Soda Blonde show plenty of imagination in isolation

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

There has been no universal reaction to life in lockdown among musicians. For some, the last couple of months have been productive in aiding creativity but many have struggled for motivation amid socioeconomic uncertainty. Dublin alt-pop quartet Soda Blonde’s response has been to tackle the situation head on.

The group are set to release their second EP Isolation – Content this Friday. The four-track project is currently available to purchase on Bandcamp.

Lead singer Faye O’Rourke is honest in her assessment of the lockdown. The EP has ended up as a hazy commentary on the weirdness of life in isolation but it began as a means of filling time.

“It started off as an experimental way to keep busy and stay connected,” Faye explains.

“We were trying to see how we could use what we had around us to make stuff. The longer the lockdown continued, I found it harder to write because it was so monotonous.

“I think we’re trying to talk about what the reality of the situation is but also trying to provide a bit of escapism. I didn’t have a direct intention [to discuss the lockdown] but that was what was on my mind so that was what I wrote about.”

Musically, the EP does seem to reflect the topics it discusses. While Faye started writing the songs at home by herself in the early stages of lockdown, the rest of the band had their own creative inputs as the project developed.

“It’s always very back and forth between the four of us,” she notes. “I don’t think we set out sonically to achieve something. We’ve kind of worked the same way for years which is generally to serve the song itself as opposed to having it fit into a certain criteria or bracket.

“I suppose the music does naturally reflect that dystopian kind of feeling. There’s definitely a futuristic feel to what’s going on right now. You’d be in a supermarket and hear ‘Please respect social distancing’ – it’s all a bit mad.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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