Mad Daddy are a high octane Rock n Roll Punk Blues band from the Isle of Man. With Isle of Man Arts Council funding, they are soon to be releasing their debut album which now ready for preorder. We caught up with frontman Dolyn Clucas Morris to tell us the story behind this album.
Now that you're so close to releasing the album, tell us more about the process of making it.
We're definitely exciting to be this close to release. We recorded the bulk of the album at Ballagroove Recording studio in October 2020, but the opening 2 tracks were previously released on EP #3 around this time last year. As well as the band, it was pretty much just Gyp Buggane involved in the recording process.
Recording went pretty smoothly, we were well rehearsed and live tracked all the songs, so most of it was done in one weekend. Then we overdubbed some extra guitar, vocals and harmonica. Mixing wise we followed the blue print of the last EP, so it helped knowing exactly what sound we wanted.
What can we expect from the album?
The Album is an intense half hour of non stop rock n roll punk blues. Every song is fast and loud, and there's not much breathing time in between. In this regard inspiration is taken heavily from the Ramones and their quick fire approach. So expect a good time that's over too soon, and hopefully leaving you wanting more.
Who are your influences?
Our Influences are wide ranging, from early blues from the 40s and 50s like John Lee Hooker, Little Walter, Slim Harpo and Howlin Wolf, to early era Rock n Roll like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, and punk music like Iggy and The Stooges, The Ramones and the Cramps.
How did IOM Arts Council funding help you?
The Isle of Man Arts Council grant helped us greatly. Realistically we probably wouldn't have been able to do a vinyl release without it. It feels like a big achievement having our work committed to vinyl. It shows we believe in what we're doing and will hopefully help us on to bigger things, but if not we'll always have this album under our belt now. Furthermore it makes you take that extra bit of care and effort. Digital releases are convenient in many ways, one big reason is it's easy to edit things, so I never minded too much about making compromises. But this feels alot more real and permanent, so it's important to make sure it's right.
How have you been making use of online platforms whilst live gigs have been put on hold?
We have been using online platforms heavily to promote the album, currently it's out for review with alot of critics so expect to start to see those popping up soon, and we're getting airplay all over the world on various punk radio stations. Even 15 years ago I don't think these opportunities would of exsisted for us, and getting reviewed off the Island would have been a lot harder. Of course, it's a double edged sword as everyone else has the same tools and competition is fierce. But we're unique, and not just in context to the Isle of Man, and that gives us a fighting chance. There's a scene out there for what we do, maybe only small, but that's where we've got to try and focus our efforts.
What’s next for you?
Next up, we've got some new videos to do. Originally planned to be out before the album release, but lockdown 3 happened. Of course there'll be more gigs too, hopefully the UK circuit starts up again soon and we'll get to work on the next album!
Mad Daddy'd Debut album is available for pre-order here: http://maddaddy.bandcamp.com
