2015 was a huge year for The Winter Passing. As well as heading out on their first US tour and playing at the prestigious FEST in Florida, the Irish quartet released their long-awaited debut album, ‘A Different Space Of Mind’. It is ten tracks of delectable, emotionally evocative, punk driven indie rock, and deserving of the widespread praise the band received.
“We had a lot of positive feedback from people, which is always super humbling,’ says vocalist/guitarist, Rob Flynn. “That’s all we ever hoped to achieve really. The record was a long time coming, so it was great to finally let people hear it.” However, he confesses to sometimes having moments of surprise, particularly when it comes to the press. “It was always exciting to see our band covered in magazines we read ourselves,’ he continues. “I mean, we were out in America, and saw a magazine had listed us as a band to go and see at FEST, that was sick!”
Flynn then reflects on the U.S tour. His enthusiasm clearly shows that it was big hurdle for the band to not only attempt to jump over, but to achieve successfully. “The US was amazing. The whole thing is such a fond memory,” he begins. “Our set at FEST was super special to us, along with a show in Brooklyn. We also met Andrew WK at a Waffle House (obviously got a selfie), and had a tour of the Dischord HQ by Ian MacKaye in DC. I think “wild” is the only word that can sum it all up properly.”
So with that under their belt, and ‘A Different Space Of Mind’ being featured in several end of year lists for 2015, surely the pressure is on for this young – yet confident – band? “I wouldn’t say pressure so to speak, but we definitely feel more committed to the band these days,” states Flynn. “I mean, looking at us now, we have been an active part-time band going on four years. I feel like it’s a comfortable thing for us to do you know?”
Having already been out on a headline run earlier this year, at the time of writing The Winter Passing are about to join Canterbury emo band and former FITA Records label mates, Moose Blood, on their biggest – and sold-out – UK tour. Flynn explains how honoured the band is to be supporting their friends. “I’ve known Glenn the longest, as we were buddies via Internet chilling,’ he says. “We met the rest of the boys when we arranged a show together in London. We started our bands at a very similar time, and we have always had a lot of respect for each other.”
While Flynn admits there may be a few pre-show nerves given the size of the venues, he staunchly tells us how The Winter Passing are not feeling pressured to try and win over Moose Blood’s fans. “We are just going to go out there and do our thing,” he begins. “A lot of our UK tours have actually been small headline runs, so it’s nice to know that we aren’t the last band playing for once. The only thing we have to prove is that we can play a great show. Sure, we may have the heebie-jeebies before we play, but fuck it, we may play the best we ever have.”
With The Winter Passing having a lot of friends in the UK, Flynn gives us a bit of insight into life back home in the Emerald Isle. He explains that it is no more difficult to break out there than anywhere else. “The scene back home is really cool right now,’ he says. “There’s a whole bunch of collectives across the country, and several genres doing different things. It’s hard to break out of any scene obviously, but I don’t think it differs that much in Ireland.”
By the time The Winter Passing have begun their run around the UK, their fellow hometown peers September Girls will have released their excellent new album, ‘Age Of Indignation’. Flynn leaps on the opportunity to shout out a few other bands we should be listening to from Ireland. “September Girls rule!” he begins. “You should also check out a record called ‘Marrowbone Lane’ by Chewing On Tinfoil, and this great band called Overhead, The Albatross. We actually did an Essential Irish playlist for 6131 Record’s Spotify account. Go and check that out.”
As we wrap up, we look to the future of The Winter Passing. While still heavily promoting ‘A Different Space Of Mind’, Flynn says that they have a few other irons in the fire. “We’ve got a few tours and shows lined up throughout the year,’ he explains. “We’ve also been writing a lot, so maybe you will hear something new by the end of the year, but I don’t know for sure. We have no expectations, and we just do our thing. We do stuff, and then more things come up, so we just want to keep the ball rolling.”
‘A Different Space Of Mind’ is available now via FITA Records/6131 Records, and if you are lucky enough to have tickets to one of the Moose Blood shows, you can catch The Winter Passing on the dates below.
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13 BRISTOL Fleece
14 SOUTHAMPTON 1865
15 LONDON O2 Academy Islington
16 WOLVERHAMPTON Slade Rooms
17 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
18 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
20 MANCHESTER Sound Control
21 NEWCASTLE O2 Academy 2
22 EDINBURGH Mash House
23 LIVERPOOL Arts Club