Introducing #291 - DIVIL
Let us introduce you to Dublin trio DIVIL - who have just released their debut single 'Thanks A Million'.
The band’s story is deeply personal. Spending their childhoods learning instruments together in primary school, the trio had fallen out of touch as adults. They hadn't been in the same room together for nearly a decade, until the night of Danny's father's funeral. Late into the night, Conor watched Danny and Jocelyn sing "The Rocky Road to Dublin" to close friends and family. Struck by the intensity of their musical bond, he knew that when the time was right, they should write music together. The following month, Conor is diagnosed with cancer. In the wake of these life-altering events, music becomes their way to reconnect, process grief, and lean on each other in ways words alone cannot.
“Thanks A Million” is the first song they write as DIVIL. The band recalls: “The initial verse riff on the bass, Dun Dun Dun, came easy, but we just couldn’t figure out a way to turn it into a song. We worked on it for weeks because we knew we had something special, but it just didn't fit together. One night, we tried flipping it around and making the verse the chorus and then wrote a whole new verse part. Then Danny came up with the chorus lyrics & melody, which solidified the song.”
With their new EP out on the 19th June this year - they took a moment to talk to us about their music.
Hey there Danny from DIVIL - how are you? So your debut track ‘Thanks A Million’ is out now - can you tell us what it is about?
I’m very well thank you. I suppose Thanks A Million is a song about depression and subsequently being pulled out of it by friends or family. There is definitely grief in there and a nodge of self loathing, but ultimately the chorus message is one of gratitude, translated by the much used Irish phase “Thanks A Million”
When I sing this, I imagine myself in a box room on day 2 or 3 of an internal battle. My father (who had only recently died at the time of writing the song) or an old friend or sibling is checking in on me- asking “are you alright?” In my mind I reply, “I’ll be right here, Thanks A Million.”
The message of the song to me is “Yes I’m flawed and and I’m back in a rut and I’m no use to anyone at the moment, but with your help I will be back to my old self soon, thanks for being there for me
Where are you from and what are your favourite things to do there?
I (and we) as a band are from the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. My passion is Birds Of Prey and my favourite thing to do in Ireland is practice the oldest sport in the world (Falconry). For me this involves going onto farmland with a cast of harris hawks and ferrets. We send the ferret into the rabbits warren and we wait above for the rabbit to be flushed out, then the hawk is released from the glove and you get the privilege of watching the pursuit. Nine times out of ten, the rabbit evades the raptors talons, but a sick or old rabbit is more easily caught. Unfortunately rabbits don't have a natural avian predator here in Ireland so they can breed out of control. It only takes place in the winter so no breeding animals are disturbed. It's an environmentally sound form of pest control and also recognised by Eco Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. So basically, if you've ever put out a mouse trap don't come at me!
What are the key influences when it comes to your music?
My brother is a DJ, Ethnomusicology Dork and a 2 time scratch champion and multi instrumentalist and just an all round musical genius. My older sister is an incredible singer and actor and creative and my younger sister is an incredible actor, writer and comedian.
I myself was a graff writer and was a sponsored skateboarder as a child so I feel like I got my musical taste from my adolescence from being heavily involved in the cultures of graffiti and skateboarding. My brother had my family home pumping with music all the time, lots of reggae, lots of traditional Irish music, lots of mad music from all over the world, cool bands coming and going, So I mainly listen to reggae and hip hop. I listen to some heavy guitar music but only for research.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never listened to your music before?
European white guy rock.
Now the track is out there - what next for you?
World Domination!
Nah it is just going to be so good to have our first EP out in the world as we recorded it over a year ago. We have plans to do lots of shows and are just excited to be out in the world as a band.
