HamsandwicH released their new album in September. ‘Magnify’ via their Route 109a Recordings heralding an exciting new chapter for the trio.
The band did a whistle-stop tour across the country hosting listening parties in the lead up to the album release. HamsandwicH can count on a loyal following here in Limerick and so it was that the biggest turnout for the listening parties happened right here in the treaty city.
Niamh says, “Limerick was actually the biggest turnout. It was packed. So it was great. The Record Room at The Commercial is a really lovely venue and we played the vinyl for people and had a Q and A with Molly Cantwell from Hot Press Magazine.”
On this album the band incorporated an array of fresh influences and electronic soundscapes whilst maintaining melodic motifs integral to their idiosyncratic style. Of their latest body of work, singer Niamh Farrell reflects, “We’re a band who have constantly evolved over the years and this is our biggest evolution yet.” Initial steps towards this evolution were made when the trio entered the studio in Autumn 2019.
Elaborating on their renewed artistic approach, Niamh says, “We realised during the making of Magnify that songwriting doesn’t need to be so rigid.
“It can be freer and that the sounds of the words you sing can be just as important to a song as the meaning behind them. It was about having fun with music and the process of it.”
Opening with a bang, ‘Electro Wave’ hears HamsandwicH embrace an infectious 80s synth-pop arrangement, the sonic setting immediately re-contextualises Farrell and McNamee’s synonymous vocal pairing. “Do you still feel like your life’s a Saturday night?” McNamee poses throughout the track.
Nestled in ‘Good Friday’s’ luminous synth-laden arrangement is a recording of Derek Nally, their former manager who passed away in 2010. “‘Good Friday’ is a little bow that ties everything together on the record,” says Niamh. “A lot of the themes across the album recognise different connections between people who have been friends for a very long time and the dynamic that creates within a friendship who are all musicians. Including the snippet of Derek Nally in the middle of the song felt like we were making a kind of love note to that period in our life and paying tribute to how important he was to us, as well.” Those connections extend to friends and family lending additional backing vocals on single ‘Le Soleil’ and McNamee’s school friend, the artist Derik Smith, creating the remarkably eye-catching album artwork. Magnify is a testament to HamsandwicH’s spirited and assured artistic voice, of their penchant to be daring with their music.
“We wanted to get as many friends as possible involved in the album.”
A school friend of Podge McNamee supplied the artwork for the album cover. The vibrant image is the work of artist Derik Smith. When the rest of the band saw the piece from the point of view of becoming an album cover, they were all in agreement.
“As soon as I saw the paintings, it just made sense.” remembers Niamh.
HamsandwicH play Dolans this Friday November 18.
