Derry band inspired by diary slices

Chris McConaghy and Adam Leonard from Invaderband. Photo by Lisa Byrne.

The album has received widespread critical acclaim, with plays on BBC Radio 6, Today FM and RTÉ 2fm. Released in September 2021, the album was placed at no. 17 in the Top 20 albums of that year by Danny McElhinney in the Irish Mail on Sunday.

Formed in Derry by frontman and Mancunian, Adam Leonard, the garage/art-rock band consists of Chris McConaghy on guitar and synthesiser, James Cunningham on bass, and Tom Doherty on the drums.

On the track ‘Cheese Slices’, Adam takes aim and pulls the lyrical trigger on an unnamed self-regarding band, urging them to “Stop making music please... you’re as interesting as cheese”.

“I actually quite like cheese slices, so I’m not sure why I used them to signify tedium,” said Adam.

“Anyhow, to me the song is along similar lines to Morrissey’s “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful”. There’s always a band you hate, who are doing better than you, and who are very obviously worse than you in every conceivable way, and it’s a head scratcher... It’s my “Positively 4th Street” - but with added processed dairy squares”.

The due-to-be released track takes inspiration from the Stone Roses and Merseybeat outfit the La’s.

A hypnotic opening guitar line is met with a sarcastic vocal delivery which could be likened to Roger Waters on Pink Floyd’s 1977 album ‘Animals.’ The lyrics on Cheese Slices are drenched with cynicism as lead vocalist Adam declares: “You think you’re iconic, I think you’re ironic, you’re as interesting as cheese.”

To promote the new single and album, the band have announced three dates in June. The four piece will kick off with a performance at Fibber Magee’s, Dublin on June 11, McHugh’s Basement, Belfast on June 17, and to finish up, a homecoming gig at Bennigans bar on June 18.

Cheese Slices will be released on Friday June 3. The single was produced by Derry maestro Rory Donaghy, and recorded at the Blast Furnace Recording Studio. You can follow Invaderband on Instagram: @invaderband_derry, or by visiting their webpage at www.invaderband.com.