Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Shark School

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

Nora: My brothers used to get guitar lessons and I remember their teacher playing guitar in the kitchen and uncontrollably smiling.

Meg: The first song i remember being really obsessed with was cosmic dancer by T-Rex. When I was really little it used to be on an ad for Ballygowan water I think? My dad noticed that I’d always go mad dancing when the ad was on so he brought me over to his Cd player and went ‘I think you’re going to like this…’ , putting on his copy of electric warrior. I was absolutely ecstatic that there was MORE of this incredible music and the world felt huge to me.

Peggy: my mum playing ‘The Entertainer’ on piano.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

Peggy: when I started playing in bands with my friends instead of just alone in my room really made me realise how good music could be.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

Nora: Peggy came to one of my gigs when we were both playing in different bands at the time and we became friends really quickly because we were in a really male-dominated scene. Shark School came from that friendship.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

Nora: like a breath of fresh feminine Éire

Peggy: loud

Meg: sweaty and shark-infested

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

Nora: not everything is perfect. That’s allowed me to write more freely and bring things to the band more often, and not let them sit alone in a dark secluded box.

Peggy: drafts are great. even if you write loads and the first thing you wrote was the best, it’s good to experiment.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

Nora: your heart and the love for the craft

Peggy: beer and love of the game

Meg: a good sense of humour

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

Peggy: Babe Haven

Nora: Infidel (Galway crusties)

Meg: hotgirl

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

Nora: a great deal of hardship has provided a great deal of rock and roll

Meg: I’ve been really lucky to be surrounded by loads of very inspiring musicians of different genres and disciplines and seeing people really devoted to their craft, it’s been very motivating

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

Peggy: comfort and community, like they’re not alone

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

Peggy: trying hard is good. That sounds so silly but it’s true

Meg: persistence and patience. And also giving yourself grace.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Nora: Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Meg: Gizz Fest

Peggy: Vicar Street in Dublin

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

Meg: Patti Smith because she’s such an influential legend on all of rock over the past couple decades, and also she seems like a really lovely person to collaborate with

Nora: Megan Trainor because she’s all about that bass

Peggy: CMAT so we can hang out. I have some questions I need to ask her.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music?