Guerillas in Our Midst

Danny Belton has a simple aim. “Before the Rubens’ career finishes,” he says confidently, “I want to have made one record that will fit nicely within my all time top ten records.” It’s a simple aim. Simple because the group’s initial foray into the recording world indicates that it’s an achievable goal.

Released last summer, The Rubens’ Esmerelda EP is that rare thing amongst Irish releases – a quirky accessible pop record that is interesting enough to sustain repeated listens. At their core, the group are pure pop. The songs are simple and catchy, echoing Cat Stevens, The Kinks and The Stunning. Simultaneously they are infused with the sounds of America, incorporating an upbeat tempo and lazy sunshine feel to tracks like ‘And We Danced’, ‘California Skies’ and ‘In The Night Time’.
“We’re both at different ends of the spectrum when it comes to our tastes in music,” says Danny Belton of his songwriting partnership with his younger brother Jed. “Jed would listen to a lot of American rock such as Weezer, Presidents of the USA and The Pixies, where as I’d tend to go for Tom Waits and Bill Withers, in terms of songwriters, while in terms of sound I’d be looking at Groove Armanda, Lemon Jelly and Air.”
It’s finding the common ground between artists such as Air and Weezer that leads the brothers to create songs full of flavour. “Our tastes and methods of working definitely compliment each other and that’s why it works for us,” comments Danny. “Jed would be constantly looking for that sound of four guys in a room. You know he’s minimalist in his approach, whereas I’d be looking to add fifty or so ideas to bulk up the sound. I’d be looking at adding synths and trumpets and what have you, but without trying to overcomplicate the songs. We don’t want the songs to sound like The Beta Band, where there’s so many ideas going on that the songs sort of become impregnable.”
Growing up in the small town of Ballymahon, Co. Longford, the Belton brothers constantly listened to the radio. With no older brothers or cousins, they were left alone to discover their taste in music. “There was no one telling us what we should be listening to or pointing out what was or wasn’t cool,” says Danny. “There was no peer pressure and that really influenced our sound. We’ve a real pick and mix attitude to music. That stems from growing up in Longford and having that feeling that you were sort of isolated from the rest of the country. We were left to soak up what was around us, which was rural Irish culture and American music and TV.”
Jed was first to take up music. In his teens he began to pick up the guitar and played in a series of local bands. It was while practising with his then band, The Bedlams, that Danny became involved. “I walked into their practise session one day and just offered up a couple of ideas for songs. I’d been writing songs for a while, although I couldn’t play an instrument. I’d write out ideas for melodies and lyrics on napkins or beer mats or whatever. Anyway, they took on some of them and it went from there.” Like most young bands, the end of secondary school and the onset of college meant the group went their separate ways. Danny and Jed, though, obviously couldn’t get away from each other too easily and continued writing, Danny now having taken up the guitar. “In many ways that early way of writing benefited me and I guess led to our songs having that catchy quality,” reflects Danny. “Because I couldn’t notate what I wanted initially, the melodies had to be strong. Even now I’d get a melody going first before slotting in chords and that to fit around it.”
An extensive journey around America further cemented the duo’s individual influences before returning to Longford and beginning a serious attempt to get their music out in the public forum. They built a studio in their garage, called around their friends, and recorded their aforementioned debut EP. Since that they have toured the country extensively, playing 100 gigs in just over three months. Recently, they made headlines with a publicity stunt at the You’re a Star auditions in Portlaoise where they played an impromptu show on a gig-rig with a bunch of mascots dancing around in gorilla suits. It gives new meaning to the term ‘gorilla gig’!
Of late the brothers have recruited Phil Gargan on keyboards and vocals to add to their sound, and are currently in the process of piecing together a full band as well as demoing material for a forthcoming album.
January will be spent recording, while February will see the band return to the road at the bequest of a growing legion of fans. “It’s going nicely,” says Danny. “The crowds have been really up for it and we’ll just hopefully continue to try and put the life and soul back into pop.” Irish Pop will be all the better for it.

The Rubens will be on tour in February. For details check www.therubens.net