Meet “the Baines”
In a recent interview, The Baines, an emerging force in the indie music scene, shared insights into their musical journey. Co-founders Kevin O'Neill and Cormac Sheerin reunited after years apart, igniting a creative spark that led to the band's formation. Named in homage to Everton legend Leighton Baines, The Baines encapsulates the indie guitar band vibe, drawing inspiration from acts like Oasis and The Stone Roses.
The band's diverse musical backgrounds, familial influences, and collaborative songwriting process contribute to their distinctive sound. With an upcoming debut album in the works, The Baines expresses gratitude for the growing support from fans. Engaging actively on platforms like Twitter, the band fosters connections within the online music community.
As The Baines look forward to an exciting 2024, marked by the release of their highly anticipated album, they invite both existing fans and newcomers to join them on this captivating musical journey.
Next Wave: Can you share the origin story of The Baines? How did the band come together?
Myself (Kevin O'Neill) and co-founder Cormac Sheerin, we've known each other since we were young kids, having grown up in the same area, played football together and all that. Both of us come from musical families, so we wrote a few songs together in our teens; it was great but eventually petered out. As you do, people go off to college, get jobs and so on, so personally I'd been away from music for years until Cormac contacted me, I think three years ago, to see if I was interested in starting up something new. I always loved writing and actually worked as a football writer for nearly 20 years, so yeah, I was well up for it.
We decided we would give it a go, sit down and start writing our own material and, to be honest, it clicked straight away. We had about 30 songs in a matter of weeks. We kept going during lockdown and all that, and eventually released our debut single called "Like This Forever." We had no idea how it would go down, but we loved it, so sent it out there, and the reaction was great, particularly from the online music scene. It wasn't long after that the former Oasis guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs was pushing our second single on Twitter, and that gave us great exposure. People seemed to like what we were doing, so it gave us plenty of encouragement to keep pushing on.
NW: What's the story behind the band's name, "The Baines”?
Well, both Cormac and I are big supporters of Everton in England, so we named the band after one of our favorite players, Leighton Baines. He was a class act on and off the pitch and is into his guitar music too. He had just retired around the time we were getting over. Hopefully, someday he will hear our tunes. It was cool because Everton picked up on our second single and played it at the home ground Goodison Park during a big Premier League match against Manchester City. As a result, we've got quite a large number of Evertonians supporting our music, which is pretty cool.
NW: What are your individual musical backgrounds, and how do they contribute to the band's unique sound?
Well, both our fathers and many other family members have played music for decades. As I said earlier, I had completely stepped away from music for years, but Cormac has always been in different bands over the years. He's a multi-instrumentalist, so he brings so much to our sound. I'm a singer and lyricist, really, but love coming up with melodies and that, and then Cormac knocks the ideas into shape. We click together, musically and personally, and the way we operate just works perfectly for us.
NW: Could you describe the genre or style of music that defines The Baines?
I don't really like putting music into boxes and saying this is this and that is that. I think the listener can decide after listening. But I guess we are in the indie guitar band bracket. I say bracket because the word 'genre' makes me feel a little cringe, to be honest. In fact, I find it an embarrassing word to say out loud!
NW: What are some of the band's most significant musical influences or inspirations?
Well, for us, it's bands like Oasis, The Stone Roses, DMAs, and loads of other guitar bands like Ocean Colour Scene, Shed Seven, and too many others to even mention.
NW: Can you walk us through your songwriting process? How do you create your music?
Generally, the process starts with an idea out of my head, as in melody, song structure, and lyrics. Usually, if we're not in the same room, I send the idea onto Cormac, and he puts the music to it. From there, we tend to get people we know, musicians, to contribute when it comes to recording or playing live. So, Cormac and myself are the two permanent day-to-day members, but it's been unreal having my younger brother (Alan O'Neill) playing with us and also co-producing our recordings. He's a legend and a gifted musician. And Cormac's nephew (Eric Rogers) plays bass with us, so there's a family thing running through it.
NW: What's the proudest moment or achievement the band has experienced so far?
It's difficult to pinpoint one proudest moment, to be honest. I guess the fact that so many people are digging what we do and get in touch to tell us is a great feeling. We honestly can't thank people enough for their ongoing interest in The Baines. Hopefully, this year we will be able to give them more music they love.
NW: How do you maintain creativity and enthusiasm within the band?
Well, creativity is never an issue. To be honest, I wish it sometimes was because some days I literally can't stop writing and coming up with potential new tunes. It can be hard on my little head at times! But no, we just love writing and making new music and from the start we were adamant that this whole thing was something to be loved and enjoyed. That remains our ethos; to continue enjoying what we do and hopefully reaching as many people as possible.
NW: Do you have any band rituals/ habits?
No real rituals, to be honest, but like most bands we do like a drink or two when the time is right and the business is done.
NW: Could you share any upcoming projects or releases that fans can look forward to?
Yeah, we haven't been able to release any music in the last while because of financial things and I guess work commitments and so on. That's nothing new for an upcoming band like ours. But we plan a mega 2024 and we have started with our debut album. It started as an EP but we then reckoned why not just do an album. The songs are sounding great and we are confident people will love it. The live thing is on hold while the album is being done. But once it's out we will take it from there.
NW: How do you typically engage with your fans, and what role do they play in your journey?
We are mainly on Twitter or X, whatever you wanna call it, and always open to people getting in touch. We love supporting bands in similar situations to us and loads of English based bands have been great to us in the last couple of years, the likes of The Institutes, Siracuse, The Shed Project, Senses, Marseille, and plenty of others. There's actually an unbelievably supportive and engaging community on Twitter/X and through so many online radio stations. We would definitely encourage any new bands or artists to check it out because it's a great help.
NW: Can you share a memorable interaction be it in person or online with a fan that has stayed with you?
There's been so many, to be honest. But I do remember a cool little one when we played in Belfast last November. I was getting a pint before we went on and complimented a punky-looking dude at the bar on his Sex Pistols t-shirt. He kinda brushed it off, probably got it all the time. But after we played, I was coming off stage and get tugged from behind. It's the same guy and he just says 'Sorry man, I didn't realize you were the singer. You guys blew my fucking head off'!! It was funny.
NW: Can you tell us about your live performances? What's the experience like for both the band and the audience?
It might be a cliche but we want our live sound to be as close as possible to what's on the record, you know. We want the same power and in-your-face sound. I reckon we get close to it, anyway, and I'm sure it's what people want.
NW: Do you have any dream venues you would love to play?
Not so much dream venues but we would eventually like to do Manchester, Liverpool, and definitely King Tuts in Scotland, where so many legends have played. We will see what happens after the album comes out but we reckon this year is going to be a big one for us.
NW: Finally, with it being the new year have you set any resolutions as a band or individuals you could share?
The only target for the year is to keep doing what we love and record and release the best album we possibly can. The tunes are all there and all sounding really top, so fingers crossed it'll be out in the summer or just after.
With an upcoming debut album promising a musical feast, this band's journey is a testament to the joy of creating and enjoying music. As they gear up for a monumental 2024, The Baines invites you to be part of their growing community. Don't miss out on the magic – dive into their tracks, feel the energy, and join the wave of enthusiasts discovering the unique sound of The Baines. Your musical journey just found a new soundtrack!