Walking into a pub in the Liberties late on Friday night, I met with two members of Child of Prague, Noah and Adam. What ensued was an hour of good chat and the inside scoop on their origins.
Child of Prague consists of six total members: Noah Edwards on bass, Adam Tracey on guitar, Jack McDonnell singing and on guitar, Rachel Baum on sax and violin, Amelia Durac on violin, and Miranda Gallacher on drums.
They formed together originally as the duo of Adam and Jack at the beginning of their first year here at Trinity – since then they have added the rest of the group, with Noah being one of their newest members. The two said that the formation of the group was a bit of a “miracle,” since most members joined through word of mouth or chance.
I then asked about the name of the group, seeing as it’s a rather unique name. Adam explained that the name comes from an Irish religious practice where you put out the child of Prague, a small Jesus statue, the night before your wedding, to keep rain away. His love for Irish culture and religious imagery informed the name choice. . aThe musical direction of the band also played a considerable role. Their music has trad elements, such as their use of the violin and the band’s own take on an Irish reel.
Speaking of music, naturally I brought up\ their newest single, Watershed. According to Adam, Jack mainly recorded it himself over the summer, but the song existed since before winter break last year. The most unique part of the song is the time signature with which it’s in – it’s mainly in 7/8, but switches to 4/4 at certain times as well. Noah said the time signature is also one of the hardest parts of learning the song. The band’s recording process is DIY, as no recordings have been done in a studio. Listening to the song, you can’t tell it was done at home whatsoever.
Lastly, I asked about any future music plans and the rest of the year m. Child of Prague has an EP that they’re in the middle of recording right now – it’ll be released around the end of April, about when exams will start for us. It will consist of five songs, with a good variety when it comes to genre. As for the rest of the year, they plan to “complete gigs with efficiency” and jam out and want to get used to being on stage more.
If this has caught your interest, make sure to check them out on Instagram, @childofpragueband! Currently they have four gigs soon: 20/3, Soundhouse for Wildball 27/3, Lost Lane, Maths-Phys Ball 31/3, Hickey’s Pub, Thurles, County Tipperary 1/4, Workman’s Cellar .
