Leitrim-based Irish indie folk-pop band Irish The Vibes have released their debut album, Penny For Your Thoughts, and play the Workmans Club , Dublin on 18 of December.. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
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The album, released on Anthem Vinyl in Clane and Digitally, features the single Battle Scars, Head Over Heels, and Where I Wanna Be, and was produced by Ger McDonnell and multi-Grammy Award–winning producer Greg Wells, whose résumé includes work with artists such as Adele, John Legend, Dua Lipa, Celine Dion, and Twenty One Pilots.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Leo (vocals/guitar): We're a seven-piece band hailing from Leitrim, Sligo, and Roscommon, stitching together a cross-county blend of noise, chaos, and whatever passes for harmony on a good night.
We once accidentally hit Charlie McGettigan with our van on the way to a gig. (He’s fine. The van still isn’t).
One of us appeared in Emmerdale as a child, which explains both the band’s flair for drama and our unreasonable confidence in front of cameras.
How would you describe your music?
Sinéad (piano): Our music is an honest mix of pop, rock, folk, and country - basically the sounds we grew up with and never really shook off. Between the seven of us, the influences are all over the place: some of us were raised on John Prine and old storytelling records, others learned guitar by copying Metallica riffs in bedrooms after school. All of that finds its way into what we write.
We don’t chase a specific genre; we just follow whatever feels right for the song. Sometimes that means a simple folk melody, sometimes a louder rock edge, and sometimes something in between. What ties it together is that it’s all rooted in the music we genuinely love and the way we play together.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Joanne (Vocals): I grew up in the rock girl era, so Paramore, Avril Lavigne, and P!nk were pretty much the soundtrack to my teenage years. They were the first artists who made me feel like it was actually okay to be loud, emotional, angry, messy, or whatever else I was feeling at the time.
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They’re still the ones I go back to. What I love about them is how real they are not pretending, no holding back. Their lyrics hit hard, and their performances always felt like they were giving everything they had. That honesty is what I try to bring into my own singing. I don’t worry about being perfect; I just try to mean it.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Gerard (bass): My first gig was Metallica at the old Point Depot in 1999, As a metal head in my youth this was a highlight and a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life was when Eric Bell came out on stage to play Whiskey In The Jar with the band.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Leo: Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York on cassette, and I still have it. I used to play it over and over again. So much so I remember my parents barring it from been played in our car when driving.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Leo: If We Were Vampires by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. It’s just one of those songs that hits you in the chest. It’s a love song, but not in the usual way - it's about facing the fact that one day either you or the person you love won’t be here anymore, and the other one will have to keep going.
There’s something really raw and human about that. It makes you think about the people you care about and how temporary everything is, but in a way that actually makes the time you have feel more meaningful. It’s simple, honest, and it sticks with you long after it’s over.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Martin: "Excuse me if I spoke too soon, My eyes have always, Followed you around the room, 'Cause you're the only god that I will ever need" - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
I love this lyric because it feels so real and unfiltered. It’s not trying to be clever or overly poetic - it’s just someone admitting how much another person means to them, maybe even more than they should. That line about your eyes following someone around the room… everyone’s felt that at some point, whether they’d admit it or not.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Martin: Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts. It’s one of those songs that never really gets old, no matter how many times you hear it. There’s this energy and optimism in it that just lifts your mood instantly. Even on a bad day, it makes you feel like things are moving forward and the world isn’t as heavy as it seemed five minutes ago.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Best place is from our website. You can find links to all our socials, music and videos from here.
Alan Corr
