Next Wave #1044: Odd Morris

Sure, Dublin quartet Odd Morris have shared a rehearsal space with The Murder Capital and socialised with Fontaines D.C. down at the pub, but Daragh, Mac, Kris & Sam have their own unique style, which is intense, sincere and expressive – and heavily inspired by personal experiences.

Odd Morris release their debut EP ‘Cityscape The Ballet’ today (October 27th) but there may not be time for it all to sink in as they’re off to Amsterdam to play a show there the same week. The five-track EP takes the anxieties we all feel in day to day living and puts them into song form. We spoke to vocalist Daragh about his refusal to write lyrics he doesn’t feel connected to, the introspective nature of their songs and just being glad that their tour hasn’t gone “t*ts up”.

‘Cityscape The Ballet’ is “quite self-reflective, on my part,” Daragh tells us. “I think there are feelings of heartbreak in there, for sure. I had just ended a relationship so I wasn’t really sure how to really cope with that so I tend to just take out my pen and paper and try to understand my emotions by writing them out. – “I wouldn’t necessarily just write about random stories. I would write from personal entries that are in my notebook.” He adds: “All of the songs are picked from me trying to understand what I am going through at a specific time.”

And does this songwriting process help him figure things out? After a pause, Daragh answers: “Yes. It’s so helpful. It’s the only way I can actually really understand what I’m going through at that moment, because there’s just a million and one thoughts going on in your head and sometimes it’s hard to open up to people.” Daragh goes on to explain the dangers of keeping certain things bottled up, especially for boys and men with “repercussions” for young men ranging from aggression to dying by suicide. “I feel like putting your thoughts out on paper is like a counselling session”.

“I can’t write unless it’s not something that I’ve been through or something that evokes strong sentiment.” This statement extends to their recent single ’Silhouette’. “‘Silhouette’ is pretty much a rant from me. I had a lot of stuff going on when I wrote it. I couldn’t really talk to someone so it was just all bottled up. The frustration…’Silhouette’ is kind of a rant of frustration.”

The live shows so far have been “grand” and there are more shows ahead, so it will be interesting to see how these four lads’ songs will translate during live shows. One thing’s for sure. It’s about more than just music for them. It’s a way to stay sane.

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‘Cityscape The Ballet’ EP is out now.

Words: Narzra Ahmed
Photo Credit: Jonathan Cochrane

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