We Do Like Mundy

Manic Mundy

aving made his Greystones debut at The Whale in 2018, Birr boy Mundy returns to The Whale on Saturday July 2nd.

And to mark the happy occasion, we decided to find out where it all began, and what are the songs that he really wishes he had written…

I grew in a bar in Birr, County Offaly, and there was some music on both sides of my family, though not directly. I had cousins on my mum’s side that all played music that I liked – which was rock’n’roll; Chuck Berry, Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

I loved this music. It was very exciting, and they’d a great selection of vinyl, from the Pogues to AC/DC. On my father’s side, my uncle Anselm is a good singer, as is my Aunt Helen. She had old records, like Bill Haley and the Royal Show Band, which I loved too.

I think rock’n’roll is exciting for kids, as the feel of it jumps into your bones, like a bolt of lightning.

I began playing the guitar proper at 14 years old, and formed a band with a group of friends in school. We mostly taught each other what we knew at break time in the Prayer Room. I was a sponge for learning the guitar. I would sneak into pubs all around our town to catch a few licks or songs. There was a guy up the street from me, Owen Davis, who could play anything on the electric, and you could hear him from afar. He was slick.

Eventually, I started singing in my parents bar, and other bars locally, and did a few band and busking competitions. We were always close to first or placed. There wasn’t as many people playing back then in Birr as there is now. It’s so great to see it because music is medicine, and a great companion in low times.

I was very encouraged from the beginning and it’s an itch I can’t get rid of till this day. Everyone likes positive feedback.

Bob Dylan There’s A Flaw In My Flue
Just when I thought that it’s all been said before, there’s a song called this. It’s a beauty.

Hank Williams Your Cheatin’ Heart
This is a classic. Short and not-so-sweet. Hank knew how to paint a picture of sorrow.

Neil Young Albuquerque
This is a really great song, and recording, and most of all, it’s just such a great word!

Bob Dylan or Gene Vincent You Belong To Me
Doesn’t matter who sings this, it’s a gem, and I don’t think Make You Feel My Love would exist without this song.

Townes Van Zandt Buckskin Stallion Blues
Just heard this on the 3 Billboards soundtrack. Townes is the king of Lonesome Outlaw Country. His voice cracks on this, and it gets me everytime, right in the heart.

Nick Cave Straight to You
This a masterpiece. The lyrics are so haunting. It really drew me into being a massive fan.

Wilco Shot in the Arm
I could choose a few songs from this band but this is one of the first I ever heard, and I still love it.

Kurt Vile Pretty Pimpin
I covered this recently on my Jelly Legs Reunion Tour. It’s a stomper and a cracker about depression. How to turn a bad feeling into a good song.

Lucinda Williams Blue
Listen to this. It’s such a sorrowful song. It almost makes me cry. I became kinda obsessed with her.

Andres Segovia Recuerdos de la Alhambra
This guitar piece sends me into a lovely place. It makes me travel without moving. I wish, wish I could play this style of music. It would require a discipline that I’m not sure I was blessed with.

You can catch the Birr boy who brought us Galway Girl at The Whale on Saturday, July 12th. Details and tickets here.