Kodaline came onto the music scene 2007 when under their previous name, 21 Demands, they came the first independent artist ever to top the charts in Ireland with their debut single “Give Me A Minute”. Since then they’ve achieved success with their debut album, In A Perfect World, hitting number 3 in the UK charts and getting nominated for the prestigious BBC Sound Of 2013.
I sat down with front man, Steve Garrigan, ahead of their Manchester Academy show. In this I discuss breaking America, album clichés, new album ideas and how it felt playing the biggest show in the band’s life!
How is the tour going? Have you ever played Manchester before?
It’s going good. It’s our third time here; it’s been good to get here. We started off at the Night & Day café, then Ritz and now we are here which is amazing, really looking forward to play.
Your recent album, In A Perfect World, reached number 3 in the UK. How did it feel getting your first top 5 hit?
Unbelievable! We didn’t expect much, we would have been happy to get in the top 20. But to get beyond the top three is pretty amazing.
What were your inspirations when writing the album?
It was lots of things. Its lots of stories, lots of experiences, lots of personal things like break-ups and writing about people and places and the things that happen to us. Ex-girlfriends and just life man, as cliché as that is
What was your favourite song to write on the album?
It changes all the time *long thinking pause*. Probably *even longer thinking pause*. All I Want is my favourite off the album.
Growing up what did you listen to? Did your family influence you or did you forge your own way through music?
Kind of everything and in between. Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Brown, a lot of old school stuff you know. There was a CD my dad had that he constantly played in the car, I can still name every song that was on that CD.
What was on it?
It was like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Jackson Brown; a lot of those songs are still my favourites today.
On the deluxe version of your album you cover Latch by Disclosure, if you could work with any artist dead or alive who would it be?
Since you’ve mentioned Disclosure they’re pretty big right now, that would be cool to collaborate with. *long thinking pause, not quite as long as before* Daft Punk, that would be very fun and interesting.
How does it feel not only to break the UK but also to start to make a name for yourself in America?
It’s really really good! We’ve played shows all over America, we still play small shows but playing on American Idol launched us a little bit more so hopefully it would be nice to crack America because not many bands do and we’ll just keep touring and see what happens.
But at the same time is it important to stay grounded and remember your roots?
Of course! Your friends and family do that especially for you.
You’ve recently headlined the O2 in Dublin, how did it feel headlining one of the biggest venues in Ireland in your hometown?
We’ve driven by the venue so many times in the back of our parents’ car and it’s such a famous venue. I saw my first gig there, it was Blink 182 when I was like 16, last band I saw there was last year and it was Paul Simon. To play it was incredible! We didn’t know what it was going to feel like until we got there and the crowd was amazing and were on our sides, friends and family were there and it was amazing.
What’s your favourite festival to perform at?
We played so many festivals last year that every festival has its highpoints. Every festival was different so it’s hard to say the best. Definitely the best crowd was T In The Park, last year they were just insane!
As a spectator, what is your favourite festival to go to?
I haven’t actually been to many festivals as a spectator. We tried to get around and see bands but it’s a completely different feeling when you’re playing the festival. Electric Picnic in Ireland is great. We try to walk around and catch as many bands as we can. Glastonbury was just amazing; I think that is the festival of festivals.
If you could create a 3 day festival, who would headline each day?
I could probably sit on this question for hours. The Beatles because they just sort of stopped playing shows. Daft Punk, I’ve seen them live before and they were just unbelievable. And finally, Bruce Springsteen.
Do you have any plans for a second album to follow-up to In A Perfect World?
Yeah, we started working on it a bit after we finished the first album. We’ve got a lot of songs and we’ve got a lot of ideas. Over the next year we’ll record it and have it out hopefully by the start of next year.
Collectively as a group you’ve been together nearly 10 years now, what’s been the best part?
Probably Sunday [the Dublin O2 show]. It was just incredible, we’ll never forget it
What’s next for Kodaline?
We’re going to tour and tour and tour. We’re going to play in Australia and Japan, another tour in America all of summer, got a lot of festivals especially in the UK. Working on our 2nd album too and tour tour tour some more!
Finally, how did you celebrate St Patrick’s Day on Monday?
We’re all from Swords which is a town just outside Dublin so we all went down to have a few beers with mates.
So a quiet one in?
No, certainly not haha!
Kodaline are playing a host of shows throughout the UK in the coming months as well as Europe and have plans for a new album for 2015 release. Their current album is available at all good physical and online retailers.