Indie group Reader’s Wives for free show in the R—is’n Dubh

Date Published: {J}

The Dublin based indie rock outfit Reader’s Wives play a free show in Róisín Dubh on Saturday, September 3. The group, who are called after a British soft porn magazine, released their second album, Rachel’s Apartment during the summer and are riding high after a festival season that saw them play Oxegen.

Although Reader’s Wives are currently independent they are open to offers, and as part of this, lead singer and guitarist Niall James Holohan has just been at a meeting before doing this interview.

“I’ve had my business head on the last couple of days,” he says. “There’s loads going on – it can’t be a bad thing.”

Wasted Youth is the second single to be taken from Rachel’s Apartment and Niall explains why it’s the band’s latest calling card.

“We chose that one because we played a few festivals and that’s the one that’s gone down the best.”

Niall is joined in the band by Elton Mulally (bass/vocals), Paul Shanahan (drums/vocals) and Ali (lead guitar). Each member chips into the song writing process, so the band has a few different ways of coming up with ideas.

“There’s four of us, so all the songs are different,” says Niall. “Sometimes I’ll show up with stuff, sometimes the drummer does.

“You keep plugging away until you’re eyes light up and it’s ‘we’re on to something here’. It’s hard enough to come across, but that’s what musicians live for.”

Rachel’s Apartment was recorded between Dublin and London, but it wasn’t just the mixing of the album that took the band to the UK.

“We were touring then, as well,” says Niall. “I say touring – we grab weekends away. Actual old-school style touring with the bus – that’s where we want to get. In Ireland it’s tough – you can’t really play often enough to go off on one.”

Although they are still in the middle of plugging their second release, Reader’s Wives have already started working on the follow up.

“We pride ourselves on being prolific,” says Niall. “So we’ve already started little bits and bobs for the third album. Even though we’re in the middle of promoting the second one. You’ve to wear a lot of different hats!

“I’m a bit of a manic musician – I love it all!” he continues. “Every part of it, which I think you have to. Especially at festivals – you meet some surly bands. And what are they doing it for? They could be zookeepers if it’s going to keep them happy.”

Speaking of festivals, how did their slot at Oxegen go for them?

“It was brilliant,” says Reader’s Wives’ frontman. “This year, because it was a week after our album came out it just felt like the timing was right. Thanks to the guy that does PR for us we got a load of radio stuff backstage, right after the gig. So it was that kind of hectic day that musicians live for.

“We went down on a bus with a big bunch of our friends as well, which made it such a party. Like the [Beatles’] Magical Mystery Tour – especially when every Guard around the area didn’t know what entrance we were going in.

“And also it rained. We got lucky! It rained just before we went on, we were in the Hotpress Academy Stage. It was the best gig we’ve had. We played well, the audience was really up for it.”

Rachel’s Apartment is a rocking album, but halfway through the listener is caught off-guard by a slower number called Isadora Duncan. How did Niall come to hear about Duncan, a pivotal figure in modern dance who died in a freak car accident in France in 1927.

“I can’t remember how I even discovered her,” he says. “I think it might’ve been that movie Serpico, with Al Pacino. He makes a sort of off-hand reference to Isadora Duncan. I’m a bit weird that way, if I hear these things I kind of want to know.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.