Exploring the melodies - California's Irish heritage
The California Irish, a seven-piece band hailing from Belfast, have recently released their debut album titled The Mountains Are My Friends. This new release is a love letter to the Laurel Canyon sound of the late 1960s and early 1970s, drawing inspiration from artists such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, and The Mamas and Papas.
The band's commitment to authenticity is evident in their recording process. They chose to record live, playing together in the same room, and employed a 16-track tape machine to capture the music with warmth and human touch, eschewing modern digital methods that can sometimes lack this organic feel. Many songs were recorded in one or two takes to maintain spontaneity and genuine interaction among the musicians.
Cormac Neeson, the front man and lead singer of the California Irish, handpicked band members from the Belfast music scene to realise this vision. The band's genesis can be traced back to a Neil Young-inspired theatrical project, "Re-Harvest," where they performed classic harvest-themed albums.
The album features lots of four-part harmonies, jangly guitars, and has an alt-folk, sometimes rock, psychedelic feel to the sound. The band is also influenced by Irish and British bands/artists like Skara Brae, Kingfishr, and Laura Marling.
If you're a fan, you can sign up to the band's mailing list on their website, or follow them on their social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The album, The Mountains Are My Friends, is available to stream, with physical copies available on CD and vinyl.
Cormac Neeson describes the new album as the opposite of boring AI-generated and no soul perfection. He states that the album tries to access some of the beauty and create their own magic by combining brand new music with an old school recording process.
In an interview with Alan Corr, Cormac Neeson revealed that if forced to listen to one song for the rest of his life, he would choose God Only Knows by the Beach Boys. Currently, Killeagh by Kingfishr is the favourite song of the band, and their favourite lyric of all time is "I've never been so good with names" from The Lemonheads.
The album was recorded in a room together over four days, allowing the music to breathe when it needed to, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and fresh. The California Irish's The Mountains Are My Friends is a must-listen for fans of the Laurel Canyon sound and those who appreciate authentic, human music.
The California Irish, an authentic seven-piece band from Belfast, share their love for music on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Cormac Neeson, the band's front man, prefers a blend of modern and old-school techniques in their music, combining brand new tunes with an antiquated recording process.
