Gang Of Flaw
The border counties may not exactly be a hotbed of indie rock but that hasn’t stopped Monaghan hopefuls The Flaws from producing one of the year’s most mesmerising debuts.
Paul Nolan, 08 Oct 2007
It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon at Dundalk’s Spirit Store, which despite overlooking the town harbour, is the focal point of the local music scene. I’m here to meet The Flaws, the indie quartet who have just released their debut album, Achieving Vagueness, a record which has confirmed their status as one of Ireland’s most promising young rock bands.
Having grown up in County Monaghan, The Flaws originally met at school in Dundalk, before eventually forming the band in 2004 while they were at college. Since then, they've released an EP and a string of impressive singles (including the top 30 hit ‘Sixteen’), as well as landing a number of high profile support slots with the likes of The Thrills, Nada Surf and Editors.
Along with bands such as Delorentos and Director (both of whom they have toured with), The Flaws are part of a new wave of Irish indie acts who, while each having their own distinctive styles, do have in common a love of angular post-punk rhythms. The Flaws, for their part, have a slightly darker take on the genre than their contemporaries (there are echoes of The Cure and Psychedelic Furs on Achieving Vagueness) and have more in common with, say, the wintry atmospherics of Silent Alarm-era Bloc Party than the feelgood anthems of Franz Ferdinand’s debut.
While photographer Emily Quinn tinkers with the lighting in preparation for the photo shoot, I chat to the band’s singer, Paul Finn. We end up discussing Broken Social Scene, whom Paul describes as “probably my favourite band”. He is somewhat miffed that, despite having secured tickets in advance, he will be unable to attend the gig by BSS member Leslie Feist in Dublin a few nights later.
“We’re playing two gigs that day,” he says, in his distinctive Monaghan tones. “One in Maynooth college in the afternoon and one in Limerick University that evening. We’re doing a show the night of [BSS main man] Kevin Drew’s gig as well! I’ve been into Broken Social Scene for a few years, before they became really well known. I loved You Forgot It In People, and on the back of that I started listening to loads of stuff on the Arts & Crafts label.
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