Image : Imagery By Ró [Used with permission]
Ben from groove/funk/jazz/reggae act Regroovanation on the soundtrack to his life
The last song you listened to?
The Ocean by Richard Hawley. Very soothing and eerie.
What is your earliest musical memory?
Singing along to a Louis Armstrong CD that my mother would listen to and trying to squeeze my throat to sound like him. I was about 4 years old.
Do you have a favourite song that was featured in a film or tv show?
I always loved the scene from the Big Lebowski where he has the trippy dream about bowling while What Condition My Condition Was In By Kenny Rogers plays in the background.
Is there a song that instantly reminds you of a particular person?
Sure Thing by Saint Germain. Always reminds me of my Girlfriend, Niamh. She really introduced me to a lot of forms of House, Techno and other electronic music at a time when if it didn’t have screaming guitars, I wasn’t interested.
Is there a song whose lyrics resonate with you and why so?
The West Coast of Claire by Planxty. Vivid imagery of the west of Ireland. Andy Irvine really delivers the lyrics properly. He’s a bard if ever I saw one.
The band/musician that you grew up listening to?
Myself and my brothers Tom(Lead Vocals) and Aidan (Guitar) grew up in a house as the youngest of 10. So we were exposed to all sorts of different stuff from Radio Head to Squeeze to Depeche Mode to Ray Charles to Glenn Campbell. But once I was old enough to fight my way for use of the stereo it was almost exclusively Led Zeppelin for a good 3 years. No exaggeration!
What song do you wish that you had written and why?
Everybody Loves The Sunshine by Roy Ayers. Honestly just love that song so much. The lyrics are exactly the kind of simple refrain that resonates with me hugely and the harmony has great use of extended chords without getting too bogged down in the technicalities or sounding too much like it’s trying to be complicated. It’s also just so true. Everybody DOES love the sunshine. Except vampires.
What song transports you back in time and why?
Queen Bee by Taj Mahal. Used to listen to it a lot in 2013 at a time I was living, working and gigging in Kinsale, Co. Cork. Friend of mine Jono used to always stick it on in our regular haunt, the Seanachai
Which song makes you sad when you hear it?
Hard to say. I mean it’s rare that a recording makes me just sad every time I hear it. Sail Away by David Gray is as close as it gets though I think.
Which song makes you happy when you hear it?
I’m usually unable to keep from smiling/dancing when I hear Evolution by Roy Ayers or Lover and a Friend by Eddie Bo and Inez Chetham.
What was the first gig you went to?
First big one was Metallica at Marley Park. They were being supported by Tenacious D and to be honest the D massively upstaged them.
What was the first song that you ever performed?
I think it was an original called Ricochet in the first band I played in; Squirrel Jihad. In the Oliver Plunkett bar in Bandon around Christmas time. I was 12 years old I believe.
What was the first album/single that you bought?
I don’t mean to sound like a total hipster but it may have been a vinyl of Led Zeppelin II that I bought in 2005 in Switzerland for my brother Tom.
Is there a song that you always listen to whilst travelling in the car or on the bus/train?
Hot Dreams by Timber Timbre. Especially in the dark of the evening when it’s rainy out.
Is there a particular song/band/singer that made you want to be a musician?
All of the individual members of Led Zeppelin have been inspirations to me. Truly excellent musicians and innovators in their own right. If I had to pick one probably Robert Plant as I started out as a vocalist.
Upcoming gigs:
November 15th – The Grand Social, Dublin (supporting Strange Attractor)
To keep updated with Regroovanation’s music, you can check out their social media handles below;
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