The Southern Fold is a Kilkenny-based band with its feet firmly placed in the Gothic Country genre. Fronted by founder member Emlyn Holden, their current lineup alongside Emlyn is Madeleine Leclézio (vocals), Stephen Doohan (guitar), Brian McGrath (bass), Peter Flynn (keys) and Gregor Beresford (drums). Taking inspiration from classic country male/female harmonies, the band has included a female vocalist from day one working in tandem with Holden, the latest being the Mauritius-born Leclézio. Holden’s songwriting recalls the lamenting and lonesome treatment of one of his inspirations, Hank Williams, but with an even darker undercurrent. Their debut full album, BIBLE FEAR, was released in 2020 and firmly established them as the standout band in Ireland in the Americana / Alt-Country classification. The overriding impression it made with us at Lonesome Highway was summed up simply as ‘a quality product that compares more than favourably alongside the darker side of roots music being recorded by well-established acts in The States.’ The band is due to release their next album later this year. On the evidence of the material from the album showcased at their sell-out gig at the Kilkenny Roots Festival in May, it promises to equal, if not surpass, its predecessor. What was initially intended to be a stripped-down acoustic album conceived during Covid has blossomed into a fuller recording, as Holden explained when we spoke recently with him.
Was country your 'go-to' music from a young age?
My taste has always been very eclectic, but I've loved country music since my early teens. I had a friend who was my dad's age and was a huge Hank Williams fan, and he got me into that. In my early teens, I loved Elvis; Sun Records and Elvis were major influences. From that, I got into punk rock, but I always found a connection between Hank Williams and punk, as well as the rawness and honesty of the songs. The spirit is in both: heart-on-the-sleeve writing, writing what you know and staying honest. I can't understand the formula in some modern music writing and how it can often take four or five people in a room to write one line in a song.
When did the idea for The Southern Fold emerge?
It started about ten years ago as a solo project. I had a four-piece acoustic band a few years before called Oleo Strut Collective. We only had one of two gigs, and we didn't get very far. In late 2013, I started to write some songs, and I wanted to put a name on them, so I came up with The Southern Fold. At the time, I put four or five songs up on ReverbNation, but I wanted to go for something with a male/female harmony, like that Gram and Emmylou kind of thing. I was listening to a lot of Louvin Brothers at the time and felt that I had a few songs that would lend themselves to that sort of sound. In 2014, I got asked to do an open mic night at Cleere's in Kilkenny as part of a Kurt Cobain tribute night. I knew a girl in Kilkenny who was a good singer and asked her if she'd like to join me, and we started working on some of my songs. It all started there, and we've been through a few lineup changes since then; I've been the only constant presence in the band ever since.
Laura Hand was your co-singer for a number of years.
Laura was the third singer I worked with, having gone through others who hadn't worked out. I had reached the point that I thought I wouldn't get anyone who would work out, so as one last effort, I put an ad up on Facebook, and Laura answered. It just went on from there. She is a fantastic singer. We worked together for years.
Your current lineup includes Madeleine Leclézio as backing vocalist?
Yes, Madeleine studying at BIMM Music Institute in Dublin. Stephen Doohan, who plays guitar with us and is from the band Blackbird and Crow, is in BIMM with her, and that's how I got in touch with her. I was looking for a replacement for Laura, and Stephen recommended her. I sent her a few songs from my phone, and she came down to Kilkenny; we sang a few songs, and I could tell straight away that she was a fantastic vocalist; she's from Mauritius. English is not even her first language; she speaks French.
I understand that you are working on a new album. How advanced is the recording?
The songs are written and arranged, and some of them are fully recorded. We released the single, Nothing To Fear, a couple of months ago and have another single, Before The Fall, ready for release. A few more of the songs need a little more work but should be ready to go by August, and the album should be ready to be released in late autumn this year.
How long have you been working on the songs?
I had started working on some of the songs during COVID-19, having bought some home recording equipment. I had been thinking at that time that I'd make an album, even if it's just me and a cello, and put it up on Bandcamp. I thought everybody had forgotten about the band The Southern Fold at that stage. Still, our bass player, Brian Mc Grath, listened to the songs and liked them. He put me in touch with Gregor (Beresford) about a year ago and asked him if he'd been interested in putting some drums down on some of the songs I had already recorded. He went out to a local studio in Kilkenny for a day with Brian, and they put bass and drums on the songs I had already recorded. From there, I put some cello on the songs, Stephen did his guitar pieces remotely, and Madeleine did some of her vocals here with me and some remotely. It would be lovely if we could all go into a room and work together for a few days and get them all mixed, but unfortunately, it doesn't work like that.
Have the recordings been mastered yet?
A guy named Richard Dowling in Limerick is at the top of his game, and I've been sending the songs to him to master. Leo Pearson mixed the songs for me in his studio in Thomastown, Kilkenny.
Is Gothic Americana a lazy description of your music by us?
I love it when people call it that because I would never have come up with that description. I'm happy to go with that because it appeals to my dark side. It's almost embarrassing for me when I'm on stage with terribly dark lyrics; people must think that I'm manic-depressive. I couldn't put a term on our music, but it's definitely country-influenced, and everything I listen to is wrapped up somewhere in our music.
Are you an avid music listener, and if so, what would your daily music diet consist of?
Yes, I listen to music every day. When I was younger, I was literally listening to music every minute of the day. I don't have the time to do that now, but I still listen to stuff from all over the shop daily. I was listening to Creedence Clearwater and The Clash earlier. I love The Replacements and William Elliott Whitmore.
Do you have an overall game plan for The Southern Fold going forward?
My ambition since I was twelve years old was to do something great in music. At this point, I only want to make a few plans, as I learned along the way that they sometimes work out differently than you would like them to. Right now, it's all about getting the album finished, getting it out, and getting a few people to listen to it. Hopefully, it will resonate with some people out there and get some gigs. I want to get to tour Europe, so whatever opportunity arises, I'll grab it. Opportunities in the music industry don't come along every day, so if the opportunity does come along to tour in Europe, I won't let anything get in the way of that; I'll find another job when I come back (laughs).
Interview by Declan Culliton