"I think the main reason this album has such a fresh sound is because we recorded it early in the morning and we didn't use a click track," jokes La Rocca singer/guitarist Bjorn Baillie over a soft drink before sound-check at Piano's in Manhattan's East Village.
Unloading equipment from a battered van which nearly ran over their publicist as it swerved into the only parking space left on Ludlow Street (NYC's modern day version of Carnaby Street for those of you not in the know), this young and hungry Irish quartet is anxious to make their mark on the American psyche with the release of their explosive debut long-player The Truth.
So much so that they pulled up stakes from their native Ireland (from towns with cozy names like Delgany and Rathcoole) and migrated to the most un-European city in America: Los Angeles. "The label prompted it," says Baille, "they're a small company and they only have one office. Plus we wanted to approach America from the inside out. Here, we have a lot more places to play. I don't think we'd be giving ourselves a fair chance if we just came here for a few weeks at a time."
As for the culture shock: "Dublin is a very direct, real place, and very gritty. On the west coast of America it's the complete opposite, which we love. Living in California could definitely wreck your head if you're not careful, it's beautiful. It's also a great place to work. We've met so many other bands. In Ireland we were somewhat isolated, but in L.A. we're among our peers and we're also unique in that we're Irish piss-takers."
Akin to their elder countrymen U2 (you can hear Eno's Unforgettable Fire in Nick Haworth's piano lines), Thin Lizzy, Hothouse Flowers, and The Pogues, La Rocca harnesses a rowdy, working class ethos into anthemic diatribes bursting with melody. Baillie's lyrics display a wisdom which stretches far beyond his young age, especially in the world-weary bacchanalia which froths from the title track, " if I was a shadow on a long lonely gallows / then hang me and put off my lip / 'cause makin' up stories was all I could do / and you know that the truth ain't worth shit."
Produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Supergrass, The Thrills) and waxed at Hollywood's infamous Sound Factory, The Truth packs an additional rhythmic wallop by way of bassist Simon Baillie's driving patterns and the presence of drummer Alan Redmond. "We recorded analog (tape) and then put it all on Pro-Tools (digital). But Tony's specialty is drums and percussion. He had Alan hit the snare with a mallet on some tracks - I'd say that the drums were the most 'looked after' element on the record."
In making The Truth La Rocca stuck to their classicist modus operandi. "I like good intros, like on older records" notes Baillie. "But on some songs we just jump right in. The sound of an acoustic guitar with piano and bass can sound different on various tracks too. We didn't really follow a format like you hear on most contemporary rock records. So I guess we're a bit old fashioned in that sense, but not purposely so."
http://www.larocca.ie
http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com
La Rocca's debut album The Truth is out August 8, 2006 on Dangerbird Records.
Tom Semioli
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