INTERVIEW: The Mercadonnas share debut single

Coming out of Carlow in Ireland, newcomers The Mercadonnas are set to make an impact with their uncompromising rock sound. Fronted by Jack O’Flaherty, formerly of synthwave band EXILES, the group brings a fresh energy to bold rock music, blending insightful lyrics with powerful, emotion-driven performances.

The Mercadonnas draw from a diverse range of influences, from the art-rock eccentricity of Talking Heads to the energy of Arctic Monkeys and the political urgency of The Clash. Yet, their sound remains entirely their own, built on driving basslines, reverb-drenched guitars and powerful drums that form the backbone of their enthralling sound. Through these elements, The Mercadonnas captures the tension between aggression and vulnerability, a duality that sits at the heart of their shared sonic vision.

Making their explosive entrance as The Mercadonnas, they bring us their debut single titled “Céad Míle Fáilte.” The song’s name, which translates to “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes,” is a fitting entry point for the band, whose lyrics thread themes of empathy, solidarity and the shifting nature of identity. Fiercely proud of their Irish heritage, both band members speak the traditional Irish language and hope to share the culture of their homeland through their artistic output.

“I wrote this song wondering about who we are and how that’s changing,” frontman Jack reflects. “Historically, Irish people know what it is to be a refugee, a migrant. The Irish diaspora is proof of that. Maybe that’s why we pride ourselves so much on the Irish welcome, Céad míle fáilte, and all that—we give visitors here the welcome that we wish our grandfathers, uncles, grannies had when they had to go abroad. I hope that never changes.” His words are not only a reminder of Ireland’s past but also a poignant commentary on the world’s ongoing refugee crises and the responsibility we all share to extend kindness and empathy.

Setting a moody atmosphere as lightly gritty guitar notes ring out, the track launches with splashing drums which inject an intense rhythm as airy instrumental melodies subtly stitch the brooding sound with a hint of brightness. As Jack’s vocals enter, the arrangement simmers down while he spins emotive leads via rich delivery before the tension builds and erupts into a storming chorus of anthemic rock music.

Soaring vocals drift above the epic blend of thick guitar layers and driving crash of drums, resulting in a truly visceral and gripping sound that’s at once astonishingly memorable and thoroughly meaningful. It’s a sound that deftly balances the brash with the melodic and the timeless with the forward-thinking to deliver an emphatic artistic statement from this must-watch new band to rise from the Irish music scene and we can’t wait to see what else they’ve got in store for the rest of 2024 and beyond.

We caught up with The Mercadonnas to find out more about their musical journey so far, their debut single “Céad Míle Fáilte” and what they’ve got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with The Mercadonnas below.

Hey guys, how’s things?

All is good man. We’re very happy at the moment, lots of tunes recorded and a plan in place to share them with our fans. That’s a pretty exciting feeling!

How did you get together as a band?

Mark and I met playing with another band, No Way Home, playing pubs and events. The more we spoke with one another with music I think we both fancied writing some music together. The rest is history. We have a new member coming on board now in the past week, Eoin Coogan. He’s a long-time collaborator of mine, a great mate and also probably the best guitarist I’ve ever heard.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

We really enjoy the mix-match of influences that goes into our songs. Mark’s musical taste is firmly rooted in 90’s & 00’s rock and pop-punk. He’s also currently nursing a Natasha Bedingfield crush, or maybe it’s just her drummer! I listen to a lot of Post-Punk and New Wave bands, I love Talking Heads, The Clash, Joy Division but also love Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Irish traditional music. I don’t think I believe in genres to be honest, as long as the artist means it. Yeah let’s go with that, fuck genre.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

I’m not very good at silence, I’m trying to get better at that. I just have something on all the time: audiobooks, music, podcasts and I’m always taking notes. I actually wrote down a whole load of stuff on the way here that was all sparked by something I heard someone say on the tram.

What’s been your highlight of the year so far?

Releasing Céad Míle Fáilte has to be a highlight. We were planning that for a while and to-ing and fro-ing over which single to release first. It’s our first it has to be a statement of intent…. In the end we went with our gut, we pushed this track forward because we believe it says something important about our home right now. There’s a lot of anti-immigrant feeling being shared and acted on. It’s scary and it’s ugly. We wanted to show our cards and say how we feel and how we think empathy and acceptance is a choice worth making.

What do you love about the Irish music scene?

People are so sound! So forthcoming with help and their time. We had a lot of help getting ourselves set up, recorded, publicised. From other bands like Really Good Time (check out their new track Pension Fund) giving us advice, the guys at Soundcaster studios who tracked our drums, James and the team at First Music Contact getting some great resources to us. It’s been a really community-driven effort. We’re blessed.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

Ready for a rock and roll cliché? Loud! Turn her up as loud as she’ll go, a pint of Guinness is always lovely too.

How do you feel your experience in synthwave outfit EXILES translates into your rock sound today?

Being in EXILES was a blast. I was very green going into that band but I learned so much from the experience, i loved making those tunes and Darragh (now FĒNIX) has such a great ear for production. We’ll do something together again some day and it will be incredible.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

There are so many! The first one that springs to mind is David Byrne, he’s a genius. We’d love to work with Bell X1 they have written some of the best songs of the past 20 years in Ireland. My favourite band at the moment is NewDad, they’re from Galway in the west of Ireland. Julie, their singer has one of the coolest voices around. Let’s say Julie.

How did you find making your debut single “Céad Míle Fáilte”?

The making of it was actually pretty quick and pretty stress-free which is unusual for me. I typically agonise over the details, the sound of a snare or the tone of a synth. I think how strongly we both felt about the message of the song fueled a kind of urgency that didn’t allow us to hang around too long. I think it came together in about a week of really fun writing and playing. We recorded and mixed it ourselves and got Tom from E1 Mastering in London to do the Master.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

Empathy, compassion and tolerance are not just words to aspire to. They’re a choice and it takes bravery to make that choice. Don’t let some fucker online whip you up into a frenzy against people or a situation you don’t understand.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

Shout out to NewDad, their album MADRA is a masterpiece. Big Love are another great Irish band to check out. Really Good Time are a hidden gem. I’m also listening to a lot of Irish and Scottish traditional music. I’m finding that very inspiring.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

I hope people feel the energy and the passion we have for making music, the lyrics are super important to me too. I hope they can connect with people and spark some emotion or some ideas.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

There’s this amazing pub in Carlow where we are from called The Irishman’s and they do the best pint of Guinness on the planet. I’d have the festival there, in the lounge. The Last Shadow Puppets, Talking Heads and The Mary Wallopers. Class!

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Start a band with your best mates and have a blast.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2024?

We have two more songs coming out this year, we also have some recording and some gigs planned. Follow us on social media to keep up with our adventures. Thanks for taking the time to listen/read!

Listen to Céad Míle Fáilte below