HOME

Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with unsigned UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with unsigned West Cork singer Fintan McKahey to find out more…

Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I am from West Cork, Ireland. I live here in the countryside and have my recording studio built in a wooden cabin in the garden.
I come from a family of musicians. My dad being a drummer from a band called Stump and my uncle the singer of a band called Cousteau. As you can imagine, it was quite easy to stumble into music…

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
Growing up with a family of musicians, I was exposed to a hugely wide catalogue of music but definitely gravitated more towards psychedelic music and in my teens, folk music. Artists like ‘King Crimson’ had a huge impact on me and later, I got obsessed with folk artists like ‘Nick Drake’. In more recent years however, I definitely favour a more contemporary urban edge to the sound. I have been fascinated by hiphop music (particularly the production) and so seem to gravitate towards music that has a sort of hip hop influence to the arrangements.

How would you describe your sound?
Chill. It’s definitely hard to put a black and white label on it but I would say that the dominant factor throughout all of my work is – Chill. My earlier work was more predominantly folk based stuff with a psychedelic edge, but just as my influences has developed, so has my sound. I am leaning more towards a sort of ‘downtempo’ / ‘trip hop’ sound recently, and I must say that I am very happy with the direction that it’s heading in.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
My latest single is called ‘Goodbye’. Usually, my lyrics are quite abstract and don’t follow a narrative so to speak. However, with this track, it is definitely a more relatable theme. “Goodbye” is a love song, looking at things from the other side of the fence.
It’s an observation of the struggle at the end of a relationship when both sides are clinging on in hope of salvation.

What’s your local music scene like?
The local music scene here in West Cork, Ireland is absolutely incredible. It is a small enough rural area, but there are so many amazing venues and artists alike. It is steeped in musical history with some of the best venues in the country located in this coastal haven. Obviously with recent affairs (COVID-19), the music scene has come to a halt however, which is a huge blow to the community.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
As I mentioned in the previous question, with the live music scene basically non existent, we have had to re-consider the year at hand. Life leading up til now has been all geared towards touring and playing as much live music as possible. Things however have come to a forced halt, and so we all have had to adapt. I am getting tired of making plans and then being told that I’ll have to change them so I have recently refrained from any attempts of organizing shows etc… Instead I am treating this year as a self development year and focusing all of my energy into writing / recording. I must say that I am absolutely loving this time for thought.

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
As you can hear on ‘Goodbye’, I am very much warming to the idea of working with more female vocalists. I think it’s a lovely addition to the sound and so definitely plan on exploring that route further. I would also love to get working with some more brass instruments, as I had huge success with having a session sax player on a track previously. I love the vibe that it creates and I think that my fans do also.

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
Like all musicians, the financial side of things is tough. One funny moment I can remember is when I was asked to play support of a well known band here in Ireland called ‘The Scratch’. I was however working part time in a restaurant and unfortunately couldn’t get it off that evening. I managed to organize, that I could take 2 hours out of my shift to go and play the show. I was literally washing dishes for several hours, then went and got changed and went and played a great show. Packed up my gear, stuck on my apron and went back to the lowest form of grind possible, in the kitchen for the rest of the night. I must say it was like my ego was on a roller coaster. I’m sure many musicians out there can relate, haha.

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
I guess one aspect that I’m proud of with my music, is the independent manor in which I carry it out. I write / perform / engineer / mix everything myself. My girlfriend is a photographer, so we even create all of the artwork / videos in house also. It does result in my only being mediocre at almost everything, as I have been unable to entirely focus on one particular aspect of it. But all that being said, I am proud of the rounded skill set that I have required over the years, and hope you guys enjoy it.

You can find out more about Fintan via Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitter or YouTube.