Enda Mulloy On the Making Of ‘NOTIONS IN MIDLIFE CRISIS’
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your album 'NOTIONS IN MIDLIFE CRISIS' and the story it tells?
The album is an exploration of our lives on pause. Lockdown gave everyone the opportunity to reflect, and that meant that people had to face their daily realities, their relationships, their jobs, their living situations in a way they never did before. We're a society living on autopilot, this album is a focus on people developing notions in the midst of crisis.
How did you approach the arrangement and composition of the music for this album?
Through solitude and melancholy mostly. I put a great emphasis on the lyrics, and the message the songs portray. I felt that it was important to compose the songs in a way that reflects change, and deliberately I have added the occasional chord change to reflect a change in the mood in the song. I never sat down to deliberately follow a pattern - although it's clear there are patterns - I just wanted the song to follow the story. In Production Michael Smith and I experimented so much with the songs, and nothing was off the table in terms of ideas. It really was a liberating approach to the art.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this album 'NOTIONS IN MIDLIFE CRISIS'?
Quite a number really. Being open minded about the recording was in itself a stand out theme of the recording. Twice guitar player friends of mine were in the studio when I was recording, Ed Bennett and Omar Riaz Meléndez, both times we asked them to put some guitars on tracks, and both guys played absolutely brilliantly adding more to the album. This is an example of us just going with the flow on the album, and not trying to shoehorn things, or conform. Conformists are Lemmings and who wants to be a Lemming!?
What role do you feel emotions play in your music, and how do you channel them into your performances?
The entirety of the album is based on emotion, and how modern life, relationships and personal struggles affect every aspect of our lives. I think all music is based on emotions anyway, the level of emotion depends on the depth of the lyrics and the texture of the composition. I have certainly allowed a lot of introspect into the songs, and while there are a lot of observations, the standpoint of all the songs come from a feeling within.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a musician, and how did you overcome them?
Time is definitely the biggest problem all musicians have. Embarking on a career in music is certainly not for the faint hearted, it takes up so much of your time, and the knock on effect is challenges in family life and trying to maintain a functioning relationship with someone, it has certainly been a rollercoaster for me with that regard. Weekends aren't family time, they're overtaken by the gigs. I would say however, musicians rarely quit music, I've seen them try and fail which is both telling in terms of the character you have to be to be in this industry, but also how much music infects the soul in a positive way.