Get To Know... Adore • Neu • DIY Magazine

Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

Pairing the raucous, garage-punk energy of early Wolf Alice with touching moments of tenderness, Irish duo Adore (aka guitarist/vocalist Lara Minchin and drummer Naoise Jordan Cavanagh) are no wallflowers, arriving as they are with debut EP ‘BITER’ - a sonic, straight-to-the-heart adrenaline shot of abrasion, angst, and self-assurance. Featuring Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox on production, the seven-track project sees the pair assert themselves as true forces to be reckoned with - as a band, and as people.

“Over the past few years, I have been obsessed with people’s childhood mannerisms and if they carried into or developed into anything in adulthood. I came to the conclusion that most children pick up one or more of these vices: Biter, burner (setting fires), poker, tickler,” Lara explains. “Over the years, I learned how keeping to myself and using silence as a form of self defence was affecting my sense of self. I no longer have to be obedient to survive. Though I was not a biter as a child, I began wishing I was. I admire the release of big feelings that my friends indulged in when they were small and as I’ve grown up, I too have become a biter.”

To mark the EP’s release, we caught up with Lara and Naoise to talk Girl Guides, soft play centres, garlic soup and more…

What were the first gigs you ever went to?
Lara: My first ever gig was frnkiero and the cellabration at the Academy 2, Dublin, in 2015. I went with my older cousin, Aoife, who was there to chaperone as I was only a youth. Axis Of - an unreal band from Portstewart - were on as support, and I’ve never felt what I felt at that show ever again. Frank was and still is an absolute hero of mine and I got to meet him afterwards. I remember him being around the same height as me which made me feel amazing; at the time I was 5’5” (small man). He was very lovely - I haven’t been star struck since.

I met my best friend, Lauren, through Girl Guides; we were from different troops but we were “sister troops”, so we’d meet up at camps. I didn’t have a phone at the time so I’d just wait excitedly for the next camp. But, I met Lauren outside the show and we met Frank together, and what followed is one of the most valuable friendships of my life: we started a band together called “gif” and Lauren does all of Adore’s artwork now. I’m very lucky to have had that night!

Naoise: The first proper gig I ever went to was actually Foo Fighters at Slane Castle. Our buddy Pete was in a band called The Stripes and they were first on, before Hozier and Foo Fighters, and I think they were better than any other band that day!

You hail from two different parts of Ireland. Growing up, what were your areas’ respective music scenes like? Do you think they’ve changed in any significant ways since then?
Lara: I feel like in Dublin, there wasn’t an awful lot on for people under 18 - I ended up having to sneak into shows to see live music, and I wish that there was a more safe environment for young people in music. It was a bit of a baptism by fire though, and it helped me realise a lot about themes in the local band scene.

“Monsters and horror have always been used as a manifestations for fears and anxieties. It’s often easier to create a creature than to speak your fears simply.”

— Lara Minchin

Your upcoming EP, ‘BITER’, uses horror and vampiric folklore to explore notions of vulnerability and fear/unease. What is it about these motifs that fascinate you, and why did they feel like the right way to encapsulate the project’s emotional themes?
Lara: The name ‘BITER’ has to do with feral mouthy children more than anything. I suppose the vampire theme came in when I was explaining the imagery of ‘Show Me Your Teeth’, though. During that time, I was going through one of my periodic nightmare sessions: for months on end, I’ll have nightmares every night and then they’ll just stop. There is a sort of ambivalence that comes with that, not knowing what comes next. Monsters and horror have always been used as a manifestations for fears and anxieties, and nightmares are a complete window into all that you worry about - conscious or unconscious. It’s often easier to create a creature than to speak your fears simply.

You’ve recently started sharing a series of live videos recorded in… a soft play centre. Frankly, we’re obsessed. Whose idea was that? How did it come about? Can we hire you for a kid’s birthday party?
Lara: My friend Aoife had the idea. Our label Big Scary Monsters were asking if we’d do a live video and they said we could do it anywhere. This then led to a brainstorming process which lasted a few days. Aoife suggested laser tag and so we tried to figure that out, but soft play was the next best thing. Aoife did production on that video and played an absolute blinder with her new fiancé (Daniel) behind the camera (congrats guys!). I got carpet burn on the slide.

Who would be your dream collaborator (and why)?
Lara: Johnny Logan, that man has pipes and leather trousers.

Tell us the best and worst advice you’ve ever been given.
Lara: Bad advice - say yes to everything. Anything my mother has said to me has always been the best advice, I honestly can’t pick out one example. She’s rarely wrong and is a great judge of character.

Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you making?
Lara: Well DIY, we’d need to know a little bit more about you! Any dietary restrictions? At the moment I’ve been really enjoying soup, because it’s miserable outside in Ireland. My current favourite is a Czech garlic soup that’s beautifully golden in colour. It’s super simple: two heads of garlic, an onion, stock, white wine, salt, pepper, some rosemary, and a potato. I’m paranoid about getting sick before touring so I try and zap any chance of getting a cold with this wizard’s brew. It’s also apple season and I have a massive glut of apples from home, so I’d make you an apple crumble with oats on top and homemade custard - because I love you DIY x

‘BITER’ is out on 26th September via Big Scary Monsters.

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