Emerging Irish pop rock band Madraí have released their new single, Turn It Around, with their debut EP, What I'm Doing This For, to follow. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
Previously nomination for Single of the Year at the Northern Ireland Music Prize, their debut single, Leaving on My Own, was released last July.
We need your consent to load this Spotify contentWe use Spotify to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Speaking about Turn It Around, the band say, "We wrote this at a time when we were all feeling a bit stuck, like the spark had gone out.
"It became a kind of pep talk to ourselves - a reminder that even if it feels hopeless, you can fight your way back. It’s one of the first songs we finished as a full band, and it’s always felt like the moment things started to click."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Callum (vocals, guitar): We’re a four-piece band from Belfast who blend pop-rock with raw, emotional songwriting.
We all come from very different musical backgrounds, which makes writing together unpredictable in the best way.
And our name, Madraí, is the Irish word for dogs!
How would you describe your music?
Odhran (guitar, vocals): Pop-rock with singer-songwriter bones. Big choruses, honest lyrics, and grooves you can move to. We want our songs to hit live when you’re screaming the wrong lyrics but still be equally good for a cry into your pillow when every word stings.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Barry (Drums): Individually, we’re all over the place, but together we connect over artists like Sam Fender, John Mayer, Gareth Dunlop, Kings of Leon, Bricknasty and Nathan O’Regan. I also would be remiss not to mention the sheer quality of songwriting our producer Jonny Woods and his band Wynona Bleach are producing in Belfast at the moment.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Rory (Bass): Metallica at the Odyssey in Belfast. I was 11, high on sugar and had the time of my life!
What was the first record you ever bought?
Odhrán: Appetite For Destruction on CD - it definitely kickstarted the urge to play guitar and was my first ever internet purchase.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Callum: Little Bit More by Mk.Gee. The boy’s got it.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Rory: In Raglan Road, there’s this line "And I said let grief be a falling leaf at the dawning of the day" and it gets me every time!
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Barry: The Wind by Cat Stevens, it’s got a beautiful simple melody that just flows so effortlessly well.
Where can people find your music/more information?
On all the usual streaming platforms, Follow us on Instagram @madraimusic, search Madrai on Facebook or madraiband on TikTok!
Alan Corr
