Post Punk Podge and the Technohippies have had another righteous year, and it’s all set to culminate in an unmissable performance at DeBarra’s in Clonakilty on 30th November. With their genre-flipping sound and raw, soul-sorting energy at its peak, the Limerick collective bring their latest album, Keep On Raving In The First World, to the island’s most iconic venue. With a singular knack for turning introspection into searing anthems, this show is sure to be as transformative as it is celebratory – a perfect way to cap off a monumental chapter for the band.
Go here to buy tickets to Post Punk Podge and the Technohippies at DeBarra’s on Saturday, 30th November
Hello Podge. This has been one of the best years yet for you and the Technohippies. Your new album, Keep On Raving In The First World, is an incredible statement, cementing your status as one of the island’s most uncompromising musical auteurs. It’s a big question, but looking back, what was the journey like conceiving these ten songs, bringing them together as a full-length release, and getting it out into the world?
Why thank you for the kind words. We had great fun in the studio as it was a very collaborative process between myself and the other Technohippies. We brought in guests such as Andrea Mocanu to sing on a few songs, Dan Walsh to play saxophone on the title track and Damien Moore to play cello on two tracks. I was busy with college and taking care of an ill parent so the recording was spread out over two years. The response to the songs live has been great and people have even been singing along already. We couldn’t ask for much more.
The album masterfully flips genres from start to finish – something we’ve long come to expect from you and your collaborators. I love how, speaking about the LP, you’ve said: ‘Hooks are carefully woven to soaring choruses and thoughts look towards a troubled past that leads to a triumphant future.’ With that in mind, is this the full-length sound of deliverance and freedom?
Writing and recording the music has always been very therapeutic for me. I speak about dealing with the mental health services in Ireland in a more universal way on the song ‘Not Just A Number’ and speak about dealing with OCD and bipolar depression in the song ‘Conscience’. There is a lot of freedom in the band for expression and each member is given the chance to have creative input.
I noticed some intriguing Bandcamp tags for the release, not least “devotional” and “ruralcore.” Could you tell us a bit more about how devotion to your craft, and not living in a head-wrecking capital city, plays into your identity as an artist?
“Devotional” was kind of added as a joke to try and tap into religious people who may come across our music in the algorithm. “Ruralcore” is a term I came up with for the music as a joke, as outside of Dublin Limerick is still seen as a rural place, not a bustling metropolis. We have a great community of artists, designers and musicians in Limerick. I would spend hours at home writing parts using a loop pedal or loops I have saved on my laptop. I sort of start to meditate when I am in the creative state. I am fortunate to live in a town where people are very supportive of each other’s music and not driven by being competitive.
It’s a remarkably candid, vulnerable, powerful and defiant release. Tracks like ‘Alcoholics Unanimous’ and ‘Conscience’ are prime examples of you wielding all of that like a scythe. While it’s not new territory for you, I sense that piecing this record together was particularly cathartic this time around – would you agree?
It felt empowering to deal with subjects such as alcoholism in a direct way, coming from personal experience whilst also making it inclusive. There’s a line in ‘Alcoholics Unanimous’ that goes, “I’m a social leper that’s shed his skin, I’m a social leper that’s sober again.” That speaks directly to the initial stage of getting sober, where one may feel alienated by their choice of abstinence. ‘Conscience’ is a very personal song but speaks out to people who may also have the same mental health problems in a very honest and caring way that one can overcome these obstacles.
If you’re able to be objective, what do you see as the major artistic shifts – or leaps – on this album compared to Euphoric Recall?
Making the album more collaborative made it more fun to make and spreading the recording over a longer length of time meant we had more time to take stock and change things or add things. Euphoric Recall was just Míchael Keating and I on our own, trying to record a song a day which meant there was less time for improvisation as I had all the parts regimentally worked out for me to play. Artistically, Keep On Raving In The First World is more focused on making people dance and being played live. Euphoric Recall was a more emotionally driven album.
You’ve very rightly described Chris Quigley, who produced, mixed and recorded the album, as “legendary.” What are your fondest memories of teaming up with the main man for the LP?
Chris is very inventive and fun to work with. For instance, in the intro to ‘Alcoholics Unanimous,’ he came up with the idea of us having a new age trad kind of intro with harmonium and the sound of cans being opened and drinks being poured. This was a lot of fun to do. He’s just a fun and charming guy to be around all the time and without his hard work, the album would never sound like it does. I can’t recommend him enough to work with. His choice of guests to bring in on the album was pivotal in getting the message across, especially in a song like ‘Not Enough Women,’ which is our attempt at a feminist punk song. Andrea’s vocals added depth to the message of there not being enough women performing in the punk scene.
This year has also delivered some unforgettable live moments, with your show at arguably the island’s best venue, DeBarra’s in Clonakilty, set to be one for the history books. What has been your experience of performing, or catching other artists, within its hallowed walls over the years?
I have only been there twice. Once was to play at the guitar festival in 2022; that was a great gig. The locals loved us even though we were without a guitarist, as Mr. The Boom Is Back had broken his arm and couldn’t play. I saw Givamankick’s last-ever show there, which was very special to me as I was a huge fan of them growing up and it meant a lot to see them bow out in style there. It always is a very inclusive and friendly environment to play there and we can’t wait to get back. Ray is a legend and very welcoming.
The DeBarra’s show follows a string of unforgettable PPP performances this year. My sense is that it’s going to reach equally – if not even more – special territory down in Clonakilty on 30th November. What can attendees expect from your return to Clon?
We have a sixteen-song set with plenty of new songs and instrumentals from across our back catalogue. We hope to get people up and dancing and forget about their lives for the length of our set and dance like no one is watching.
Lastly, it has, of course, been a pretty heavy year for many people right across the island this year. Looking towards 2025, can you offer a slither of wisdom regarding your intuition about the triumphant future?
Just be kind and gentle with one another and take the time to reach out to your neighbour or friend who you might feel needs a chat. There’s a lot of negativity out there but look for the good in people.
