Spearheaded by siblings Méabh and Mella back in 2015, Irish indie folk act and winners of the 2016 Pure M Award for “Best EP” Carron have just burst back onto the scene with a brand-new single named “Even Sad Birds Sing”, which they say embodies their new mission statement – “the harder we fall, the louder we will sing.”
This week, the two sisters spoke to Pure M about musical inspirations, the meaning of their new mission statement and what the future holds for Carron among an assortment of other subjects.
You guys have been a familiar fixture on the Irish music scene for about three years now, having released your first music video for the song “Numb” back in 2015, but what inspired you to get into music in the first place? Is a career in music something to which you’ve always aspired?
Méabh: Our parents sent us to The Independent Theatre Workshop, which is a stage school for kids, when we were quite young. That opened up musical theatre to us and as a result we both performed in professional musical theatre productions together. When I was playing Annie in The Tivoli Theatre in 2012, Mella played Molly.
Mella: I started playing violin when I was five and then took up piano. Méabh plays violin and a bit of guitar, so we were always very interested in music and our parents were always very encouraging about performing and music. I think our dad secretly always wanted to be in a band, he even took up the saxophone recently, to the dismay of the neighbours!
Méabh: In a way, because music has always been a really big part of our lives, it never has, or never really did, feel like a career choice.
Mella: We started writing music together during a period when I had been in and out of hospital for about a year, mostly as a means of distraction. We never thought it might grow into something full-time, but now that’s all we want!
Your material has an extremely elegant Celtic undertone that affords it a distinctly Irish feel while simultaneously feeling very fresh and innovative. Do you make a conscious effort to honour your Irish roots through the style of your music or is your sound simply a natural by-product of your own personal tastes and the artists who have inspired you down through the years? Or is it a combination of both?
Mella: I think it is a combination of both. We do try and honour our Irish roots and make a conscious effort to allow our Irish influence to come through. Our parents always played different genres of music for us, from classical music to just whatever was on the radio. For me, country music was always something I gravitated towards, most likely because of my dad and his involvement in radio.
Méabh: Yes, Mella and my dad have a really close bond over country musicians like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Christy Moore and the like. A big part of myself and Mella’s development with Carron when we started out was singing traditional Irish songs for weddings and corporate events. Our parents are both from the north and as kids we used to go visit our grandparents most weekends and spend evenings stuffed into tiny kitchens with dozens of cousins singing Irish songs until the wee hours of the morning. I also think what makes Carron’s sound unique is the particular combination of different tastes – Mella’s love for country/roots music combined with my love of classic folk rock, pop and indie. Some of my favourites would be Fleetwood Mac, London Grammer, Chvrches, Hozier, and Sia.
On top of your material sounding extraordinarily elegant and moving, your lyrics also always feel remarkably deep and meaningful. Do you find that your song-writing is usually influenced by personal experiences or would you say the inspiration for your lyrics is broader, coming from many different places, whether it’s a specific subject you find affecting, another artistic work that resonates with you or even something you encounter while going about your daily routine?
Méabh: We made a decision when we first started writing songs together to always write about the truth. Because we’re sisters, anything that Mella goes through in life, I’m right there beside her to go through it as well. Whether it’s a breakup, whether it’s stress, anxiety, illness, whatever. So, for this to work and really have longevity, there was no other option than to write about truth and subjects that really affect us. A lot of our lyrics end up as a shared voice between us, drawing on our experiences growing up together as well as in adulthood.
Of all the material you’ve released so far, would you say there’s a specific song of which you’re most proud or that you have a personal favourite creation? And if so, what is it about it that makes it stand out for you?
Mella: The first track of our EP, “Roots”, is my favourite song that we have written. To me, it embodies everything that we set out to create with Carron musically. Lyrically, it’s a lullaby from Méabh to me and tells of how our family dynamic changed (for the better) when I was born.
Méabh: Anybody who has a younger sibling can relate to this song. When Mella came into my life, my role as the baby of the family quickly changed to middle child, and, even though I was only five, I realised that this person was going to be someone I would look after for the rest of my life. “Roots” is about that realisation. There are some dark references, but that’s what makes it real and beautiful. For me, “Even Sad Birds Sing” is kind of a follow up to “Roots”.
With the release of “Even Sad Birds Sing”, you say you’ve undergone something of a renaissance. Do you mean that in an artistic/stylistic sense? A personal sense? Or are you just feeling reinvigorated in general at the moment?
Méabh: We took some time out of gigging this year to really figure out our sound and where we want the band to go. By gaining a fresh perspective on what we were even trying to achieve as a band, we just found that the music started to flow more naturally. When we say “renaissance”, we really just mean a new chapter for us – a development and maturing of our offering as a whole, a renewed confidence, and a kick-ass live band! We’re more focused on writing the music we want to write, and not trying to fit anyone else’s mould.
Staying on the subject of the new song, tell us a bit about its meaning. You’ve said it embodies your new mission statement – “the harder we fall, the louder we will sing.” Can we take that to mean you’re more determined than ever to make your mark in the annals of music?
Méabh: We know that our music isn’t really that mainstream nowadays. There have been times when we have questioned whether or not we should go down a more commercial route, or ditch the live band and recruit some backing dancers. But at the end of the day, we have to be happy with our music and we have to love performing it. “Sad Birds” touches on this theme – not compromising our standards to get ahead, and staying true to ourselves and the kind of performers we want to be.
With the start of this latest chapter in the story of Carron, what can fans expect going forward? Is there a new EP or album on the horizon to go along with “Even Sad Birds Sing”? Are you planning on playing many shows in the coming months?
Mella: For sure! We are playing an intimate show in The Underground on Friday October 5th, with some more gigs to be announced before Christmas. We’re also back in the studio next month to work on some brand new tunes to release early in the new year. We plan on having a busy summer next year!
Speaking of shows, it must be incredibly gratifying to get up on stage and see people respond positively to and engage with the music you’ve created. Do you find you get anxious to get out and share your material with a live audience once you’ve written a new song?
Mella: So this is where we’re different. I prefer being in the studio and working on song development. I get really nervous on stage when it’s my own music, whereas that’s where Méabh really shines. She’s such a chatterbox and loves being in the spotlight, so she tends to do all the talking in between songs.
Méabh: She’s right, I really love performing and being able to present a new song to an audience and to feel the energy in the room is incredible. It’s one of my favourite parts of this whole thing. Performing has always been a big part of my life since I was really young. It’s important to have the balance between us when we’re onstage or in the studio. I like Mella to support and encourage me when I’m recording in studio or doing a video, but in the same way, sometimes Mella just needs a little reassurance onstage. Especially when she forgets the words!
You’ve played at some of Ireland’s most popular venues and events over the past few years, including Electric Picnic, Bloom in the Park and The Workman’s Club, as well as opening for The Coronas in London. Is there any particular gig that stands out for you as a highlight of your career so far, and is there any location or event at which you haven’t played yet, but would love to conquer in the future?
Méabh: Electric Picnic was definitely pretty deadly! Ever since we first started, I had wanted to play at it. In the not too distant future we would love to play the Olympia. As a venue, it can be both intimate and grand at the same time, and it would lend itself perfectly to the kind of dramatic, almost theatrical performance that we want to present.
Mella: I particularly love playing the Ruby Sessions. Conor Donovan has always been hugely supportive in having us play there, even at a very early stage in our band. Plus, I just love playing surrounded by candle light.
And on the topic of the future, what are some of your greatest hopes and aspirations for Carron in the years to come? Do you see yourselves making music in some form or another for the rest of your lives?
Mella: There’s no doubt we will be writing and playing music together in the future. We are really excited to see what our new single, “Even Sad Birds Sings”, brings. We hope our music extends to audiences outside Ireland and want to make a connection with people from all walks of life with our music.
Méabh: Yeah, we really just love making and performing music in general. The other weekend, we spent two full days painting and DIY-ing to set up our new rehearsal space, occasionally stopping and saying, “God, we really don’t have to do any of this”, but sure enough, we still kept on going. It supports and brings us closer as we grow, not only sisters, but as individuals as well. The music will always be there for us and we will keep sharing it for whoever wants to listen.
As mentioned above, you can catch Carron performing “Even Sad Birds Sing” live at its official launch show at The Underground of Dame Street in Dublin on Friday October 5th. In the meantime, be sure to investigate the song for yourself on iTunes, where it’s available for download along with rest of Carron’s discography now.