The Rise of The Belgian Blue: A Cross-Cultural Musical Journey

In this episode of Curious Goldfish, host Jason English interviews members of the European band The Belgian Blue. Formed through a unique blend of influences from Ireland, Austria, and the United States, the band merges varying musical heritages into a distinct sound. Lead singer and guitarist Padraig McMahon, banjo and guitar player Ian Strawn, and drummer Moritz Colin Bauer, each share insights into their musical backgrounds, their journey of forming the band, and the cultural nuances that shape their music. They also discuss the impact of streaming services on independent artists, the meaning behind their songs, and their plans for the future. Tune in to discover the intricate process behind their songwriting and the band's exciting ventures ahead.

00:00 Introduction to Curious Goldfish Podcast

01:39 Streaming Platforms: A Double-Edged Sword

02:13 Meet The Belgian Blue

02:44 Band Members' Backgrounds

03:51 Reuniting in Montana

07:36 The Origin of The Belgian Blue

16:10 Musical Influences and Genre

20:52 The Power of Padraig's Voice

27:35 Songwriting Process

28:48 The Eclectic Mix of Belgian Blue

29:39 The Journey of Recording and Performing

31:00 The Story Behind 'The Bare Minimum'

32:44 Interpreting Lyrics and Personal Reflections

40:29 Upcoming Releases and Future Plans

42:17 The Importance of Intention and Curiosity

46:35 Individual Curiosities and Band Dynamics

53:07 Closing Thoughts and Future Performances

I think it's, maybe something that can't be explained, but definitely

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maybe a collective, Consciousness or

something that has been passed down,

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but, yeah, it sounds, sounds a bit,

yeah, cliche or a bit far fetched or

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something, but the honest answer is

I, I don't really know where it comes

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from, but something definitely, uh,

takes over and it, but it is something

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that I'm very conscious of And very, uh,

outspoken about and, and, aware of the,

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the history of, of where I come from

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Jason English (Host): Welcome to

curious goldfish, a podcast community

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where music and curiosity come together

through interesting conversations

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with the music makers of our world.

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I'm your host, Jason English.

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You can find curious goldfish and all the

major podcast and social media platforms.

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And of course we have all of our content

on our website, curious goldfish.

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com.

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MacBook Pro Microphone: The jury is

still out, whether they're streaming

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platforms like Spotify or that much

of a benefit to independent artists.

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I want to hand, it removes lots of

layers of bureaucracy and barriers

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to getting their art in front of eyes

and ears of people all over the world.

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On the other, artists basically are

giving their music away for free,

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hoping it inspires people to attend

concerts or money can be made from

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ticket and merchandise sales..

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MacBook Pro Microphone-1: But for a

consumer like me, and perhaps most

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listening to this podcast, streaming

is more of a benefit than a drawback.

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Especially when it comes to learning about

bands, you have otherwise no idea about.

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Enter The Belgian Blue.

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It band based in Europe who hit a playlist

rotation earlier this year on my Spotify..

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MacBook Pro Microphone-2: This fascinating

band is a true Testament to the power of

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cross-cultural collaboration in music.

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With roots spanning across Ireland,

Austria, and the United States.

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The Belgian Blue brings together

the rich musical heritage and

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unique sounds from each of these

distinctly different cultures.

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This blend of influences gives

their music a distinct flavor.

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That's hard to pin down, but

easy to fall in love with.

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Pork McMahon, the lead singer and

guitarist, hails from Ireland.

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His voice carries the weight

and soul of his homelands.

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Rich folk traditions.

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You had a seamlessly woven

with modern Americana..

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MacBook Pro Microphone-3: Ian who plays

banjo and guitar, is originally from

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the United States, bringing his slice of

American folk and bluegrass into the mix.

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Moritz Colin Bauer known affectionately

as Mo, is the Austrian heartbeat of the

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group, laying down beats that fuses native

influences with a distinct punk rock edge.

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It's this unique combination of

backgrounds and experiences that allows

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the Belgium blue to craft songs that

resonate a multiple levels, appealing

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to a wide audience while maintaining

a sound that's distinctly their own..

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MacBook Pro Microphone-4: I met

up with these three members of the

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five-piece band in the summer of 2024,

exploring their journey, creative

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process, in the beautiful melding

of cultures that define their music.

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All the way from Vienna, Austria.

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Here is The Belgian Blue.

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Let's dive in.

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Jason English (Host):

Belgian blue fellows.

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Thanks for joining the show.

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What are you guys up to today?

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Ian: Thanks for having us, Jason.

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Um, it's, you've caught us at a, at an

appropriate moment because we are all

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reuniting today in Montana of all places.

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Um, we normally live We normally

live over in Austria and Vienna.

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And, uh, for the first time, the

two gentlemen on my right and left

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are visiting Montana, so Um, this

is where I grew up and, uh, we're

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just kind of arriving and it's

been a whirlwind of getting all

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set up for, for the call and stuff.

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Mo just got off the plane,

but we're happy to be here.

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Jason English (Host): All right.

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Well, it's, you guys are, I think,

are our five piece band, so it's

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three fifths of the Belgian blue.

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Is that fair?

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Padraig: Yeah.

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We've

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Jason English (Host): can you

guys introduce yourselves?

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Padraig: so I'm, my name's Parikh McMahon.

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I'm the lead singer and, and,

uh, guitar player and, um,

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and writing songs in the band.

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and I'm from Ireland.

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Um,

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originally and still from Ireland.

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Um, and that's all I do in the band.

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That's, that's the extent

of my contributions.

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But, um, yeah.

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Jason English (Host): Very,

very small role, obviously.

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All right.

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Ian: Tiny role.

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Um, my name's Ian Strawn and I

play mostly banjo and guitar.

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Jason English (Host): All right.

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Ian

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Moe: My name is Mo.

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Actually it's Moritz Kollenbauer, but I

don't know if the people in the US get it.

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And I play drums, mainly.

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Jason English (Host): I'm sorry, where'd,

where'd you fly in to Montana from Mo.

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Moe: I was in Seattle right now,

but I flew to Seattle like 5 days

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ago, from Austria, from Vienna.

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Jason English (Host):

So you're from Vienna.

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Okay.

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All right.

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Cool.

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Moe: I'm the only one

that isn't a native here.

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Ian: And there are two others in the

band who couldn't be with us today.

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Uh, they're back in Austria.

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We have Ferdy Rauchmann,

he plays keys and synth.

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And Jani Hölzer, he plays,

uh, bass and electric guitar.

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Jason English (Host): Awesome.

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All right.

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Well, hopefully at some point

I'll meet those guys, So anyway,

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really appreciate your time.

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I don't want to interrupt the hiking

or the fly fishing or whatever.

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Whatever you guys have planned

out in big sky country, but

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really appreciate your time.

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I'm really excited to talk to you all

So I know that the the whole notion of

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streaming Kind of gets mixed reviews from

musicians and artists, but one of the

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benefits as it's just a listener like I'm

not a musician You know, I can't sing.

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I don't play an instrument, but I'm

a huge fan one of the benefits of a

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listener like me is Without streaming.

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There's no way in hell I would have

ever heard of the Belgian blue.

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Right.

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So, um, you know, I, I think I

was listening, I started like

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a radio, like a random radio

station, you know, off of a song.

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Uh, I don't remember who it was,

but you know, you get to hear like

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different things that are similar.

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And I heard your, uh, your first

single, uh, the bare minimum.

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And I was like, Oh my gosh,

who, like, who is this?

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You know?

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And, uh, so we'll talk about that

song, but I, um, It's been on repeat.

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I think, you know, it

has like 12, 000 plays.

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I probably, you can, you can thank me

for about 1, 500 of those, by the way.

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Um, but like the, the sound of, uh, I

don't know what it is, to be honest.

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It's like the achiness

of, uh, Pyroic's voice.

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It's the, it's the five pieces all

coming together, the lyrics, everything.

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I was like, Oh my gosh, who, you know?

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And, uh, so I'm, I'm so excited to hear

about what you have planned in the future.

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But I guess, could you just, tell

Sort of, uh, tell us like from the

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beginning, uh, the Belgian blue, I

think it's like the name of livestock.

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It's like a cow or something I don't know.

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Uh, that's the only thing I could

figure out but I like where'd the

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name come from And then I think you

guys have a pretty interesting story.

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Obviously you're you're from different

countries Uh met in europe and I

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think there's an interesting story

there So i'm not sure who's the best

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person to tell us the story of that

and kind of where the name came from

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But like i'm excited to hear about it

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Padraig: Well, uh, well, I just want to

say, I, I hope that, uh, I hope, I think

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a lot of the playlist, um, recommendations

or the, the playlist plays came from

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the fortnight nostalgia playlist that,

uh, it got picked up on and I hope

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that that's the playlist that

you were listening to Jason.

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Jason English (Host): Okay.

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No, that's good.

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Good plug there.

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All right.

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Fortnite playlist.

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Perfect.

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Ian: No, we, um, You

know, I first met Poric.

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He was the first one who I met, um, I

guess three and a half or four years

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ago now, and I was actually living in

Germany at the time, and I was looking

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for a place to live, uh, in Vienna,

and, uh, I had, I ended up having a

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call with, uh, some of the people there.

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It was COVID time, so I was trying to

move in, and, um, I remember, um, You

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know, there's this guy and he said

he's a musician and I asked him if he

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liked Irish music because I grew up

listening to a lot of Irish music and

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he's like, no, I hate Irish music.

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He was, he was sick of everybody asked

him if he played Irish music all the time.

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And, uh, So I was like, wow,

this is really good fit.

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I thought the call went really well

and it was a great conversation.

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Um, and in the end they just picked a

different person to move into the flat.

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And so I was rejected.

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Um, and that was our first,

uh, our first encounter.

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And, uh, actually my, my now partner

ends up, ended up moving in, in my place.

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Uh, so that was a nice coincidence,

but we met back then and actually

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never really had plans to play music.

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Seriously, with each other, I think,

um, I've been playing a lot in the US

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and and Poric, um, have been playing

professionally for a long time in Ireland

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and um, our plan was just to sit around

and play Bob Dylan songs and enjoy making

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music and um, we ended up liking it and

we ended up just enjoying playing together

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and, um, would go down to the, this fruit

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and vegetable market that was, uh,

kind of on the outskirts of Vienna

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and sit down on the corner next to

this old Austrian man who sells honey.

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And, uh, play music next to the honey man.

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And he was kind of grumpy at first.

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He, he was like, you know,

what kind of music do you play?

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And we said, Oh, we play some folk music.

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And he's like, well,

let's see if I like it.

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And, uh, and so we started this

honey themed set to kind of.

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appease this man.

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And that's how it kind of got its start.

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But the main reason to name a

band or start a band came, uh,

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do you want to talk about it?

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Padraig: Yeah.

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Um, the name, uh, the name

came from a necessity to, um,

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identify ourselves as an entity.

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Um, we had booked We had, we had bought

tickets, um, to go see the war on drugs,

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which is one of our favorite bands.

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Um, and it had just, just kind of, we'd

gotten out of COVID lockdown times.

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Um, and we needed to get up to Berlin

from Vienna, which is quite a ways.

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Um, we didn't have any money.

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So we said, well, let's just book

some small club gigs on the way there

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and play together and earn the money

and earn the expenses to get there.

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And, uh, Ian booked a lot of the

gigs through some old, old contacts.

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And, um, then he was

like, he called me up.

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I was, um, I was at a ski

resort with my friends.

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Not skiing, but drinking.

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And from Ireland they came over and

uh, He called me up in the middle of

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the night and he said, We, we're gonna

need a, We're gonna need a name for

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the band if we're gonna go on tour.

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So I said, uh, I tuned into them,

my friends who are sitting beside

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me, and they're all farmers.

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They're all colchies from Ireland, and

they were talking about their cattle,

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and one of them must have floated

the name, or the, the breed of cow,

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um, But I just picked up on that and

I just said it straight to Ian and

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he was like, All right, that's good.

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No one will care anyway and

it's not going to matter.

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Uh, we just thought we were going

to use it for these couple of shows

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and then sail off into the sunset.

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But, um, yeah, we bonded,

um, musically over that tour.

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And, uh, when we came back, we

kept kind of, um, getting booked

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for small gigs and small events.

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And eventually, We met the other

band members, um, Mo and Yanni and

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Ferry, and uh, we decided to give it

a shot, and that was about, I don't

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know, a year, a year and a half, two,

I don't know, a year and a half ago.

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Um, so, Yeah, ever since then we've

been trying to, trying to make our way,

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but we've had many funny, funny, uh,

occasions and occurrences of people

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asking what the, what the name is about.

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Um, and we've always lied and

said it's, uh, anything but

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a, an enormous cow, but it is.

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Jason English (Host): Did

I read somewhere to that?

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So there was the busking, you know, at

the market and stuff, but then did you

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guys get stuck on a tram or something?

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Did I, did I read, is that lore?

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Is that folklore or is there a truth to

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Padraig: Yeah, well, he dated my

ex girlfriend for a, for a while.

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Uh, and.

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And then, but we didn't know each

other, um, and I was, I was at, who

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I'm still best friends with, so it's

all good, and he is too, but, um,

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we were at, we were at some sort of,

some sort of event in Vienna, some

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art exhibition or something, um, which

wasn't as fancy as it sounds, but we

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were there and then, We respect like

completely, um, respect, respectively.

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We're on our way home and got.

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We turned out to be on the

same tram and the tram got.

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Got locked or stuck and we were just,

we were stuck in the same tram and,

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and then we got talking to each other

because, because we knew the same person.

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And, um, and then he was

like, Oh, well you should, you

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should come around my place.

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And.

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We can make music and, uh, and I didn't,

um, because, um, I'm a little bit wary

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of jamming, um, making jam, but, uh,

we, uh, eventually kind of found, found

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the time and, uh, then we met the other

members, Yanni and Ferdi, um, because

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they came to, uh, me and Ian were playing

a duo gig in the center of Vienna, um,

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in this old cafe, a little tiny Crack in

the wall and we kind of filled up this

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tiny little room and we're playing, um,

as loud and hard and fast as we could.

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And these two, two guys from the, the

jazz world came down and they loved it.

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And they sat in on, on, um, on a song.

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I think it was Astral Weeks or something.

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I think it was a Van Morrison

song and, uh, and it was great.

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And after that, we said, do you

guys have to join us in this band?

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And they're in a lot of,

a lot of better bands.

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So it took them a long time to accept,

but I think when we got Mo on board.

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Then they respected us.

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Cos Mo is also in a number

better bands than us.

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Jason English (Host): Well, thanks.

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Thanks for sharing that.

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I guess we're, uh, There's a lot of

like different genres and different

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labels so you guys may not be into

it Uh into like labeling it similar

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to like how you weren't into labeling

your own your own group But how would

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you how would you describe your music?

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You know, is it folk?

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Is it folk rock?

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Padraig: I've, um, I've looked at

this website, um, that I came across

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called Every Sound at Once, um, which

is a super cool tool to discover

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new music, and it just kind of maps

the algorithms of the streaming

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services, and I put in Vienna on that.

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And, um, up came our band and I

clicked into that and then, uh, it

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classifies everything as genre just

based on who it is related to, like,

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sort of mathematically or whatever.

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And it officially says that we

are New Wave Deep Americana.

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Jason English (Host): That's

I haven't heard about that,

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Padraig: I think, I think we're going

to take credit for inventing that.

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Or

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Jason English (Host): Well, I

was going to ask you, you know,

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uh, so I'm American, obviously, I

think Ian is, is from the States.

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Uh, I traveled to Europe quite

a bit just for my day job.

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And, you know, I think that there's

an interesting, uh, you know,

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perception and relationship that

Europeans have with Americans.

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Right.

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I was actually going to ask you if,

if it's offensive to call you guys

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Americana, you know, like, uh, cause

like it is, it feels like it's roots.

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Folk, a little bit of bluegrass,

rock, you know, whatever.

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And, you know, but what you just said,

new wave, something Americana, like,

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is that, is that something that you're,

you're like, okay, will you embrace that?

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Padraig: yeah, completely.

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I mean, um, I have a natural aversion

to, um, to America in general,

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or I used to until I met Ian and

he fulfilled, uh, or he restored

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faith in, in Americans being cool.

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So, um, I'm, I'm, I'm now into it.

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But yeah, no, honestly, um, a lot of

the music that we love is all Americana

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kind of folk and, um, roots and stuff.

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It was a big part of growing up

for me to listen to, you know,

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the greats, the American greats.

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And obviously being from Ireland,

a lot of Irish music too has had

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its place in forming the modern

idea of what American music is.

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And, um, so.

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I think it's a natural, um, it's

a natural sort of thing to, to

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be classified as, as Americana.

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And, um, we, we met because of like,

we, we originally kind of bonded

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because of people like Gregory Alan

Isakov and Leif Vollbeck, um, and the

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Barr brothers and all sorts and Dylan.

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And yeah, like a lot of Americana music

would be, it would have been our diet.

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Um, So I've no problems with that at all.

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But, uh,

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Mo loves punk music.

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So maybe he has a problem with that.

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Ian: What do you think about

being called Americana?

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Moe: I don't care.

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Jason English (Host): the

quiet drummer back there.

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All right.

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Um, Well, I guess, so, you know,

Moe's Austrian, uh, American,

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uh, Pork, you're, you're Irish.

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Obviously it's a blend, but does any

of those, uh, sort of backgrounds

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and, uh, influences, come forth

as, as more dominant than the

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others, or is it truly just a blend,

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Ian: I don't know.

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I don't, I don't think we

really think about it like that.

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We just.

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enjoy being together and making music

and, um, you know, when I was a kid, I

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listened to a lot of Irish folk music

and, and pork, a lot of Americana music,

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but, um, we're definitely influenced

by the other members of the band too,

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and learning a lot of great Austrian

music that we'd never heard before.

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And a lot of very weird Austrian music.

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Um, and, So I think that all

just sort of gets thrown in

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into a big smoothie together.

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So I don't know if one thing's more

dominant than the other, but for us, it's.

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You know, it's always just

been about being around people

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who we to spend time with.

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And, um, the music actually was always

secondary to wanting to be with people

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who we loved and felt comfortable

with and wanted to travel with and,

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and spend late nights and, and, you

know, strange places with, um, so I, I

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don't know if, if one's more dominant

than the other, but it's definitely

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formed from this kind of combination.

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Jason English (Host): So Padraig, I

do want to ask you, uh, I think one of

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the things that caught me about your

all sound is obviously your voice.

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There's this, I don't know, I don't

know how you describe it, but it's

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like this achiness, you know, this

like, it's like a lonesome achiness is

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like the best way I can describe it.

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I don't know if that makes any sense, but

obviously you're, you're from Ireland.

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And I think what's interesting about

some of the, the musicians that I've

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listened to through the years from

Ireland, there's this sort of innate

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tension that is, uh, in the music, right.

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And it's like this struggle and it's this.

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You know, um, fighting and all the

religious tension through the years and,

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and, and things like that, you know, the,

the famine and all, all these sorts of

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things, I guess, is that a real thing?

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Like, do you as Irish, is that something

that you are aware of and, um, embrace

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or, or not, How does that sort of

manifest itself into your voice and

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into the music that you're making?

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Padraig: Yeah.

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Um, it's a good question.

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Uh, I think it's something I'm trying

to figure out a bit myself and, um,

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trying to, uh, understand because

none of my family were, um, singers.

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No one, my mother can't hold a note.

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Um, Although she, she loves music, um, and

my dad, uh, my dad always loved to sing

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the lyrics ahead of the song to show that

he knew it, but not necessarily musically.

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Um, so I don't know where it comes

from, but, um, Ian once described it

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to me of the way he sees my singing or

the way I perform as being some sort of

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channel, some sort of funnel, something,

a thing that maybe comes, comes through.

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Me, um, which is interesting food for

thought because I don't really know why,

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um, why I do feel like I go into a place

or another, another place when I sing,

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trying to say it in the least tropey way.

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But, um, and I think, I think it's,

it's perhaps maybe something that can't

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be explained, but definitely maybe a

collective, Consciousness or something

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that has been passed down, but, um, yeah,

it sounds, sounds a bit, yeah, um, cliche

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or a bit far fetched or something, but

the honest answer is I, I don't really

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know where it comes from, but something

definitely, uh, takes over and, um, and

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it, but it is something that I'm very

conscious of and very, um, And very, uh,

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outspoken about and, and, um, aware of

the, the history of, of where I come from.

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And, um, the reason that we employ

arts and cultural, uh, pursuits as a,

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way of exhibiting and, and expressing

how we, how we process our past.

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And now I do feel a part of that.

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Um, and I do feel like, uh, an envoy or,

uh, um, ambassador for where I come from.

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And I'm very proud to be Irish and,

And represent sort of the history that

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people have gone through there, um, in

generations before, and maybe in some

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way that comes through, um, and yeah, if

there's anything there, I do think it's a,

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it's a collective, um, weight of, because

I think Irish folk music and Irish, Irish

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song and Irish, um, art is, is really

was for centuries our only opportunity.

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way of exacting revenge on oppression, um,

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Jason English (Host): Right?

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Padraig: That's, I mean, I think that's

the only real threat an Irishman has,

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is they'll write a song about you if

you wrong them, you know, so, I think

382

maybe it's something to do with that.

383

Jason English (Host): No, that's awesome.

384

Yeah.

385

Great, great answer.

386

I guess Ian for you and Mo Mo, I'm

going to ask you a question here.

387

So you're, you're on the hook to answer.

388

But, uh, like when you, when you

all are performing and a Padraig

389

is singing like, do you guys

feel like, do you guys feel it?

390

Like what he's talking about?

391

Sure.

392

Ian: in a, in a metaphysical and a

physical sense, because Poric sings so

393

goddamn loud that I will literally have

drums on one side and Poric's vocals on

394

the other side, and, My ear that's closer

to pork's vocals is ringing louder than

395

the drum side and uh, I just wanted to hop

on that last question too, because I think

396

I think there is sort of this poetic, uh,

or supernatural sort of sense about it.

397

But there's also the very pragmatic

reason that pork has spent his whole life.

398

singing in very loud pubs in Ireland.

399

And, you know, there's not a ton

of amplification, especially in

400

some of those, you know, more

hidden or more folky places.

401

Uh, when I visited, when I

visited, uh, Poirot last time in

402

Ireland, we, he took me to this

box car, like, in the back forest.

403

And, you know, there's all these, uh,

Old Irishman sitting around in a circle

404

and trading songs, but it's a loud

environment, you know, and when you learn

405

to sing in that environment, you, you

just have a power to your voice, I think.

406

And I really see that in Pork

and also in, in some of Pork's

407

friends and other Irish musicians.

408

Um, but yeah, I mean, I, I was

definitely struck by, by Pork

409

singing when I first met him.

410

And especially when you get on

the stage with him, it becomes

411

a completely different thing.

412

Um, than when you're, Just rehearsing

or something, I get goosebumps.

413

Jason English (Host):

Yeah, that's awesome.

414

Mo, what about, what,

415

Mo, what about you in terms of, uh,

like, do you feel it in like the tension

416

and the struggle with, uh, with Port?

417

Moe: I feel some energy.

418

But like I, I As English is

not my first, um, language.

419

Like it's hard for me

to understand lyrics.

420

It's not something that

I listen to normally.

421

Or like in every English song.

422

I'm more like, I'm I just feel

it somehow, what the lyrics mean.

423

But I It's sometimes hard for me

to understand them, but yeah, I

424

feel I feel an energy and I think

I know what they mean, but like

425

I can't really explain it to you.

426

It's kind of weird

427

Jason English (Host): So speaking

of lyrics and songwriting, do all

428

of you write, write the music or is

there a one or two of you that are

429

responsible for, for the songwriting?

430

Moe: No, mainly Poric and Ian

are writing the songs I would

431

Jason English (Host): Okay.

432

Yeah.

433

Moe: and then

434

Jason English (Host): All right,

435

Moe: the other guys just try

to Make something out of it.

436

Padraig: It's a shared like the songs

will maybe have Yeah, the songs will,

437

will, will mainly have like a, some sort

of idea behind them or, or, uh, yeah, as

438

Mo said, a basic structure behind, um,

how they're, how they're written, but

439

usually they, they take shape when we,

when we bring it into the band, band room.

440

And when we, when we rehearse them,

and, um, often there'll be some changes

441

or some chord changes or some rhythm

changes with the drums and interesting,

442

different ways of approaching the songs

that the other guys bring into the band.

443

Um, which is like, I think that's

also a strength of our, of us as

444

a band is that we're all pretty

much not from the same place and

445

didn't grow up in the same place.

446

And, um, We all bring different

ways of looking at music

447

or, um, approach and music.

448

And, uh, it's interesting.

449

I mean, it's, it's just a eclectic

mix to bring a song written by an

450

Irish songwriter to an Austrian

drummer, and then an American

451

banjo or electric guitar player.

452

It's just, uh, I think it's a strength of

ours, um, but it can also be a, uh, bit

453

of a complicated mess at times, but, yeah.

454

Jason English (Host): the one song that's

out there and then the, uh, the second

455

one that hopefully you'll, you'll release

soon, like it's working obviously.

456

So can I, I guess, can I ask you

about the, the, the first single,

457

which is the bare minimum, who, who

wrote that and like, what's the quick

458

kind of background of that story?

459

I, and I've got the lyrics that I want

to, I want to just like say a few of them,

460

but yeah, is that you Ian or is that Port?

461

Okay.

462

Ian: Uh, that's a Pork song.

463

The, yeah, the thing with recording was

that we spent more than a year recording.

464

playing as a five piece band and even

longer playing as a duo and, um, really

465

wanted to cut our teeth as, as a live

band before we went into the studio.

466

And so that was a really interesting

process for us to write songs and

467

see what people connected with.

468

And a lot of times people connected

with things that we didn't expect.

469

And, um, I think we learned a lot

about playing and, um, Listening

470

to each other and energy and

music through that experience.

471

And then, um, you know, At

least in Austria, and I think

472

a lot of places in the U.

473

S.

474

now, too.

475

Um, the norm is that people release

music and then maybe make a live band

476

and, um, try and support a few songs

that, that they've got recorded.

477

And that's also a cool way to go about it.

478

And, It's just not our, our

strength, you know, we love playing

479

live and we love giving really

energetic and big performances.

480

And, um, so that's where we come from.

481

And, and so for us going into the, into

the studio and starting this process

482

of, uh, releasing music, um, was a

really cool learning experience for us.

483

Um, I'll let Porik tell you about

The Bare Minimum cause it's his song.

484

Padraig: Um, yeah, it's, uh, I think it's,

um, rather, I don't know if it's, if it's

485

too inaccessible, the lyrics to decipher,

but, um, it's, uh, I think it's just a

486

song about, um, struggle with identity,

uh, of, um, accepting acceptance of,

487

of one's identity and, um, forgiving.

488

One's miss comings.

489

Um And yeah, it's like I think, you

know, like anyone will relate who's

490

written a song like it's um, It's always

something that keeps unfolding new

491

meanings of of why you wrote that song.

492

Um, originally I wrote it about You know

about a relationship that I was going

493

through but the real The real bones of

the song the real the real sort of um, the

494

real teeth of the song Uh sort of attacked

me later when we had already recorded and

495

started playing it on like bigger stages.

496

Um, and I realized it's It's about

other things that are Sort of going

497

on on a maybe on a different scale

or on a different different plane.

498

Um, But yeah, I mean i'm happy to i'm

happy to Answer any lines you might

499

Jason English (Host): I think that's

the great thing about songs is everybody

500

will hear them and sort of apply

meaning based on their own experiences.

501

Right?

502

And I think that's the,

that's the beauty of art.

503

Um, I think that the two things I picked

up on, uh, obviously the relationship bit,

504

but like in the first verse, if I could,

if you don't mind, I'll just read it.

505

Um, It start the song starts out again,

this is the bare minimum by the belgian

506

blue wait I haven't said what I thought

in the past was wrong all along Dogmatic

507

truth pin me in youth came to in an age

where the lines in the night were crossed

508

Four gray walls encapsulated all my life

Uh, so when I when I see that and hear

509

it, I think of like, uh, allusion to

you know Religion and growing up in uh,

510

you know strict sort of institutional

Institutional, uh Situations, I guess.

511

Uh, is that, am I close or is that,

is that, uh, am I applying that

512

to something that's like not even

513

Padraig: That sounds good

514

Jason English (Host): in your brain?

515

Is that, will that,

will that be acceptable?

516

Padraig: Yeah, that sounds great i'll go

with that, um, yeah, no like I mean I joke

517

saying that sounds good or whatever but

genuinely like You've, you've brought that

518

up now and, and it rings in my head and,

and it, that the truth rings in that it,

519

it is about a lot of that, a lot of the,

a lot of the way that I feel songwriting

520

is about is, is not, I don't really try

and say anything, I just try and funnel,

521

channel some sort of greater, creation, I

don't know, it's, you know, getting down

522

the songwriter cheesy route, it's a gift

when, when, when you're given a song to

523

sing, um, because it keeps im, imbibing

new meaning to your life, um, and telling

524

you things about yourself, and when you

say that to me now, I did grow up in a,

525

in a In a really, um, I wouldn't say, uh,

oppressively a religious, um, household

526

or a place, but it was definitely very

religious and I think the, the old

527

fangs of, of that, um, of that kind of

society, um, structured around religion

528

did, uh, inform a lot of the, ways

that I, um, learned to look at myself

529

and look at my actions and behaviors.

530

I joke about it, but

you're honestly right.

531

It is, it is about that.

532

And, um, yeah, I mean, it's on the

surface, it's, it's definitely a

533

relationship song, you know, but, I

would say the main, the main thing

534

that it, that it is to me is, is a song

about acceptance of yourself, you know,

535

Ian: it's interesting to

talk about the meaning of the

536

lyrics for the first time in a.

537

in a public setting, you know, like we've

never really sat down and talked about

538

what the song meant before, because I

think we didn't necessarily have to.

539

But, um, I always also interpreted some,

some level of this experience that Pork

540

and I both share of, uh, being outsiders

in a new place and, and coming to Austria

541

and starting a new life and, Not just

being linguistic, um, and cultural

542

outsiders, but just having to learn how

people interact with each other and how to

543

have relationships and all these things,

um, you, you learn again in a new way.

544

And, um, I think that was something

that really, really helped me.

545

We felt connected about when we first

met of, um, trying to find a home.

546

Um, and I think the music for us

was really, uh, a home that we

547

found in Austria and, and slowly

as we've built a community around

548

our band and, um, friendships.

549

Through, through that experience, I

think that home has, has grown and

550

we felt more and more belonging,

um, in this place where we live.

551

And so, um, that's something that

I'm really grateful for, uh, the

552

experience of being able to make

music in, in a foreign place for us.

553

but I always kind of interpreted

that into the song too.

554

For me, it was always kind

of about trying to be.

555

trying to kind of shed your old

identity and be someone who you're

556

more proud of and who you feel like

connects with the people around you.

557

And

558

so that's, that's something that

I interpreted into it as well.

559

Jason English (Host):

Yeah, that's well put.

560

Um, so, so port one, a couple

more questions is, um, what

561

is, what is the bare minimum?

562

What, like, you know, the name of the

song is the bare minimum, like back

563

to the relationship and like your

experience, like, what, what was that?

564

Was that an expectation?

565

Was that a,

566

Ian: Well, it's primarily

actually a song about bears.

567

Padraig: Yeah.

568

Um, yeah, it's, uh, um,

569

I don't know.

570

It's, uh, I don't It was, I mean,

it was a, I was in a, I was in a

571

tough relationship at that time and,

um, sort of, uh, trying to conform

572

to, to an image of someone that I

wasn't, um, trying to sort of be more

573

perfect and rounded, um, than I am.

574

And, uh, I mean, maybe it's

just classic, you know.

575

Teenage white kid angst but um, it uh,

it was uh Yeah, it was was just a sort

576

of a um kind of a rallying cry for me

to be to kind of break out of um, that

577

pattern of um unacceptance and uh Yeah,

you know, um I don't really know what

578

Jason English (Host): the killer, the

killer line for me, uh, is like, I think

579

this is the, maybe the, Third verse

or something right before the second

580

chorus, uh simple things that you need

for me now Like the bare bones the bare

581

minimum that I promised hand in hand

and this is where i'm like, oh my gosh

582

It says some stay long and some move

on Some will stay and change Daylight

583

is burning now I'll see myself out.

584

So it's basically like i'm not gonna

change for you You know, some will stay

585

and change, but like, I'm out of here.

586

Um, I was like, okay, that's,

that's a hell of a way to put that.

587

Um, so like, well done.

588

I love that.

589

Padraig: Yeah, I mean You I didn't think

I'd ever land in that position, but I

590

always found it funny how musicians have

to have to dredge up old relationships

591

for the sake of talking about their

their music, but um, yeah, I mean it

592

was just uh, it was a bitter ending to

something and uh, it was a way of sort

593

of like mantering myself of like some,

you know, some might um, some might

594

continue this charade, but uh, But I

can't do it anymore, you know and like

595

That relates to the main line of the

song, which is, um, it actually was

596

something that my mother said to me.

597

She said, like, if, um, if you

were, if you have to try so

598

hard, then you're obviously not,

you're obviously not that person.

599

Um, so you should just walk away.

600

And so I guess you can thank my

mother for that line, for those lines,

601

Jason English (Host): She, she can't sing,

but she can put everything in perspective.

602

Padraig: Honestly, she can.

603

I think, I think she actually, when I

really think back on that now, which

604

I haven't done, I think she Preface

that with like an ABBA lyric and it was

605

like, it was like, it's like that ABBA

song, uh, what is it, um, uh, no, it was

606

like, it was like, uh, Keaton, I can't

think of it, um, it's harder, you know,

607

harder still to, yeah, I don't know.

608

If we've, if we, if I find it

out, I'll post in the comments,

609

people can listen to the song.

610

Jason English (Host): Perfect.

611

All right.

612

Well, thanks for going.

613

Thanks for doing that.

614

And I think you guys, are you guys,

About to release like another single

615

soon and is that is that found me

616

Ian: Yeah, it's a highly disputed

name of the second single.

617

I think we haven't decided exactly what

it's going to be called yet, but, um,

618

we're working, uh, those two songs were

recorded in the same session, so The

619

Bare Minimum and Found Me were part of

the same process, and we've kind of been

620

sitting on the second single for a while

and are really looking forward to putting

621

it out and having people listen to it.

622

Um, and we're also excited to just kind

of be moving forward as a band and be

623

recording more and different material.

624

And so we have some

exciting plans for that.

625

But, um, Yeah, our, our, uh,

release date for the second song,

626

uh, is the 30th of, of August.

627

So it'll be coming out

in a couple of weeks and,

628

Jason English (Host): Perfect

629

Ian: we've had the summer off now.

630

So we've been just running around

the American West and riding horses

631

and going fishing and writing songs.

632

And, uh, we're going to be back

in Europe at the end of the month.

633

And we're going to be putting that out

and playing a few more shows and stuff.

634

Jason English (Host): All right.

635

Yeah.

636

So what what is that?

637

I mean, do you have do you think

about the future, you know?

638

because like obviously this

kind of just came together as

639

As organically as it could right

but Do you have enough momentum?

640

Do you think that's like, okay?

641

Like let's make a let's make a go

of this as a as a thing You And

642

what do you think that looks like?

643

Like, what would a great outcome

644

Padraig: I think, like, it's

a funny question, like, do

645

you think about the future?

646

But, but at first, but honestly,

it's a good question because I

647

remember the moment where We where

we really looked at each other as

648

a band after a gig, after a show.

649

And we were like, are

we serious about this?

650

Are we gonna try?

651

Are we gonna really, like, are we gonna

give it a lash as we'd say in Ireland?

652

And uh, and I remember that moment.

653

Um, and, uh, yeah, we, we were absolutely

are, um, looking to the future and

654

trying to really, uh, gain some momentum.

655

And, um, we've been.

656

We've been fortunate to sort of, as

soon as we made that kind of decision

657

between ourselves, things really, uh,

I think something happens when you

658

commit to something and things really

started to start slotting into place

659

and we started selling out shows and,

and getting in touch with really,

660

uh, um, with producers that are way

above our, our league or our punching.

661

Um, so, um, we're working with one of

those, uh, Producers that we greatly

662

admire right now, Jakob Herber and, uh,

Will be releasing this song, uh, found

663

me or found me just in time, or she

found me just in time, whatever, um,

664

On the 30th of this

month, the 30th of August.

665

And after that, then we're planning

to go to Ireland to my childhood

666

house to, um, To make it into a

studio, to retrofit it as a studio

667

and record either EP or Whatever.

668

Whatever, or a very short album, but uh,

but which is exciting because when we

669

get back now from, from America, from

Montana, um, and we get in a room and we

670

start Rehearsing for the shows that we've

booked and, uh, we start playing some of

671

the new songs, um, We'll very quickly,

I think, decide on what it's gonna be

672

and so it's an exciting time for us.

673

And we're really very motivated to,

to, um, make this thing happen, um,

674

and to try and kick on a bit, you know.

675

Jason English (Host): That,

yeah, that sounds fantastic.

676

And I think what, I think you made

the point, but, um, it funny how

677

life is all about intention sometime?

678

Like when, once you guys sort of, sort

of came to this agreement, like, yeah,

679

like let's, let's give this a shot.

680

Then things started to sort of

started to fall into place, right?

681

Like more opportunities.

682

Like, do you guys believe in that?

683

It's like, you know, whether individually

or now collectively as a band,

684

like the importance of intention.

685

Ian: Yeah, I, I believe in that.

686

I don't know.

687

I really believe in that.

688

I think, I think both

can be true, you know.

689

I, I think all, all great

truths are, are paradox somehow.

690

I think it can be true that you set

something in motion with intention.

691

I think it can also be true that

intention, there's this paradox of

692

intention, you know, where you're

beating your head against the wall

693

and, um, you can kind of block

your dreams by, by having too much

694

intention somehow, too much planning.

695

And I think we've, we've sort of surfed

the fine line between that very well.

696

And, um, when things didn't work out,

we've, we've tried to change course.

697

And mostly, as I mentioned earlier, just,

um, base our strategy as a band and our

698

goals as a band and the relationships

that we have with each other and, um,

699

with not just each other in the band, but

with our producers and with the people

700

who are, doing our photos or making

our art or who are coming to our shows

701

and and building a community around it.

702

And so I think our intention

is, um, success in, in that

703

way, as much as anything else.

704

Jason English (Host): great.

705

All right.

706

Well, just in closing.

707

Uh, so intention.

708

I'm a big believer in intention.

709

I'm also a big believer in the

importance of curiosity, right?

710

So like, hence the name of this podcast.

711

So I'm gonna ask you each individually.

712

Mo, I'm gonna start with you.

713

Uh, so it.

714

at this stage in y'all's lives as

people and then now like early early

715

early days of belgium blue like what

Mo, what are you most curious about?

716

Moe: trying out new stuff in the

studio and getting experimental.

717

And, um, like, I don't know.

718

I don't know the English word, like

the boundaries, you know, pushing the

719

boundaries, pushing the boundaries.

720

Yeah.

721

And trying to do some other genres.

722

I don't know.

723

Work with a lot of different people.

724

Do weird stuff.

725

That's what I want to try

726

Jason English (Host): even

more weird than austrian

727

Moe: even more weird than austrian music.

728

Yeah, it's not that weird like Today we

listen to some guys singing about their

729

like pickup trucks and their hot wives

730

Jason English (Host): exactly.

731

Yeah.

732

Welcome to America.

733

All right.

734

Um, all right, cool.

735

That's, well, that's a good answer.

736

Ian, what about you?

737

Ian: I think i'm most curious about the

process of songwriting and trying to

738

just get in touch with myself and the

people around me in the universe in a

739

way that allows me to kind of glean some

sort of information or feeling out of,

740

out of my environment and, um, condense

that into the diamond of, of a song or

741

a very, a microcosm of that experience.

742

Jason English (Host): Okay.

743

I mean, I think, I think you

had told me at one point that

744

you were, you're a journalist.

745

how does your brain actually

kind of like, uh, navigate.

746

The idea of journalism, which is reporting

the facts and, you know, asking, you know,

747

being curious and, you know, getting,

getting to the bottom of a story and

748

then versus like the art of songwriting.

749

Like, is that?

750

Is that a hard, bridge to cross?

751

Or is it?

752

Is it not?

753

Is it?

754

Is it essentially the same?

755

Ian: It's definitely a different

experience, but I, you know, being

756

a successful musician is much more

about being people's friend than.

757

about being a good

musician, at least for me.

758

I'm not a technical musician in any way.

759

And, and so for me, it was always just

about, um, trying to connect with, um,

760

people and, and make friends and, and

connect with the right kinds of people.

761

And journalism is the same way, you know,

it's about knowing the right people.

762

person who can help you get in

touch with the other right person.

763

And so, I think there's some crossover

there, but for me, it's just a nice, uh,

764

balance of the two, two parts of my brain.

765

You know,

766

of, uh, be a bit more expressive and

goofy and, uh, you know, the music

767

part and the journalism part is a

bit more analytical, but, um, you

768

know, both, both is intense work at

times, but also both really rewarding.

769

Jason English (Host): Awesome.

770

All right.

771

All right.

772

Padraig

773

What's

774

Padraig: I had the most time to think of

my answer, so it better be a good one.

775

Mo was put on the spot.

776

I think something since we haven't been

since we've been over here in Montana,

777

and I've been here for about a month and

a half now and haven't been haven't been

778

performing, which is probably the longest

time since I was a kid in school before

779

I became a professional musician is the

longest time I haven't performed on an

780

ongoing basis and, um, or maybe COVID But,

um, I'm in this time now, uh, noticing

781

some changes in my, in my voice and then

in my sort of way of seeing music and

782

which is, which is terrifying because, you

know, especially after you've built a band

783

on, on who you've been for a long time or

who you think you are at a certain point.

784

And, um, but I think it's actually

probably going to be the thing that is

785

going to be the most exciting thing for

me out of this is just to, to see how.

786

How my creativity or my output, my

performative output changes, um, with

787

the necessity of, of physical state I'm

in or like how my voice is or how how

788

my mind is creatively and, um, and I'm

excited to, to just, um, remain open to

789

that and don't try and, and stifle that

or stuff it into a, into a, a kind of a

790

template of how, how I've done it before,

but to just remain open to changing

791

that, um, as a state, as a position.

792

And I'm really, I'm just, as a,

almost as a child, just curious to

793

see how that's going to play out and

take my hands off the wheel of that.

794

And I think that's also something

that the whole band cares about is,

795

is, is to kind of, as time goes on,

see where the limitations are, see

796

what, see what we can sound like.

797

And then.

798

Shatter that or move away from

that and go in a new direction.

799

Um, I think we're not, we're not really in

it to sound like anything in particular.

800

We're, we're just in it to

sound like whatever weird thing

801

we sound like at the moment.

802

Um, so I, I guess I'm curious to

see how weird we're going to get,

803

uh, our music is going to get.

804

Um, but yeah, I think I'm just curious.

805

Uh, as well as Ian and Mo about the

process about how that's going to change

806

and also how we're going to change as

people because when you're in a band with

807

people, it's, it's a very intimate thing.

808

It's like, it's like having four

other relationships for me, you know?

809

Um, I think that'll be

interesting how, how that changes.

810

between us as people, as a family, um, and

as a, as a community, as Ian said, with

811

the wider people that you interact with

as a band, because we're in touch with so

812

many different people in different areas

that help us, um, and our relationships,

813

uh, deepen through that as well, through

creativity as, as a kind of font.

814

So I think that's

815

what I'm being curious

816

Jason English (Host): All right.

817

Padraig: What about you, Jason?

818

Are you

819

Jason English (Host): well,

yeah, I'm curious about, uh, I'm

820

curious about Belgian blue, uh,

and where you guys are going.

821

So, um, it's really cool actually

to, I'm like, I just started

822

this podcast as a passion project

and I've been really fortunate.

823

I've talked to about 30

people so far this year.

824

All different genres, all different

sort of stages in their career.

825

I think this is the, you guys are like

the ones that are like the, or like

826

the earliest or early, you know, like

one single that's out or whatever.

827

And I, I love it because I mean, I, my,

my, as y'all were talking, my brain is

828

going to, you know, 2027 and 2033 and

Thinking about the festivals that you guys

829

might be able to play and the venues and

you know all the all the great music And

830

uh, so i'm curious about like what that's

going to look like for you guys And to

831

be able to talk to you like so early Even

though it's probably been a few years

832

like you you all started the show talking

about So it probably feels like it's

833

been decades for you, you know, because I

know it's not easy work It is it is still

834

pretty early and um, i'm just fortunate

that you guys took the time to talk to me

835

but i'm curious about where you guys are

going because You You guys are awesome.

836

Like the, uh, it's just

such a unique sound.

837

And, um, I think, I thank you for

your music and thank you for your

838

Padraig: Thanks for your faith in

us as people who are, as people who

839

might be interesting to talk to.

840

I don't know if, uh, if we've

been interesting at all, but

841

um, we're very curious about if

anyone thinks this is curious, so

842

Thank you so much for

843

Jason English (Host): well,

I'm also curious why you don't

844

like America, but like, I'll

845

Padraig: I love America now.

846

I love America now.

847

I didn't when that that

was the resistance.

848

I didn't when when I met Ian, I was very

skeptical because I thought, you know,

849

uh they only speak American English but

then he spoke better German than me and

850

then I realized they're not all the same.

851

So,

852

Jason English (Host): you go.

853

All right.

854

Thanks Ian.

855

Yeah, that's awesome.

856

Well, and also, if you guys ever

come and perform in the States,

857

can you, can you promise that

you're going to come to Atlanta?

858

Padraig: 100%.

859

I actually just met a, I just met a guy

from, who lives in Atlanta, who's like,

860

who did all the, the wind instruments

on the new Wolf, Wolfpack album.

861

And he was like, you gotta

come down to Atlanta, man.

862

And like, come and hang with me.

863

And like, we can do I can

like, Come on some tracks.

864

So as soon as we get down

there, we'll give you a shout.

865

Jason English (Host): Perfect.

866

Yeah.

867

All right.

868

Well, uh, Mo, Ian and, uh, port.

869

It's been a pleasure.

870

Thanks.

871

Thanks so much for your time

and good luck with everything.

872

All

873

Moe: Thank you so much, sir

874

Jason English (Host): Thanks.

875

Thanks, Mo.

876

All right.

877

Cheers.

878

Thanks.

879

Thanks,

880

Ian: Thanks

881

Child of the grave,

882

let me take

883

what you want.

884

Blind leading blind, through the thin.

885

Long blue light,

886

restless head,

887

running down

888

gutter water, towers built on the ground,

steep steps and buckets full of time.

889

Come on, Charlie.

890

We're getting old.

891

The path we're on is overgrown.

892

Time waits for not a soul or an hour.

893

The force that found us in our youth.

894

Frail and fleeting and seldom used.

895

Once it's gone, it's gone forever.

896

Oh, Oh, Oh, She falls for me just in time.

897

And I'm watching my feet.

898

Through the lens of a beautiful

enigma, You see how the times change.

899

Where they hitchhike down the

highway, While the war rages.

900

Who.

901

Time waits for no one on the line.

902

The

903

force that found us in our youth

Is frail and fleeting and seldom

904

used Once it's gone, it's gone

for good, no one No one at all

905

Born.

906

I'm feeling bruised in a shallow brain.

907

Couldn't see any other way.

908

Turned back towards the mind.

909

Oh, she found

910

Oh, we're just in time.

911

Oh, we're just in time.

912

Recorded.