MacD on Music: Electric Island

Over the years, there have been many songs and albums that have been inspired by a particular location.

California has given us ‘California Dreamin’’ (The Mamas and the Papas), ‘California Love’ (2Pac and Dr. Dre) and pretty much every Red Hot Chilli Peppers song, Cambodia has given us ‘Holiday in Cambodia’ (Dead Kennedys) and Derry has, of course, given us ‘Paradise City’ (Guns N’Roses).

This week, I’m talking to local electronic artist Michael McElroy, who’s third album is inspired by his time spent in Iceland. The album, which he hopes to launch in Reykjavik, is a tribute to the country’s “rugged and breathtaking scenery, it’s earthquakes, storms, auroras and volcanoes, it’s architecture, culture and people” with music that is “cinematic, uptempo, downtempo and ambient”.

I spoke to Michael recently about the album, which has been three years in the making.

“It’s my third album. I’ve always been fascinated by Iceland and everything to do with it’s culture, it’s scenery, the geography of the place and everything. I had been there in 2015 and when I came back, I’d always been making music, but I took it more seriously from about 2017, and I wanted to learn about music production and actually letting music that I made go somewhere. I started learning seriously about that and I was pushed and encouraged by Johnny Delaney.

"He works under the name Fully Automatic Model. He’s been so encouraging, so helpful. He would push you to the next level all the time, which is what I needed.”

Derry man set to release his third album on Valentines Day

“I brought out my first album in 2020 [Aviating], of course during Lockdown. Perfect timing. Because of my day job, I work in aviation, I made it about aviating. It was all sort of themed around that. It was a good first test, to dip into producing an album, then I did a second one in 2022 [Time & Tide]. It came out in 2022 but in 2021, I have a Godson and he had gone out after doing a degree and went to see the world and met a girl who was doing the same thing in Australia, and they travelled around the world but settled in Iceland.

"I went over and I met up with them and we did a road trip and everything. I suppose the whole motivation for the album was from that road trip and the places that I visited. I came back and, with a mixture of photographs that I’d taken and even YouTube videos, it was a real inspiration to me, having the screen filled with images from Iceland and it just formed from there, track by track.”

“At the start, I didn’t really mean to make an album. It was just a number of tracks that appealed to me. I tried to have different styles. There’s a mixture. Some slow, long tracks and some uptempo short ones. It’s just whatever way they came out. Each track was just formed like that. I wouldn’t start off saying I’m going to make an eight-minute track, it’s just how the music flowed.

"I had the great advantage of not having a record label. There was nobody breathing down your neck saying ‘we need this album in three months’. I could take my time and it took as long as it took. I’m happy with how that worked. I could devote as much time as I wanted to each track. Finally, I got it mixed and mastered throughout 2024 and she’s ready to go now.”

READ MORE: MacD on Music

“Since it’s all about Iceland, I thought I’d go and launch it there, regardless if that only means putting it in record shops there and that type of thing. Again, I was encouraged to try and do some thirty-minute sets. I’ll be travelling light so it won’t be my usual set up but I’m doing it. I’m talking to people there and the signs are good.

"There’s one already, 12 Tónar, which is very well known over there. They would’ve promoted Sigur Rós back in the day. They’re very encouraging. I’m hoping to get a gig there, plus there’s a few other people I’m talking to as well. It won’t be a holiday. I’m just determined to make a mark with it as best I can.”

And that’s it from Michael McElroy. His new album ‘Electric Island’ is out this Friday (14th).

Now, onto other business. Following an eventful 2024, The Marra are back with their second single following their reduction from a five piece down to two. Their new song ‘What She Does To Me’ is out this Friday and will be available on all good streaming platforms.

Finally, time for the socials. The Marra can be found on Instagram @themarra_band and Michael McElroy @michael_mc_elroy.