Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

For close to a decade, Dylan Murphy was a central figure in the Citóg Records community that produced artists like Tracy Bruen, My Fellow Sponges and Field Trip.   Born in Limerick, the guitarist and singer/songwriter describes Galway as his musical home. It was here he honed his growling, riff-laden blues rock and developed a string of dynamic EPs. After a period living abroad, Dylan returned to Galway late last year.

Next Wednesday, he is set to release Halfway, the first single under his new moniker Kowalski. He will debut the track the following night as part of the latest edition of A Modern Movement, which will run over two floors of the Róisín Dubh in an effort to raise funds for Palestinian aid.

Lyrically, this is Dylan at his most reflective – pondering the life changes he has experienced in recent years and making an effort not to measure himself against those milestones. The fuzzy, clattering instrumental holds echoes of Dinosaur Jr and Pavement, giving an idea of the sound that Kowalski will continue to explore.

“I’ve always thought of it like a glass wall that separates me from being true vulnerable,” Dylan says of that fullness.

“You can hear it on the vocals – I always loved putting a lot of gain through my vocals. I like having a little bit of an effect there because then it’s not really me… In terms of the vulnerability side, a lot has happened since I played music in Galway before.

“I entered my thirties and got married and have been working in a full-time job for almost three years in the same position. There’s a lot of milestones there really. That’s what the song is about. You’re asking a lot of questions and you’re going through a lot of stages all at once.”

Pictured: Dylan Murphy…Halfway is first single as Kowalski.