secret fireworks

Music can be a rather scary business at times. I'm not referring to the snakes in the grass that make up the music industry, or the glass bottles oft hurled towards musicians. I'm talking about the actual music. One particular song that used to creep the hell out of me was "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! / I Want You (She's So Heavy) / Helter Skelter" by The Beatles off the Love album. It sends a shiver down my spine. It's not just the bassline of She's So Heavy kicking in but the mixture of Mr Kite's circus noises (a laughing clown) and the general insanity of Helter Skelter is terrifying. It's a cracking wee track.



The debut album of Department of Eagles "In Ear Park" consistently has the same effect on me, and it's quality. The sound is totally unique- haunting vocals and a raft of instrumental parts that mix effortlessly. I guess it's almost baroque, with a few fingerprints of Beirut, but there's simply no other band that sounds like these guys. It's all well and good having a revolutionary sound but DOE have backed it up with excellent production and top notch songwriting.

The single "No One Does It Like You" is a prime example of this. There's a super bassline that sticks in your head within 10 seconds: exquisite harmonies and beauty from the start to the end. However, it's the string part that gets me in the verses. Each chord change seems to take you by surprise: it's a carefully constructed symphony that drops jaws to the floor. The vocal harmonies just resonate throughout the song: they never take precedence but slot into the background, just as important as any other instrument. "Phantom Other" is another highlight, slowly building, part by part into this completely over the top chorus, before breaking back down to a guitar and vocal.

Check out the bizarre video at the bottom of the page.

Hot off the heels of featuring as our free EP of the week, Secret Fireworks had the pleasure of interviewing Richard Davis from Heliopause. He's probably best known for playing music but he's a notable filmmaker and animator producing short videos for bands like Fighting With Wire and Cat Malojian. If you haven't already, check these guys out!

SF:First of all, you're clearly a man of many talents- you're an established filmmaker and animator as well as a musician. Has your main priority always been to write music or was it just a hobby that took on a life of its own?

RD: I guess it really took a life of its own, patiently waiting for the right moment. I've always been creative and was always musically minded, playing violin at school and piano, then self teaching myself guitar. It was very much a hobby because filmmaking and animation was my main passion. My work was always centred around music though and it was very natural to progress to directing music videos. It was my close involvement with the Belfast music scene that really spurred on my development as a musician. I finally learnt how to write a song, as bizarre as that sounds, developing my own style of finger-picking to suit my voice. I could never understand how to write lyrics but one day it all fell into place and music naturally started to become more important to me. . The songs/lyrics are very personal to me and I've always been shy of attention but strangely I feel very calm being open with people in this way.

SF:It seems increasingly common for songwriters to go into isolation or at least to a new location to stimulate the creative process: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver may be the most notable recent example but you personally have gone to Iceland, Cushendall and a cottage in Antrim to work on new material with the band. Does it pay off, in your opinion, instead of staying in the city?

RD: I think it really does: as an artist it's so natural and easy to be inspired by new places and experiences, to get new ideas and blend them into how you work. Just the sheer surroundings of staying in a small town in the fjords of east Iceland blows your mind and was so apt for the kind of music i write. Its very barren there in terms of landscape, but its intense and so inspiring you instantly understand why bands like Sigur Ros and Mum create the sounds they do. I'm really inspired by the country and its music and this ethic of writing as its how I write...from the inside out. It's headspace and time to concentrate and create. A week away focusing on only one thing can do so much when you have no distractions from other jobs, people or social events. In saying that, my lyrics are mostly inspired by personal interactions and feelings with people and specific situations so if i locked myself away for too long who knows what would happen to my writing.

SF: As a performer, what has been your favourite gig and why?

RD:It would have to be the Botanic gig with Albrecht's Pencil: it was really special as we performed completely acoustic in amongst all the trees and plants. It was a beautiful setting and people were dotted around where they could: some kids just sat in front and played with the stones. It was a great atmosphere and the intimacy of the venue lent itself so well to our style. We both played separate sets then we collaborated on 6 songs, three of ours and three of Albrecht's. It was the first time I had performed on someone else's material so it was quite an unusual yet positive experience for me which I hope to do more of.

Are there any plans for another EP release later in the year and will there be any more gigs in the next few months?

RD:We just recorded our next release at Start Together with Ben McAuley, who recorded our Dark Matter EP. It will be out on Furious Tradesmen in May and will feature three new songs: we're really excited as they convey the varied sound of our band from the summer pop song to the intimate acoustic track. We have a gig at a friend's house on 5th April: he puts on these great gigs in his house and makes great pizza and sushi so we're looking forward to that. The next big one planned is performing in the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival at the Black Market at Custom House Square, Sunday 10th May. It'll be a quality afternoon with interesting stalls and great music!

Huge thanks to Richard and the rest of the guys in Heliopause for consenting to the interview as well as allowing me to post the Acoustic in Berlin EP.

(photo credit: Amy*Retrosight Photography)

I only came across the wonderful Heliopause in the past few weeks due to a rather amusing incident upon Fastfude, the influential local music forum. Apparently a very well respected music review outlet published a glowing review of the band’s performance with Albrecht's Pencil- surprisingly glowing, as both bands pointed out obvious factual inaccuracies and suggested that the reviewer didn’t go to the gig at all. Oh dear. However, any publicity is good publicity and I’m glad I discovered this band.

We’ll have a small interview with Heliopause published within the next few days: the band have very kindly consented to offering their Acoustic in Berlin EP for Secret Fireworks’ free download of the week. It’s a wonderful demonstration of the simple beauty of Richard Davis’ songwriting. Indeed, the partnership with Therese McKenna and Davis is stunning- it’s so rare to hear such a well suited partnership. Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan nearly perfected it, Torquil Campbell and Chris Seligman from Stars were a good match, but McKenna and Davis intertwine so well that it’s a match made in heaven.

Armed only with acoustic guitars, vocals, xylophones and the occasional flute part, this Heliopause EP features some excellent tracks from the Dark Matter EP as well as some unreleased tracks. “Electronic Experience Gone Wrong” is reinvented acoustically-more focus is paid to the thoughful lyrics and you’ve got those wonderful harmonies and vocals in addition to a multilayered sound that is alluring even to the first time listener. “Lullaby” is simply a stunning track. The harmonies are sweeter than ever as Davis and McKenna croon over their love. It sounds like the perfect song for new mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up, or the perfect soundtrack to home videos shot by nostalgic parents.

Heliopause have a dreamy yet mournful sound at times, constantly reflective and emotionally incisive. We forget to listen to the lyrics sometimes and concentrate too much on melodies or riffs- it takes wonderful songwriting and supreme vocals to remind us that the voice is not just another instrument in the wall of noise that can sometimes constitute local music.

Individual Tracks

Electronic Experiment Gone Wrong

Lullaby

Dead Ends

Keep Me Calm

The Trip

The Tug That Tore My Insides Out

Entire EP

Acoustic in Berlin EP (zip file)

Other Links

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