The Virginmarys blend platinum class grunge, punk and influences from old British rock in their music. The members share with Shrabasti Mallik how they met and the story behind their provocative name
The band was formed in 2006 and your first album was released last year. Why such a long gapIJ
Matt: It seemed like the right time. We’d built a good following and felt that if we’d released an album any earlier then it wouldn’t have achieved the amount of acclaim it did.
Danny: When we first got together we immediately began touring…during that time it seemed the natural process was to release new music every year in the form of an EP…after three EP’s the natural process for us was to release a full length album.
Ally: We were just playing around home. Only when we got a manager and Matty that we got a bit more serious. Then we went in a studio and recorded an EP. Then we toured for a year and recorded two more EP’s and then we figured we should record one entire album
How did the three of you come togetherIJ
Danny: Me and Ally had been playing together in different bands for a few years before we met Matt. We were looking for a bass player and during a visit to a pub in Macclesfield, we met Matt. Together we jammed and from there we became the Virginmarys.
King of Conflict is a great success and you recorded it live in the studio. Share some interesting moments from the recording.
Ally Dickaty: It was our first album and we all were excited. Moreover, the music was being played live. It was a lot of fun.
Matt Rose: We used to record for very long hours. Sometimes even till 4 am in the morning.
Danny Dolan: All I remember is that we got attacked by a horse on our way to the studio.
You tour a lot. Is it not difficult for you to write lyrics or compose music on the goIJ
Danny: It was harder to write on the road but I guess you have to do it.
Ally: I continue to write on the road or wherever I am.
I don’t think bands can afford to give themselves a lot of separate writing time these days as they have to keep busy with everything else. Plus, with all the tours, we get to interact with our fans from all different cultures.
Matt: I love seeing loads of new places. Touring also gives us a lot of options to draw our inspiration from.
How do you blend grunge, punk and influences from the British rock of the 70s in your musicIJ
Ally: We don’t close ourselves off to kinds of music. Among the three of us, I think we have all sorts of musical influences.
Danny: Our second album sounds a whole lot different that the first one.
What kind of music you grew up listening toIJ
Matt: I grew up listening to all kinds of music. I guess mostly 70s rock bands, Bowie and Motown and Northern Soul. It was because my mum liked Bowie and Dad was a Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Motown fan.
Ally: I was hooked to Neil Young, Pink Floyd, the Allman Brothers. We used to go to sleep listening to The Beatles at home. My parents loved them.
Danny: Beatles, Beach Boys, 50s rock-n-roll and Northern Soul influenced me.
You have collaborated with Slash, Eagles of Death Meta and Feeder...
Matt: It was a great experience for us and to have some of the names that were mentioned alongside ours was really nice. It’s always ace to play with big artists and see how they cope with pressures of touring. You learn a lot.
Ally: We toured all over with them. We got a random call to perform alongside Salsh. He’s such a nice guy. After he saw our first gig he really liked it. It was cool to see him wear our t-shirt and go up on stage in Manchester.
Danny: They were all really cool, nice guys. We wouldn’t mind playing with Queens of Stone Age either.
Why such a provocative nameIJ
Danny: Me and Ally were recording in los Angeles before The Virginmarys formed and one night in the local bar we used to drink in, I overhead a group of guys talking about visiting a a strip club called The Virginmarys. We figured it was a cool name.
You say that lyrics are the most important part of a song. Share with us the things that inspire you when you write.
Matt: It is Ally who comes to us with the main body of the song and the idea and then we all play it together to see how it sounds. It is quite an organic process.
Danny: Our lyrics reflect what’s going around us. Being honest with yourself. The truth, frustration, heartbreak, love. It’s just the emotions. It’s important for bands to stick to the art form and explore the expression rather than just sing nothing.
Have you listened to Indian music beforeIJ
Ally: This was our first performance here. We loved it. Had an amazing time.
Danny: I listen to Norah Jones but she is not entirely Indian.
(The band performed at Hauz Khas Social)