Belfast psychedelic post-punk band Madams Last Discovery have released their new single, Orange Juice. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
The new single is from their debut EP, The World's End, which is released in March.
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Formed in 2022, the band have released three singles and recently supported Inspiral Carpets at Limelight 1 in Belfast. The new single is from their debut EP, The World’s End, which is released in March.
Speaking about their new track, lead singer Flinn O’Grady says, "For this song, I had to give myself a bit of a challenge. I wasn’t allowed to use the words 'Me, you or them’ when addressing a person, which I feel can become very repetitive.
"From this, I used the word ‘one’ instead, and the contrast with using this traditional and formal English in a post-punk scene made the lyrics unsettling; it made them stand out."
Madams, as their fans call them, joined the talent development program, Scratch My Progress, as part of the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast and have featured on RTÉ 2FM’s New Music Show with Beta Da Silva, as well as getting plays from RTE 2XM with Dan Hegarty, ATL Introducing and Stephan McCauley on BBC Radio Ulster.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Nathan: Although I am the band’s lead guitarist I only have nine and a half fingers.
I’m scared of hazelnuts.
I performed at the Ulster Hall in Belfast when I was 16.
How would you describe your music?
Guigsy: We have been describing our music as psychedelic post-punk so far. With this new single, it definitely has a heavier more post-punk side to it but then we also end up in long psychedelic jams within some of our tracks so I think it sums up well what you can expect from a Madams gig quite well.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Fiontan: I have a bit of a mixture of influences, but the biggest one would be Dave Grohl. He has really impacted my playing; there was even a time I would copy his drum set up and have my cymbals and hi hats as tall as the stands would go. Another would be Ilan Rubin from Nine Inch Nails. His influence has not only inspired my playing but also affected the Madams recordings. A few NIN songs have been guide tracks for the new single, I just love their drum sound.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Nathan: The first gig I ever saw was in the SSE Arena in Belfast featuring Status Quo. It was definitely an iconic first gig and made its impact as we can see now but I did notice I was probably the youngest person there by about 30 years.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Guigsy: That would have to be Think Tank by Blur. Blur has a massive influence on my bass playing within the band but out of all their work this album hit me the hardest. I got it in vinyl a few years ago and even have a personalised jacket with the album’s artwork on the back. Flinn found a limited-edition CD copy in Amsterdam which I now have too, hoping to get it on every format one day.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Fiontan: At the moment is it Pretty by Smashing Pumpkins. I can’t quite pinpoint why it has been on repeat but it is just really free-flowing and doesn’t stop. The vocal is also very soothing; it gives the song in a nice happy tone.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Flinn: My favourite lyric of all time comes from the Kasabian song La fée verte. It goes, "Well it wouldn’t be the first to want me in a hearse". I love this lyric as the last rhyme I would think of for "first" is "hearse" and I hate when you can guess what is going to be said next. It seems to be a common theme within Kasabian’s music always throwing off the listener with these unusual and very clever lyrics and it has made its mark on Madam’s music.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Nathan: It would have to be the longest song I can think of. I am humming between Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen or Echoes by Pink Floyd. Both these tracks just feature such diversity and basically sounds like many different songs in one, depending on my mood I could pick and choose when to start playing the track.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Our music is available on all major streaming services, Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, etc... To find more information on us check out our Instagram, TikTok or most other social media. Our handle is Madamslastdiscovery - Instagram/Tik Tok/Facebook, Madams_band - Twitter.
Alan Corr
