Celtic rockers ready to deliver Part II
The Mahones July 3 | Rickshaw Theatre Tickets: $15 at ticketfly.com
Twenty-five years after forming for a one-off performance on St. Patrick’s Day in Kingston, Ont., The Mahones are still bringing their brand of Irish punk rock to fans all over the world. The band’s most recent release was last year’s The Hunger & The Fight (part one), the first of a double concept album. Where the songs on that record were about the Irish experience at home, part two — set for release in August — trades acoustic instruments for electric and looks at the Irish experience in the U.S. We talked to lead vocalist and one of the two remaining original members, Finny McConnell, about meeting his heroes, concept albums, and former hockey player (now bestselling author) Theo Fleury.
Q Where are you now?
A We’re in Calgary. We just played a show there last night. It was fantastic. A hockey legend, Theo Fleury, came to the show. He knows people that we know. And a friend of mine, Paddy McCallion from Calgary, who’s mixing our new album right now, is working with him on his album. It’s a country album.
Q Is that new album of yours that he’s mixing part two of The Hunger and The Fight?
A Yes. It’s a double-concept album. First of its kind. We even have an overture on the album, with pieces from part one. It starts folky and ends up completely punk rock like (Irish band) Stiff Little Fingers.
Q When you were writing for this album, were you thinking about concept albums by your favourite band, The Who?
A Yeah, that’s for sure. Quadrophenia. This is my Tommy/Quadrophenia. That’s one of the main reasons we did this.
Q Did you write the songs for both parts around the same time?
A I came up with the concept about a year ago. It kind of turned into a double because there was so much to do. We’re releasing it in two separate pieces because everyone has ADD these days with computers and skip buttons. I didn’t want to release 21, 22 songs in one go. They’re both very different albums, like the two faces of the band.
Q On the 2012 Mahones record Angels & Devils, you recorded with Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers.
A I just talked to him yesterday. He lives in Chicago now. He played on two songs. I met him on a tour in the States we did together years ago. We (The Mahones) did a cover of (the Stiff Little Fingers song) Alternative Ulster for part two, and a Dubliners (Dublin Irish folk band) cover on part one. Just to pay tribute to our heroes and influences. I called him (Burns) up yesterday for some publishing info. He’s great. He’s a funny guy. He’s a super-talented songwriter, singer, guitarist. He’s up there with Pete Townshend and Joe Strummer (of The Clash).
Q And Simon Townshend (brother of The Who’s Pete Townshend) played on The Hunger & The Fight (part one). Was it hard to not ask him questions about The Who?
A No. I’ve known Simon for awhile. I got a backstage pass to see the Roger Daltrey tour awhile back, and we’ve stayed friends since. When we talk about music we talk about his stuff, not his brother’s. He’s got some great stuff. He played on a song called Stars. His guitar and vocal arrangement is mind-blowing. ... He’s a real genius when it comes harmonies.
Q And that song’s about Oscar Wilde, right?
A Yeah. My wife (The Mahones’ accordion player Katie “Kaboom” McConnell) wrote all the lyrics for this album for the first time. I’ve always been the lyricist. She’s a super-talented lyricist, she’s at Joe Strummer level. She knocks it out of the park. I had this concept, kind of this reach for the stars thing, and she gave me the idea of “the hunger and the fight.” I said, “Why don’t you write with me,” and she pretty much wrote most of the lyrics. I was coming up with the ideas for the songs and she took it over. It’s the best work we’ve ever done.