CORMAC BATTLE'S chequered musical career has been a struggle with his previous band KERBDOG'S association with Mercury Records ending with the label writing off the band's masive losses. Incredibly, CORMAC persevered to form WILT, who released the promising debut LP "Bastinado" during 2000 and are about to release one of this year's very best albums in "My Medicine." TIM PEACOCK spoke to Cormac in London during a break from WILT'S touring schedule.
Hi, Cormac! "My Medicine" and the recent WILT singles, "Take Me Home" and "Distortion" have been undergoing major aural investigation around these parts and the album sounds like a classic. Are you personally happy with the way the record turned out?
"Absolutely," confirms Cormac. "The last record ("Bastinado") was a struggle," he continues with a sigh.
"Time was limited, we had to bring it in on a budget and it was tight. This time we had the opportunity to realise the record. I'm delighted with it because I feel it represents me from here on. If it all died tomorrow, I'd still be happy knowing that we got to make this album."
Cormac's laughing when he acknowledges this, but considering his own personal hassles, including a near breakdown when KERBDOG fell apart, it's fantastic to hear Kilkenny's finest in such excellent form. Lyrically, though, he sounds like there's still a lot of bitterness inside, not least in tunes like new single "Distorton", which features Cormac singing: "You know I'm not allowing this to happen when you're going home." How personal does that song get?
"It's more just a stream of bitterness, really," Cormac answers.
"I'm not a bitter person. "Distortion"s not actually all that direct, lyrically. It's more a reflection of my personal state of mind at the time...feeling wasted like it suggests in the chorus. It's not aimed at any specific individual.
Without wanting to get too Rehab Group about all this, though, how much of the album - lyrically- is an exorcism for you? For instance, there's that line on the title track: "maybe someone can kill this agony of mine?"
"Well, it's not an exorcism...that's too strong a term. "My Medicine" the song is a comment on myself and my state of being. I would like to say, though, that despite everything I'm not deranged about the past."
He pauses for a moment and then continues.
"It's written about my state of mind at the time, but I will say it refers to fears of mental illness."
On the other hand, "My Medicine" also features catchy, wittily acerbic songs like "Wait A Minute", which grabbed this writer's attention from the word go. Am I right in thinking this is more an external comment on the music biz, Cormac? Things like: "You can buy me another drink, you can tell me what you think" in the chorus...
"Yeah, I suppose so," he reflects. "Actually, it's a burst of optimism, that song, unusually for me. It was originally gonna be a B-side, but it veered off into a better song."
"It's one of our 'PUNK' songs," he continues, laughing. "Well, our 'PUNKIER' songs, anyway, not that punk is about writing a certain way. It's an ethos, not a fashion statement. I mean, you can be classified a Punk playing Stravinsky music...depending on attitude."
One thing that particularly attracts this writer to "My Medicine" is that WILT have created a coherent album full of songs that are powerful and familiar, yet still in no way derivative. I run this past Cormac.
"Yeah, well we had about 30 songs to choose from in the end, because Mushroom (record label) wanted to ensure we had at least 10 stunning songs and they wouldn't let us record until then."
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He laughs, almost uncontrollably.
"I don't regret it at all, though. It was better for us in the end and I appreciate what you mean about the feel of the record. I mean, we can't write from the future, we can only reinterpret the past...with an individual stamp."
"I can hear all kinds of things in there..."Family Man" reminds me of THE CURE'S "A Night Like This"...
"I don't know that one, I'm not that big a fan," confesses Cormac. " I can hear a lot of REM in "Understand", though, that's quite a logical influence."
Surely you're going to release that one ("Understand") as a single? That "what took you so long?" chorus is tailor made for radio play. You did that one recently on Irish RTE TV didn't you? THE LATE LATE SHOW...
"It's not a major platform commercially, more of a cultural institution really," suggests Cormac. "You're not breaking ground doing it, but it's still kind of a privelege. The music producer ALAN BYRNE (Former SOMETHING HAPPENS! bassist) is great, really clued in."
"I think "Understand" will probably be a single, eventually," he concludes. "You've got to pay the rent after all."
Couple more things before we sign off. Firstly, you made the album with ex-MANICS/ IDLEWILD producer DAVE ERINGA. Judging by the awesomely beefy sound, I'd say you hit it off?
"Oh God, yeah. Dave's fantastic. He was like an extra group member when we recorded," Cormac replies.
"Previously, we'd just have gone in and banged songs down. With Dave, every song has its' own space because we discussed them all and our approach to recording before we began."
Are the album's subtle textures down to him? Little things like theremins and the like? I can imagine him as rather like MARTIN HANNETT with JOY DIVISION?
"Yeah, that's a good comparison," notes Cormac. "He's well into electronics and he's an analogue keyboard freak. All that kind of stuff is him playing."
"He had a real chemistry with us...Maaan," he laughs, nearly collapsing with mirth.
Finally, Cormac, you're due on tour as support to MY VITRIOL shortly. Their new single
"Moodswings" is tasty, too. You looking forward to these gigs?
"Yeah, I love playing supports actually," responds Cormac.
"I mean, there's no pressure if no-one turns up, y'know? There again, we've gigged with MY VITRIOL before and they're cool."
You don't want to blow them offstage then?
"I didn't say that, did I?" laughs Cormac, once again. "No I love getting one over on the headliner and surprising the crowd. I love it when the underdogs make good."
Me too, Cormac. And no-one should know that feeling better than WILT right now. "My Medicine" is a major album by a band finally finding their feet. Get dosed up on their songs and let the sensations flow. You won't be disappointed.
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