Dylan Lynch of Dublin indie outfit Little Green Cars take time out from a US tour to tell Róisín Monk about breaking America and musically translating the challenges of young adulthood.
With success comes a certain level of expectation, and after the huge success of their first album Absolute Zero, the pressure was inevitably on for Dublin quintet Little Green Cars. After taking the music world by storm in 2013, the band, who have been performing together since their early teens, have remained relatively silent over the last three years, leaving their audience even more eager for some new material. Their latest offering Ephemera, certainly doesn’t disappoint.
As a band that has toured extensively over the years, Little Green Cars are no strangers to the live stage. When speaking of the difference between the two experiences, vocalist and drummer Dylan Lynch explains the importance of the symbiotic relationship between the recording process and the live performance: “I think that the two processes go hand in hand. If the studio material lacks in quality, the live show will obviously not work. In the same way, if the album is brilliant, it needs to be replicated live. We’ve always prided ourselves on being a great live band, but the only reason that we are is because we had to work hard on the material before we played it for anybody. Making music and playing it live is why we’re doing this in the first place, and there’s no greater feeling.”
With a sound that can be most easily described as a haunting myriad of indie rock with some folk undertones, Little Green Cars don’t easily fit into one musical box, and that’s the way they like it. After crashing onto the scene in 2013, the media were quick to try and pin down exactly who and what Little Green Cars were, with some even tipping them as the next Mumford and Sons. While flattering, and just a little inaccurate, they didn’t let these comparisons affect what they were doing, opting instead to focus on what was really important: their sound.
“We never really felt like we belonged in that neu-folk bracket,” says Lynch. “As a band we always kept our heads down and focused on making the music that we wanted to make. With Ephemera it was the same process as Absolute Zero. Maybe just in an elevated way. People are always going to make comparisons but it’s important to stick to your gut and make the music that is honest to you. When we’re making something together, we don’t like letting the outside world in! Creatively, our whole world is the five of us.”
In spite of having been together as a band since 2008, Little Green Cars would still be described as being relatively new to the music scene. With this in consideration, it’s truly remarkable what they have been able to accomplish in such a short space of time. The band have already worked with some major names in music, with seasoned producer Markus Dravs being a heavy influence on their first album. This time around, a little older and a little bit wiser, the band chose to take a more hands-on approach to the production of Ephemera. So what differences this time around stand out for the band? “One evening that sticks out is when we were tracking ‘You Vs Me’,” explains Lynch. “It was the end of a long day and we were still working out the song when we were tracking Ephemera in the studio. The microphones were set up and Stevie was playing it quietly in his booth. Very slowly the band joined in with a new arrangement and it all clicked. That kind of organic way of approaching songs is very satisfying for a band, especially after a long day in the studio. I think the finished product on the album sounds beautiful.”
“Creatively, our whole world is the five of us.”
The title of Little Green Cars’ latest offering, Ephemera, is a nod back to a poem of the same name by W.B. Yeats. The poem in question describes the experience of a slowly fading love. While this has obvious romantic connotations, it would be fair to say that the album title focuses more on the difficult times the band have experienced, as a group and as individuals. With the breakdown of two romances and two family bereavements, the band haven’t exactly had it easy over the last couple of years.
“As a group we experienced deaths in our families and difficult break-ups with partners,” Lynch says. “I suppose when you grow up these things start to happen to young people, and we were no exception.” However, through the most difficult of circumstances, the band managed to find a source of inspiration, and in turn offer inspiration to others through their music. “Stevie said something that I’ll never forget,” Lynch explains. “He said that all things can be ephemeral. Good experiences and bad ones. Even though these were difficult experiences, there is a hopeful quality to them because we know that they’re not going to last forever. What’s left is a kind of nostalgia that never leaves you, but actually shapes you in a positive way.”
Breaking America is on the agenda of any band really trying to establish themselves on the world stage. Making it at home is one thing; making it across the pond is another entirely, but after touring the heartlands of the United States an incredible four times already with a further 40 tour-dates this summer, it’s safe to say that Little Green Cars have done just that, and in spectacular fashion. For an Irish band in their twenties, this is no easy feat. “The feeling of selling out shows in America will always be unforgettable,” Lynch reveals. Speaking of the universality of their music, he continues: “Our music seems to attract a very wide demographic of people. What encourages us to continue is seeing what our music means to teenagers, fathers, mothers and people going through difficult or happy times. We’ve made so many important friendships from touring in the States who we still keep in touch with, and seeing what our music means to people in America is a really special feeling.”
With Ephemera entering the Irish charts at an impressive no. 2 spot it seems there’ll be no red lights for Little Green Cars anytime soon. Hot off the return of their tour in the US this summer the band play Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on July 23rd, which promises to be a show not to be missed from these talented Dublin natives.
Advertisements