Golden Graham

Leaving aside the perils of imperialism, the perpetual danger of scientific breakthroughs being misappropriated, and the inescapable fact that we’re doomed to repeat its mistakes for eternity, if history has taught us one thing, it’s that drummers should stay firmly placed behind the kit. Aside from the aural abominations that usually ensue (to wit: Phil Collins’ entire solo output), the rhythmatists who eschew the low-key profile traditionally associated with the role and actively seek the limelight have a worrying habit of ending up dead, as evidenced by the untimely demises of Keith Moon, John Bonham et al.

However, despite the stigma associated with this most maligned of career moves, former Therapy? sticks-man and sometime David Kitt/Gemma Hayes band-member, Graham Hopkins, is keen to reverse the trend. Set to be released under the name Halite, Hopkins’ debut album, Head On – a breezy, summery collection of supremely melodic, west-coast flavoured indie-rock – was recorded in little-under four weeks in France last summer, and subsequently mastered in New York by Ramones/Strokes collaborator, Greg Calbi. So, how long had Graham harboured ambitions to go solo?

“Well, I’ve always written songs,” Graham explains. “And then about two years ago, I finally decided to record them. I’d always been flirting with the idea of recording the stuff I was writing, and I felt the time had arrived for me to grasp the bull by the horns and just go into studio and do it. So I went in and recorded a batch of material with a friend of mine, and really enjoyed the process. And then, while I was still in Therapy?, I decided to round up a couple more mates and go play a few gigs, and things just sort of grew from there. After a while it got to the point where I was enjoying working on my own stuff more than I was enjoying playing drums with Therapy?, and that’s when I knew that it was time to leave the band.”

Although Halite is very much Hopkins’ brainchild, the singer has nonetheless enlisted the services of sundry members of Turn and BellX1 for touring purposes. Does he feel a particular kinship with those bands?

“Oh, there’s definitely a scene there, no question,” Graham agrees. “And I think that in the last four months, it’s maybe gone even one step better. I think about two years ago, the whole folk-singer thing was threatening to get out of control, and although I can’t really complain about those musicians too much – since I’ve played drums with the fuckin’ majority of them – I’m ultimately just more into bands, y’know? And I think things have got a lot more healthy in that regard over the past couple of years.”

Enthusiastic as he is about the current musical climate in Dublin, Graham admits to being unimpressed with some of the more aloof members of the domestic independent scene.
“Everybody talks about the camaraderie in this town, but there’s a lot of fuckin’ bitching too,” he bristles. “There is a lot of people talking about each other behind their backs, and there are a lot of people who think they’re bigger and better than they actually are. But, y’know, I actually think that it’s a good time for the better bands to shine, groups like Bell X1 and Future Kings Of Spain, those are the people who are putting their fucking heart and soul into it. What they’re doing is lot more important to me than these guys who are graphic designers by day, who are usually the first to start bitching about everyone else.”

One thing’s for sure – once Head On hits the streets, it’s a very foolish man indeed who would dare question Graham Hopkins’ musical credentials.

Halite give their Head On album a live airing when themselves and Jape visit Whelan’s, Dublin (June 13); Stables, Mullingar (14); Front Page, Belfast (15); McGarrigle’s, Sligo (16); Dolan’s, Limerick (17); The Lobby, Cork (18); Cleere’s, Kilkenny (19) and Slane, County Meath (August 23)