Band of the Day: Ifreann

Staying at “home” in the UK today, presenting a bunch of noise merchants from Scotland’s east coast who release their second EP today…

Previous release, Unearthly

Simple things first – where are you guys from?

Formed in Edinburgh Scotland, most of us live here and we practice here. We do have a member who lives in Glasgow, and we’ve had past members from Perth and Stirling.

How did you meet?

The classic new band way, one member posts an ad, the others respond, and now we’re best pals and bandmates!

How long have you been playing as a band?

In the band’s earliest form, we’ve been around for 5 years. As a full band, just under 4, and as a gigging band, around 3 years now.

Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?

‘Ifreann’ is Gaelic for ‘Hell’. It turns out that it’s actually Irish Gaelic and not Scottish, but that doesn’t really bother us. We chose this name simply to have something more unique and memorable, but it’s also nice to respect our history.

What are your influences?

All the classic old school thrash bands, with a dab of death metal, groove metal and maybe even a touch of core.

Describe your music. What makes you unique?

I like to think that while playing a genre that is hardly new, we have a good blend of old school and new school that translates to both fanbases.

Do you have any particular lyrical themes?

Our two main lyricists at the moment are Ian (vocals) & Euan (drums). Euan’s lyrics are typical of the genre, lots and lots of politics and social issues. Ian however likes to write about horror/fantasy.

What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?

We actually know the exact number, since we’ve added every setlist we’ve played to Setlist.fm, and as of writing this the number is 41.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?

I wish we had a cool answer, but I guess just the standard stage antics, joining the mosh pit while playing, maybe even a crowdsurf, etc.

What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?

At home and on tour, Euan has a Pearl Export kit, Pearl Sensitone Snare, Paiste cymbals, Mapex pedals & Vic Firth Sticks. Jacob plays an ESP Tom Araya custom. Alina plays a Schecter Hellraiser C-1. Ben uses a Jackson King V.

What are your plans for 2020?

We kick off the year by releasing our new EP Desecration on Feb 21st. This will coincide with a launch show which is also the first date of ‘The Celtic Thrash Tour UK/IRE’ with Crossfire. We have a couple of one off shows planned before summer too, including Red Crust Festival in May. We have a UK tour planned with German thrashers Frenatron, and this will lead to a Germany/Poland tour hopefully in September. We will also spend a good chunk of the year writing for our next release, which we plan to be a full album.

If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!

We’re always happy to play before our fellow Edinburgh thrashers and brothers, Disposable. And our good friends from Glasgow, Tempered, are the perfect choice to open that show.

Ifreann: facebook | bandcamp | bigcartel

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments