Bipolar Empire aim to attract indie fans with latest release

Rising indie quartet Bipolar Empire, who recently played in Monroe’s Tavern return to play the Róisín Dubh on Monday, November 1 and NUI Galway on Tuesday, November 30.

The band formed in 2007, when singer Shane O’Reilly (vocals/guitar), Joe Leech (bass) and Callum McAdam (drums) went to the Oxegen festival. Inspired by the bands they saw, they decided to make their own rock ‘n’ roll dream. The trio later became a quartet with the recent addition of Mark Maguire on guitar.

Joe and Shane had been playing together acoustically but wanted to beef up their sound. Sticks-man Callum was the perfect fit.

“We met Callum and he was just a raving lunatic!” laughs Shane. “Ah no, he seemed like he was sound and the three of us just started playing together. Our fourth member has only joined in the last two or three months. He’s made a big difference.”

Bipolar Empire achieved their aim of making to it Oxegen after barely three years together. The foursome were delighted to play this year’s event.

“We played on the 2fm Hot Press stage, pretty late actually,” says Shane. “It was really good, we were on at 11 o’clock. Which was mad for us because we expected two o’clock in the day or something like that. It was an amazing experience, getting used to the festival way.” 

In 2009, Bipolar Empire were invited to record in Los Angeles after producer Pat McCarthy heard their demo CD. McCarthy has a superb track record, having worked with luminaries like Madonna, REM and Counting Crows Shane says the band had a rewarding, but slightly overwhelming experience in California.

“We went over there for two and a half months altogether,” he recalls. “[It was] a mad experience. Pat McCarthy heard the CD and said ‘I want to record ye’. I think it all escalated into becoming an album and we mightn’t have been fully aware of it at the time.

“This is a year and a half ago,” he adds. “Callum was only 20, Joe was 19 and I was 20. So, three under 21s – we had a lot of growing up to do. It took us a while to get the hang of what an album is.“We didn’t know how to adapt, I suppose,” he concludes. “I used to sit in the studio for 12, 14 hours a day, just trying to… I’m not sure what we were trying to do. It was mad.”

Not long after their American sojourn, Shane, Joe and Callum started to get itchy feet again. This time it was London calling, and the three lads played an array of gigs and showcases in the UK.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.