Stroke city rollers

Aside from his not-inconsiderable skills as a musician, Rollers/Sparkers’ multi-instrumentalist John McMahon is one hell of a conversationalist. In the 40 minutes I spend talking to him, we manage to discuss, amongst many other things, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Mission Of Burma, David Cronenberg, Polish conceptual artist Christian Boltanski and, er, Channel 4’s broadcasting remit.

But first, let’s deal with the music. The Rollers’ debut EP, Geography For The Leaving, was recently selected as single of the fortnight in this very publication – and thoroughly deserving of such an accolade it was too. The record is a majestic trip through kaleidoscopic sonic terrain, veering between eerie, post-rock manoeuvres in the dark and trusty, old-fashioned Beach Boys-style dream-pop harmonies. But come on, Mr McMahon, surely the last thing this town needs is yet another arty, math-rock combo?

“The so-called ‘Scene That Celebrates Itself’?” laughs John, well aware I have my tongue planted firmly in cheek. “I suppose we know a lot of these people – and some are friends – so it’s hard to distance ourselves from them on that level. Also, with Dublin being such a small town, it’s difficult not to run into the bands that are around.

“But I’m inclined to think there’s a little bit too much releasing going on, and not enough quality control. There’s a lot of very bloke-ish music being made, and I think our music is a bit more ambivalent in where it’s coming from. We’re not just trying to get people banging their heads in a mosh-pit – although that is a cool thing to do occasionally. But we’re maybe looking to… elicit more complex responses.”

Perhaps that’s because complexity comes easily to John McMahon. Although he had played in numerous bands before forming Rollers/Sparkers with long-term collaborator Cobb in the summer of 2001, he had spent a sizeable portion of the previous decade studying philosophy, and even toyed with the idea of forging a career in the rarefied world of academia.

“Yeah, I did a doctorate in philosophy,” John explains, “and for years I was going to be an academic. But I found that the aspect of it I most enjoyed, which was research – where you’re basically just reading about really interesting work – represented quite a small fraction of what you actually get paid for. Unless, of course, you’re based in Oxford or Harvard. So I moved on.”

But philosophy’s loss has been music’s gain. Rollers/Sparkers’ inexorable rise has seen them support such local luminaries as the Jimmy Cake and The Chalets, and the group have generally conducted themselves with a refreshingly mischievous streak. In a move that would shame even Warlords Of Pez, RS have been somewhat economical with the truth in the band’s website bios.

“They’re just a load of bollocks,” John admits. “Over the years we’ve been finding passport photographs in train stations and airports, so we’ve been scanning them, making up biographies for the people in the photos and passing them off us. The idea of inventing histories for found objects is something we seem to find appealing.”

Such pranks are all a part of the haunted funhouse that is the world of Rollers/Sparkers. Do yourself a favour and get into their twisted groove.