Building on the success of Bell X1 Chop Chop, Dave Geraghty recently announced a new solo project under the umbrella of Join Me In The Pines.
With 2007’s Kill Your Darlings and 2009’s The Victory Dance under his belt, Geraghty has a solid track record of solo offerings and Friday’s stunningly understated performance in the Unitarian Church proved that fans should expect no different from the Join Me In The Pines debut, which is expected in August.
Geraghty says that he decided to change to the new moniker to “evoke a world where the music lives, instead of it being anchored to reality by a person’s name” and enlisted Clare Finglass and his mother to provide backing vocals, saying of the latter “apart from being amazing, she works for free”.
Friday’s line-up featured a selection of musicians, described as an “early incarnation” of the band and from the first strains of At First Light, the distinction between this and Geraghty’s previous work becomes clear. The three-way vocal harmonies and use of a 200-year-old harmonium that he rescued from a skip create a subtle but hypnotizing sound that echoes around the corners of the unusual venue.
Hosting a ‘dry gig’ on a Friday night could be a tough ask but the quality of the music and Geraghty’s joking references to his fellow musicians “heading to the pub without him” break any residual tension and the crowd steadily warm up as the band work through a mix of new material, tracks from the two previous solo albums and one or two Bell X1 favourites.
Highlights included new single Joy Is A Lion, Golden Guilt, Last Time Around, All The King’s Horses, a stunning duet with Finglass on the Americana-inspired Backseat and the introduction of Frank Tate, Pat Daly and Tiger Cook on a few numbers.
Geraghty’s dynamic vocals and wide-ranging musical abilities shine in this stripped-back environment, which all bodes well for the release of the new album. The self-titled collection was recorded at Geraghty’s home studio during breaks in the Bell X1 touring schedule, a process that he describes as “a double edged sword”.
“There’s more opportunity for ideas to develop at their own pace rather than under the duress of a ticking clock but, at times, the process was quite difficult. Yes, I had unlimited time in a studio, but working alone and not having that magical second opinion had me lose sight of where I was going at times. In saying that, the small victories were all the more satisfying”.
This focus is reflected in the themes and lyrics of the new album, which see the 38-year-old hark back to his childhood days for inspiration.
“Leixlip, the place where I’m from, was at the time a real green belt. Until two multinational computer factories came to town and sped up the urban sprawl that was inevitably going to pop that little town’s cherry. Maybe it’s the age I’m at but I had started to reminisce on my youth more and more. Days when I’d be gone from home first thing in the morning on my trusty steed (me BMX) until dinner time in the evening. So, ‘…in the Pines’ came easy. I think the place that you grew up and have certain experiences, they leave an indelible mark.”
Join Me In The Pines have launched a gigstarter campaign to decide on locations for their upcoming Irish tour. All the details are here.
