Driving through the emerald green isle of Ireland, dotted with yellow flowers, and herds of white sheep, one can’t help but hum tunes written by legendary Irish musicians that possibly drove through the same landscape. On a recent trip through the country, this writer had packed her playlist with songs by Irish legends – U2, The Script, The Cranberries, and Kodaline.
As the mist rolled in over the Cliffs of Moher, Kodaline’s first album, ‘In a Perfect World’ (2013), suddenly made complete sense. Its melodious and nostalgic ballads fit seamlessly into the backdrop of a roaring Atlantic. The quartet, comprising of Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergast, Vincent May, and Jason Boland, shot to fame in 2013, with the hit song ‘All I want,’ that features in Season 9 of the wildly popular show, Grey’s Anatomy. Having released a total of three albums, ‘In a Perfect World’, ‘Coming up for Air’ (2015), and ‘Politics of Living’ (2018), the Irish indie-rock band is slated to perform at the upcoming NH7 Weekender in Pune. In a conversation with ELLE, Kodaline talks about music icons that matter to the band and its favourite spots to jam.
ELLE: If you had to share a lesser-known story about any of your songs, what would it be?
Kodaline: Tough question, but guess it would be the track ‘Lose Your Mind,’ which was written late at night with the help of a few too many beers!
ELLE: Has the Irish landscape and culture seeped into your music in anyway? If so, how?
Kodaline: The traditional Irish music sessions have heavily inspired us. We grew up listening to artistes like Van Morrison, U2 and The Cranberries.
ELLE: Biggest inspirations? Musically, and otherwise.
Kodaline: It’s different for each of us, but it ranges from Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Thin Lizzy, Bruce Springsteen, and Etta James.
ELLE: Where would you make music before you “officially” began? Any favourite hang out spots to jam?
Kodaline: We used to jam in Vinny’s parents’ house all the time. We stuck around there since it’s a lot easier to move guitars around than a whole drum kit!
Kodaline is set to perform at the upcoming NH7 Weekender in Pune (November 29-December 1). Book your tickets here.
Photographs: Getty Images
