This Irish band is hot property right now and we're very excited to see them headline the Sunday night line-up of the Fall Right Into Place music festival at Claregalway Castle on September 17th. We caught up with lead-singer of The Murder Capital, James McGovern, ahead of their trip West - read it here...
The Murder Capital might be one of the hardest working bands in Ireland right now so we were delighted that James was able to carve out some time to chat while on a short break from a studio session. It's a relentless schedule but they love it; "Ya that’s what we’re at now. We’re always working on new tunes really. As we come up to festival season we’re usually away Thursday-Sunday and then in the studio Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s more full on than anybody thinks it is! Most things I love I find tiring, that comes with all worthwhile territory. It’s an old cliché but I don’t know what else I’d do, ya know?"
Our conversation comes fresh off the back of a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, as if to cement how committed they are to keeping busy. "We did a five week tour in America and finished it off in the desert in Coachella. It was a buzz... nice to be granted the opportunity to buy a lemonade for $15! You want to dip your toe into the culture, like." James tell us with a cheeky grin, but it did make him feel "very grateful for the produce and the food that’s available over here. We should all be delighted with that part of our culture!"
That wonderful culture of ours will be on full display at Galway's blossoming festival, Fall Right Into Place, which takes place in the stunning grounds of the 600-year-old Claregalway Castle. Not just a melting pot of Ireland's best music right now (featuring Pillow Queens, Junior Brother, Thumper, Paddy Hannah and dozens more) there will also be local food and craft beer to add to the Galway flavour. James and his band mates are very much looking forward to experiencing it.
"We played the Róisín Dubh a few years ago. Galway is an absolutely gorgeous city. Looking forward to spending more time there. My best mate has just moved back from Australia after being there for years and he’s moved to Galway. So I’m excited to see him at the festival. It’s always exciting to play Ireland anyway - we play so many shows in UK, Europe and America - so just excited to play more shows in Ireland. We’ve got a Belfast show this year too. Playing outside of Dublin more is something we really want to do as a band but sometimes scheduling doesn’t make it possible."
As excited as they are to get out West, we're even more excited to see their headline set rock the castle on Sunday September 17th. It's quite an impressive achievement that a band formed in 2018, who essentially missed two years of live performance, have been able to build such a strong reputation in such a short space of time and earn themselves a festival headline slot. James attests to this; "It’s a strange part of ours and our contemporaries’ history, and a strange part of all human history I suppose, but especially in live music. It’s weird, but that period was actually paramount to our development as musicians and as a band. I don’t think it was time lost, just time spent in a different and unexpected way."
As we leave behind the hectic buzz of Summer in Galway and creep into Autumn, it really does feel like everything will soon fall right into place! While festival-goers and gig enthusiasts can take a beat to pause and reflect, will The Murder Capital be able to do the same? James says; "You’re moving at such a pace when you’re a touring and recording band, and trying to balance those two things. It can be almost damaging to stop and take stock, because there’s too much happening too quickly. So it is nice to hear you say that we actually are headlining a festival in Galway, that’s pretty cool. It’s not something I take for granted in any way, but it’s also not something that I’ve got the opportunity to sit down and think about."
James signs off our conversation on a philosophical note; "There’s a lot to be said for the Eastern philosophies of remaining as present as possible. There’s not much worth in looking back too much."
We’re definitely planning on remaining present and soaking it all in during Fall Right Into Place this September, and you should too. Purchase your tickets for Saturday or Sunday (or the whole weekend!) as well as book return buses from Galway city to Claregalway Castle via www.fallrightintoplace.ie
Feature photo of The Murder Capital by James Kelly.
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