| Spikes |
 "Firstly Mark is such a gentleman. This is a man with no ego, is so humble and hears exactly what you want to hear. He has become a solid mate so that allows the sound to be created unconditionally and totally organically." Tom Dunne - The Spikes
Rock n'roll has always had a healthy output from this little island of ours. Throughout the decades we’ve been responsible for supplying some of the biggest movers and shakers on the scene from Lizzy to Gallagher, My Bloody Valentine to Therapy? We should be proud to say that we’ve harvested some fine crops and how the y’ve grown. The Spikes are no exception to this bloodline and could be said to incorporate elements of each of the bands mentioned above… with a nice blend of The Stones, Stooges and Doors thrown in for good measure.
Since their inception in 2005, The Spikes have been touring the length and breadth of the country on the backs of their debut album 'Urges & Purges' and this summers 'We Are…' EP. Connected caught up with vocalist Tom Dunne as The Spikes take a break from recording to ready themselves for headlining the nationwide Dublin Rocks Winter Tour…
Things have been moving pretty fast for the Spikes over the last nine months, you’ve had two releases, a new member join, some memorable gigs under the proverbial belt… how have you guys been holding up?
After the summer success of the ‘We Are…’ EP and the publicity that came with it did you feel added pressure entering the studio this time around to record album number two?
You have chosen Mark Reddy to oversee proceedings once again, how has working with him enhanced your sound?
.
.
. Have you chosen a different approach to recording with Mark at the helm?
Absolutely. Way more time is spent in pre-production. Mark is a genius at discovering sounds and the abstract approach he utilizes can be quite bizarre. He gets 150% out of you without pissing you off. You have a series of headline Irish dates next month as part of the Dublin Rocks Winter Tour – looking forward to it?
Should there be more tours like this organised?
Do you lead the true rock n'roll lifestyle while on the road or are you more mellowed out?*
Will you be treating fans to some new songs?
How do you view the Irish music scene at the moment?
Mid-90’s Irish rock (which produced some amazing bands) seemed to find itself in the cliche of ‘right music wrong time’. Is now the right time?
As we approach the 2010s, what is your hope for the new decade in terms of music? The Spikes headline the Dublin Rocks Festival in Whelan's on the 13th of November
Words: Steve Battle
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With a twist of hope, a dash of industry hatred, and a pitcher of
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