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Ronnie Drew used to laugh about the Folk Police giving him grief for colouring outside the lines, as he recorded with the likes of Jah Wobble and other stoners. Do Kern ever feel that pressure to conform…?
You have Waterboy Trevor Hutchinson on producing duties with The Left And The Leaving, part of that late ’80s/early ’90s wave that saw Irish music being embraced by a new breed, including Mike Scott’s boys and Sharon Shannon. Did that have a big influence on the formation of Kern…?
How did Barry Kieran, Brendan McCreanor and SJ McArdle come together? You all met in rehab, right…?
And what the heck does SJ stand for? Sarah-Jane…?
You guys have played all over the world, mostly the Irish diaspora are ready, willing and able to jig along – was there a point when you three decided that, yep, this Kern thing is working…? Perhaps the 2018 Temple Bar TradFest win?
The idea that Irish music is for below deck parties is always there – do you fight that drunken desire for the old songs we love, or do you feel better with yourself in the morning if you try and fight it?
Talking of that drunken desire for the old songs we love, would you approach playing a venue like The Whale differently to, say, playing the Milwaukee Irish Fest or Montreal’s Folk Alliance International? Subtlety and musical nuances are not always welcome with certain crowds…
It’s not exactly a fad, but do you feel that Irish music is a healthy state right now? Are the young kids getting down to The Chieftains 5 these days?
Finally, that name, that font – have you heard from Korn’s lawyers yet…?
Play It Louth
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