As The Bohicas gear up for their October performance in Academy 2, Ciara Jane Duffy speaks to frontman Dominic McGuinness
Autumn 2015 has brought success to four lads from Essex who’ve been setting tracks in the West London music scene since 2013. Fresh from their Longitude appearance, the band praises the electricity of the crowd and cites the performance as “one of [their] top five ever”. With this, their Academy gig is highly anticipated by both band and fans alike. The Bohicas have brought their latest offering to the indie-rock collaborative and took time to chat with OTwo ahead of Bestival and the Dublin gig of their October tour.
The Bohicas have come a long way from their origins in the souls of teenage duo Swanton Bombs who indulged in laid-back sessions of merriment and covers. Now in the fast pace of the modern music industry, the foursome haven’t sacrificed their sound for success. Instead they have brought their tongue-in-cheek lyrics with their indie-rock sound in concisely crafted offerings, which ring a triumphant tribute to the sound of influential bands such as the Beatles, the Strokes and Queens of the Stone Age. In conversation with front-man Dominic McGuinness, it’s clear that the friendship between the members of the band has been a key motivator in bringing them through name changes and sound experiments. “I can’t imagine what the alternative would be. If you play in a band, you have to be friends first. Otherwise you’re standing in a rehearsal room, studio or venue with a stranger who’s just into similar music as you.”
Having signed with Domino Records in 2013, the band are still gauging the speed of life in production. With their debut album released less than a month ago, the band look forward to taking in the feedback from friends, family and fans. From their tour and in-store appearances, you can sense the raw passion that these four have for their craft. McGuiness admits that the band focus on taking “each day as it comes” whilst using their downtime to create and rehearse material.
Focusing on keeping the intentions of the young indie-rocker in their souls is a factor that lets the musicians remain unabashed by the trends of anthemic pop and its manufacturing. Having cited their deliberate allowance of accidental music, it’s hard not to sense the poetry that exists in the lyrics of their songs. As such, McGuiness is something of a scholar with regard to their sound as he expresses awareness of the impact their music can have when accompanied with visuals of artwork and video.
“Dominic John and I came up with it. I think cohesiveness is important in a band’s album campaign. However, I love it more when bands totally throw that out the window and go by their own rules. Like The Beatles. But I think for a band’s debut album it’s wise to keep the palette limited and focused so it’s clear who the hell you are.” Staying true to knowing “who the hell you are” is the baseline for The Making Of’s artwork. McGuiness reveals the influence his upbringing has had on shaping his appreciation of incorporating the same amount of effort in visual art as well as music.
“My dad’s an artist. He paints and draws and up until I was about 15, I wanted to be one too. Lyrically, if I’m to achieve anything that is a product of visual art as an influence, I’m relying on language and delivery to really scorch that imagery into the listeners’ imagination. So I depend on language as much as visual art for lyrics. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to describe the image. Sounds obvious but when the two of them collide in music it’s unstoppable. Listen to the verses of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (by The Beatles) and try to imagine anything other than the landscape he’s singing about.”
The band use the opportunity to make the most of their music video creations. McGuiness insists that the chance to make a video should be “boss” in its vitality. “We love Tarantino and we had the opportunity to record a music video, which meant coming up with a vague plot for our songs.
“We came up with a two part idea and our manager suggested putting XXX and Swarm together in one video, instead of part one and part two… I’d say if you get the chance to make [a music video], make sure it’s boss because if you like films, and you’re hanging out with a director, it’s a no brainer. Have some fun with it.”
The influence of favoured director Quentin Tarantino is evident in a scene of the band performing in a red and blue lit bar, reminiscent of scenes from Tarantino’s canonical Pulp Fiction.
The feedback from their live performances is important for the band, and the transition from being booked as support to headlining their own shows has been successful and a celebration of sorts for the quartet.
“We knew at a certain stage that people were into our stuff and that if we just kept on with the support slots it’d eventually work in our favour. The change from support to headline has been great. It means you can approach the gig with a celebratory sort of mind-set instead of a peacocking one.”
Their live gigs are a central source of energy and inspiration for the band. There is no panic in trying to make their studio sound translate to the stage, as the process is more of the opposite. The Making Of brings a rawer sound that has yet to leave listeners disappointed in live shows. McGuiness explains this very simply: “If you’re wondering how you’re going to translate a bagpipe solo from a recording to your live show, and you play in a standard four piece set up, you need to ask yourself some questions…”
What is most striking about The Bohicas is their drive and determination to succeed. After years of being the support act, they are finally gracing the main stage. The future is certainly bright for the four London lads as they continue to hit new heights.
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