Ham sandwich Picnic stars insearch of a slice of the action
HamsandwicH are poised to spread the word
After years of being perceived as the plucky outsiders with the quirky name, HamsandwicH have become, by anybody’s standards, a big Irish band. If that might be defined as a band who play the massive Electric Arena tent at the Electric Picnic and the Olympia Theatre and in doing so fill both venues, as they did in 2014, then they surely fit the bill. Their third album, Stories From The
Surface, should deservedly grab the Irish number one slot next week and help them pack out the Olympia again in May.
But, lead singer Niamh Farrell insists: ‘We still don’t feel like a big band’.
Niamh’s stage wingman, guitarist and vocalist Podge McNamee, agrees and has a different spin on what was seen by others as a triumphant Electric Picnic appearance.
‘When we were backstage before playing the Electric Arena tent, the band onstage before us was an up-and-coming one and the place was scarily empty,’ he says.
‘I just thought “why do they (the promoters) think we are going to fill this place?” It only filled up after we came on, so we didn’t have that great feeling beforehand of “oh deadly! The place is full.” It’s scary until you get on and see them there.’
Niamh goes further, saying: ‘When it is over, you are buzzing about how good it was but you don’t carry on that feeling of confidence that the next time the place will be full. Every time I think: “Oh my God; is anybody coming?”’
What has always been evident about HamsandwicH is that they were prepared to work hard to gain every fan. I’ve seen them play to tiny crowds in earlier days but they would be sanguine, feeling that they had got through to whoever did turn up. There has never been a sense of entitlement with them. They have been doing it this way for so long that, while some other Irish bands of their vintage have been signed to major labels, they remain independent.
‘We are a completely independent band. We are 100% funded by the gigs we do,’ Niamh says.
‘The recording process and bringing in a producer is still a very expensive process. If you are funded by a record company you can bring out an album every year or two years if you want. If you are doing all the gigs (that we do) then you are not getting a chance to sit down and write songs. When the gigs slow down that’s when you concentrate on the songwriting. ’
That is why it is almost four years since the release of their White Fox album. The slow-burning success was achieved by radio beginning to put the song Antz on heavy rotation, another, Models, being used in a Discover Ireland advertising campaign. Although not on the album, their cover of Bring Me Sunshine for a supermarket chain’s commercial made more people aware of the Meath band. Stories From The
Surface marks the band’s evolution into one where their songwriting is now the most notable thing.
‘Obviously you want your songs to be played on the radio but you can’t go into the album-making process thinking we will record a set of songs that will suit radio, or to be commercial,’ Niamh says.
‘The title (of the album) represents the fact that the songs are stories and they’re our stories in songs. They’re straight and to the point with no bull****. You don’t need to read between the lines, just read the lines.’
There is a variety of styles, from the glam rock-inspired Hold Me
Up, to the clipped pop of Illuminate and Fandango and the minimalist folksiness of All Worthwhile. Another track, Apollo, Podge feels may ultimately find favour in Britain, a territory they intend to pay much more attention to.
‘We didn’t play in England that much because we didn’t feel we had enough material out there but we have a strong catalogue now,’ he says. ‘We played Reading (Festival) in 2012 and we still have people who saw us asking when are we coming over again and we haven’t been back.’
‘It’s all still about stepping stones,’ Niamh says.
‘You don’t want to go over there and do a half-arsed tour. You want to know you are going to go over, hit all the spots and get a crowd. ’
‘No need to read between the lines, just read the lines’