A Chat with Graham Davy (27.05.21)
Merging elements of post-punk and indie-rock, Irish duo Graham Davy are bringing a unique sound to the masses. Following their singles ‘Solitude’ and ‘The Horror Show’, Patrick O’Keeffe and David Ruth release their latest beauty ‘Fear’. We speak with the lads about ‘Fear’, inspiration, favourite musicians and future plans.
OSR: How did Graham Davy come about?
Graham Davy: Paddy began writing songs and asked me (Dave) to add some bass lines. We are very close friends. I was his best man. ? The more songs he would send me the stronger they became and it was clear that he has a natural ear for melody and songwriting. I then asked Tommy Gray, another best friend of mine who is a professional drummer, if he was interested in recording some drums.
OSR: What can you tell us about your track ‘Fear’?
Graham Davy: ‘Fear’ was written about overcoming self-doubt and anxiety.
OSR: What was the writing and recording process like for ‘Fear’?
Graham Davy: Paddy had a very catchy seed for the song…lyrics, melody and guitar. We decided to rewrite the chorus and used the original chorus melody as the backing vocal. Dave put a busy bass line together and the beat was built to suit it. Which is unusual for us as we’d usually build the bass line around the drum pattern. It was recorded separately in our home studios due to Covid and Scott Halliday mixed and mastered it as a modern take on a 60s vibe.
OSR: What inspires you to make music?
Graham Davy: We were both drawn to music from an early age. As an art form, it’s unrivalled for accessibility and expression. Carving interesting sculptures out of blocks of time is a fun way to spend your spare time.
OSR: What do you hope people will take from ‘Fear’?
Graham Davy: We hope they’ll take some hope out of it, especially people who are having hard times.
OSR: You have released three singles this year – ‘Solitude’, ‘The Horror Show’ and ‘Fear. Which is your favourite of the three and why?
Graham Davy: It’s very hard to pick a favourite. It’s like trying to pick a favourite child. When you’ve spent many hours trying to raise them as best you can and they still didn’t turn out perfect. ‘Solitude’ was the first fully collaborative thing we did so maybe that.
OSR: Which do you find more challenging – melody or lyrics?
Graham Davy: Lyrics definitely take more time and effort for us. It’s not too hard to improvise a melody over a groove you’ve laid down and develop it, but even if you think of a lyric you like it can be difficult to find where it should go. It takes more insight, whereas melody is more instinctive.
OSR: If you could perform with any two artists, who would they be?
Graham Davy: As there are two of us we’ll pick one each.
For Dave, it would have to Paul Simon. For me (Dave), he stands alone at the top of the heap. His lyrics and his craftmanship, his understanding of the art form and what he has done with it for six decades is unmatched.
For Paddy, Graham Coxon would be his guitar hero. The way he uses his guitar to express emotion and manipulate sound transcends the instrument.
OSR: Do you think the Covid-19 pandemic will affect the music industry in the long-term?
Graham Davy: Covid and lockdown have insured every musician in the world has been trapped at home producing music, so expect a huge surge in material being released. We can’t wait to hear the gems this will produce.
Also, music fans suffering withdrawal from live shows are going to have a summer like no other.
OSR: Do you have any future plans for Graham Davy?
Graham Davy: We are working on material for our first album which we hope to tour towards the end of 2021 and beyond.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Graham Davy: Please check out our songs! We’d love as many people as possible to hear them, and thanks for reading! ?
Thanks to Patrick O’Keeffe and David Ruth for speaking with us. For more from Graham Davy check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
