Mirrors - On Our Radar Q&A: "We’re not just going to be a shoegaze band"

How does being close friends inform your work?

Jodie: It’s the foundation of how we work.

Fionnán: Writing songs can be so vulnerable, and to be in a setting where everyone’s very non-judgmental, where we’re supportive of each other, helps us grow. Everyone’s adding their own personality to the songs. We all have such different influences that if everyone puts their own spin on it, it makes something unexpected, but incredibly unique.

Does the Cork scene inspire you?

Fionnán: Growing up around such an unbelievable scene, with all the great bands coming through, made me want to be in a band from a very young age. There’s a lot of opportunities in Cork, because there’s loads of venues of varying sizes. There’s also the School of Music: having that institution allows the scene to grow.

Tell me about the shift in sound between your debut EP, Envious Of The Faithful, and recent singles like ‘Drowning’.

Jodie: On Envious Of The Faithful, we were really strategic with our material – we wanted it to be cohesive and have a prominent theme throughout. We’re really proud of that, but it’s a part of the band we want to leave in its own time. ‘Drowning’ was a turning point. We’re not just going to be a shoegaze band.

Joe: We’re very much still in development, and by putting yourself in a box straight away, you put a block on everything that could be. We’re in the process of writing an album, and we just try out any idea that comes. It’s art for art’s sake.

How does your Irish identity bleed into your sound?

Jodie: Ireland is so rich in culture, it’s hard not to be influenced by all the folklore.

Joe: Irish music, by nature, is so evocative and emotional, and you see that with your Madra Salachs and your Lankums. That’s an element that we integrate into our music a lot. It’s not always about the style or sound, but it just evokes something in you. That’s really important to us – that people come away going, “I don’t know what I loved about that, but I’m not the same afterwards.”

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