RADAR - FISH IN THE SKY
By Rebecca Kelly | Feb 27 2017
Dublin band Fish In The Sky chat with Rebecca Kelly about their musical inspirations, upcoming EP and learning from video game music.[br]AFTER a brief search and rescue operation, I finally manage to sit down and talk with the members of Dublin-based Fish In The Sky – Sean, Cillian, Dara, Joseph and Thomas. The friends turned bandmates originally came together during their fourth year of secondary school, simply out of the necessity of earning enough credits to pass their music module. They wound up taking a shine to one another and the group they had created, and thus, Fish In The Sky was born.The lads began to perform under the working title of The The's, something lead-singer Sean begrudgingly admits, his fellow bandmates laughing at him, that not only “sound[ed] super dumb”, but was also blatantly plagiarised from the English post-punk group The The. Sean, however, managed to redeem himself one day during rehearsals when he mixed up a couple of the lines in Nina Simone’s 'Feeling Good', the slight fumble ended up being a blessing as lead guitarist Dara exclaimed “Now that’s a band name!”“Now that’s a band name!”
When asked to describe their style, with the strict guidelines of avoiding the words indie and alternative, they define it as a “jazz-rock fusion band with blues and psychedelic influences.” (Members of the group would like to clarify although they often listen to psychedelic music they do not use or condone the use of hard drugs.)The guys themselves listen to and are inspired by a wide range of music varying from alternative and Celtic-Irish rock to ambient and “video game music.” Originally starting off as a cover band, the boys decided to branch out and began producing their own songs, as it seemed like a natural move for them with members studying music in college.With no fixed lyricist their songs often vary in subject matter and genre, each giving off the unique vibe of the artist who created it. From the humorous 'Controversial Dole Walk' to the polished 'Expectations' there really is a bit for everyone.Right now, the guys have no news on upcoming gigs as they are about to start work on their new EP. They admit that it can be difficult for them at times to be inspired: “sometimes the songs just flow onto the paper naturally whilst others take weeks on end to perfect.”For the time being, eager new audiences will have to check out their SoundCloud and YouTube channels to catch a glimpse of what lies in store for the group. As the announcements for the upcoming summer festival season begin, no doubt Fish In The Sky will be reaching new ears across the country in no time at all.The music video for “Expectations”, the band's latest single, has been released on YouTube.