Conor Clancy, frontman and lead singer of TOUCAN, talks with Anna Goldenberg about what it's like to be in the studio with TOUCAN and what we can expect from their upcoming EP.
AG: Alright, I know this may be a given question and a bit unoriginal, but we must know where did the name TOUCAN originate from?
CC: Well, Martin [arranger and keys player] was actually born with wings. They were small and fleshy and weren't enough to make him fly. They had to be surgically removed at an early age and when the surgeon was talking to us about it, he said, "One surgeon can't take these off, but toucan." We're not sure why he thought that was a right time to make a pun that didn't make a whole lot of sense, but it felt right to use it as our band name.
AG: We got a sneak peek with "We Fell for Miles" but what can we expect from your latest EP being released on March 30th?
CC: The sneak peek is quite telling of what's to come! There's more brass hooks, more upbeat, funky sections, and an overall feel-good atmosphere from the EP. One of the tunes is an outlier in that it's a little bit slow, nearly a bit rocky, but I think what they all have in common is that we think they're all songs that people will want to play loud.
AG: Do you have any pre-concert rituals?
CC: None actually! We just make sure to be relaxed and ready to go.
AG: Are recording sessions with TOUCAN all work and no play or do you find time to mess around?
CC: I'd love to say they're all work and no play, but it's nearly the opposite. The way it generally works is that as time goes on in the studio, we get progressively more bizarre and lose our minds a bit, and then become intensely productive until all the jobs are done. It's a bit like achieving a Zen-like state before working, where Zen is a stage of mentality where everything's funny and nothing makes sense.
To listen to and learn more about TOUCAN, check out the March 22 issue of The Note. Their debut single, "We Fell for Miles," has made a huge international splash, landing in Spotify's Viral 50 playlist for Ireland. Keep an eye out for their EP coming out March 30.
CC: Well, Martin [arranger and keys player] was actually born with wings. They were small and fleshy and weren't enough to make him fly. They had to be surgically removed at an early age and when the surgeon was talking to us about it, he said, "One surgeon can't take these off, but toucan." We're not sure why he thought that was a right time to make a pun that didn't make a whole lot of sense, but it felt right to use it as our band name.
AG: We got a sneak peek with "We Fell for Miles" but what can we expect from your latest EP being released on March 30th?
CC: The sneak peek is quite telling of what's to come! There's more brass hooks, more upbeat, funky sections, and an overall feel-good atmosphere from the EP. One of the tunes is an outlier in that it's a little bit slow, nearly a bit rocky, but I think what they all have in common is that we think they're all songs that people will want to play loud.
AG: Do you have any pre-concert rituals?
CC: None actually! We just make sure to be relaxed and ready to go.
AG: Are recording sessions with TOUCAN all work and no play or do you find time to mess around?
CC: I'd love to say they're all work and no play, but it's nearly the opposite. The way it generally works is that as time goes on in the studio, we get progressively more bizarre and lose our minds a bit, and then become intensely productive until all the jobs are done. It's a bit like achieving a Zen-like state before working, where Zen is a stage of mentality where everything's funny and nothing makes sense.
To listen to and learn more about TOUCAN, check out the March 22 issue of The Note. Their debut single, "We Fell for Miles," has made a huge international splash, landing in Spotify's Viral 50 playlist for Ireland. Keep an eye out for their EP coming out March 30.