fate of loving dogs while being very allergic to them. I’m a bogger, I’ve spent many summers footing turf in the midlands with my family. I studied German and lived there for a while, so I speak the language fairly well.
How would you describe your music?
Folk-rock with the occasional bluesy twist. Songs with simple, singable melodies.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I draw inspiration from many different artists. Lyrically I love Leonard Cohen and Gillian Welch for their depth and their ability to write beautiful songs without falling back on clichés. In terms of singers, I’ve often gotten inspiration from Robert Plant, Janis Joplin, and Marvin Gaye for the more dramatic stuff, while also drawing on the more mellow folk and blues stylings of the likes of Nick Drake. I’m a big fan of Aldous Harding and recently got to see her at the National Concert Hall. Her songs always have gorgeous arrangements of simple elements that result in a bright, colourful tapestry of sound that perfectly complements her unique vocals and enigmatic lyrics.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Back when I was in secondary school, I remember my brothers were planning to go and see KISS together at what was then called the o2 in Dublin. Luckily for me one of my brothers had to do his Leaving Cert English exam on the day of the concert and because he couldn’t go, I was able to use his ticket. I was big into hard rock and classic rock as a teen, so I was delighted; the show was brilliant with pyrotechnics and mad stage antics. It was my first time going to a big concert and it was certainly a memorable one.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Mothership, a compilation album of Led Zeppelin’s iconic tracks spanning various albums.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Recently I discovered the Alessi Brothers and their song Seabird. Two brothers singing a lovely simple melody in unison. It’s such a well-composed song, it makes me feel things and I’ve had it on repeat for the past few weeks.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Oh wow, that’s a tough one. This verse from Leonard Cohen’s song Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye is up there: 'You know my love goes with you as your love stays with me, It’s just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea, But let’s not talk of love or chains and things we can’t untie, Your eyes are soft with sorrow, Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye.’
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
There was a band called Love, headed by front man Arthur Lee, that made psychedelic and folk-rock in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Their song You Set The Scene is one of my favourite songs of all time, and if I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life it would be the version of it that was performed on Later . . . with Jools Holland in 2003. The lyrics deal with love and life, and it ends on an orchestral high full of horns and strings. That particular version of the song has since disappeared from YouTube, I would pay dearly to find it somewhere online again!
Where can people find your music/more information?
Check out my singles and new EP on Spotify. I have lots of videos on my YouTube channel, and I post frequent updates about gigs and releases on my Instagram account (@dubh.lee).
