New Irish seven-piece indie collective and he, the fool have released their new single, Good Aches. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
Speaking about the track, they say, "A tight groove, huge saxophone riffs and diversions into psychedelia all come together to paint a rapidly decaying portrait of a relationships' last breaths in bed in the morning.
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"Good Aches is that moment, looking up at your partner next to you, not knowing if they are ignoring you, or aware you are even there. It’s a breakup song, but it’s still full of love. Love that exists within too much comfort, yearning and wishing for the discomfort, the good aches of the past."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Kate: We recite Gerry Hannon Vs Frank McCourt before every gig as tradition. We once all tried to get drunk off Jameson and Aquarius in a taxi from Valencia to Barcelona. It was too dark. We were drinking the pure Aquarius bottle. A few of us work in the creative industry full time but we also have a software engineer, a primary teacher and a hospital porter. Who's who?
How would you describe your music?
Kevin: Honestly, our sound has been flitting between many different styles in its infancy - with the many different voices and instruments we have we’re able to push the boat out a good bit while still sounding pretty singular, which is fun. Having winds and strings become central to the band there’s definitely this bittersweet texture to everything we’ve written so far, but it’s all built on this tight new-wave-informed rhythm section that makes me want to dance through it all. Good Aches is definitely us at our poppiest, but there’s still that darkness behind it, which I think Kate conveys really charismatically up front. Despair and groooove at the same time, that’s the Big Fool Manifesto.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Kevin: Talking Heads, Snail Mail and Men I Trust have been heavy presences on our sound lately I feel. Been loving what CMAT, NewDad and Soda Blonde are doing lately also. SO much love for Paul Noonan and his lyricism that’s been a huge one for myself and Eoin in particular. But I think (I hope) our inspirations aren’t quite on our sleeves - one of our latest songs stemmed from trying to learn a Biig Piig song that has transformed into something poles apart. Part of me wishes it would sound like Biig Piig, but it’s fun to see where it ends up.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Eoin: The first gig I went to was Bell X1 at the (then) Point Depot in 2006, at the age of nine. My godmother Amelia's partner Damien very kindly brought me along when a spare ticket cropped up. I'm still incredibly grateful to Amelia and Damien for sparking a long and ever-growing love for Bell X1 who are a constant for me whatever the time, wherever the place in my life. I've seen them countless times since then, most recently last week in London. Each time I'm still just as enthralled by their musicianship, charisma and camaraderie on stage. Their energy and sound definitely inspires ours in live performance and recording, they are truly one of the great Irish bands who still continue to grow and develop their sound album after album.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Aaron: The first CD I ever bought was weirdly enough The Defamation of Strickland Banks by Plan B, which is actually a phenomenal album and the CD itself was designed like a vinyl record which I always thought was super cool. When I started collecting vinyl though, I had a lot of my Dad’s old records but the first one I could call my own was a copy of Michael Jackson’s Dangerous. I’m sure these albums influenced my taste in huge ways, but I’m not sure how just yet.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Muirne: Favourite song at the moment is Grown Up by Leith Ross. The lyrics really resonate with me. It very much depicts how a lot of us might feel in our 20s. The melody, with the slow addition of the harmonies and strings towards the end, is really charming in its simplicity.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Ruairí: Favourite lyric of all time is a very tricky one. But one that springs to mind immediately is a David Bowie lyric from Dollar Days on his final album, Blackstar. "If I’ll never see the English evergreens I’m running to, it’s nothing to meet. It’s nothing to see." I have always found that deeply poignant given that this song and album is about Bowie confronting death head on. You can feel the desperation yet also the acceptance. The simple image of English evergreens paired with Bowie’s tender, frail delivery has stuck with me over the years.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
James: Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under. We really enjoyed covering this one at our debut gig in the Grand Social in Dublin; it’s got such great raw energy and I think we all like to lose ourselves in it. I personally keep coming back to it time and time again and can never get enough of it!
Where can people find your music/more information?
You can find us on all streaming platforms at and he, the fool and on Instagram and Twitter at andhe_thefool. We’re also on Bandcamp where you can purchase our music and merch!
Alan Corr
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