You’re So Vein

Mainline, it could be said, are enjoying the best of both worlds. Currently riding atop the crest of Dublin’s new wave of guitar-driven indie contenders, the six-piece have also found themselves rubbing shoulders with those of a more electronic persuasion, among them Andrew Weatherall and David Holmes.

This unlikely foray into dance circles could well be attributed to Johnny Moy, the DJ guru who recently became the band’s co-manager. Though they make an improbable pairing, the band concedes that meeting Moy has breathed new life into the outfit.
“We were doing the IMRO tour, and he was at one of the gigs and really liked it,” recalls bassist Conor Paxton. “He said he wanted to work with Dublin bands, and so he came to see us. We did the demo, and it kind of progressed from there, and everything just felt right after that.”
With their brooding, Spiritualized-influence vibe, Mainline have been making friends and influencing people in all the right places. Having previously declared their intention on the Today FM website to “rid the Irish airwaves of mediocre singer-songwriters and pissy-windy guitar bands”, they’re much more non-committal about this manifesto as hotpress catches up with them in Dublin’s Morrison Hotel.
“It’s not about rising over anyone,” maintains guitarist Patrick McHugh. “We’re just doing our own thing and working to our own plan. It’s got nothing to do with anyone else.”
“It’s not that we want to put a size 13 cruddy foot into the face of singer-songwriters,” adds Paxton. “They’re doing their own thing and it’s not an issue. It’s not like it’s us against the scene. In saying that, it’s nice that there’s something different on the radio. This country doesn’t have an XFM that is dedicated to our type of music exclusively.”
Never mind the airwaves – Mainline have all but revolutionised the art of the support slot since their 2003 inception. Having already played with a mind-boggling array of acts, among them Ian Brown, The Bravery and Death In Vegas, the six-piece plan to give their own audiences a more uncommon sonic experience.
“With every show we do, we want there to be a sense of occasion,” explains drummer Daniel Paxton. “We’ve come a long way from just hauling in the gear, throwing it up onstage...there’s a lot more thought behind it now. We’re looking at bettering it every time. It doesn’t hurt anyone more than us when something goes wrong.”
Of course, they won’t be drawn on any antics that may or may not have occurred when they supported Primal Scream in Dublin.
“Ah, we saw nothing…what happens backstage stays backstage!” laughs McHugh.
“With Primal Scream, that was such a high point, and it came at such an early stage for us,” offers guitarist/vocalist Neil Paxton. “In fact, when we walked off the stage at Primal Scream, the whole band lined up backstage and gave us a round of applause. I think it’s all kind of downhill from there. It’s like, I’ve met Bobby Gillespie – I can retire now!”
With press and radio airplay in the UK coming along nicely (“When we heard Lamacq play our record, it was a total buzz”), Mainline are still playing cautious at the beginning of what promises to be their year.
“We’re nowhere yet as far as I’m concerned,” maintains McHugh. “By the end of the year, we’d still like to be comfortable with what we do. The more gigs the better; let’s develop the way we write songs. We don’t want to shoot our load right away.”
With a South By Southwest showcase and US tour already pencilled in, it appears as though noteworthy success is very much theirs for the taking.
“It’s weird how people love music over there,” muses guitarist Scott Glennon. “We’re hoping to make a few pairs of ears bleed over in Texas. It’ll be a virgin audience too…though some of them might not be afterwards!”.

Mainline play Whelan’s, Dublin (February 10) and Trinity Rooms, Limerick (11). Their debut single, ‘Black Honey’, is also out now on Loog.