Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

Now living in London, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Conor Deasy was long a regular on the Dublin band circuit. He is perhaps best known for Tomorrows – a psychedelic, woozy-pop five-piece that released three records in the second half of the 2010s.

Deasy is a close friend of Galway songwriter and producer Eoin Dolan, founder of emerging, independent label Rón Records. In October, that label proved to be the perfect home for Deasy’s latest project – a solo, nine-track album Ah Yeah.

It is an exploratory, expressive record full of quirks and experimental rhythms. The writing revolves around Deasy’s new drum machine, his long, melodic guitar lines and a handful of samples that include Eamonn Dunphy and Bill O’Herlihy; the latter signs the album off with a ‘we’ll leave it there so’.

While Deasy’s songwriting is distinctive, these songs feel far removed from his more structured and refined catalogue with Tomorrows.

“It’s funny with that kind of stuff,” he says. “I think for the person making it there’s quite a big difference but then you show it to someone else and they can see a lot of similarities. I think it’s different because for a start, with Tomorrows’ stuff, we make it together as a collaboration.

“Someone will come as a part of a song or a riff or we’ll maybe start with a small idea and then work it out together and make a song out of it. After you’ve made the song, there’ll probably be changes and new ideas. Even when you’re recording it or mixing it, you might change it again. There’s five of us too so there’s loads of ideas.”

Ah Yeah came together organically. Deasy hadn’t played music in a while and quickly rediscovered the urge to create. A new writing process helped things to click.

“I think I was just enjoying making music and not really thinking too much about what it was or what the end result would be,” he says. “Just enjoying the process of playing. I got a drum machine, and I was enjoying making up interesting rhythms. Previously, I probably wrote songs in a more traditional way where I’d write some chords and then find a melody line and lyric.

Pictured: Conor Deasy…solo album with strong Galway connections.