MacD on Music: As Makeshift As We Are

Some musicians find one type of music and cling to it for dear life. Others like to mix things up, blending a variety of sounds and influences to create something that is uniquely their own. The group I’m talking to this week fall very much into the second category.

This week, I’m talking to Belfast-based Makeshift Art Bar, made up of Joseph Sweeney (vocals, guitar and synths), Alleyah Chambers (drums), Callum Sweeney (lead guitar and lap steel) and Callum McGuigan (bass), ahead of their Sandino’s debut next month. Describing themselves as “unpredictable yet familiar, a Frankenstein’s monster of post-punk, grunge and electronic influences”, the group released their debut EP last year (Lacklustre Writing Makes Fundamental Reading) and have played headline shows across Ireland, the UK and Europe.

I was speaking recently with Alleyah and Joseph to talk about the group. Joseph: “The band really started with me and Callum McGuigan. We were in a band when we were, like, seventeen, that fell through and we needed a new drummer.”

Alleyah: “I’d met Callum through mutual friends, parties and stuff, and he approached me one day and said ‘Do you want to start a band?’ and I said ‘Yeah, sounds cool’. Callum Sweeney [younger brother of Joseph] came along eventually with the lap steel and that’s when everything changed. Well, not changed, but got better, I guess.”

Joseph: “Everyone’s happier with where we are as a four piece. He was too young to join the band before. I think by the time he was sixteen or seventeen, we were thinking we could probably get him into places, but not at fourteen.”

READ MORE: MacD on Music

Speaking about how they describe their sound, Joseph said: “That’s a tough question to answer. We try to mix a lot of things. Some songs can be post-punk, others can be a bit more arts-y and experimental.”

Alleyah: “It’s more fun for us to not put a label on it because it makes it more exciting in a way. We don’t have to box it in. Every kind of song, any new melody can be different.”

Joseph: “How we write stuff isn’t really like a chord progression, it’s more like a cool sound is the start of songs for us.”

I asked who their main influences would be: “I think Swans is a big influence on us. Gilla Band, the Birthday Party.”

Alleyah: “I’ve been listening to a lot more techno stuff, a lot more electronic music. I’m taking a lot of influence for my drums from that. Really big, massive industrial, techno sounds which I love at the moment.”

Next, we moved on to their yet-to-be decided support for the upcoming Sandino’s gig: “We’ve been throwing some bands about but we don’t have anything proper yet. There’s a few Dublin bands that we really like that we’d love to get to Derry, because a lot of Dublin bands wouldn’t think of going to Derry a lot of the time.”

[At this point, Alleyah’s connection was going in and out thanks to the signal on the train]

Joseph: “A lot of Dublin bands wouldn’t come to the north whatsoever, or if they do, they just go to Belfast, so it would be a good thing to get some bands from the south.”

I asked if there were any particular bands they were into at the minute. Joseph: “Stratford Rise is always the go-to. All of us, they’re probably our favourite band from Belfast. Julia Louise Knifefist is also really good.”

Alleyah [signal having come back]: “I saw a DJ that was really, really cool. Autumns, he’s absolutely sick. I saw him in Ulster Sports Club a few months ago. I think it’s really similar to the stuff that we do, and to Chalk and all those bands, but still really different.”

And some final thoughts from Alleyah: “Come see us in Derry please. We’re really excited to play there. I feel like it’s been a long time coming and I’m glad it’s finally happening.”

And that’s it from Makeshift Art Bar. Their Derry debut is April 23rd in Sandino’s. Tickets are £14 plus booking fee and can be found on secure.tickets.ie.

Now, onto other business. Derry singer/songwriter Colm Warren has recently teamed up with Down Syndrome Cork for his new song ‘Without You’ (out now). The song “was written for his Cork-based sister, Emma McCarthy, inspired by her unique relationship with his young nephew Ódhrán, himself a great grandson of legendary Cork musician, Joe Mac”.

Speaking of the song, Colm says “Emma and her husband Joe’s relationship with my nephew Ódhrán is something special to behold. Despite the challenges they have to face as a family, to say that wee man’s impact has been anything short of life-saving, in the most wonderful sense, would be an understatement. He has taught us all so much about love and what it truly means to be a good parent and decent human being. I believe he was sent here for very special reasons–and I know that’s how his mammy feels too”.

‘Without You’ is out now on all good streaming services.

Finally, time for the socials. Colm Warren can be found on Instagram @colmwarren and Makeshift Art Bar @makeshift.art.bar.