Since forming in 2015, Irish quartet Bailer have been unrelenting in delivering frantic metallic hardcore. This week they return with their third EP. Simply titled ‘Bailer’, the five-song collection cements their place as one of hardcore’s best up-and-coming bands. Unforgiving in its delivery, songs such as ‘Lying For A Living’ and ‘Feel It More’
are razor sharp and intense. While ‘Long Gone’ is equally ferocious, ‘Tuesday Blues’ rides on a sludge-y bassline and ‘Death Is A Reminder’ is a guttural punk onslaught of pure aggression.
While the band’s material is influenced by everyday struggles; mental health, finance, family, and friends, they speak somewhat fondly of their hometown. Hailing from Cork, the city is Ireland’s second biggest with a population of roughly 500,000. Known as the “Rebel County”, it’s home to the second largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney Harbour. The county of Cork is also the birthplace of famous names Graham Norton, Cillian Murphy, and Roy Keane.
While the area hasn’t spurred on many music-related names, as Bailer tell us, Cork has a tight-knit heavy music community with plenty of opportunities for new bands to play shows and hone their craft.
The City:
We’re from Cork city in the south of Ireland. Its great to be a band in a small city because it’s easier to gather a following and build up a scene. People go to each other’s shows and help support the bands they like, that’s what we love about Cork.
Its People and Culture:
It’s famous for being burned down, being built on a marsh in a valley, being home to George Boole who invented boolean logic, and the legend Rory Gallagher. But it’s not that interesting. Most people in Cork are stubborn, proud, and straight up.
The Music It Inspires:
There’s always been an innovative buzz in Cork city, long before we were around. I suppose music has always been a big part of Cork, and the city does what it can to facilitate show’s big and small. The venue’s that are now giving the smaller band’s a chance has really influenced the heavier scene here in terms of diversity. We’re seeing more and more promoters and bands taking matters into their own hands these days.
The Local Music Scene:
Not really, It’s still all very much up in the air despite the fact that the scene is turning around. We’ve heard Cork being referred to as the ‘Dirty South’ a few times though and that’s something we’d like to take shape down here. Dirty riffs.
Its Most Famous Musical Sons and Daughters:
Throughout the year’s we’ve seen amazing band’s grace Cork and some have had its members divided into other great bands that are still playing today. Bands like Hope Is Noise, Ten Past Seven, Fat Actress, Horse, Harboured, Kawtiks, Onkalo, Zhi Ren, Here We Stand, Emigra, etc… The list goes on. All these bands have their own style and attraction which keeps the scene nice and varied.
The Venues We Visited:
When we were all teenagers, the city had a lot of all ages shows being hosted in different venues with bands from all over Ireland. Chris (Harte – guitarist) was involved in playing and running some of the shows back then and later went on to form ‘Freakhouse’ which took residency in the beloved ‘Cruiscin Lan’.
Most of the band’s in Cork and heavier band’s from around the country will remember the Cruiscin hosting some of the wildest gigs in the past, with some of the best Irish and UK act’s hitting the stage there. The most important part of this venue was the younger band’s being able to give it a shot and learn the ropes in either hosting shows, or playing with integrity and passion. The Cruiscin is sadly now shut down but it’s been a staple for sure in what we have today.
The Venues We Played:
It would have to be The Poor relation. We had a launch show for our ‘Shaped by Landscape’ EP in 2016 and it was a wild show. The venue is living up to what we had in the past and has been very good to us over the last couple of years. The low stage and dim lighting definitely pushed us to get in peoples faces at shows!
Fred Zeppelins is another common spot that served us well in our earlier days. It’s smaller with a higher stage and a bit more of an edge to it, so it’s always intense and full of stage dives. We’re not done with Fred’s yet.
‘Bailer’ EP by Bailer is released on 9th February.
