New To Hot Press: Innocent Bystander

Around the time I’m talking to The Innocent Bystander’s Mark Healy, the band are about to make their debut – at Forbidden Fruit, no less. “It’s our first live show ever, and I don’t really know how it happened!” he says in disbelief. “We got offered it, and you can’t say no. Right now I’m in the studio just rehearsing, and we’re doing a bit of hoping and praying as well.”

A guitarist first and foremost, Mark is redefining what it means to be a guitarist and a songwriter. “I suppose blues has always underpinned rock, and while I am a fan of the blues, I think people regard guitar heroes as musicians who twiddle around a lot. I’m distancing myself from that; I want to make guitar music that has a bit more excitement in it. I want to do something that’s more electronic and danceable.”

Mark’s always looking for inspiration, even when he’s just wandering the streets of Dublin. “I’d call myself a guitarist first and foremost,” he says, “but a song can start from anywhere, and I mean anywhere. I’ll walk around and record stuff on my phone. There was a guy a few months ago on Grafton Street, just yelling, preaching or something. I couldn’t really make out what he was saying, but how he was delivering it, the way he was shouting, it was really cool. So I started recording it. I thought, that could inspire how you could sing a song, that delivery in his voice. I didn’t get a full song out of him, but his aggression and emotion could inspire how I approach a song.”

See: Follow The Innocent Bystander @Innocentnoise for more gig info.

Hear: The singles ‘Waster’ and ‘Electrocute’ are available now