Irish punksters Gurriers were already riding high with their debut album Come and See self released back in September 2024, single after single making the BBC Radio6 Music Playlists, a slot on Later with Jools Holland, and a growing reputation for their exhilarating live shows. Supporting Inhaler seems to have lifted them to the next level. Coupled with word of mouth praise for their sets at SXSW, they returned to the UK for a headline tour. The response has been staggering. Up and down the country they have played to packed rooms, thrilling crowds with their performance.
Attending the Edinburgh show at The Caves, the average demographic for the 5-piece had dropped by about 20 years! A good sign of course. This gig had long been sold out and there were disappointed mutterings by those who were too slow to buy a ticket. Their own fault they recognised but disappointed all the same. In advance of the gig The Decibel Decoder sat down with guitarist Mark MacCormack and bassist Charlie McCarthy. Having previously discussed the impact of playing SXSW in March, this discussion covered their current tour, album number two and plans for the future.
Gurriers have come back from SXSW and almost immediately headed back out on tour, selling out UK dates. How is it going?
Charlie: Yeah, it’s really fun to be busy and, I think we’re all trying to make an effort to not take it for granted as well, because it’s very easy when you’re caught up and you’re doing it all the time, to not think about the fact that you spent most of your life to this point thinking about doing what you’re doing at the moment, kind of imagining what your life would be like if it was this. And a lot of the time this just looks like eating loads of crisps in a van with increasingly smelly people, but it’s still really good!
Mark: And I think this is the best run of shows we’ve ever done.
You must feel a sense of momentum?
Mark: For sure, absolutely it feels like things are happening. We’ve been together just shy of six years, and the last three have been, especially the last year with the album release and Charlie joining the band, it’s really felt like we’re on this trajectory. But yeah, onwards and upwards.
Your debut album Come and See was self-released and this is probably a question that you can’t answer. Have you had interest from labels now?
Mark: You know we’re figuring it out. Look the big thing was we actually did have a few opportunities to release the first album on a label. And obviously, when you’re a young band and the idea of someone throwing a record contract at you, and saying we’re going to put your record out, that’s very alluring. We’re very lucky. We have a really good, solid management team and an agent, and they were all saying “No, this is a short term gain for a long term loss. Release this independently, and then let’s have a chat later on and see what happens”. And that was only six months ago and I can already see that was the smarter decision, because we’re now in a much stronger position to bargain with people. And if we do release the next record on a label, they’ll have to bring a lot to the table. We’ve done all this by ourselves. What are you bringing to us? Which is a really good spot to be in.
To have had the exposure and success that you’ve had on a debut album that you’ve self released, it’s not that common, so many congratulations. Which inevitably brings me to album number two.
Charlie: Well we’re breaking up!
Mark: We’re going to sign the the baddest record deal we can, and then we’re going to break up!
With the album coming out last September, and obviously written before, you’re now playing new songs in the set on this tour. Is there a difference in your soungwriting already due to experience?
Charlie: Our whole thing with writing new songs and looking for fresh stuff is, because we’ve talked about it so much especially recently, is we’re trying to do what we do best, but elevate it to the best thing we can do with it. We’ll see how it actually turns out with all of the songs we end up writing, but our general ethos is to not depart too far as that you alienate anyone but at the same time, you’re kind of lifting the whole thing to its best place. So no filler, all daggers, essentially.
Mark: I always reference it like this. We look at bands like Radiohead with The Bends or Deftones with Around the Fur, or any band on their second record, Nine Inch Nails with Downward Spiral, taking the next jump. Do you know what I mean? The next record is not going to be 80% pop, you know, that’s probably record four or five! But record two is definitely going to be a step up in songwriting and production.
And being the five of you, what’s the biggest challenge on a long tour on a day to day basis? Because it’s not, I suspect, the easiest thing in the world to do.
Charlie: Everybody’s good. We’re on very good terms with each other, and everyone’s very happy and I think has a good understanding of how to give space to other people, so you’re not like, constantly in someone’s face, bugging them all the time. It’s like being able to know when somebody just wants time alone, even though they’re around people. That’s the big thing. Nobody’s upset or having a bad time, everyone’s really enjoying the whole thing.
Congratulations on playing the Scala in London – that’s a real milestone. And at the end of of this tour you have about 10 days off then you’re off to Europe!
Mark: Yeah, for another 10 days. I think we’ve a month where we’re not doing anything, but we’ll be writing as much as possible. Then its Wide Awake and the start of the festival season, you know, and we’re off again!
Going into the venue for the Edinburgh gig the Inhaler effect was immediately noticeable. The crowd were young and in early – which all bodes well for the future for Gurriers. Irish band Theatre were the support, a shoe gaze outfit full of gorgeous sound and thrilling guitars and they have picked up a bunch of new admirers on this. Gurriers take to the stage and begin with ‘Close Call’, ‘Nausea’, ‘Des Goblins‘ and ‘Dipping Out’ from the album Come and See. Mark hands his guitar to a member of the crowd for the first song and the mosh pit erupts. The energy they generate in the room is difficult to put into words. Electrifying but there is no aggression here. In fact at one point lead singer Dan Hoff stops the show as everyone looks for someone mobile in the mosh pit! This situation describes everything about this band.
New songs included ‘Nothing Happens Twice’, ‘Erasure’ and ‘Dissolve’ and if these are a preview of album number two when fans have nothing to fear as Gurriers follow up Come and See. Lead singer Dan was commanding and along with Charlie and Mark were in the crowd almost as much as they were onstage!. The view from the balcony must have been thrilling, watching a sea of bodies bounce and mosh together. Gurriers are completed by guitarist Ben O’Neill and drummer Pierce Callaghan, and together they have found their expression.
One final note. At the end of the gig as the crowd slowly dispersed, The Decibel Decoder bumped into various people of different ages and different music friends groups. The common thread was of course Gurriers. Every single person was buzzing. Every single person was sweaty. Every single person had had the best night.
Long live Gurriers.
For more information on Gurriers please check their facebook and instagram.