Hotpress on Tour: Lash on Demand

I think it’s important for younger bands to realise you can do anything you want nowadays,” muses Mirakil Whip’s Anne Marie Deacy. “There are an awful lot of groups that seem to be really tied up into the idea that you have to be signed by one of the major labels. But it’s actually not integral to your future.

“I think what bands used to do in the ’90s was go to London to try to make it, and then come back with their dreams in coffins. And then they’d have to go to Australia for a year or else sort of hide their heads when they were walking around town. But it really doesn’t have to be like that.”
Deacy knows of what she speaks. She formed Mirakil Whip – an avant-garde experimental electronica outfit – with fellow Galwegian Aaron Coyne in 2004. Coyne was a veteran of a string of local covers bands (“They used to do Iron Maiden songs and stuff like that”), while she had never been in a group before.
“I studied piano for 16 years, but I eventually made the transition from playing classical to going into punk. Then I went from punk to folk. And from folk I got into electronic experimental stuff.”
Indeed, they’re so experimental that they even make their own instruments. She shows Hot Press a homemade guitar fashioned from a vintage cigar box and some bits and pieces from Woody’s.
“We’re trying to do something a little more unique. At the moment we’re working with sort of thumping mechanised sounds and mixing them with something more organic. That’s where the homemade instruments come into it.
“I don’t think there are any other bands who are into experimenting as much as we are. We’re unconventional – taking it away from the standard drums, guitar and bass thing.”
To date, Mirakil Whip have released two well-received EPs, The Revolving Aerials and PCP, on the indie Rusted Rail label – drawing comparisons with everyone from Pavement to New Order. There’s also an album called Snarl in the works.
On the live front they’ve played with or supported numerous established acts, including Autamata, Redneck Manifesto and The Ghostwood Project.
“The great thing about Ireland at the moment is that there are so many smaller bands getting off their ass. And, in Galway, someone like Gugai’s been giving everybody a chance to either support bands or play their own gigs and give it a shot. And then there’s other places, like in Dublin you’ve got Lazybird, Whelan’s, Anseo or Crawdaddy. And there’s places in Limerick like Baker Place and down in Cork as well.”
Not that Mirakil Whip have been confining their live activities solely to these shores.
“We went over to Korea last year and played some great shows. We’re actually releasing a little limited edition 3” DVD in these handmade vintage leather purses with our story on it. It’s just about a small band without a record label going from Galway to Korea and being the headlining act at this festival.”
And how were you received?
“They loved us!” she enthuses. “We were only there for a few weeks so we really only played in Seoul. They were a very responsive crowd to stuff like that. We have a friend called Brian who has a band called So Cow. He’s actually from Tuam, but he was teaching English in Seoul. Actually he’s just brought an album out and is doing a mad tour in the States next month. But he organised the trip.”
And as for their future ambitions...
“Really we just want to have longevity,” she says. “We intend to keep making music and to travel the world on the back of it. We’re going to go and do some shows in Europe, once we’ve released a few more things.
“There’s a massive underground scene – and it’s global. Also, there’s such ease of travel these days, and it’s cheap. There’s more than enough people that are putting on gigs in every single city, town and village in this world, and they’re interested in having people who’re passionate about their music coming and playing and interacting with them. And learning from them as well.”