Ger Eaton Talks New Single, Musical Memories And More

Mar 26, 2024 | Interviews

Words by Glenn Sargeant

Photo Credit: Supplied By Red Sand PR

Ger Eaton (pronounced Jair, short for Gerard) is an Irish multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, hair stylist and retro-vintage aficionado, most recently known as keyboardist/guitarist for Dublin alt-rock heroes The Pale. He has released his new single ‘Season Changes’ and spoke to us all about it:

When did you start performing and writing music?

Well, if we want to go right back to the beginning, I joined the school orchestra when I was about 13…On percussion! I particularly remember being fond of the Timpani Drums (more about that later!) At the same time, my older brother Kieran, was in the same orchestra on Flute, but was also the Bass player in a Dublin band called ‘Premonition’. When their original drummer left, I guess I was the natural choice as replacement. So by 15 I was gigging around Dublin in all the now infamous venues like ‘The Baggot Inn’ and ‘The Underground’.. I very quickly knew that I wanted to start writing songs for the band too…drums not being a help in this regard, I took up guitar. learned 3 chords, and wrote my first song…

When you are songwriting, do you have a specific process e.g. lyrics first?

Not really… it depends… Every song can be different! Of late, a lot of my songs have begun with maybe 2 or 3 sweet sounding chords, from which a melody may develop…and lyrics sometimes simultaneously. But I’ve also found changing the ‘musical tool’ can bring interesting results. For example, recently while watching (and absorbing every second of!) The Beatles ‘Get Back’ Documentaries, I noticed how prominently the ‘Fender VI Bass Guitar’ was being used…. so in, what the kids call a Y.O.L.O. moment… I bought one!! Now I’m no Bass player, but within a few hours of messing around on it, I had written what was to become my song ‘Phoenix Reborn’. I know I would never have come up with it on a regular Guitar!

In addition, you have the single ‘Season Changes’ which is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the song?

It was a similar situation in the writing of ‘Season Changes’… I had messed around in the studio on one of my band mates, Sean’s, acoustic guitars, which he had strung in Nashville Tuning… So I decided to do the same with my 2nd choice acoustic at home… within minutes I had found an open chord that was so spellbinding to me, that I literally played it for hours… lost in its simplicity, yet acutely aware of its endless melodic possibilities… That night to unwind I watched one of my favourite movies, the Folk Horror classic, The Wicker Man.. and so it began.. I demoed it the following day and the lyrics just flowed… it’s about the often inevitable decay of a relationship, from the glowing bloom of its Spring, ebbing away to its Wintry conclusion.

The single is accompanied by a music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

Well, following on to the last question, the mood of The Wicker Man movie hung strongly in the air throughout the recording process of ‘Season Changes’. So when it came to the Video, I decided to do a homage of sorts to it too. My good friend, and drummer, Graham Hopkins, had helped film my previous video for ‘Home Again’, so he once again stepped forward! But this time we got a childhood friend of his, Josh Fogerty (from Making Shapes) to help out too. I had the original idea, but the 3 of us fleshed it out, and Josh did the filming and editing. All of the videos for my last 5 releases were done in single complete takes, a technique that fascinates me, and again I started with the idea of doing the same, but for the 2nd half of this video it was clear that we had to break from that tradition!

What is your earliest musical memory?

I grew up in Dublin… the youngest in quite a musical house! My dad loved Opera, my mam more partial to stage musicals and smooth voices like Bing Crosby… and while passing my older brothers bedroom, you were likely to hear T-Rex or Queen…But I have a clear memory of calling, with my other brother Kieran, into our next door neighbours…they had a fancy Hi Fi, with Headphones!! I put the Headphones on, and was met with the Sgt Peppers LP! This picture was actually taken as it happened!!

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones?

Well, since beginning on my current musical path, I found myself with fond memories of my Timpani playing past, and so I purchased myself a couple of old Premier Timpani Drums… they make quite an impression on stage! I’ve also become known, some would even say revered, for my live Theremin playing on stages the length and breadth of Ireland!

Do you have any live plans for 2024 in the UK and Europe?

The Solo material has only been taken to the stage twice so far! But I definitely want to pick that side of things up in 2024… a London gig is definitely in the plans… The Theremin should fit in the overhead bins, not too sure about the Timpani!

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

Well I was born in Dublin…5 words… Hmm …. Historic, Honest, Musically Evolving & Home!

What music do you enjoy listening to? Do you have any recommendations?

O Wow… I listen to sooo much, and such varied music… I’m a big vinyl collector, and It never ceases to surprise me how much music exists that I’ve never heard before. Only this week I finally picked up a copy of ‘Nancy & Lee ..Again’….Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood’s 2nd LP….I Love it!!!

How do you look after your voice?

I did do vocal lessons years ago, and it really helped me understand how to support my voice properly. At the time it even increased my range, allowing me to reach higher notes than I’d been able to before! But these days it’s just freshly brewed Coffee and nice Vegi food!!

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

1. To leave the audience smiling, and 2. not to have split my trousers in achieving No. 1…

Do you have any more music releases lined up?

I really want to try and get the full LP finished and out by the end of 2024, that would make me a very Happy Chappy!

What makes Ger Eaton happy and what makes you unhappy?

ln an odd contradiction…I’ve had a lot of personal unhappiness recently, from which has come some of the best music I feel I’ve written in my career… and so with that has come happiness.. Life has a way of balancing things out I guess..