Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

Seven summers ago, in a primary school classroom and a living room on Sandy Road, Galway guitar pop mainstays Field Trip recorded their ten-track debut album,  Foreign Land.   The three-piece of Wayne Foy, Sean Walsh and Paul Casserly never managed to release the record. They wrapped up shortly after and two thirds of the band headed to new countries.

Now, with everyone back in Galway, they are dusting off the old tracks and letting them out into the world.

Foreign Land arrives on streaming sites on April 12, and Field Trip are set to celebrate the milestone with a gig in the Mechanics Institute a week later on Saturday April 19. They will be expanding the three to a five-piece on the night, with Ado Lyons and Simon McDonagh providing reinforcements.

Artists often talk about their relationship with an album changing in the years after its release, but Field Trip have had to closely reexamine songs that they had long been keeping to themselves. It is a vehicle for nostalgia.

“It is [strange],” says guitarist and vocalist Wayne Foy. “The songs, I think, have a nostalgic feel to them anyways but going back and listening to them again – it does make you nostalgic for that time. You bring yourself back to the time of recording them and writing them and first playing them live. It’s good to get back in that mindset again.

“When the lads moved away, and probably more so with Covid, we never really thought we’d play a gig again together or release the songs. It’s great to have it out there. The songs have been sitting on a laptop for so long and to have them out and have the artwork alongside it. . . We’ve released it on cassette as well, so to actually have it physically and to hold onto it is a very special feeling. We all collect music – we’re all record collectors so it’s nice to have your own album out in the world.”

It makes sense that Foreign Land was recorded in the summer. Field Trip’s sound has always had a warm, bright jangle to it – a sunnier shade than many of the guitar bands around the city.

Pictured: Field Trip…back together for gig at the Mechanic’s.