Exciting days for Lost Chord with launch of new CD

Date Published: {J}

Galway based synth-rock quintet Lost Chord launch their debut EP at the Róisín Dubh on Thursday next, January 28. Lost Chord began as a one-man project but lead singer David soon began to add other members.

“It started off with me just playing on my own with the laptop,” he says. “Then, at a random house party in Galway – lots of drunk talk – me and [guitarist] Fuz said we’d start playing together.”

David and Fuz played some shows as a duo and then augmented the line up with bassist Darren and drummer Yoseph. Their newest member is Aidan, who plays synths and electronics.

“It was the two of us playing for a while,” David recalls. “We really wanted a drummer and eventually it came together but there was no putting ads in the paper. It came together bit by bit.”

When it comes to rehearsing it’s very easy for Lost Chord to organise themselves.

“Me, Fuz and Aidan live together,” says their front man. “Darren, the bassist, and Yoseph, the drummer, live together. If it was one house, it’d be one big happy family!”

When it came to looking for gigs Lost Chord landed on their feet. David had played some solo shows at the Róisín Dubh and then he and Fuz played at Strange Brew, the venue’s weekly alternative night.

“We’ve been so lucky with gigs,” says Fuz. “We’ve gotten some phenomenal supports. Even from the very early stages; me and Dave got Islands, Port O’Brien. As a band we had the New York Dolls, the xx and Fujiya & Miyagi. It’s stupid, like!”

The xx were one of the breakthrough acts of 2009, making many critics’ end-of-year lists and having their debut chosen as album of the year by The Guardian newspaper. Tickets for their Galway show last year were snapped up quickly. Opening for the London band at that gig was a coup for Lost Chord.

“That was Aidan’s first gig with us,” Fuz recalls.

“A baptism of fire,” adds David.

“It was very exciting, even just watching them sound check at the start. I’m a very big fan,” says Aidan.

Lost Chord’s guitarist had a different experience of the night, perhaps encountering how some bands react to fame.

“They were a no-go [area],” says Fuz. “We were in the same room with them for over an hour, with sound checks, and I’ m fairly sure we didn’t say anything to them. It was just a definite no-no.”

“I think they’re naturally just quite shy,” Aidan says in defence of the xx. “Even on stage they don’t really interact. It works for them.”

So how do Lost Chord approach songwriting, given the fact they’ve gone from a one-man band to a five-piece outfit?

“It’s different for different songs,” says David. “Sometimes I’ll come in, sometimes we’ll write one together. We wrote one on Shop Street. We had no money for beer so we just went busking.”

“It was the one and only time!” counters Fuz. “We were just jamming away and we came up with one.”

So did they make enough money for a six-pack?

“We did – and cigarettes as well!” laughs David.

“I tell you what made us the money was doing a cover of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme music,” adds Fuz, who is resolute about not becoming a fulltime street performer. “We’re not hardy enough to be busking at this time of year!”

Working behind the bar in the Róisín has allowed David to learn a lot about stagecraft, seeing what works (and what doesn’t) in the live arena.

“If you’re seeing a band every night of the week, which I was when I was working fulltime, you really start to get sick of anything that’s in any way normal,” he says. “Even a band you thought was good; maybe they start to lose freshness.”

For more, read page 28 of this week’s Connacht Tribune.