Q: You call yourselves IRA. You named your release "These are the Arms." My first thought was about provocation. IRA is the abbreviation for the Irish Republican Army that operated during the Irish Civil War, and "These are the Arms" fits well as a title. Did you want to consciously evoke this association?
IRA: Our name has nothing to do with the Irish Republican Army. “IRA“ means “anger” in Latin. When pronounced in English (eira), the word refers to both a female and male first name. The title plays with the word “arms,” which not only means “weapons.”
Q: When I listen to your songs, the lyrics come across as fragmentary, cerebral, fatalistic, and concrete at the same time. How do the lyrics come about, and what do you want to convey or communicate with your lyrics?
IRA: The lyrics are created through quite a bit of meticulous work. They usually revolve around specific terms and themes and then explore these linguistically. It’s not about conveying any particular messages. Ideally, a text has multiple interpretations and opens up different “drawers” from which the listener can then draw or make their own conclusions. We mainly try to avoid clichéd rock lyrics. The lyrics should address concrete themes and not shy away from the “big” questions. They shouldn’t come across as overly cerebral or moralistic. Ultimately, all the lyrics are also critical engagements with the existing conditions. Somehow, that’s quite a high standard, as I just realized.
Q: How would you describe your musical style yourselves?
IRA: Hard to say. Maybe just with a few terms: force, melody, atmosphere...
Q: Your roots lie in hardcore and punk. What connections do these styles have to your album "These are the Arms," which I would rather classify as experimental, atmospheric, and calm?
IRA: Our roots are not only in hardcore and punk. For 3/5 of the band, the roots probably lie more with Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth. If we took anything from hardcore, it would be a certain live energy and live intensity, and certainly a critical attitude towards the whole music market trend nonsense.
Q: What can one expect from a live performance by you?
IRA: Many people say about us that we have always been better live than on record.
I would agree. Live, we are denser, heavier, and more intense. You put all your energy into a live performance. It’s something completely different than recording an album. At our concerts, everyone gives their all and lets themselves go. That’s the most important and beautiful part of making music, and ideally, that energy transfers to the audience.
Q: What do you want to achieve with the audience or listener?
IRA: I would say we want to take them on a beautiful sound trip, from which they are still stunned when they get home.
