DIVIL - Dublin trio of old friends process hard times on debut single 'Thanks A Million'

Dublin band DIVIL have released their debut single ‘Thanks A Million’ and announced their debut EP, DIVIL I, due June 19th.

The band – Danny Dempsey McMahon (vocals), Jocelyn Vance (guitar) and Conor Cusack (bass) – are childhood friends who reconnected under difficult circumstances. Having lost touch for nearly a decade, the three came together again on the night of Danny’s father’s funeral, where Conor witnessed Danny and Jocelyn perform ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’ for close friends and family. Shortly after, Conor was diagnosed with cancer. Music became the way they processed everything.

‘Thanks A Million’ was the first song they wrote together. The title leans into an unmistakably Irish turn of phrase, and lyrically the song deals with the kind of depression that pulls you inward, and the friends who show up anyway. Danny describes it as “hope in the form of friendship” – a small gesture carrying everything.

Danny explains “The song is about hope in the form of friendship. It’s about your friends checking in to see if you’re alright after you’ve been in a self-inflicted depression. I have this image of being stuck in a box bedroom suffering, the door opens with the lads checking that I’m ok. I respond, ‘I’ll be right here, thanks a million’.”

The video was shot at Mount Temple School by director Aoife Leonard – the same building where U2 formed, and where Damien Dempsey, Gilla Band and John Francis Flynn all passed through. The school is due for demolition, which gives the performance footage an added weight.

“The music video was shot by our dear friend and extremely talented director Aoife Leonard, at our old school Mount Temple. Since we hadn’t been in the building for over 15 years and it’s due to be demolished soon, experiencing old memories there felt quite special and gave the performance an extra sense of gravitas. Our wives and babies were also there on the day, helping, so it felt pretty special and prompted reflection on those who are no longer with us since we left school.”

Cusack is a familiar name in Irish music circles – he has managed Saint Sister and Morgana, hosts panels at Ireland Music Week, and runs Merchy Christmas, the annual music merch market supporting Irish artists. Gilla Band even name-checked him on their early EP France 98 – ‘That Snake Conor Cusack’ but he’s anything but a snake.

The EP features two further tracks: ‘Orang Utan’, described as a raw take on escapism, and ‘Chewing Gum’, which deals with grief and defining moments.

DIVIL I is out June 19th.

“Thanks A Million” is dedicated to Brendan Lawler, Danny McMahon, Emmet Connolly, and Jamie Gill.

Niall Byrne

Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent,  Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter,  and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.

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