The Minnows

Musicians

www.minnowsband.com

Interview By

&

Browsing the internet during the isolation period of the Covid-19 pandemic, World Equal (W.E.) discovered a superb original new song called What Was I Supposed To Do?

Very impressed and almost certain it was a Beatles song sung by John Lennon that we’d somehow missed, it had a similar sounding voice to Lennon, a great feel, melody, harmonica hook, harmonies and humanitarian elements to it.

With a fantastic video to match the lyrical content, we couldn’t stop watching and listening to it over and over. So who wrote it? W.E. placed a complimentary comment on the post and now we’ve both arrived here.

The Minnows are a Belfast-based outfit that first came to prominence in 1991 with the release of their debut single Time Flies on the famous Good Vibrations record label owned by founder Terri Hooley. The echoes of their sound from that era say they were tipped to be the next big thing to emerge from Ireland!

The band are lead vocalist with acoustic guitar singersongwriter Michael Rafferty (AKA Raff), Paul Maynes on lead & rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Kevin Carson on bass and backing vocals, and Stephen O’Sullivan on drums. The Northern Ireland band has recently performed for the first time after an 11-year hiatus with a sold-out show in the famous city's intimate Black Box venue on Saturday, April 22nd. With a die-hard following in attendance that still remains intact, this bodes very well for their future. Frontman Raff mingled with their audience after the soldout gig and shared the following..

“It’s been a long time coming but it was certainly worth the wait. After we released our album, Californian Poppy, we were inundated with requests from all our followers on social media to play live again. So we decided to give them what they wanted with a couple of live dates and the response has been simply fantastic.

“It’s all very exciting, and having played Belfast, we really can’t wait to play in Derry, although that has been postponed due to the sad death of the venue’s owner.

“We’ve realised that life is too short and too precious to be hanging about so you’ll definitely be hearing much more of The Minnows in the weeks, months and hopefully years to come. We’re thrilled to be back doing what we love most, playing music, with no pressure from anyone or anything outside of the band.” frontman Raff.

Anyone who hasn’t heard of this band may well be asking “What are they like”?

It would not be a disservice to say some songs at times evoke Crowded House, The Beatles or John Lennon, with a sprinkle of Radiohead and U2. But they mostly sound like The Minnows because that’s who they are. Let’s find out more about who they are with their frontman Raff.

W.E: Hello Raff, congratulations on the rebirth of The Minnows. W.E. attended your recent sold-out gig in the Black Box and were enthralled by the audio-visual combo delivered. The large screen backdrop and the great songs kept our eyes and ears glued to the stage making it a very memorable gig. Who’s idea was that?

Raff: Maynesy (Paul) is our technical guru so all credit for the audio-visual feast on display must go to him. We’re very lucky to have him, as the rest of us don’t have a clue!!!

W.E: What do you mean by “playing music with no pressure from anyone or anything outside of the band.”

Raff: What I meant by this is that we are our own bosses now when it comes to what type of music we create, how we do it, what we put out and where we play, if at all. We’re not tied to any record company, manager or promoter, so there are no demands on us to produce the next 3-minute ‘radiofriendly’ hit or play a crappy support gig to someone we hate just to get ourselves heard. We’re now way beyond that. We’re not looking for a record deal and, whilst it’s always nice, we don’t really care if the radio plays our music or indeed if anyone even buys it. We are doing it purely because we love it and we’re doing it the way that we want to. Years ago, it would have been unheard of to release a song like What Was I Supposed To Do as a single. But we did it simply because it’s one of the best songs we’ve ever recorded. That creative and artistic freedom is priceless. And the funny thing is, that song has turned out to be one of the most loved songs we’ve ever done. When you work with no limitations and no demands, and because you love it, that somehow seems to resonate with audiences. God knows what we’ll come up with next, but whatever it is, it’ll be down to us and nobody else.

W.E: We loved the song Computer Game and the visuals for it on the large screen. Many of us will remember that simple Tennis game on the Atari, Golden Axe, Space Invaders, there are so many amazing nostalgic emotions and funny talking points for old and especially new fans at a gig like this during that song. A lot of computer games old and new would have been played during isolation we imagine. Did this song evolve during the pandemic lockdowns, did the whole album Californian Poppy arise during that period too?

Raff: We certainly loved our computer games through the ages! The song Computer Game, though, was actually about a former manager whose decisions we felt were financially motivated rather than artistic, kind of what we talked about earlier. Whilst the music was our love and our lives at that point, the song suggested that he played us (like a game) for his own ends. Whether that’s actually true or not I can’t say but it was certainly a good inspiration for the song. As for Californian Poppy, the album was actually recorded pre-pandemic but Covid gave us the kick up the backside that we probably needed to get it out. It started with a lockdown video for the first single When You’re Not Here, which we filmed at our homes and posted on social media. The reaction to that was probably the catalyst that got things moving and the momentum just snowballed from there.

W.E: Sandino's venue in Derry/Londondary (or as some of us call it - LegenDerry) is the next gig in October 2023. Will old and new fans and followers be getting the same treatment of sound and vision as the Black Box gig?

Raff: We certainly hope so. I haven’t been there before but I hear it’s a really cool venue. The stage is smaller than the Black Box but we’ll certainly try to incorporate our projector show somehow, without forcing Stevie to drum from the far side of the room! Even in the Black Box, we had to move him to the side so as not to block the visuals. Some people were complaining that they couldn’t see him, but serves him right for stealing all the women in our younger days!!

W.E: Is it true in the 90s The Minnows were tipped to be the next big thing coming out of Ireland?

Raff: Yes we were. Or the kiss of death as I call it!! We were getting played regularly on BBC Radio One, with no record company support, we were being invited to play festivals like The Tripp to Tipp in Thurles and the Fleadh at Finsbury Park in London. We featured in lots of ‘most likely to’ polls and ‘song of the year’ lists. Record companies flew in to meet us, and we were even offered record deals, but we’re back to that whole management thing again. Let’s just say, it didn’t work out. We’re pretty philosophical about it all though and realise that things could have turned out a lot worse. Had we made it big in those days, I would never have met my lovely wife Catherine and my kids, who I love more than life itself, they would never have been born. So that alone extinguishes any regret that might start to creep in from time to time. Besides, despite our clean cut image in those early days, we were quite the party animals and who knows how we would have ended up if we had made it rich and famous. At least we’re all still alive and able to make music, albeit for a more select audience!

W.E: What happened, did you guys break up or fall out or as the saying goes among musicians did - life just get in the way?

Raff: Definitely the latter. We’ve never broken up or fallen out. We’ve always been working on things in the background, admittedly at a snail’s pace sometimes. As you say, life just got in the way and there comes a time when you’ve got to make big decisions that will impact on your future, and those around you. It’s incredibly difficult to find a balance between being an artist, whether that be a musician or otherwise and earning a living in this increasingly difficult world. It’s best to think that whatever is meant to be is meant to be. We’re actually lucky that, as a band, we can still enjoy incredible moments together as we did at that Black Box gig. That was more than just a gig for us. It was such an emotional rollercoaster ride and experience that I will never forget.

W.E: Let’s talk about that incredible song that started us all off - What Was I Supposed To Do? The one we thought was a Beatles song that had escaped us, with John Lennon on lead vocals. Who wrote that and was it the spark that reignited The Minnows?

Raff: I wrote that one, almost as the third in a trilogy of Minnows songs that started with Familiarity Breeds Contempt and Why Don’t You Phone Me Anymore. That’s probably been my comfort zone, writing really depressing songs about lost love and failed romances, that people can relate to. The boys used to joke that they couldn’t wait for my relationships to end as they were always guaranteed an album’s worth of songs from it. In reality, even in a happy relationship, I’ve always been able to transport myself into these melancholy musical scenarios. When my wife heard our first album Holyland, she thought I was a manic depressive and I had similar comments after our second album, which was cheerily titled Leonard Cohen’s Happy Compared To Me. I’m not really that miserable though, I just have a good imagination.

As for What Was I Supposed To Do, I wrote the song years ago and always thought it had something special, one of those perfect combinations of lyrics and melody that occasionally land out of nowhere. From watching the video, a lot of people thought it was written about the love story between performance artists Marina Abramovic and her long-time partner Ulay. It wasn’t though. I had the song already written when I watched an amazing movie documentary about Marina Abramovic called The Artist Is Present. As I watched it, I thought the story would make an incredible video for WWISTD so I plundered YouTube for as much footage as I could find and edited it together in line with the song. It turned out really well but I’m still waiting to be sued by someone for it!

Releasing the song as a single from the album was certainly a turning point as it showed a very different side to The Minnows to a lot of different people. I talked earlier about the freedom to do what we want and how we could never have released this song as a single back in the old days. But we did and it worked. And all of a sudden, a Dublin radio show has playlisted the song and people are hearing it every morning on the breakfast show on their drive to work. It’s crazy but it’s taught me that there’s no substitute for quality and to go with your heart.

W.E: Is it reasonable to say the era of musicians making vast amounts of money through hard copy sales in vinyl, tape and CD is over? Especially in the face of illegal downloading and streaming of music and film?

Raff: Yes I feel sorry for anyone trying to make money in the music industry nowadays, which is really sad. I don’t think the power of music and the impact it can have on our wellbeing and mental health has ever been truly recognised, studied or researched. A world without music is unimaginable so to think that the public is relying on new artists making music purely for the love of it, is unfair at best and really pretty shocking.

I read that Gary Numan said he received £39 for a million streams on Spotify. Most up-and-coming artists won’t even receive a million streams, so there’s no money to be made from their recordings. And as a new artist, it’s notoriously difficult to get paying gigs. It’s a lose lose situation for so many hard working new artists.

Big artists like Springsteen, U2, Neil Young, Coldplay etc can command big enough concert ticket sales to compensate for the lost earnings through streaming and downloading. But once that generation has gone, who is going to fill the void. Ed Sheeran? God forbid. It’s quite depressing actually but again it makes me thankful for what we actually have with The Minnows.

W.E: It’s such a confusing and difficult time for songwriters who perform to make money these days with illegal downloading and streaming. Have you any good advice or knowledge to share with our budding songwriters out there on how to profitably navigate these areas if they are thinking of making a career out of it?

Raff: I really wish I did but I refer to my previous answer. I don’t know how anyone can make a career from it nowadays if they don’t already have a foot firmly on the ladder. Something has got to change but when I don’t know. Maybe vinyl and CDs will come back into fashion? Maybe for the future of music, artists will no longer allow their music to be streamed? People just cannot afford to invest the time and effort into making quality music anymore as there is likely to be no reward at the end of it all. Great topic for debate but I certainly don’t have any answers I’m afraid.

W.E: Where would you recommend fans can go online for your music and since you all like the visual aspect of music too, can we order a Minnows T-Shirt from somewhere?

Raff: Our website www.minnowsband.com and our Facebook page are probably the best ways to keep up to date with us. We used to make tshirts and I see people post them on social media from time to time. They’re real collectors' items now. We have no plans to make any more at this stage but you never know, we had no intention of playing live again until we couldn’t ignore the demand. How many are you after?

W.E: Rumour has it that possibly due to there being much more privacy for fans and folk in general when they shop, a shift back to tape may be happening, away from online access to music and video. Are The Minnows available on vinyl and tape or considering it? Do you think there is any meat on the

We’re actually debating whether the concept of an ‘album’ is actually a thing anymore. There’s a strong argument for putting out songs individually as and when we finish them. Then maybe an album at the end. I don’t know, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But you might be hearing more new recorded music from us sooner than you think.

W.E: The Steepest Hill is your latest single, delivered with The Minnows melodic mastery. It acknowledges the stresses of modern times, a topic many musicians, artists and people, in general, are discussing. Do you find this is some kind of therapy for the band as much as it is for the

Yes, music is very therapeutic in so many ways. For the artist, it’s an opportunity to vent feelings, get things off your chest and share your thoughts with the world, not to mention the escapism and the pure joy of simply performing. After a hard day, there is nothing like a rehearsal or a gig to help you escape from the sometimes harsh realities of life. For the listener, music is therapeutic from both a lyrical and melodic point of view. Lyrics that you relate to can validate your own feelings, show you that you’re not alone, inspire you and make you feel better. Then there’s the uplifting or emotional power of the melody, which we know can transport us back 30 years in an instant. A melody can make you feel sad, happy, comforted, strong or ready to take on the world. I’ve said before, I believe that music is more powerful than people realise and its healing powers, in so many ways, deserve to be studied and researched much more.

There are always funny and wild stories with most we know you guys love a bit of craic, so, to end on note in your key Raff, can you tell us of any hilarious moments on the road or onstage, offstage after a gig that will a giggle in this time of modern madness and stress. Every band usually has one or two gems up their sleeve, there is no point in any band ever trying

Raff: As I said, we lived the rock and roll lifestyle for many years and a lot of it is a blur, but I’m sure if we all got together over a few beers, the stories would come flooding back. Off the top of my head, I remember Maynesy falling off the stage in Maddens, Antrim, wrecking his back and having to play the rest of the gig on a stool.

On another occasion, we were playing at the famous Baggot Inn in Dublin, which had a very low ceiling. I used to jump around a lot on stage and I remember one gig in particular. It was jammed to the rafters and the crowd were going bonkers. I leapt up at the end of a song and banged my head on the ceiling, nearly knocking myself out.

I remember playing a gig in Limerick and we were drinking a carry-out in the van on the way down. By the time we arrived at the venue, Kevin was so drunk he could hardly stand. He was literally sleeping on his feet on the stage. Of course, one drunken punter described it saying he was ‘the best bass player he’d ever seen in his life’.

On another occasion, our van broke down just before we arrived for a gig in either Drogheda or Waterford. We had We had to push it the rest of the way to the venue I remember, in pure Spinal Tap style, we were all shouting ‘Hello Cleveland’ and ‘Rock and Roll!!’ as we pulled up outside. There are lots of other little stories and a few that definitely aren’t suitable for print, but it’s safe to say we had a lot of fun on the road!

We’re actually debating whether the concept of an ‘album’ is actually a thing anymore. There’s a strong argument for putting out songs individually as and when we finish them. Then maybe an album at the end.

On another occasion, our van broke down just before we arrived for a gig in either Drogheda or Waterford. We had to push it the rest of the way to the venue I remember, in pure Spinal Tap style, we were all shouting ‘Hello Cleveland’ and ‘Rock and Roll!!’ as we pulled up outside.

We've learned how to swim and enjoy all the flowers, We've learned how to sing and swing through the hours, Absorbing the splendor that nature provides, Many millenniums live in our strides...