A Q&A with Mark Daly

Raw, energetic rock ’n’ roll from Cork…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
My new release is called ‘In the Dark’, and I really love this one. It sounds like an upbeat rock ’n’ roll track — which is pretty ironic considering the lyrics are quite deep and dark. I find it amusing to mix those two moods together. I actually wrote this song a few years ago and only decided to revisit it after hearing my wife singing it around the house years later. I took that as a sign, and we recorded it for our new album.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The hardest part was timing. We spent a lot of time in the studio last year, followed by a few months touring North America with The Darkness. We wanted to find the perfect moment to release new music and decided this track would be a great way to kick off the year.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves, what do you enjoy most about producing your own material?
We worked with a fantastic producer named Brian Virtue, who has also worked with 30 Seconds to Mars, Audioslave, Jane’s Addiction and more. He brought an incredible amount of experience to the record. He gave us creative freedom in the studio, encouraged us when things were going great, and never told us exactly how to fix anything — he let us figure it out ourselves until we got it right.

What do you want listeners to take away from your music?
We want to grow our audience and connect with as many people as possible. We hope listeners feel an emotional connection to the songs and the energy and honesty behind them. We adore touring and would love to see as many people as possible come out and rock with us.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
Usually, I start a song at home in my studio with an acoustic guitar and some lyrics. I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with great songwriters like Kyle Falconer, Andy Gannon, Mark McKee, Jason Charles Miller and Dave Lichens, which I’ve really enjoyed. I also write with my bandmates Cillian Plummer and James Brown — recently we’ve written a lot from scratch together, which has been really exciting.

What bands or artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
I’ve always been influenced by classic rock bands like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and ELO. I’m also heavily inspired by grunge bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Audioslave and Candlebox. More recent influences include Highly Suspect, Blue October and Wunderhorse.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d love to play in?
We’ve been lucky enough to tour the US every year since forming the band and have supported acts like Geoff Tate, Richie Kotzen, Mr. Big and The Darkness — which has been a dream come true. Strangely enough, we don’t often play at home in Ireland or the UK, so we’d really love to change that this year with a proper tour. If I had to pick one venue, I’d say Wembley — gotta aim high!

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would it be, and why?
Right now, I’d pick our new track ‘In the Dark’ because it’s fresh and full of energy. I think it’s the perfect introduction to what we’re all about.

What ambitions do you have for the band and your career?
We want to keep growing our fanbase in the US and continue releasing music regularly. We’d also love to establish ourselves more at home, get back on the road, meet new people, play new venues and keep embracing everything this crazy industry has to offer.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Please check out our music! We love playing and hope that if you’re looking for a new rock artist to get into, you’ll give us a listen.

Find out more about Mark Daly at markdalyofficial.com