One-To-One With Irish Instrumentalist Alex Smyth

When the Richter Collective shut up shop at the end of 2012, it seemed a sad day for the post-rock and instrumental-rock scene in Ireland. The label, which handled the likes of Adebisi Shank, And So I Watch You From Afar and BATS, made massive waves on the scene in the four short years that they were in business.

The scene, however, lived on in their wake - perhaps having had them paving the way for what was to come, and opening the people of Ireland’s eyes and ears to this style of music.

One musician who has entered this scene in much more recent times, but with no less talent or distinct a sound as his predecessors, is Alex Smyth. Hailing from Swords in Dublin, he released his first critically acclaimed EP, The Utopian Dream, last July, off the back of which he has played several headline gigs in Dublin venues, such as The Bello Bar and The Grand Social, as well as making a dream-fulfilling appearance at Body & Soul.

His music is quite unique in its production, with a big sound that seems incongruous with his status as a solo performer. They’re sounds that could provide a soundtrack to your waking dreams or a haunting art-house movie.

We met up with Alex for a chat about his inspirations, the power of the internet and social media in helping artists get discovered, and why Roman Numerals may not be the best idea when naming a song.

Claire O’Gorman: Your sound is kind of ambient, instrumental loop based music – with comparisons being drawn to a more subdued Explosions in the Sky, or Mogwai. There is a temptation to call it electronic, but you actually loop guitars and then play drums over it. Do you think your sound and the way you make music sets you apart?

Alex Smyth: Yeah, I like to have the right balance between, say, the live set and the recorded music. I don’t try to base the recorded music over the loop pedal, or promote myself as sort of a ‘looping’ artist, I don’t know if that’s the right term! I suppose Daithi and stuff would be like that. I try to separate myself from that, being what sets me apart. I try to take different styles of music and kind of mould them together. I do love Explosions in the Sky and then I love Tycho and The XX, Moderat and all them. Not that my songs would really sound like that, but I definitely take inspiration from their sounds.

Yeah, A lot of that can be seen on your EP, The Utopian Dream, which you released in December, and had a launch night for then in February in Bello Bar which was an outstanding night. How has the reception been since you released it?

Well, it’s strange because you don’t really know if people are listening to it. People do get onto me on twitter and stuff - random people from say, London, or something and just say to check my music out and I don’t even know how they found it. When you release it I think you kind of expect this big massive wave of people telling you they love it, but it doesn't really happen. Every now and then you’ll get someone saying they like it. Like, on Facebook, I announced Body and Soul and these two random guys were like ‘aw, we have to go see this guy’, and they did. Then, afterwards when I put up a post about it they commented and said ‘aww what a gig’, and I don’t know them. It’s so cool to see people that I don’t know, or that I’ve never met supporting independent music, because I think it’s rare that people outside the music scene in Dublin would really get involved and go out and see someone that’s independent.

Body and Soul was obviously a very special gig. You’ve been playing a lot since the February launch gig - you played in The Gypsy Rose, B & S, and The Fingal Film and Arts Festival very recently, as well as a few support slots - how have they been going?

Well Body and Soul was definitely the highlight of everything. When I started playing music, I often said my goal was Body and Soul and Electric Picnic in the one year. I didn't get Electric Picnic this year but that’s just the way it goes. But, Body and Soul was just incredible - there was so many people there and all my friends came down to see me. I was expecting to be really nervous, but I’d practiced so much coming up to it that I was just really excited to do it. You play along in your head what it’s gonna be like, you kinda imagine yourself on stage and all that, but it was a hundred times better than that - it was such an amazing experience.

You have Fuinneamh as well coming up, which has a great line-up……

I’m excited to see so much there. There’s so many great Irish acts and Dublin acts that are really big so I’m delighted to be involved with it. I’m really excited for it, cos it’s a bit of a mix as well - you have a lot of DJs and then you have big sort of post-rock bands and pop bands or whatever, so it’s just almost like a community coming together. I’m not comparing it to Body and Soul but I think it’s at that level where it’s the same kind of buzz - so I’m hoping that it reaches the same heights as Body and Soul, and if not - higher.

We’re just hoping it’s not too cold because it’s mid-September - but we’ll bring the thermals! I think the biggest thing now coming up for you is probably your headliner in the Grand Social on September 8th. Tell us a little bit about that - you have VLLNS and SYLK supporting….

Yeah, realistically it’s just to get some money together. I work part-time myself, but its hard to get money together to pay for recording because I do it on my own. So, I just thought before I go into the studio and get things ready for 2018, I just want to get that money together to get recording done and get stuff ready for release and that. It’s not really a farewell to the last EP, but it’s definitely the last promotional show to sort of tie in that EP. I think I did 4 altogether, so this is the last one now before I move onto the next level, because I’m writing a lot of different types of music now. That will be a bit more upbeat, kind of a little bit more electronic, but it’s still got an ambient sort of vibe to it. It’s just a bit faster so I think I want to have the first EP kinda set aside and have the next one a bit different - not like a ‘rebirth’ or anything like that, nothing cool like that! But, just kind of changing the style a bit to fit a bit more dancey kinda vibe I guess. So yeah, I think that gig is gonna be playing the first EP, and then introducing these new songs to everyone as well. SYLK are playing as well - I don’t like going on after them because they're so good and their lights are just really really cool! Then VLLNS are good friends of mine, they released their EP and this is one of their first shows to kind of promote it. It’ll be a good night anyway!

Sometimes you do a bit of a visual show as well - are you gonna have that down there or will it be just the music?

At Body and Soul, a friend of mine, Dean Venture, was there working at the stage and I said to him ‘here, do you want to hop on and do lights?’. We didn't really plan anything so he said he would just sort of wing it. And he did, and it was absolutely incredible! So I asked him if he could come along to the Grand Social, definitely come down and do the lights. So, I think were gonna promote it as a Live Light Show. I think they have stock visuals in the Grand Social so I’m gonna see how it goes on the day, and if it looks good with the lights then we’ll have the both of them going on. Realistically though, I think we just want it to be a lights show to bring a different kinda vibe. Like I said the last EP had that visuals thing, this one is gonna be more lights and more dancey, nightclub type of vibe, I suppose.

So, you’ve got a bit of a change of direction planned. Have you played any of those songs live yet, or are you waiting to box off the first EP totally as you said?

I’ve played a few of them - I think I have 4 songs that are new that are sort of fresh and upbeat, and I've been playing them for the last 4 months - I played them at Body and Soul as well. Since it’s been so long since I wrote them, I’m actually kinda going off them a bit! So, in the last month or so, I've written newer stuff that I’m happier with, and I’d rather record them at this stage. There’s a lot of songs that I haven’t played live at all that I’m kinda thinking to myself ‘do I play them, or do I hold out and save them for when everything's released?’. But, yeah, there’s a lot of new material that I have played and that I will play as well. It’s just trying to find which ones I like the most, and which ones I think that people will like the most that are worth releasing.

And, what about working with other musicians? You are a solo artist, but would you be interested in doing any collaborations with anybody?

Definitely, it’s just trying to find the time. My friend, Podge - I was planning on having him come down and play keys in the Grand Social but I work part-time and he works full-time so it’s hard to get each other in the room at the right time, to have the time to rehearse, and rehearse enough that it would be ready to play at The Grand Social. Me and SYLK are also always saying we’re gonna try do something together, but again, it’s just trying to find the time. I am really open to it though, and I think when I do the next EP I might get a singer in to throw a few lyrics over it, just see how it goes and experiment with different things. I’m definitely open to it at this stage - I used to not be, because I just have a bit of sort of anxiety - like, I have to meet these people and then you doubt yourself like, am I good enough to collaborate with them, in a way. But, I am open to it and at this stage i just want to meet new people and get involved with the scene a lot more.

Well, we’ll be on the edge of our seats to see what’s coming so. I do have one more question, about your song CXCVII (197) - I believe there’s an interesting story behind how it got its name?

Yeah! Well, obviously because the songs are instrumental, I’m not really telling a story with lyrics or anything so it’s more how I’m feeling at the time when I write them. But, I wanted one of the songs to be called 296, because that’s the number of my grandparents’ house. So, I thought 296 doesn't really look cool on paper, or a screen, so I thought I’d do it in roman numerals. 296 in roman numerals is CCXVII, but when i was putting it into the website to get them all on iTunes and Spotify, I put in CXCVII. I thought it was right. I was really confident and double checked everything that I had - I was like yeah! send! Can’t change it now! Then, when it was released, I sent it to the lads and they were like, ‘yeah thats cool! what does 197 mean?’ And I was like…damn.

And, finally whats the best way to keep up to date with you?

I suppose Facebook, and Instagram - i usually put up loads of stuff on Instagram. Hopefully I’ll get a website soon! And Spotify and Soundcloud for all the songs and stuff.