- Music
- 19 Jan 15
Apparently the drink flows freely if you get back to the singer's hotel room.
As Kodaline prepare for the release of their second album, Coming Up For Air, the boys took time out in a Kildare country pile to talk to our own Craig Fitzpatrick about everything from crafting the new record to getting champagne from Courteney Cox and give their take on the music industry, Hozier, U2 and more.
With Ed Sheeran now challenging Dave Grohl for the title of friendliest musician out there, it goes without saying that the Swords quartet have hung out with the adopted Irishman. "Just so normal," is Steve Garrigan's assessment. "For how big he is and how successful he is – he's sold out three Wembley Stadiums, which is just ridiculous."
"After the show, he invited us all back to his hotel," says Mark Prendergast. "He was really, really sick, just sitting there in his dressing gown. I don't think he drinks but he was just like, 'lads, help yourselves to all the drink'. He sat there for an hour and half talking.
Steve: "He was talking about Rick Rubin and he told us that Rick has this process where, if you have two different ideas for a song – like two different choruses – you do both. Apparently Rick Rubin always knows [which is best] and goes 'that one!''" Some of that Zen Rubin intuition rubbed off on Ed. "We did a song with Johnny McDaid from Snow Patrol as a last minute thing," the singer continues, referring to his current personal favourite 'Love Will Set You Free'. "The album was done but we just went over for a bit of fun. He worked with Ed Sheeran on his latest album and Ed was saying we were going to write our best songs over there. It worked out that way. So much so that we unfinished the album, just so we could put the song that we wrote on it. Then we finished it again!"
For an extensive interview with Kodaline, pick up the new issue of Hot Press, on sale this Thursday