Neil Hannon - the Divine Comedy, the Father Ted saga & nights at the Indie Disco

How can you not love the Divine Comedy whose inspirations include Tom Lehrer and “Landfill Indie”? And Neil Hannon wrote music for Wonka, Father Ted and the IT Crowd. There’s a new album, Rainy Sunday Afternoon, and a tour in October and all bases are covered in this conversation from Kildare, these among them …

 … seeing U2 at Croke Park “and feeling as though I’d won the Wonka Golden Ticket”.

… favourite bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s - Pixies, Sugarcubes, Sonic Youth and Ride.

… the miserably cancelled Father Ted musical and how he’s recycled the songs he wrote for it.

… a research trip to an Indie Disco with Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian.

 … how it feels to record at Abbey Road.

 … his teenage band inventing new words to R.E.M songs in an Enniskillen youth club.

… how new songs begin.  

… supporting Carter USM and Suede, “the moment I first felt like a pop star”.

… Mar-A-Lago, a childhood trip to London and further melancholia on his new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon.

… rocks on the street in Derry en route to Primary School during the Troubles.

… Hepworth and Ellen appearing on a Duckworth Lewis album - “nudging and nurdling!”

… his first stab at “witty pseudo-intellectual lyrics”.

… “never leave your tour bus, be rehearsed before you start rehearsals” and other ways touring saves money.

… and the five songs he always plays.

Divine Comedy tickets here: https://thedivinecomedy.com/live

Pre-order Rainy Sunday here: https://lnk.to/RainySunday

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