Ricky Warwick Discusses New Folk Album
Putting Northern Ireland Back on the Map Through Music
Vocalist / guitarist Ricky Warwick is known within heavy metal circles as the frontman of UK - based underdogs The Almighty, a band that has coughed up seven studio albums over its 20 year on-and-off career and enjoys a certain cult status among those people in the know.
In 2003 he threw the band’s fanbase a curve with the release of a folk-oriented solo outing, Tattoos & Alibis, but rather than being chewed up and spat out for the perceived transgression of trading in his axe, amps and aggression for an acoustic guitar Warwick was rewarded with a new audience.
This warranted the release of a second album in 2005 (Love Many, Trust Few) and an EP in 2008 (Love Owes), complete with extensive touring on both sides of the Atlantic. Warwick’s new record, Belfast Confetti, is his long overdue continuation of a successful gamble. He discusses the making of the new record in this exclusive Suite101 interview.
Belfast Confetti
“I just kept touring and more offers kept coming in, and suddenly it was like ‘Damn, it’s been almost four years since I’ve made a record,’” says Warwick. “It kind of just caught up with me, I didn’t even think about it. So, I decided I’d better hit the studio because there was only so much more touring I could do for two-and-a-half records.”
“I was really struggling, and a friend of mine suggested I write a record about Northern Ireland. I was like, ‘Meh…’ but he insisted I should because I was always going on about being from there. ‘Just write the damn record…’ (laughs). He really gave me a kick and a push in that direction.”
“Northern Ireland is a really difficult subject to write about because of everything that’s happened here, but I just dove into it and the songs came together very quickly.”
Warwick’s penchant for storytelling and relating personal experiences in his songs has carried over from The Almighty to his solo work. Belfast Confetti is slightly different than his previous solo records in that it focuses on a central theme rather than an assortment of topics.
“It’s based on my experiences growing up in Northern Ireland,” he reveals. “Of friends and family that are from here and moved to other parts of the world, my own experiences of moving to Dublin and then over to America. The stories are all about Northern Ireland and the songs are all connected with this place.”
The Arms of Belfast Town
Unlike Warwick’s previous outings, Belfast Confetti features strains of folk, gospel, country and blues rather than focusing solely on his folk roots.
“As much as I’m influenced by Celtic rock music and Irish and Scottish folk music, I love John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen, too. They’re a big influence on me and have been since I was a kid. Even as a kid growing up in Belfast I looked to America because it’s the home of rock n’ roll.”
The album remains folk - oriented at its core, however. In fact, the song ‘In The Arms of Belfast Town’ is so authentic one could easily mistake it for a cover version of a traditional Irish tune.
“No, that’s an all original song (laughs). I wanted to write a song about everything great that’s come out of Northern Ireland, the people and the culture. The fans of our football (soccer) team call themselves the Green and White Army and they’ve gotten behind the song and have been playing it at the games, which is just brilliant.”
“The actual story behind it is a couple friends of mine – one Protestant and one Catholic – went to work doing construction in the States 15 years ago. Things were pretty bad in Norther Ireland and they wanted to get away. About two years ago there was actually more work in Northern Ireland because things had calmed down and there was so much building going on here. The economy had changed for the better.”
“So, the two of them were sitting in a bar in New York City having a drink before they flew back, and they started talking about the fact they’d be able to go out and have a drink in the same bar when they were at home. They didn’t have to worry about those religious divisions, and that was the song right there. It wrote itself.”
Click this link for more information on Ricky Warwick and Belfast Confetti.
Ricky Warwick
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