Dublin alt-rockers Thumper are back with their new single, Bad Mood. We asked frontman Oisin Furlong Leahy the BIG questions . . .
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Thumper, who released their debut album Delusions of Grandeur in 2022, have toured Ireland, UK and Europe extensively, as well as becoming regular features at Irish festivals, appearing at the likes of Electric Picnic, All Together Now, Indiependence, and Other Voices.
They have also play European festivals such as Mad Cool (ESP), Reading & Leeds (UK), Iceland Airwaves (IS), Haldern Pop (DE), Rock For People (CZ), Eurosonic (NL), Reeperbahn (DE), and United Artists Prague (CZ).
Speaking about the recording of the new track, Oisin says, "The song was recorded with producer Rian Trench in rural Donegal, in a cottage that we converted into a studio. We built a control room in the sitting room and ran cables into the various bedrooms for guitar amps, even using Alan's van to house the bass amp outside (as the volume inside the house was making the fillings in our teeth come loose).
"The double drums were then recorded in Attica Studio in Donegal owned by Tommy McLaughlin (Soak, Villagers, Ailbhe Reddy). There was no signal, no Wi-Fi, no distractions - just friends making music together."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
We are a six-piece psych pop band from Dublin.
Our new single is called Bad Mood.
Our two drummers once met years ago as child actors auditioning for a jam advertisement.
How would you describe your music?
Sonic Youth vs Abba.
Who are your musical inspirations?
We've two drummers which we pulled from bands we love like King Gizzard and Oh Sees, but in the tour van we're listening to a lot of Beach Boys or Glen Campbell. The current batch of songs are heavily inspired by bands like Diiv and Wednesday. Basically, if you have melody and songwriting chops, we'll come knocking.,
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I think the first gig I ever saw was The Streets in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin around the 2007 mark.
What was the first record you ever bought?
The first CD I ever bought with my own money was possibly American Idiot by Green Day. I definitely remember owning Willennium by Will Smith also.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Shadowman by Deki Alem. I discovered it in the background of a video on Instagram where a guy makes tomato soup.
Favourite lyric of all time?
"I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time" - Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Perfect Day by Lou Reed.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Walk to your nearest record store and harass them for intel, or just google us.
Alan Corr
