Gemma Hayes Has the Heart and Soul to Produce One Helluva Debut Album
What did you grow up listening to?
A: A mixture of things really. As a kid I didn't really have any musical favourites, just used to turn on the radio and listen to the pop songs. My brothers and sisters influenced a lot of my musical tastes, my brother used to listen to AC/DC and Iron Maiden, my sister used to listen to the Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand and Fleetwood Mac, and my dad was in to traditional Irish music. So I now have a love for all different types of music.
What do you think living in a fairly isolated place like Ballyporeen taught you?
A: It's funny, I don't think so much that its growing up in Ballyporeen, y'know there are eight kids in our family and growing up in a house with so many kids it's like a mini community. There are personalities that clashed and you have to learn how to deal with them and how to get on with them, because you can't leave and run away - this is your family. Living in Ballyporeenas a child was great but as a teenager it was a very boring place, I couldn't wait to get out of there. I don't really know what Ballyporeen has taught me yet, maybe I have to reach a stage when I can look back a little bit further. I do think there is a real difference between people who have grown up in the country and grown up in a town. There's a strange sort of calmness with people who have grown up in the country, surrounded by a certain serenity - I suppose you could call it boredom as well.
Q: Are you happier living in the town now?
A: Right now I am. I kind of need a little bit of action right now. I think places like Ballyporeen are beautiful and I think that if I was to have a family I'd definitely bring them up in the country. When I'm old, very old, I'd like to live in the country but right now I get bored very easily so I need a lot of lights and a lot of action.
Q: When you're on tour, do you write as you go around? How does the process work best for you, is best to go away and be cooped up for a while? How do you get your songs down?
A: I haven't actually written a song, believe it or not, for three or four months, I haven't wanted to. I've tried once or twice to pick up the guitar on the tour bus but I sort of get out voted by men who want to scream, and shout, and drink beer and I always end up joining them. So for now, yes it is a good idea for me to get away and play guitar with no other agenda other than to muck about...I haven't yet found out the secret of writing whilst on tour.
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