Autumn Owls have released their new single, Thick as Thieves, ahead of upcoming album, Here in the Bardos, on 1 March. We asked the BIG questions . . .
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Autumn Owls is the long-running project of Irish songwriter Gary McFarlane and he released their debut album Between Buildings Toward The Sea, recorded in Chicago in 2012 with producer Brian Deck.
Following a period away from music, Autumn Owls re-emerged in 2018 with the album, Poverty and Ambition, marked a quieter, more inward turn for the project.
Here in the Bardos is described as "an album trying to make sense of death and the ghosts of adolescence. Its songs trace young lovers around old streets, and their medium-sized beliefs."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I'm from Dublin and I've been making music under the name Autumn Owls since 2007.
These days I tend to oscillate between periods of intense activity and long stretches of quiet.
I’m interested in atmosphere as much as songs, and I’m drawn to records that reward repeat listening.
How would you describe your music?
Autumn Owls sits somewhere between alternative rock and atmospheric indie. It’s melodic but quite restrained. Music that lives in the space between intimacy and distance.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I’m drawn to artists who combine emotional directness with a sense of mystery - people like Leonard Cohen, Jeff Tweedy, and Neil Young.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I’m pretty sure it was Oasis at The Point in Dublin. I would have been about 12 or 13, and it was right at their peak, so everything about it felt exciting.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I’m not completely sure, but I recently found a drawer full of old cassettes that made me realise it was probably either The Bends by Radiohead or Monster by R.E.M.
What’s your favourite song right now?
My favourite song tends to change weekly, but lately I keep coming back to Father John Misty. His lyrics make me think, but they also often make me laugh. His song Screamland is a masterpiece.
Favourite lyric of all time?
That’s almost impossible to answer, but if I had to choose: "Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering, There is a crack, a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in" - Anthem by Leonard Cohen.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Probably something instrumental and patient. Perhaps On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter - it feels endless without ever becoming repetitive.
Where can people find your music/more information?
The new album Here in the Bardos is available on Bandcamp and can be streamed on all the usual platforms. In the meantime, the new single Thick As Thieves is out now.
Alan Corr
