LIMERICK hardly needs an introduction to Niall Quinn of The Hitchers but his most recent incarnation is Theme Tune Boy and TTB has released an album on January 19 last. Niall Quinn was drummer/chief-songwriter with Limerick band The Hitchers whose debut album ‘Its all fun and games till someone loses an eye’ won critical acclaim from the indie press and support from the likes of the late John Peel. The Hitchers featured in his end of year chart in 1997 with the song ‘Strachan’ a song that still gets a mention these days when a lads list of quality football songs is published.
In the early days of The Hitchers Niall was, for a short while, frontman for ‘The Cranberry Saw Us’ with Mike and Noel Hogan. On his departure he introduced the Hogan brothers to Dolores O’Riordan, they shortened their name to The Cranberries and have being doing pretty OK since then.
Since the demise of The Hitchers in 2002 Niall has continued to write songs and under the Theme Tune Boy moniker he released a couple of singles, January Drabs (2011) and Park The Bus (2012).
For Theme Tune Boy’s album, Niall enlisted the help of Dutch punk band Cooper. The trio of René, Eddy and Bert from Cooper recorded some storming performances of Niall’s songs and René van der Zee also mixed and co-produced the record. With additional recording in Limerick and Clare Theme tune Boy’s album is finally ready. ‘The Return of the Living Dead’ is 12 tracks coming in at an economical 30 minutes featuring no fluff, no filler, just a collection of melodic punk pop gems delivering Quinn’s skewed, razor sharp observations.
Limerick Post chatted to Niall Quinn (AKA Theme Tune Boy).
Limerick Post: It is 10 years since you released an album. Why so long?
Niall Quinn: “It’s a mix of things I suppose. Life stuff , work commitments, babies and houses. That all blocks in a good chunk of a decade. For a while I strategically went for Singles/EPs as opposed to an LP project as well as they offered the prospect of maybe more airplay and exposure. I still have that tactic under review. Ask me this time next year which works better.”
Limerick Post: What is the story behind the name Theme Tune Boy?
Niall Quinn: “As one of The Hitchers legendary late night recording sessions dissolved into wine-fuelled debauchery a debased and bawdy sing-song erupted during which I, none the best for wear, was shaken awake and had a guitar thrust into my lap. Duly obeying a shouted, one-word command ‘PLAY!’ I served up a near note perfect ( ah sure …fairly close at any rate) rendition of the HR Pufinstuff theme tune to a stunned and silenced assembly before once again sinking below the waves of my stupor. …thereafter, in such settings, I became known as Theme Tune Boy”
Limerick Post: Having successfully run a Fund It campaign. Would you recommend it?
Niall Quinn: “I suppose so. I did think it’d only work for bands that’d have a higher profile than I’d currently have so I honestly thought mine would die on its ass. This album was in the can and ready to go to the manufacturing stage so I ran my Fund It just to take it over the finish line. That meant rewards were being offered that could be delivered in a very short timeframe. If you are going to do it I think it’s important that you offer good value as an incentive to people to pay for something in advance of its completion as well.
Limerick Post: The cover art was up for grabs in the Fund It campaign. What was your reaction when you received the artwork?
Niall Quinn: Relief. It’s a bloody good picture that in a fairer world someone would pay for the rights to use it on their album cover. That’s how it’s supposed to work. Look, the more I think about it – it’s a stunt that, aesthetically, could’ve gone horribly wrong. I could’ve ended up with someone’s wonky holiday snap of a weary looking coastal scene in the Costas. But it’s worked out great for all concerned.”
Limerick Post: The recording was done with musicians from dutch band Cooper, What did those guys bring to the album?
Niall Quinn: “Brevity and double-distillation. I’ve a general rule or principle that goes ‘when the song is over -stop playing it’ -that already tends to keep most of my songs fairly short – and that rule came toe to toe with the album’s producer René Van Der Zee’s motto ‘Don’t bore us – get to the chorus’. This meant most of the intros, outros, middle-8s, solos and just about anywhere else there wasn’t something absolutely necessary happening ended up on the metaphorical cutting-room floor. Of course Cooper also brought two decades of experience and the sheer tightness that comes from that as well. They rehearse every Monday night –and I don’t mean most Monday nights I mean EVERY Monday night for 20 years –except for those years where Christmas fell on a Monday -and the time one of them had a stroke! And their reaction to that news would’ve been “he’d better be in the ICU”. He made a full recovery by the way.”
Limerick Post: Who/What inspired the song Horrible Songs?
Niall Quinn: “Pop culture in general really and the idealised situations of vacant pop music maybe? I know pop music is supposed to be escapist at times but at other times it needs to be taken down a peg or two as well. I like to think of it as one continuous sequence of snide remarks and I’ll tell ya I must’ve had some itchy arse about something the day I wrote it because at over three and a half minutes Horrible Songs is the longest track on the record by a furlong.”
Limerick Post: Where can we get the album ‘Return of The Living Dead?
Niall Quinn: “The album ROTLD is out now, stop what you’re doing and go get it. It’s on iTunes, it’s on Bandcamp for people like me who despise iTunes and it’s in Wingnut Records on Henry Street for people who don’t know what the hell an iTunes or a Bandcamp is”
‘Return of the Living Dead’ is on release.
