SXSW 2017 Interview: Conchúr White and Chris Harbinson of Silences
Oh, what a difference a year can make! Northern Irish alt-rock band Silences made their SXSW debut last year, when their frontman Conchúr White made an impromptu solo trek to Austin, filling in for another band who had to cancel their scheduled appearance at the last minute. White was, by his own admission, a bit overwhelmed by the chaos and intensity of his initial SXSW experience, but he made a triumphant return to Austin for SXSW 2017 with his four bandmates–lead guitarist Chris Harbinson, bassist Breandán White, keyboardist Jonathan Downing, and drummer Michael Keyes–at his side and a distinct air of confidence about him.
I must admit that I had been privately rooting for Silences’ success since meeting White in Austin last year, so naturally I was over-the-moon excited to catch up with White and Harbison after their absolute stunner of a live set on a Thursday afternoon’s Full Irish Breakfast at B.D. Riley’s in downtown Austin. We chatted about their experience at this year’s SXSW, including one particular challenge they faced in playing on the infamously small B.D Riley’s stage. They also brought me up to speed on the band’s plans for the immediate future and what they hope to achieve with their North American appearances in Austin and in Toronto for Canadian Music Week.
Silences have a new single release up their collective sleeve, a song they played on the Irish Breakfast showcase called ‘Red Dress’, which is due out in April. Another unreleased Silences track, ‘Before Ten’, has just recently received air play on Seattle radio station KEXP. You can take a listen to the tune for yourself in the stream at the bottom of this page, and then have a look back at TGTF’s past coverage of Silences, including White’s recent answers to our SXSW 2017 flavoured Quickfire Questions, right back here. Stay tuned to TGTF for more on Silences in my full review of the Irish breakfast, which is on the schedule to post in the coming days.
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