Neil Dexter of Dublin indie outfit Spies chats to Ciara Jane Duffy about the charm of vinyl, childhood memories of choir and the band’s Olympia Theatre debut.
Spies: ambiguous, alluring, mysterious. The name says it all. “We chose ‘Spies’ because it was a word that kept cropping up in lyrics… and gave us that [ambiguity].” The men of Spies stepped out onto the Irish music scene when MySpace was still a popular place for Irish teens and students to discover new music. “We started as a band in 2009, and the climate was so different,” guitarist Neil Dexter explains, speaking to OTwo. The evolution of online culture has run alongside the band’s own development of sounds, and Dexter reflects on how the online expression that was once a platform has now become more of a follow up to the live show experience. “We would find bands like We Cut Corners who were already established via MySpace, so it was important to the band, but playing shows – there’s no better way to draw people in… Facebook has become a great follow up asset to live shows for us.”
Not to allow modernity rule all, the band keeps true to their own experience of growing up in Ireland and the music they’ve encountered. Vinyl albums have become sought after in the new wave of listeners seeking out a “rawer sound”, as Dexter eloquently puts it. “I guess it’s everyone’s dream to have a record so I guess that’s why we pushed to have it. It’s part of the raw ambition that you have when you’re young to be like ‘yeah let’s have a record.’” Spies have made their EPs available on vinyl, and Dexter points out that this is their way of rewarding themselves and fans as having a vinyl record in hand allows a sense of having “something of real substance” at your fingertips. “It’s been 50 or 60 years since the record was at its peak so it can be hard to get your hands on a decent copy without paying for it. It’s that nostalgia factor. There’s a lot of re-releases on vinyl… for records you might not have been able to find other than for the re-release. So, personally, if I’m going to buy music I like to try and buy the record. A CD might be cheaper, but I’d probably end up breaking it in the car or losing it.”
“We want to make our music accessible and not isolate people, but our music is a creative process by which we focus on making the best music we can.”
The appreciation that the band have for their forbearing artists resonates as more than a quest to imitate a specific sound. Dexter explains that they “feel privileged to receive comparison to artists such as Morrissey and The National.” However, he is also quick to point out that Spies’ singer Michael Broderick hadn’t heard of The Smith’s frontman when the band set out making music at age 16. “You would most likely find him in his room listening to Joanna Newsom” (American experimental folk singer and wife of American actor Andy Samberg, for all us less musically evolved at such a young age). Having their sound genreficated is not something that upsets the band. “It’s a helpful guide for the listener which leads them to our music initially,” Dexter explains. But overall, their ‘indie rock’ label puts no restriction on the sound they create or sources they draw inspiration from. Hearing that the band members have such unique influences that are perhaps viewed as obscure is of no surprise. “My dad was our choir master when we were younger… so it allowed us to explore the emotions and logistics of more classical music with harmony. I’m not sure if it influences our music directly, but certainly indirectly.”
Having been signed by an independent label, one might wonder what weight commercial success might have on the sound Spies produce. “Of course we want to make our music accessible and not isolate people, but our music is a creative process by which we focus on making the best music we can, so it isn’t driven by ‘commercialism’, which is a scary word for some artists.”
“It’ll be a big moment for the band as it’ll be our statement which says ‘this is who we really are.’”
It seems that Spies have prevented any such failing, and their creative process must be something to credit their success with. The quartet are heading into the studio in May to finalise the recording of their long-awaited album. “We’re pretty much nearly finished now… Hopefully we’ll have an end of year release,” Dexter muses. “It’ll be a big moment for the band as it’ll be our statement which says ‘this is who we really are.’” A process which has been purposefully unrushed, it would appear, as the band have spent incredible efforts performing live to their crowds.
The live show is of pivotal importance to Spies. Their recent gig as support to London-based group Wolf Alice was certainly an exciting moment which broadened their listenership. “The Olympia performance supporting Wolf Alice was something of ‘a wow moment’ for us. We were in Kerry at the time when we got the call two days beforehand, so we were like ‘Eh, yeah!’ and had to drive back early from recording, but it was so much fun!” Much like many other artists such as U2 and Florence + the Machine, who have all cited the venue as a milestone moment in their careers: “Without wanting to sound cocky, our music came alive in the place, when we heard it played back after soundcheck.”
The all-ages allowance of the gig was a nostalgic experience for Dexter: “Seeing young fans queuing up excitedly reminded me of when I saw The Maccabees perform at the Academy, when I was like 15 or 16. The kids coming up to us after the Belfast show with Wolf Alice, looking for photos – it was exactly like we were.”
We’ve been given enough EPs to keep us satisfied, but an autumn release of a Spies LP is something to get excited about. Be sure to keep in the loop about when, where and how you can get your hands on the album and also for updates about the sixth annual Spies Soiree – a musical event not to be missed.
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