Made of Stone

Arguably the best Irish/French team-up since Samuel Beckett and Andre the Giant (the playwright used to give the seven foot tall pro-wrestler lifts to school and, yes, that did actually happen), Mineral are a relatively new band with near boundless musical imaginations. Signed to Alan McGee’s fledgling 359 Music and co-founded by former Power Of Dreams and Archive man Craig Walker, the four-piece are completed by Thierry Fournie, Sophie Armell and Damien Li. They’ve just released their lush debut album, Plastic Ekphrastic. When Hot Press caught up with the Dubliner, he informed us that he had a wealth of material to choose from for the opus.
“I’m really proud,” begins Craig. “We put in a lot of effort. It’s in tune with what’s going on and is probably the most current sounding thing I’ve released in my life. We had two albums worth of material by the end. I’m sure the other stuff will see the light of day. I don’t think anything is ever really finished in the arts. It’s just a case of stopping and saying, ‘Right that’s it.’”
One of the standouts on the sweeping, at times cinematic, effort is the 13 minute ‘Atoms’, recorded in the Pyrenees Mountains. Craig tells us the song was inspired by his dislike of social media.
“I think there’s going to be a reaction to social media soon,” he states. “I get the feeling that people are slightly bored of sitting on Twitter and not doing anything worthwhile. The track was a reaction to that, really. With ‘Atoms’ we decided that since we’re not gonna get played on the radio, let’s put this 13 minute song on the album and go where we want with it. A lot of artists underestimate the intelligence of the general public. It’s nice to have an alternative. To swim against the tide.”
An artist who’s proven many times that he has a gifted ear for a tune, we wonder does Plastic Ekphrastic feel like a debut album for him. Or is his latest more like an brand new chapter in a continuing story?
“It does feel like a debut album – my third debut if you will. To the other guys in the band it’s more of a proper debut. Mineral is a long way from what I’ve done before. It’s probably closer to Archive than Power Of Dreams. It’s fresh and in tune with what’s going on at the moment. It’s the first time I’ve felt I’m part of what’s happening. The music sounds really modern.”
And how does he feel about the music industry of present day compared to when he first started in the late '80s/early '90s?
“My opinion can change from day to day,” he admits. “Some days I think it’s the most amazing period in music history and if I was 18 now I’d be ecstatic because everything’s available at your finger-tips, which is astonishing. I remember having to tape stuff off Fanning and Peel’s radio shows. It all sounds quite romantic now. Actually, it was a pain in the arse. The down side is that it’s getting more and more difficult to make a living from music apart from the 1%. There needs to be a balance.”
In a few months (February, 2014 to be precise), Irish fans will get their first live taste of Mineral when they embark on a full-on tour of the country, with the inimitable former Creation Records man Alan McGee in tow. After touring France, Craig is excited about playing on home turf.
“There’s going be a 359 Music tour of Ireland in February, next year,” he reveals. “Alan’s going to come over and DJ. You’ll have ourselves and at least one other 359 act. And, I think, a local act in each town too, which will be great for young bands. Alan’s very supportive. He’s the last great svengali, really. He has the ability to get people excited about music. I know for a fact that he listens to all the CDs he receives. So if there are any bands coming down to the shows, make sure you bring your music. Hopefully we’ll get more acts signed.”

Plastic Ekphrastic by Mineral is out now on 359 Music