WineMom : "I think when you leave home, you are probably at your most patriotic."

WineMom burst onto the scene with their debut single, 'Blood Moon', in late 2023 and quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. In less than a year, WineMom toured alongside Kingfishr, shared the stage with Deacon Blue and Jane's Addiction, as well as performing at Electric Picnic.

Ahead of their debut EP release on April 24, frontwoman Rosanna Harrington recalls the inspiration behind title track 'Grand Affair'.

“I wrote it around the end of last year,” she says. “You know when it’s Christmas time, and you go to your family's house or family parties, you’re always asked, ‘Oh, what are you doing? Oh, well, my son's just graduated from Trinity.’ And I was kind of gearing myself up, thinking as an independent musician, ‘Oh, Jesus, what speech do I have to prepare?’ It kind of inspired ‘Grand Affair’. It’s about how your 20s aren’t necessarily everything you thought they would be.”

The track also explores the bittersweet feelings WineMom have about Dublin.

“There are so many songs you hear, like things about California, New York, or London,” says Harrington. "I love kind of making a point of saying Dublin, in a way, just to give Ireland a little shout out, we're here.”

“I mean, it's the kind of classic Irish story that's been going on for generations,” she continues. “It's like, oh, I need to get out of here. There's not enough opportunity. And I think when you leave home, you are probably at your most patriotic. You start to miss a lot of things about Ireland. And I noticed that when I went to London, we were all in an Irish bar on St Patrick's Day. This old trad song started playing and everyone in there, who was Irish, was not just emotional but really solemn. I remember seeing someone turn to me with tears in her eyes. Things like this, even just a shit bar, make you really miss home. It's bittersweet.”

“I think this song goes out to the individual in Dublin,” says drummer Reese Martin. “ It’s about chasing your dreams, no matter how tight money may be or how much of an uphill battle it’s looking like. Like with everything happening in Dublin, with Yamamori Izakaya, The Complex, and more, so many individuals are coming out and marching to the Dáil. There’s a togetherness. I think this song represents the one person in the crowd who’s like, ‘I love this city’.”

Photo Credit: Niamh Barry

WineMom's forthcoming EP, has been in the works for some time, with Harrington having written the songs throughout her 20s. This poignant collection of songs showcases the band's full range of abilities, exploring the  experience of growing up and discovering life.

"I think the theme of the EP is coming of age," says Harrington. "Every song deals with a different thing that you kind of realize about yourself in your 20s. ‘He Was so Kind’ is about unrequited love, ‘The Way of Life’ is about accepting the slightly Hellraiser parts of yourself that you're learning to be okay with. And then, ‘Everest’ is about dealing with sexual assault. They're just songs that have been collected over time. And I think a lot of people will resonate with them."

“It feels a lot more personal, in a way,” Rosanna continues. “There's an element of vulnerability to a lot of them, that speaks to them being formed together through the past year or so, influenced by actually living life, like being in a band and struggling."

'Everest' breaches a strikingly personal yet relatable topic that captures the reality of growing up as a woman. When the topic is raised, Rosanna's discomfort, a hesitant silence and a telling expression, reveals a deep, clearly touched nerve. Her evident and unsurprising passion for the subject permeates the atmosphere of the call.

“I wrote it around 2022, and it was around the time there were a lot of sexual assault cases that were in the press, actually, not sexual assault as much as actual sexual deaths,” she says. “I just became very disillusioned with everything. I'm a young woman myself, and I know people around me who have stories. And I wanted to write this really big, powerful, rock song. I could have gone for a gentle acoustic vibe, but I wanted to take back the power and be kind of ruthless in emotion."

“I actually am excited about Everest, that's been a favourite of mine for a long time,” says bassist Millie Molony. “I like playing it live; there is always an immediate reaction with it. It’s kind of like taking the power back. I've actually never heard a song that deals with that kind of topic in such a ruthless way, or in a hard rock kind of way.”

As their EP cover suggests, WineMom embody charisma in the face of chaos. Whether it be the growing pains of your 20s, the bittersweet love of a city you might leave, or coming to terms with harsh realities, WineMom’s music is a celebration of all that coming of age brings: pain, love, fear, and fun.

“A couple of years ago, I told my mom, God, if I'm ever in a band, I think it'd be really cool to be in a house on fire in the Irish countryside," says Rosanna. "And I remember telling Millie the idea, and Millie was like ‘Okay, yeah, we can make that happen, I think I know a guy.’”

Listen to ‘Grand Affair’ below :