The new waves

Sometimes it seems as though, in order to qualify for admission to what we loosely term the Dublin music scene, musicians need to display a certain amount of DIY initiative. They should be financing their own records, answering all fan e-mails and painstakingly applying stickers to limited-edition EPs – preferably in a coldwater flat. In short, Dublin-based musicians should be endlessly humble, wary of fame and fortune, and even more so of infamy.
So where does this leave the Devlins?
“We’re a Dublin band, we’re making music in Dublin so I guess we’re part of the ‘Dublin’ scene,” muses vocalist Colin Devlin. Lengthy pause, then: “Then again, we never saw ourselves in the scene, because scenes come and go. We love musicians like Mundy or Glen Hansard, but we’ve never been part of that scene.”

Confused? It’s like this: the band are Dubliners through and through, and their forthcoming album, Waves, is due for release on an independent (after a long and somewhat fruitful career on a major label, mind), but when it comes to the question of fame, Colin Devlin is, unlike many other Dublin musicians, unapologetically ambitious and grand of vision.
“We were having a discussion a couple of weeks ago,” he explains, “And we were saying how no-one can put a face to the band. We’d like to change that a bit on this record, we’d like people to know who we are. Maybe it’s part of my personality, and this time I feel like, ‘I really want people to hear the songs and know who the band are’. I go see people play live all the time and they’re good, but I really wish I was up there, especially after being in the studio for so long. It’s a determination we all harbour.”
When asked if he would enjoy celebrity on a grander scale, Devlin is endearingly earnest in his response.
“It’s hard to tell, but I’d probably enjoy the celebrity more now,” he admits. “I’d be more comfortable with it now, that’s for sure. The defining thing is that it would have to be on our own terms. When it comes to what you’re doing, it’s gotta be yours; it’s gotta be great, enjoyable, and true. So yeah, I’d be very happy with celebrity…so bring it on!”
Having signed to Capitol (a division of EMI Records) 11 years ago, Devlin is adamant that the band didn’t make a conscious decision to sidestep the Irish music scene at their inception.
“We sent demo tapes to England, didn’t get any response, then we sent them to the US and got an amazing response,” he insists. “It was really quick. If someone says to you, I want to sign you in the US, you aren’t exactly going to argue. There was no conscious decision to leapfrog Ireland. When we signed our first deal it was very difficult for musicians here. It’s a lot easier in Ireland now. There are so many gigs, venues, and avenues open to people to get out a record. But when we started we didn’t have that.”
Colin has scant idea as to why The Devlins managed to conquer the States, a territory that has evaded countless other Irish acts.
“We had the contacts there - the music fitted in some kind of way,” he muses. “Plus, we toured there constantly. At some point it all clicked. Being Irish helped to a certain extent, but not really.”
Indeed, their relationship with EMI afforded the young Dubliners the opportunity to not only tour the US (with Sarah McLachlan), but to record their first three albums in New Orleans, Montreal and Kinsale respectively. Their fourth album, incidentally, was recorded in Dublin.
“We recorded it here because we live here,” he says simply. “We have a great rehearsal studio at the Factory and we were looking for a place to set up. It’s a great place; there are people coming in and out all the time. You’ve got a band in one minute, next thing the kids from Fame are in. It puts everything in a weird perspective. It’s a vibrant place to be around. Because we could make a lot of noise there, it’s how we wrote the songs. They ended up being quite loud. It was exciting us so we stayed there.”
As it happens, there is a very tangible ‘live feel’ to the new album.
“The feel of being in the rehearsal studio is great, and it’s something we wanted to bring to the record,” explains Colin. “You tend to make decisions really quickly when you’re just working in the room, caught up in the moment. It’s the way that should be done. It’s a really live record. The songs will be easier to play.”
Colin admits that interest in Waves has also been piqued by an abundance of film soundtrack activity… and a certain cider advert…
“There’s been so much more interest in this record than the last, possibly because of the soundtracks,” he concedes. “In fact, I’d love to do more. You write songs, and somehow people like to use them in films; I don’t know why. Maybe they create a mood or atmosphere or whatever, and I will certainly do more.
“I’m looking at the Lost In Translation soundtrack, and I wish I’d done something like it. It’s a brilliant soundtrack, and has a lot of merit. I’m not sure exactly what films we’d like to do, though I can’t see what we do working in the next version of A Midsummer’s Night Dream.”
Needless to say, Colin is rather proud of that now-famous Bulmers advert.
“It’s funny, the song kind of took over the ad,” he offers. “I heard it and thought, ‘God, that’s a great song’.”
No doubt the exposure given to the band in light of the advert run has helped, for despite a brief haitus, The Devlins’ recent Oxegen set was rather well-received.
“We hadn’t played for a while, so we rehearsed for a while to get it together. It was so nerve-racking,” he recalls. “When it all came together it was amazing. People on the forum and the website were very complimentary, so we’re definitely more confident putting this record out.”
Even though The Devlins were preoccupied with their comeback show, they did manage to catch a few other sets that day.
“PJ Harvey was brilliant,” enthuses Colin. “She’s very sexy, and she always looks so great. Kings Of Leon… well, they made a great record and it’s well produced, but you have to be able to back it up live. They were either wrecked or had no interest in being there.”
Musical differences aside, surely Colin can empathise with the effects of incessant touring with a sibling?
“It’s a lot easier now than it was years ago,” admits Colin. “When you’re unsure of your personality, and you’re forming who you are and what you’re about, it’s difficult. Now we watch each other’s backs. The reason we’re in a band together is because Peter is a great bassist and a great engineer.”
Of course, having an older brother blazing the musical trail (particularly when he’s in a mod band called Instant Party) was of some advantage to young Colin.
“Peter’s a couple of years older than me, so he got pocket money before me, but then again, he got to make all the LP mistake purchases before me!” he laughs. “I got off lightly. I thought was sooo cool with my little Sex Pistols 7” when I was 10…”b

The Devlins’ Waves is out now