The Long & Windings Road...

Recorded in Toronto with Efrim Menuck of Godspeed You! Black Emperor fame and in the wilds of Donegal with Villagers’ Tommy McLaughlin, Winding’s latest album I Am Not The Crow is a sublime sonic adventure which showcases a band in its prime.

“Ah thanks, I’m so glad you like it,” smiles frontman Steve Ryan as we get set to discuss the finely-wrought collection of gems, his love of metal, chauffeuring Bob Mould and working with Noel Hogan, amongst other topics.
So why the globetrotting approach to recording?
“Well, we were invited to Canadian Music Week in Toronto and played a few gigs over there including the Music From Ireland Showcase,” explains Steve. “After that we were ready to record and thought that since we were over there we may as well record as much as we could. Our friends Halves and Fred had used a studio in Montreal called Hotel2Tango, owned by Howard Bilerman who used to be in the Arcade Fire and, of course, Efrim Menuck. We had the choice of working with one or the other so we went with Efrim, firstly because we are fans of his ethos and everything but also because he was the cheaper option”. (laughs)
“Efrim was great, he was so nice, there’s absolutely no bullshit with him,” he continues. “If he thinks something is shit he says it which is very similar to Tommy, which is why I enjoy working with Tommy as well. It was great to collaborate with him again. This was my fourth time working with him. At this stage he knows exactly what microphones to use for us. He makes it so easy and pleasant.
The release is the band’s third on respected Limerick label Out On A Limb, Steve is effusive about head honchos Ciaran Ryan and Richard Burke. He says, too, that thae local scene has never been healthier.
“Thursday nights in Bourke’s Bar is a great free gig night. Between there and Dolan’s and the Blind Pig there are lots of places to play,” he says of his hometown. “Bourke’s is where I’m meeting all the Limerick bands now and it’s great because we can talk to each other about what we are doing, it’s a really healthy atmosphere. There’s a studio in town owned by Noel Hogan and there’s a guy called Owen Lewis working out of that so he’s recording a lot of bands. Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters have just finished an album with him. It’s great. There are several places to record and mix and lots of places to play now.”
Steve worked with Noel on the last Windings release and has nothing but fond memories of the experience.
“Noel recorded the opening song on the last album. What a dude!” he says. “He was so cool, like some guy you’d known all your life. You forget he is an international rock star until you are up in the studio and go down to use the toilet and the entire corridor is lined with these platinum discs!!"
Steve has enjoyed many brushes with greatness over the course of his career. His proudest moment was chauffeuring Bob Mould around the country on tour.
“I drove him around in the van I'm sitting in right now!” he laughs. “ It was just myself and Liam in Windings at the time. We did two or three gigs with Bob around Ireland. The deal was we got to play if we drove him around. It’s a three-seater van and Bob Mould is a tall man! He was a real gent, really chatty.”

I Am Not The Crow is out now on OAAL Records. Windings play Whelan's, Dublin on December 8 as part of an Irish tour.