Hot Press meets Fight Like Apes

Who cares what the haters say? For the first time in her life Fight Like Apes’ Mary Kate Geraghty does. She’s been stung by the cynicism that greeted the recent crowdfunding campaign for the band’s new album – they’re looking for €20K to cover mixing, promotion and sundry overheads. Stung and angered.

“In the past, when there was any negativity surrounding the group, we’d have said, ‘Fuck you’. We didn’t care. Unfortunately, with something like this, when you’re running a campaign to raise money, it’s actually our job to listen to what people have to say. Whereas before I wouldn’t have given a shit. With this, I do kinda have to give a shit. People are getting pissed off about it and I’m not afraid to say I was surprised.”
Judging by the furore that blew up online after the fundit.ie campaign went live, the greatest source of contention is the €20,000 Fight Like Apes are seeking. By Irish crowdfunding standards it’s unquestionably a wedge of cash – the next highest target on the Fundit music page is the €5,000 The Chapters are looking for. Most artists are aiming to generate well below that figure. Some arch-cynics have wondered whether Fight Like Apes are looking to launch their album or supplement their lifestyle – especially in view of the fact that the new (as yet untitled) LP is actually recorded.
“When you think about where the money is going, it doesn’t seem like a lot to us,” says Geraghty. “It’s to pay for the mixing, the art-work, a run of merch. Plus, all the other things we didn’t have to pay for before – PR, travel, stuff like that. We need to get off the ground and start gigging and making money again. The van has coughed its last cough…. When I saw people saying, ‘Woah, that’s a lot of money, I thought, ‘Jesus, where are they getting that from?’ I can see why, compared to other campaigns, it would seem like a lot. But it doesn’t seem a lot to me. I think it’s ambitious in terms of how we are going to do things. This is basically to get the album done and get us back on the road so we can become
self-sufficient.”
It’s been a rough few years for Fight Like Apes. Since their second album, The Body Of Christ & The Legs of Tina Turner dropped in August 2010, the Kildare/Dublin four-piece have toured and toured while never truly threatening to break beyond their admittedly relatively substantial fanbase. Off-stage there have been difficulties too. Lack of funds has forced some of the line-up to take day-jobs with Geraghty having stints as a waitress. More recently, they parted ways with their record company, Rubyworks subsidiary
Model Citizen.
“We had different ideas in terms of where we wanted to go. We had to make a big decision – and it was a huge decision, a hard one to deal with. We loved working with those guys but felt we needed to take control back on our shoulders.”
As for the waitressing, she’s not remotely embarrassed to say that, when Fight Likes Apes aren’t earning an income, she has to make rent just like everyone else. And why should she be?
“If we had loads of money, we wouldn’t be doing a Fundit campaign. I have been constantly working [day-jobs] throughout the time with the band. There have been
months at a time where I wouldn’t have to – we’ve been busy and you’d be kept afloat on the road.”
Do Fight Like Ape fans ever recognise Geraghty when she’s working?
“Yeah, sometimes. I don’t know many bands who don’t have outside jobs. How would people survive otherwise?”
She acknowledges there are rumours that the departure of original drummer Adrian Mullan in 2010 – “musical differences” were cited at the time – has contributed to Fight Like Apes’ absence. But the shutters come down when you mention it.
“I’m not talking about that, I’m afraid,” she says politely but firmly.
She isn’t interested in even acknowledging the speculation.
“I’m aware people are talking about it,” she says. “I’m not going to say anything. I can’t get into that.”
It will be several months, at least, before the new LP sees daylight. At the moment it’s being mixed by Ash Workman, whose credits include Metronomy’s The English Riviera. Of all the dumb criticisms coming the group’s way, the one that really hurt was the suggestion that, rather than raising money from fans, Fight Like Apes should have opted for a cheaper engineer.
“That’s an infuriating thing to say,” Geraghty reflects “The idea that we should say to ourselves, ‘You know what, let’s do something of a lower standard…’ It pisses me off. You wouldn’t tell a movie director to get a shitter actor ‘cos it would cost less. Why would you make a shit-sounding album? It doesn’t make any sense. All the other criticism I can go, ‘whatever…’ That one, no…”