Theatre: "It’s all nostalgia for a time we haven’t experienced. To me, that feels a lot like a rebirth”

Limerick newcomers Theatre released their brilliant debut single ‘The Fall’ last month – but while it finds the group taking their recorded bow, it actually marks the culmination of three years of work on the live circuit. As well as their own performances, they’ve also sharpened their chops supporting an array of top level acts, including English Teacher, Westside Cowboy and Shame.

“We’ve had a great response from everyone who’s heard the song,” the band’s Dara Gooney says of ‘The Fall’. “We were waiting for the right moment to release it. We wanted to focus frst on evolving our music and stagecraft, playing shows and gaining experience.

“We decided that, out of everything involved in being an artist, the actual recording and releasing of a track was the last thing we were going to think about. Everyone has access to the tools to put out music now – and we didn’t want ours to get lost. Then, when the time came to put something out, we could hit that moment as hard as we could.”

And so they have. By taking the time to finesse their live capabilities, Theatre have also created a level of anticipation amongst fans even they didn’t fully expect.

“We didn’t really know the crowd was there for us until we put the song out,” enthuses Sean Storan. “All the waiting, over the last couple of years, made us all the more grateful for that interest.”

At their live shows, fans would often ask for a way to listen to their material. That boosted Theatre’s growing sense of confidence.

“A lot of bands don’t like their first release, and we just didn’t want to feel like that afterwards,” explains Oscar Halpin. “We’re all insanely proud of what we’ve done and the work we’ve put into it. We’re happy that people are gonna enjoy it – it’s not a record we’ll all want to forget about in 10 years’ time.

“It does feel like a thesis statement of the last three years of experience,” he laughs. “But I’m excited that the song’s not really ours anymore.”

“It is a very personal moment when you put your music out into the world,” nods Sean, “because it’s never really yours after that. For us especially, it’s been the culmination of years of that collective experience. We put a lot into it and all of us are really happy with the final result.”

Interestingly, the band feel that their focus on live shows has exerted an influence on their musical style. “The way I move onstage,” Oscar expounds, “influences the way I play guitar.”

That said, the last thing the band want is for their records to become a facsimile of their live work.

“If we were to approach recording the same way as playing live, it would almost box us in a bit,” says Gerry Sheil. “The studio opens up so many other possibilities.”

As well as rock and folk, Theatre also incorporate elements of shoegaze into their stylistic mix – why do they think the ’90s genre is enjoying such a cultural moment?

“With this 30-year cycle,” Oscar explains, “it’s all nostalgia for a time we haven’t experienced. To me, that feels a lot like a rebirth.”

“It’s a sound that’s really fresh,” Gerry offers. “The landscape, in the last 10 years, has been a lot of bands in that post-punky scene – this feels like a bit of an evolution from that. It’s very uplifting – it still has that moodiness and darker tones, but there are rays of light as well.”

• Theatre’s debut EP Incarnate is released on June 12.