Irish Indie-pop band modernlove. discuss their Tramlines Festival performance and more

Following what was a rather stellar performance at the Tramlines Festival, one that saw the crowd growing in size throughout their show, as festival-goers steadily began to approach the stage in their dozens, modernlove reflected on both their performance and their experience to date — while seated in Sheffield Wednesday’s historic South Stand at Hillsborough.

“We don’t know where we are at any given time” says Danny the band’s bassist.

Graham interjects saying, “That’s a great saying actually, we should call our album that”, with a laugh.

“We don’t know where we are at any given time”

“It would be a great way of describing our mind state at times”

This is generally par for the course throughout the duration of what turns out to be a hilariously random conversation that deviates, twists and turns more times than is ever necessary.

Modernlove is comprised of four childhood friends from ‘back home in Ireland’, Barry Lally is the main vocalist and he also plays guitar, Graham Fagen stirs up a storm on guitar too. Then we have Daniel Rooney on bass with Cian McClusky on drums.

Hailing from Drogheda (silent ‘g’ there), modernlove have been rather surreptitiously building their very own burgeoning fanbase over the course of the last few years.

Formed back when they were in their mid-teens, modernlove burst from the post-lockdown lull into the indie populist mindset with a series of successful releases across streaming platforms. Their earnest, introspective and emotive odes to the misadventures, complexities and pain associated with young lust, love and loss, encapsulated in a bevy of songs that have been steadily released over the last number of years — seven if you’re counting.

Did you enjoy your Tramlines performance today? It’s your first time in Sheffield, right?

Barry takes the lead as the band collectively nod their head in unison.

“Yeah, it was great. Really enjoyed it. It’s the first time we’ve been here. We’d have loved to have stayed, we thought it was a camping festival but it’s not so we’re having to leave for the next show in a little while”

This next one is for Barry. How does it feel to essentially have been the warm up act to McFly?

McFly were teased as a surprise performance for the Saturday afternoon slot at the Tramlines Festival, appearing onstage at 3:45pm, just after modernlove had finished their (admittedly, rather good) set on The Leadmill stage.

“It was actually my aunt that bought me that album”, notes Barry as he admits that his first ever album was the third album from McFly titled ‘Motion in the Ocean’. He still recommends it as a solid listen.

You have previously cited the likes of Bloc Party as one of your musical influences? Did you get the chance to see Bloc Party last night?

“We’re all kinda of gutted we didn’t get to see Bloc Party, we saw the line-up and were just… argh”

They collectively sign in unison, it’s almost harmonious in its collective delivery.

“However, we did get to see Two Door Cinema Club — just the night before the band had performed in Oxfordshire at Truck Festival.”

Every cloud has a lining, we suppose, and even though the distinctively British summer rears its less-than-pretty head to deliver a continuous downpour that could dull the positive mood, modernlove have this innate ability to bring an aura of sunshine — despite the thematically emotive strands that chart a course through their music.

Introspection seems to be a continuing theme in your music. Is this deliberate as a means of parsing your innermost feelings/fears?

Barry takes this one:

“I think the themes in our music are kind of a cathartic release, It’s also just telling the world what you’re going through, how you’re feeling.”

“Making it everyone else’s problem”, interjects Graham with a smile.

“Yeah, exactly”, continues Barry, “but, also when you play those songs in front of people and feel those feelings and emotions being returned to you. It’s great”

Musically the collective are chronicling their formative experiences, encapsulating them within songs — essentially this quartet are making music that you can grow up with, or choose not to, living vicariously through their melodious memories.

"When you play those songs in front of people and feel those feelings and emotions being returned to you. It’s great”

It may be early days for modernlove and they’re showing no sign of slowing down, with another performance pencilled in for the following day at Latitude Festival and they’re also hard at work on their full length debut album… but maybe there’s something else they can tease before they embark on another roadtrip?

Danny responds, “We’ve come off tour, just doing the festival circuit and then we’re doing another tour in October and November.”

“We’ve got another single, but I’m not sure we can talk about it… can we?”

Barry turns to Danny who looks at the rest of the band before fixing his gaze on me.

“It’s called Shades of Blue”, he says with a smile.

Whatever comes next for this band I’m sure that they will be delivering even more of their contemporary paeans to afflicted, disaffected and oft-neglected romances in their (seemingly) effortlessly endearing style for a little while yet. And their growing fanbase seems to love it… understandably so.