Premiere: For Foresters address the shock of parental sickness on ‘Towels’
For Foresters are a Donegal/Dublin band who impressed me last year with the live video for ‘Bath’.
‘Towels’ is the band’s official debut single and it’s a devastating song about shocking news, specifically the about vocalist Gabriel Paschal Blake’s mother and the experience of being told by his father that she had cancer.
“We cried into towels until our eyes bled raw,” the emotional song goes, addressing the deep disbelieving emotion when news that someone close to you is sick, is delivered. The lyrical weight is augmented by dark brooding arrangement that grows as shock does.
Watch the video by Charlie Joe Doherty featuring Michael Kennedy.
The band play Whelan’s upstairs on Wednesday March 8th.
For Forresters are Gabriel Paschal Blake (guitar/vocals), Conal Doherty (bass) and Gary Hamilton (drums + percussion), who have played together for six years.
The track was recorded in Attica Studios, Termon, Co. Donegal, and mixed + Co-Produced by Orri Mc Brearty.
Song Lyrics
I danced with a ghost
When Mum was in the hospital and
I fought with a dog.
Pretending to be an animal.
Your Dad
Let me stay on your couch and
You kissed me to sleep.
You kissed my dreams.
Me to sleep.
‘fore I went home.
Where he came into my room and
Ripped all he saw.
Then we cried into towels
’til our eyes bled raw.
He opened my door and
Ripped all he saw.
Then we cried into towels
’til our eyes bled raw.
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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, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.