LISTEN: 'Backstage at Mike The Pies' Episode 13, with Turnstiles

Galway post-punk band Turnstiles have appeared on this week's Backstage at Mike The Pies podcast.

The 13th episode of the series - supported by Hot Press and the Department of Tourism, Culture, the Gaeltacht, Sport and Media - sees the outfit sit down in the renowned venue to discuss their musical future.

London-born frontman Callum Mitchell delivers Turnstiles' stinging lyrics over the treble-heavy, shrapnel-spraying guitars of Colm Sweeney and Cillian Ryan, all backed by the powerhouse rhythms of Luke Mulliez and Jake Tiernan. All in their early '20s, their influences range from Bob Dylan via the Pixies and Stones Roses to Girl Band. Having carved out their own sound, and made a name for themselves locally with rowdy live shows in sitting rooms and pubs, Turnstiles recorded their first single 'Moving Forward / Wasting Away' in August 2019.

The band's singles have amassed over 150,000 Spotify streams to date - sharing ‘I.D.C’, 'Tantrum' and 'Same Old Stories' in 2020. The band were due to play festivals such as Forbidden Fruit and K-Fest this summer, before the Covid-19 pandemic. They began been writing extensively over the first lockdown, and released The Turnstiles EP in January 2021 as a result, impressing critics and fans alike.

Since the beginning of lockdown, the Listowel venue has hosted a series of special gigs, run with the support of the Department of Tourism, Culture, the Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, as part of the Live Performance Support scheme.

Some of Ireland's best artists have performed in the venue in gigs that were broadcast on Facebook, including artists of the outstanding calibre of Jack O’Rourke, Junior Brother, Sorcha Richardson, Emma Langford, Mick Flannery, TV People and Susan O’Neill (SON), among many others.

• New episodes of Backstage at Mike The Pies will be released every Wednesday at 5pm.

Listen to Episode 13 below: