Capitalising upon the momentum generated by their incendiary live shows, as well as sharing stages with the likes of I Dreamed I Dream, Silverglass and The Guilteens, Cork/Limerick no wave/shoegaze three-piece Therapy Horse release their debut single, ‘Let Me Be Clear’. Recorded in the band’s practice space with Andy Killian (Pretty Happy, production credits include Pebbledash, I Dreamed I Dream, Flywheel) and mastered by Pete Maher (U2, Pixies, Nick Cave), the song sees Therapy Horse blend white-hot walls of noise with machine-gun rhythms and furious, bared-teeth lyricism.
The lyrics of ‘Let Me Be Clear’ draw upon the pain of feeling powerless and the freedom of tapping into one’s anger. Lead vocalist/bassist Emily Dollery notes:
“I wanted the lyrics to feel cathartic and confrontational, with the delivery progressing from detached to debased”.
The song critiques misogynistic attitudes and expresses frustration toward the culture of intimidation that discourages women from speaking out. Of the song, Cormac Donovan O’Neill (guitars, electronics) says:
“Let Me Be Clear represents something of a statement of purpose for Therapy Horse. The places Emily was able to go vocally and lyrically propelled us toward a new direction, more uninhibited and more ourselves than ever. This is always our closer when we play a gig live, with the song descending into a chasm of feedback, oscillating delays, and ghostly spectral vocal samples.”
Recorded in a twelve-hour session in the band’s practice space, Donovan O’Neill notes:
“Andy’s approach to recording meshed perfectly with the way we approach the material ourselves, with the core tracks laid down live and a minimal approach to overdubbing. Live, ‘Let Me Be Clear’ always has a semi-improvisational, edge-of-falling-apart quality to it, which was vital for us to capture.”
Drawing inspiration from 70s no-wavers and improvisers as well as their modern descendants in noise rock and industrial, Donovan O’Neill’s approach to guitar work is irreverent:
“The squalls of noise and mangled samples surrounding Schuch and Emily’s mechanical rhythms owe a lot to the likes of DNA, Derek Bailey Sonny Sharrock, or YVETTE; utilising every part of the instrument, using a slide and playing behind the bridge, bow-like pick scrapes and battering the neck.”
Therapy Horse Live Dates
August
7 – Roisín Dubh, Galway w/ Swallow Sorrow
September
6 – Whelan’s Upstairs, Dublin w/ Silverglass
11 – The Kino, Cork w/ Silverglass and Jodie Lyne
For more information on Therapy Horse please check their instagram and bandcamp.