John Spillane Interview

He’s no stranger to Australia’s tides, and this November will see the return of John Spillane, this time bringing fellow Irish singer, Mick Flannery, with him. With a strong sense of identity, Spillane has long been a treasured musician and artist to the people of Ireland, often incorporating the country and his beloved Cork into his music somehow. Here, he discusses his hometown, current projects and memories of playing Australia in the past.

Hi John, how are you?
Great form thanks, it’s a lovely day. Exciting times at the moment, as i plan the release of my new album ‘The Man Who Came In From The Dark’ on 17th October, a new TV series starting on 21st October, and a big trip to Australia and New Zealand with Mick Flannery in November.

Whereabouts are you at the moment?
I’m at home in my own house in Passage West, County Cork, on the banks of the River Lee, in the Lower Harbour Area.

Sounds lovely! There’s huge anticipation for the tour of Mick Flannery and yourself; what can ticket-holders expect from the joint shows?
Two solo performers with very different styles coming together and combining songs. I am more of an Irish folk traditional singer and Mick is more of a main stream Americana singer with a beautiful big bluesy voice. I will sing some verses of songs that Mick has written, like ‘Near Or Far’, ‘Tomorrow’s Papers’, and he will sing some of my songs like ‘Passage West’ and ‘Magic Nights In The Lobby Bar’.

Do your Cork origins help you relate to each other musically?
Yes well we are both part of a community of singers and musicians who live in the Cork area so we all know each other and have played with each other.

You’re no stranger to Australia’s shores; do you have fond memories of playing here? When was your first visit?
My first visit was in 2008 and my mother had just died so it was a strange time. I found Australia very welcoming and was very warmly received. I have lovely memories of gigs in Melbourne and Sydney and visits to Perth and Mount Isa. I was greatly honoured to be asked to sing the Irish National Anthem if front of a packed stadium in Subiaco Stadium and in front of millions of people on television screens around the world for the Ireland versus Australia compromise rules football match where I spurred Ireland to a one point victory. I also played at a fantastic Festival called Tarrerer near Killarney, Victoria, and wrote a song with Australian Songwriter Shane Howard.

Have you been able to see the Irish expat community grow?
I played again in Australia in 2010 and 2012,  so yes I have seen the Irish expat community rapidly expand. Unfortunately, the recession has hit Ireland very hard and huge numbers of our young people have emigrated to Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

With regards to recorded material, you gave us ‘Life In An Irish Town’ in 2013, for which you wrote about towns and villages of Ireland; why are they particularly special to you?
‘Life In An Irish Town’ was inspired my TV series on TG4, Ireland’s Irish Language TV Channel. The series was called ‘Spillane An Fanai’ which means ‘Spillane The Wanderer’ and involved me travelling to six small towns around Ireland where I worked behind the bar in a pub and got to meet the local characters and learn about the local music, folklore and history, and then I wrote a song about the town. The series proved very popular and we have just finished shooting series two, which goes on air on 21st October.

Have you been writing much recently?
I have written many new songs and have a brand new album being released on 17th October called ‘The Man Who Came In From The Dark’. It’s based on a song I wrote in Boyle, County Roscommon.

Is Ireland itself your biggest inspiration to write?
Yes I write a lot of songs about Irish places and people, I find it keeps me going. I have also written many songs about Cork and Passage West. I am delighted at the moment that Irish folk singer Christy Mooe has just begun to gig another of my local ballads, one called ‘The Ballad Of Patrick Murphy, and that traditional music group DANÚ have just recorded ‘Passage West’.

If we were to visit Cork for a weekend, what should we do and where should we go? Can you recommend a pub for us to while away the hours?
I recommend The Ferry Arms in Passage West. Check out my YouTube video;

Thanks, John. See you in Oz!

By Charlotte Mellor