Irish progressive rock band Strap have released their new single, Mother Nature. We asked them the BIG questions . . .

Strap, the alias of the band's front man Seán Burch, formed in BIMM in 2022 and also features lead guitarist Alex Moore, drummer Matt Richards, and bassist Mateusz Owsianka.

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The band say Mother Nature "explores the exhilarating dynamics of love intertwined with nature, delving into the concept of a nature kink".

"This is one of our favorite songs to perform live," said Sean. "We've been excited for a while to see what people think of this song."

Tell us three things about yourself . . .

Matt (drummer): I’ve been playing music since I was three years old, starting in Wexford School of music with others my age and then progressing to one on one lessons on both violin and clarinet, while finally starting drum lessons when I turned 12. I grew up in a very musical family doing a lot of musical theatre and slowly transitioned from being on the stage to underneath it in the pit with the band, this is when I decided I wanted to have a career in music. I was trained primarily in jazz, which I feel opened my mind into a more unorthodox approach to the drum kit, with polyrhythmic tendencies and an Interest in off time signatures.

How would you describe your music?

Alex (lead guitarist): Catchy pop tunes delivered with unconventional time signatures.

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Who are your musical inspirations?

Seán (vocalist and guitarist): We take a lot of inspiration from Radiohead and The Smile, two bands both consisting of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. They’re typically considered "alternative rock" but their prog rock elements are what we really latch onto. Considering the four of us come from different musical backgrounds and have different tastes in music, it all blends into this one unique sound where it seems that the more we challenge ourselves musically the more fun we have. Alex comes from a more metal background with his love for bands like Megadeth, System of a Down and Fat Dog, Matt enjoys a lot of metal and rock too but listens to a lot of Jeff Buckley, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Radiohead, Mateusz enjoys a good bit of rock with the likes of Muse, Queen and Sabaton and personally I take inspiration from Radiohead, The Smile and Hozier most notably.

What was the first gig you ever went to?

Mateusz (bassist): First ever gig I went to was Queen playing in Belfast. This is a special one in my memory as Queen was my favourite band and I randomly found out they were playing in Belfast through a YouTube ad. As it turned out, I bought the last two tickets and ended up going with my friend. We somehow managed to be by the front barrier and got to see the show up close. Having Brian May play the iconic Bohemian Rhapsody solo right in front of me was absolutely insane. Seeing the crazy production: all the lights, pyrotechnics and other special effects in action was also a first for me and I was blown away with it all. Overall, it was a magical experience and I am grateful I got to see my favourite band playing live as it was likely their last tour.

What was the first record you ever bought?

Mateusz: First ever record I bought was a special edition vinyl from Queen. I was a big fan of their music and when they released a limited edition set of their greatest hits on vinyl I didn’t think twice and bought it to have as a memorabilia especially after seeing them live not long before.

What’s your favourite song right now?

Alex: New Big Prinz by The Fall.

Favourite lyric of all time?

Matt: "Racist angry man, what have you done? Man, you've made a killer of your unborn son" - Eternal Life by Jeff Buckley.

If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I think it always changes but the one song I keep coming back to as every single time I listen I discover something new I love about the track is Zero Sum by The Smile, everything about it is pure genius.

Where can people find your music/more information?

You can find us on all streaming platforms, Instagram, Breaking Tunes, Bandcamp, Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud under the name "Strap".

Alan Corr