Picture This
The start of 2022 has been huge for Irish pop/rock band Movie This—from signing to Joe Jonas' new record imprint, performing on James Corden, and releasing their new hit single 'Things Are Dissimilar'.
After releasing 2 hit albums, garnering millions of streams, and touring the earth not-stop since the ring get-go formed, Irish rock grouping Motion picture This was not ready to slow down… until 2022 happened. True to their name, bandmates Ryan Hennessy, Jimmy Rainsford, Owen Cardiff and Cliff Deane took what they all experienced throughout last year and took a snapshot in the form of a song. 'Things Are Different' is the band's own version of a call-to-arms; a runway that both uplifts the listener and serves equally an optimistic reminder that despite everything that has occurred around the world and in our personal lives, we still have the bonds we've fabricated with our loved ones.
1883 caught up with frontman Ryan Hennessy and drummer Jimmy Rainsford to discuss the band's new single, the creative plans for their 3rd album, and why they experience right at domicile when they are on-stage whether they're performing to a crowd of 65,000 or just 25.
Information technology'southward been 2 years since Modern Love and iv years since your self-titled. How practise yous call back the band has grown as songwriters since then?
Ryan: Four years — that's mad. We haven't thought about that at all. We've inverse completely, both as regular people and songwriters. Information technology'due south funny considering the first album was the soundtrack of my teenage years and 'Modern Love' was how our lives changed afterwards the release of the debut album. This adjacent album will document all of that as well; information technology goes back to my teenage years and the touring we did throughout 'Modern Love'. For me, I inverse and then much during that fourth dimension because they were such formative years when we started this band. I was 21 and I'thou 25 at present and in those years you lot just change a lot, no affair what industry or job you're in. Nosotros've always stayed true to ourselves throughout that time and always stuck to our guns regarding what nosotros want to practise as a band. I just proceed to write real songs with truth, heart, and personal experiences in them. We've definitely all adult as songwriters and producers, but nosotros're notwithstanding who nosotros are when nosotros started.
It'due south funny you say that because I was going to talk near how your cocky-titled sounds like a coming-of-historic period record and 'Mod Dearest' focuses more on relationships and what it's like to grow up in this generation. When you are writing, are you thinking almost concepts and themes or does that just happen naturally?
Ryan: It'southward a chip of both. Sometimes it's a witting decision but a lot of the time it depends on how I'm feeling when I'thou writing. I could be in the mood to write a carol or a banger, it simply depends on what'due south going on in my head that mean solar day. Even recently in the studio, we were in for a few days merely writing songs and messing effectually with a big uptempo vibe and synths and it just wasn't how I was feeling. I had the stuff to get off my breast and I needed to follow that, so nosotros pushed the other stuff to the side and ended up writing a heartfelt ballad. I call up it's important to hunt after how y'all experience, non after what's cool correct now. I hope that will serve usa in the long run. In regards to concepts, we're very much a conceptual band. 'Modern Love' definitely had an arc throughout it. We find the concept aspect of it—whether it'southward part of a song, a alive show, or a music video—is very of import to us. Things need to fit together to tell a bigger story.
The last year put a hold on a lot — you lot guys were touring and recording non-finish for the last few years. Did you find that the way y'all write or record music inverse a lot with the reanimation that y'all had to reflect on the last few years of the band?
Jimmy: Yeah. Nosotros've gained a lot of experience and skill with how we do things that we learned after doing our first two albums. When we did our outset two albums in America with massive producers in these crazy situations so you lot larn a lot. For me, I learned a lot with the technical side of things which enabled us to use that to our advantage now. It'southward important to marry that with trying to regain the innocence of the beginning 2 records while making something new and different. In terms of songwriting, I know for Ryan it's important to take that naivety and marry that with the know-how of making it accessible and making information technology sound great is important. To write an astonishing song at the basis level and blend information technology with a sonically swell production is integral for us. Information technology's go a lot easier to practice that anywhere now that we know what to do considering we can be instantly creative anywhere.
I think that is great because you lot aren't stuck to any place; you don't feel like yous have to wait to tape something in LA because that's where everyone and everything is. You tin can do what you want when yous want.
Ryan: That's exactly it!
Last year you released four songs — Winona Ryder, Troublemaker, If I Build A Dwelling house On The Moon, and Unconditional. Were those songs that yous had recorded for an album originally and things changed because of the pandemic?
Ryan: They were originally probable going to proceed the album merely with everything changing, we changed our minds. It'due south weird because betwixt our debut and 'Modern Love' we released two songs—'This Morning' and 'When We Were Immature'—which both became massive songs for u.s., but it merely didn't make sense to put them on 'Modernistic Love' at the time. Nosotros moved on and I feel like that's what's going to happen to those songs. I'm not ruling anything out, at that place's a possibility one of them might be on the anthology simply Jimmy might disagree.
Jimmy: Yeah, maybe…
Ryan: I or none, I would say. I just think, for the fans, I beloved for them to take fresh music all the time. I don't desire to give them an anthology of songs they've already heard because it will assist to stream. I'd rather just give them what they desire which is new music. I know equally a fan, I want new music from my favourite artists. Originally they were going to be on the album we were going to release in October 2022 but then life happened.
Jimmy: In Feb 2022 we released 'Modern Dear' and so we were planning on releasing a double album later that year in October…. Simply and then nosotros didn't do that.
In a similar vein — 2022 and the pandemic has influenced your songwriting with the song 'Things Are Unlike'. I'1000 sure yous tin't tell me likewise much most the upcoming third album, only what are some of the themes or topics that you explore on the record and what can you lot tell us about the new tape?
Ryan: It's very conceptual. It's very much one theme. I can't wait for us to denote it so we can start the anthology cycle. 'Things Are Different' is the start of this side by side era of Picture This.
Jimmy: We like to suspension it up into eras which I think we've done quite well and then far.
Ryan: Information technology'south important to us that at that place's a consummate circle from the kickoff and cease for each anthology. Information technology'southward a whole new concept that we're stepping into…. But, as I said, I tin't say as well much! We're just really excited to announce it and let everyone into the world nosotros've created.
You're starting this new era with your commencement Number 1 on the Official Irish Homegrown Chart and the track already has over 1.ii million streams. How does that experience? It must be pretty exciting to have that get-go your album campaign.
Ryan: It's amazing but well-nigh importantly, it'due south confirmation that nosotros're doing the right thing. I try not to listen to too much praise and feedback because it gets into your head, but it'southward good to know we're on the correct runway. The fact it'south connecting on such a level, fifty-fifty though we're going into a third album, is a great sign. I always forget nosotros've merely been a band for v years because sometimes I experience like we've been a band for ages. People nevertheless being super engaged with the states means a lot. 'Things Are Different' is an avant-garde sound and it's slightly unlike lyrics than what people expect considering it's not relationship-focused at all. Everyone has latched onto it and got backside it, which has given us a great vote of confidence that nosotros're on the right track for the new record.
Were there any records or artists in item that you guys listened to concluding year that inspired the new song and album?
Jimmy: With production, I've found myself listening to a lot of unlike genres. When you start to listen to all kinds of music you effigy out what's missing or how to give your unique spin on information technology. It's not and so much taking inspiration from other people and using what they are doing, merely information technology's the opposite. I want to do what people aren't doing. I haven't taken any influence from anyone, not consciously anyway. It's difficult to explain when you're in a creative place because you never want to just repeat what someone else has washed. This album sounds like a Picture This album in a unique way. When you lot are trying to brand something sound like a song that'south already been created, it never works.
Ryan: I always find this hard. I used to be blasé and say I'grand not influenced by everyone because I always thought I wasn't, but subconsciously I'm influenced by a lot of things. Like Jimmy said earlier, information technology's nearly chasing the feeling of whatever we're going through at that moment. We don't chase what's cool on TikTok or what anybody is doing on the radio. It's how we feel, at that moment, every bit writers and artists. We have to reflect ourselves in what nosotros put out and that's more important to us than reflecting the sound of the time.
I know the band are lovers of poetry and are influenced by a lot of poets — the poem you released for 'things are different' was beautiful. Do your songs typically start every bit poems?
Ryan: It does crossover sometimes but it's usually quite split up. I don't call up whatever sounds we've released accept started as poems. I have a weird separation between them in my head; I compartmentalize poetry and songs. I don't know why I do it, but it just works that way in my caput. For verse, information technology's more of a stream of consciousness and costless-flowing, a identify where I can just be creative and say whatsoever I desire to say. For me, songwriting is a lot more than structured in sure ways, but it'southward all simply a honey of words. Mike Skinner of The Streets and Biggie Smalls which, when you listen to Movie This you lot are not thinking of those artists, merely their power to articulate the room they are in or what they can olfactory property is incredible; you lot can but picture what they are saying. Information technology's why we are called Picture This because whenever I'd show Jimmy a song he would say he could encounter the scene in his head similar a movie.
I've seen y'all guys play in a very tiny 500 capacity venue in Toronto and also opening up for the Jonas Brothers in Dublin at 3Arena which was amazing to see; y'all guys command a crowd regardless of where you're playing. Did it experience like a bit of a shock to get off a huge bout with the Jonas Brothers to be stuck in the same place for such a long time?
Ryan: Yeah, it'southward something I think near a lot. When we did the five nights at the 3Arena in 2019, that was the biggest thing ever. We were the first act to do it. So, a month afterward, nosotros were in America playing tiny clubs to people who don't fifty-fifty know who we are. New York is always neat for us and Toronto has always been incredible, likewise, and we can pull a skillful crowd. When you compare those to shows in places similar Common salt Lake City or Columbus, you wonder how people even heard our music. It was not bad that we did that bout right afterwards those big 5 nights because information technology's humbling; you're back in a gild, really working to win people over and put on a testify. Anybody comes to back up you, but you have to put on an amazing testify regardless of the size of the venue or whether you're playing to 65,000 people or 25 people. It might sound a bit contrived, but I think it'south something nosotros practice well as a band because when you love the music and then much, information technology doesn't matter how many people show upwardly — we're nonetheless going to limited our music in the same mode. It's why I love playing those minor shows because of the intimacy of it, you lot can see the whites of people's optics and you tin can see an instant reaction.
Jimmy: The pandemic has simply come in and wiped information technology all out which is difficult considering I always thought our alive set up is such a huge part of our band; people observe us later being dragged to a show past a friend.
Yeah, I dragged 2 of my friends to a show and now they are both big fans. I started listening to you lot subsequently some Irish gaelic friends recommended your debut.
Ryan: I think that happens a lot considering people expect the states to be a pop ring, but our show is very stone 'n' roll. It'due south not just a mediocre gig; it's a existent show. The pandemic coming and stopping all of that ha s been a kick in the teeth. Information technology's my favourite role of being in a band and having that feel both with the oversupply and with the boys.
That gig at 3Arena when you lot were touring with the Jonas Brothers is where you lot debuted Troublemaker live for the first fourth dimension if I'm non mistaken.
Ryan: God, nosotros did debut information technology there. That'south crazy
I thought when looking dorsum at that moment was interesting to compare how you recently debuted the live performance of "Things Are Unlike" at an empty arena, With lyrics like 'Nosotros don't know how much longer just we know we're gonna come up back stronger' juxtaposed with an empty arena, information technology very much feels similar a cathartic and uplifting song. What mindset were you in when you were writing it?
Ryan: Very different, like you said. 'Troublemaker' is a actually fun song that you lot tin have fun with. It doesn't have this big bulletin like 'Things Are Different' has. There's a lot of promise institute in 'Things Are Different' and we're addressing how that even if the earth is going to change, the relationships nosotros have with ane another as a band, with our fans, and with our loved ones, are e'er going to stay the aforementioned no thing what happens in the world. Your relationships with the people in your life volition exist the i thing that'south always going to be there. The song was written in September of last yr and it was just everything I was feeling throughout the year up until that point. I felt similar it would've been remiss of us and me every bit a songwriter to not comment on what's going on in the world, specially since nosotros keep in contact with our fans online a lot through Twitter. I could see how downward anybody was, I could feel how down our families and friends were. I wanted to send a bulletin of hope to the globe again. A lot of people were releasing and listening to deplorable songs and I did non want to hear a deplorable song at that point — I wanted to hear a vocal that'due south going to tell me everything is going to exist okay.
I bet it was cathartic to write, record, and release it into the world.
Ryan: Yes, it wasn't intentionally set out to be a cathartic feel merely it was. I've found writing has become cathartic for me even more during the pandemic. I've e'er used it as an expression but never paid attention to whether information technology was healing me or anything, only information technology helped me put things into perspective.
Lastly, when the anthology does come out, what do yous hope people feel or take away later on listening to it?
Jimmy: I similar to compare albums to movies. A great album will give you the same feeling you get subsequently watching a great picture show in the movie house or how yous feel after having an intense dream and you feel emotionally drained when you wake up. We desire that to happen; we desire this album to be something y'all listen to and you want to replay it to feel that moment in fourth dimension.
Ryan: With streaming, information technology tin sometimes feel like songs but pass you by so apace. Information technology'southward important to us to accept a narrative arc to it so something is connecting the songs from start to finish. We want it to exist a real moment for both the people listening and, of course, a moment for united states in our careers, too.
Interview by Kelsey Barnes
Cheque out the new single 'Things Are Different' by Picture This now!
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