Book of revelations

Three years into their existence, The Chapters – always a promising proposition – have finally located their voice, and, as their new EP Four Thorns demonstrates, it’s surely just a matter of time before they join the ranks of the Irish heavyweights.

The Dublin five-piece have evolved slowly and steadily, taking their time without diving headlong into the live fray, but guitarist Simon Eustace thinks he can pinpoint the moment that they truly turned the corner.
“There was one time where we all sat down for a couple of hours before a gig and watched The Last Waltz,” he explains, “and it totally blew our minds. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I think that was the first gig where we really clicked and got lost in it. And The Band have led us to other stuff – Creedence, Dr. John, Dylan.”
At the mention of His Bobness, frontman Ross McNally takes up the theme: “It’s so incredible that at the age of 65 or whatever, he’s suddenly the coolest thing on the block. I went to see him in Kilkenny and I was blown away. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, I’m not a Dylan freak, but this was stunning.”
As suggested by the names mentioned thus far, The Chapters’ sound is a profoundly American one, drenched in Wilco and Neil Young influences, with Bruce Springsteen’s masterpiece Nebraska a particular touchstone for the gang. McNally is unrepentant about their fondness for relatively obscure Americana.
“We really don’t pay massive attention to the modern musical landscape,” he says. “We prefer to do our own thing. As far as stuff that’s come out in the last few years, nothing really stands out. I listen to Sufjan Stevens – I really admire his balls in making that statement about an album for every one of the fifty states. He’s said it now, he has to deliver. Though I’m sure if he only gets to 20 or 30, people will forgive him.”
What is it that’s so inherently romantic about America?
“It’s the freedom,” reckons Simon. “The space. The vastness. Listening to Nebraska, you’ll know what I mean. The sense of travel and possibility, of freedom to define yourself. There’s almost certainly an element of myth and bullshit about it, but it’s an appealing one, and very romantic.”
The Chapters’ solid country-rock/power-pop sound is given extra effectiveness by haunting string touches from classically-trained cellist Turlough Gunawardhana, proud possessor of surely the coolest name in rock’n’roll since Blixa Bargeld emerged from his bat-cave. Furthermore, drummer Ciaran Fortune and bassist Michael Murphy seem practically incapable of making mistakes. In what must have seemed like a calculated risk, The Chapters recently went eight months without playing live, in order to concentrate on refining their sound.
“It was very much a conscious decision,” explains McNally. “We felt we needed to spend a sustained period of time writing songs, working on our musicianship, finding out what direction we wanted to go.”
Were they not worried about dropping off the radar?
‘We were, a bit. There were times we wondered whether it was a stupid move,” he says. “And in fact, I think we did drop off the radar, and we’ve had to work really hard since then to get back into people’s sights. I think now, over the last couple of months, it’s started to pay off, and I’ve no doubt we’re stronger now than we were, so I think it was the right thing to do in the long run.
“The sound changed, and the songs we’re coming out with now are definitely a step up. Also, you miss gigging when you haven’t done any in ages, and then you remember why you enjoyed the buzz so much in the first place. It felt right to stop gigging, and then it felt right to start gigging again. While we’re obviously playing music mainly because we love it, at the same time, we are very ambitious.”
What’s most striking talking to The Chapters is the ease with which they share one another’s company. They do a hell of a lot of laughing, and come across as genuinely top mates, an impression confirmed by McNally.
“We are. I consider these four lads to be my best friends, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. We’ve decided we’re going to stick at it, and be there for one another. Obviously none of us can predict the future, and life has a habit of leaving you surprised. I’m sure at some stage down the line, there might be the odd tiff here and there, but I can’t see it reaching the point where digs are being thrown and we’re hitting each other over the head with guitars. I think over the last few years, we’ve figured out how each other works.”
Ciaran Fortune elaborates: “That’s what makes a band. If we were all the same kind of people, it’d be one-dimensional. You need a certain level of competitiveness, if you’re to end up with the strongest possible material. Stuff has to stand or fall on its musical merits, rather than going, ‘Oh, it’s his turn, followed by him, etc.’ There are no ego wars in this band. Everybody has an equal say, but your say is only as strong as the musical contribution you’re putting forward. If that’s not there, there’s no point going on. I know that our songs probably take a bit longer to come together than would be the case with other bands, because there’s five of us and we won’t go ahead with a song unless all five are happy with it. If it takes that long, it takes that long. As a result, there’s probably lots of stuff that we’ve left on the shelf.”