MacD on Music: Rory Moore, singer and driving force behind Strength NIA

Derry is a town with an incredibly rich musical history. Next to Dublin, we’re probably the best city in Ireland in terms of musical exports.

Our fine array of talent ranges from punk icons such as the Undertones or Dick Tracy and the Green Disaster, to singer/songwriters like Paddy Nash or Tessio. This week, I’m talking to one of the modern innovators of Derry music, the master of Werewolf Pop, Rory Moore of Strength NIA.

Rory is about to release his third album under the Strength banner, and I met him recently to discuss it. Before that, though, he told me a bit about what he’s been doing since our last chat: “I spent some time on a farm in France a few years ago. I was working as a goat herder and milker, which sort of inspired me to create this new work.

"Everything was very simplified and very stripped back. I saw myself as the lonesome goat milker and these songs are inspired by this period. It’s an acoustic album. Very simple and quite melodic.”

This, to anyone familiar with the past work of Strength NIA, sounds very different to the usual: “It is, insofar as the instrumentation, although there is still a little bit of organ used on some of the tracks, and there are some beats, but it’s still me singing, so I don’t know how different it really sounds. It sounds like me, to me.”

Anyway, back to France: “As I say, I was working in a farm in France, although I was living with Swiss anarchists. I spent a period of time over there. It was a simple enough lifestyle. The heat, the sun, just being around animals and nature, it’s a nice atmosphere. Really simple.

"A lot of organic farming. A lot of campfires, singing.” This, Rory tells me, played a part in the creation of this new album. “Something that I felt I wanted to do was create something that I could play in a situation where it was just a guitar and a bunch of people around a fire. It’s come from that experience for sure.

"When you’re out in the middle of nowhere and there’s no organ and no drum machine, what are you going to do.”

“The album’s influenced by the likes of the Second Earl of Rochester, Jonathan Wilmot, who was courtier to King Charles II. He’s a person I enjoy the literature of. I enjoy reading his work. It’s quite bawdy and funny. The likes of him and Gareth McGahan of the Mountain Firework Company, Gillian Welch, those are the kind of influences that have found their way into this body of work. Jinx Lennon would be a big influence of mine.

"I’m hoping that we’re going to do some shows together in Ireland so watch this space.”

After chatting about the album, we got to chatting about artists that enter the music game later in life, spurred by my mentioning of local singer/songwriter Brother Ray: “I was thinking that people who’ve lived a bit of a life, it’s really then that they can recount their experiences.

"It’s nice to hear someone of that age that’s now songwriting. When you’ve lived a bit, when you’ve had your experiences, it’s then that you can really put those into songs or into stories. Not everyone has the mentality of Bob Dylan, with his capacity to go from writing from a young man to an old man, even though he’s in his twenties.

"It’s nice to hear people of senior age writing songs. It’s a good sign.”

“It’s like, maybe the chance to be a musician was closed to a lot of people when they were younger, but when they find that they’re in the position to take up an instrument in their later years, those doors should always be open to people.

"I’ve recently had a conversation with someone who feels that they can’t take up the guitar and be in a band because they’re too old and I’m like ‘You’re never too old to have fun and to play music’. That would be a real shame. Music is positive and it’s fun and it’s very healing for people and should always be used as a tool to express.

"It doesn’t matter what age you are, who you are, where you come from, your class or creed, it’s there for everyone.”

And that’s it from Strength NIA. Their new album ‘Just Rory’ is out this Friday and Rory’s going to be doing an exclusive in-store gig in Cool Discs at six that evening.

Strength NIA can be found on Facebook and Instagram @strengthnia_ and Cool Discs @cooldiscs and www.shop.cooldiscsmusic.com.