THE FRONT ROW

Bringing rock from ‘The Rock’ are Gibraltar based foursome cedar. Having honed their talents in the British Overseas Territory the band are ready to be embraced by the Motherland as they embark on their first ever UK tour. Guitarist Harry Meenagh joined us at Halfway 2 Nowhere to discuss cedar, the Gibraltar music scene, and to prepare us for what is to come.

Who are cedar, and how did they come into existence?

We came about as a proper band through a bit of luck. I’d been playing in a covers band in the summer of 2022, a band that decided to go on a break after having our gig cut short due to the late Queen passing away. Not many bands can say they had their gig cancelled because of the death of a monarch, but it was enough of a baffling moment to help us decide we needed to pursue other things. Daryl Pallas (drums) was in the crowd at the time, and out of that we started talking about getting something going. We jammed about with people for a short while and then Daryl mentioned that Patrick Murphy (lead vocals/guitar) would be returning to Gibraltar after a year in Mexico. I knew that Daryl had been in bands with Pat in the past to some real good success. It was a no brainer to get him involved. We then took to looking for a bass player, and I approached Bradley Hewett (who was also in the same covers band I was in) as I remembered him pushing the idea of original music constantly. We brought him into rehearsal and it all just clicked into place. That was the birth of cedar.

How would you describe cedar’s sound, and would you say you’ve been influenced by any bands or artists in particular?

I think all of us in the band have to take a moment before describing the sound. The great thing about this band is that we actively try not to pigeonhole ourselves. Nearly every song we play live or currently have in the works is a different sound to the one before, and we’ve made a point of continuing to evolve the sound rather than stick to a consistent one. We’re definitely in the vein of alternative rock and indie, although we’re finding ourselves in more shoegaze and post-punk territory the more we write together. In terms of influences, I think that would explain why we’re so committed to an evolving sound. We’re all heavily inspired by a huge list of bands and artists. Daryl’s mad for Foals, Idles, Black Country New Road. Brad’s got a big taste for Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, a good bit of hip hop alongside other influences that he brings into the sound really well. Pat takes huge inspiration from the likes of Cage The Elephant, Arcade Fire, Radiohead and Pixies. I’m really inspired by Soundgarden, Foals, Queens of The Stone Age and The White Stripes. There’s more we could all suggest too, all as different. It all kind of meshes together, and I think the result for us is a continuous experimentation that keeps us excited. 

We don’t often come across bands from Gibraltar. Is there much of a new music scene over there?

I think there definitely was a more exciting time for new music, but there’s a lot going on here to be hopeful about. A lot has changed in ten years. There aren’t as many live music venues as there used to be, and there’s also really limited space for bands to rehearse. Purely new bands with original music are few and far between, and most new music you do see comes from the artists with a new project that have had a presence in local music (and a rehearsal space) for years, or in the form of solo acoustic acts throwing original material out there. It’s just an unfortunate reality of living in such a small space – there’s not enough infrastructure to allow for the development of new bands. I suppose Cedar got lucky there. It’s a shame because there’s a lot of young musicians that want to form bands but don’t have the space or means to do it. I think at one point there was more of a dedicated interest in local music shown by the local government, though I think it’s fair to say that interest has dwindled. So much so, this responsibility has been taken on by members of the public that have organised together. FutureSoundZ (local promoters) deserves all the credit it gets. They’ve platformed local artists with international talent. It’s the kind of thing long established local bands would’ve called a pipe dream back then. They’ve actually managed to re-cultivate live music from a grassroots level, all while exposing Gibraltar to different music from outside its borders. On the other hand, M.A.G. (the local music union) have given local artists a broader voice in the community, something that has been needed for so long, and they’ve also managed to acquire rehearsal space and premises for a live venue, which is amazing. They’re also probably the only organisation fighting back against the lingering issue of gig cancellation due to noise complaints, which as a member of a band I can only support. New music has suffered a bit in the last ten years, but it now seems to be changing for the better.

Any other Gibraltar bands or artists that we should be keeping our eyes and ears open for?

If you’re after some really fresh local bands creating original music, I wish I could offer more! While there’s good things happening for local music to resolve this it’ll take a few more years for this work to bear fruit. There are a few artists and bands of note all the same. Guy Valarino does the one-man-band show brilliantly – his material comes straight from the heart, and really showcases his serious musical creativity. Kounterfeit Kings have been around for a while but have only emerged with original material the last few years. They’ve written some real good songs and have one of the most polished live sounds in this town. There’s also a couple bands and artists based in the UK with ties to Gibraltar that you should definitely keep a keen ear for. Debts are full indie rock, and there’s a fair bit of interest circling them right now. They played the FSZ Weekender last summer and gave off such a good energy. They’re ones to pay attention to. Nikolai Celecia’s a Gib born, Brighton based solo artist who’s doing really well at the moment. He’s released three singles, all really good and show-off his unique sense of Folk/Americana. He’s also got a truly amazing voice. More attention should be thrown on his music if I’m honest. Layla Rose is another. Gib born again, she’s a country artist through and through, and the original material she’s written has got her some worthy praise. I’m sure there are more, but these lot definitely set the tone for local talent and new music.

Your first two singles ‘Nightshift‘ and ‘Wierd‘ were accompanied by some arty, black and white videos. Was this multimedia approach always a plan, and if so at what point do you start thinking about the video content? 

I think the multimedia approach came about as a happy coincidence for us. I personally didn’t realise that we could fully take on the multimedia, in house attitude until we understood the talents of everyone in the band. Once we understood this, music vids were discussed pretty much immediately. Huge credit to Daryl on the music videos. He’s our main ideas guy, and records all of it. Words can’t express how much good that’s done for us. We can effectively create music videos on our own terms, and the creative angle on that comes from him. It moves beyond the videos too. We’re recording music in house now, and rough mixing of material we send for mixing and mastering is taken on by Pat to great result. It’s also something we’re all keen on developing individually. All this to say, it’s really exciting to know we can be self sufficient on these ends.

I’ve heard some exciting rough recordings of your next single ‘It’s Not Right‘, what can you tell us about the song?

It’s one song I’m always happy to see people dancing to. I think it’s also one of the earliest songs we had fleshed out for a live playing. I was playing around with a riff at home and thought it was cool, took it to the band rehearsal, and I think after about an hour a basic melody and structure formed. The boys took to the riff quickly, which I was really pleased about. It’s that natural dynamic a lot of bands experience. Someone has an idea they like, it’s brought into the fold, and it quickly takes on a life of its own. We realised it had the potential to be a solid part of our set. Pat’s vocals and lyrics tied it all together wonderfully. Speaking on his behalf, the track speaks of being in a relationship with someone you’re aware is being unfaithful, and not having the guts to end it. Whether out of wilful delusion, or fear over taking a necessary step that will end in heartbreak, you just sort of remain in that emotional limbo. The heart of the track is that situation, one that I wager a lot of people can resonate with. I think that’s why we like the track as much as we do, it’s one massive juxtaposition. The songs get you dancing, it’s fast-paced and energetic, but it also deals in some real melancholy territory. We couldn’t possibly disclose a release date at this point, but stay tuned.

Finally, you’re embarking on a UK tour in February, what can the gig-going public expect from a cedar gig?

Needless to say, we’re all beyond excited to cut our teeth in the UK, and incredibly grateful to those that have helped us make this possible (you know who you are). The gig-going public can expect a blistering live sound we’re really proud of (I’d advise ear defenders), some new songs in the pipeline we’re gearing up to show off, and ultimately a live show they’ll remember. We want for nothing more than that. 

You can catch cedar live on their debut UK tour in the following places:-

LONDON, Camden Assembly, 15/2/2024 (supporting The Mezz)

LEEDS, Northern Guitars -16/2/2024

MANCHESTER, Lions Den – 17/2/2024

LIVERPOOL, The Jacaranda – 20/2/2024

HUDDERSFIELD, Parish – 21/21/2/2024

BRISTOL, Exchange – 22/2/2024 (supporting Kudos)

BRIGHTON, The Brunswick – 23/2/2024

LONDON, The Star, Shoreditch – 24/2/2024 (supporting Cavalcade).

Ian Dunphy.