Artist Spotlight: Grooveline

By Neele Sophie Marx

Photography by Nora Abdel-Rahim. Collage by Anastasija Simutkina

Between Irish roots and the future of funk 

With the embodiment of funk and fun, Grooveline is taking their audiences hearts by storm. 

We all have experiences with music that ‘changed our lives’ and for myself, my first show by the six-piece band has just made my list. 

With a saxophone, fiddle, guitars, bass, drums, and piano, the band is constantly evolving their sound with an emphasis on encouraging the audience to dance. 

And dance we did. Through their revolutionary experimentation with genre and the passion they place into their work, Grooveline binds the bodies of their audience under a spell where you can't help but move. 

The six band members, Bronwyn Kirwan, Cian Sweeney, Evan Gerry, Glen Feely, Matthew Connolly, and Tarach Ó Snodaigh grew up in a small, remote mountain village in Leitrim where playing music was one of the only ways to pass the time.

 The group had been playing as the band ‘Electric Noodles’ since the age of ten, covering rock songs at local gigs, but it wasn’t until they entered and won Comórtas BEO in 2018 that they began taking it seriously. 

“The connection that we’ve all had since we were tots is insane. Outside of the band we are best friends”, explained Bronwyn about their early experiences in the band.

“We started practising in my bedroom,” added Tarach, “upgraded that to Matthew’s shed and then we started having gigs all around the country and it blossomed from there”. 

Currently, Grooveline is widely recognised as one of the most promising Irish bands of the 2020s and, with performing their sets in both Irish and English, the group is celebrating their identity loudly and proudly. 

Having attended a Gaelscoil, incorporating Irish into their lyrics feels like second nature for many of the band members. 

“I feel like there is a reignited passion in young people in Ireland for the language in the last couple years,” said front singer and rapper Tarach. “Irish is a part of ourselves and it’s a part of our culture.”

Grooveline started out as a rock band that played ‘funky rhythms’, but due to the individual talents in the group they soon started to experiment with their sound.

“I think a lot of our sound has developed because we play so much and we’ve been playing for years,” explained Tarach.

“It’s a lot of growing around each other”, described Bronwyn. 

When Evan picked up the saxophone during lockdown in 2020 the band proved their flexibility and recognising his talent, reconstructed their sound to include the new instrument.

“We quickly realised that he is a genius. Within six months he was playing saxophone solos,” remarked Tarach proudly about his friend. 

Moreover, the group explained: “when people started dancing at the live shows, we realised that’s what we want! But how can we do this?”

“That’s how we came into our funk and disco territory. Our newer single ‘Maze’ is where we’re at,” concluded Tarach, “funky and dancy”. 

The uniqueness of the Grooveline gig experience is anchored in the show the group creates on stage and the way they incorporate the crowds in them. 

“I prefer calling it a show,” Bronwyn told me, “Tarach controls everyone, he has them all wrapped around his finger.”

“The crowd is a huge part of the show, because if they love it, we’re loving it ten times more.”

Having previously included a UV paint party, fire breathers, and circus acts in their shows, Tarach’s goal is to create something even more ambitious next year.

“We play gigs, but we aim to put on a show where we tap in and out of different forms of art. Not enough bands do it.”

While the band flourished through their iconic, interactive performances, they were stuck when it came to writing new songs. 

“We hadn’t created an original song in ages and then Glen started playing this riff.”

“Glen is a huge backbone of our creative music work. Another virtuoso,” Bronwyn and Tarach agreed on. 

The single coming out in April is called ‘Let Loose Let Go’ and consists of rap, funk, and high energy. 

Lyrically, Tarach was inspired by detaching from worries and enjoying yourself, dancing, and partying.

“I want to dance and party and spin you around on the dance floor, but I don’t really give a shit,” described Tarach.

Bronwyn agreed stating: “It’s about throwing your worries out the window and enjoying the night for what it is”.

Aside from the upcoming single, Grooveline have recently started discussing the possibility of writing more of their songs in Irish, emphasising the love for their roots. 

Spearheading the Irish revival of funk and dance culture, the group is combining their cultures, past and present, to create the unique Grooveline experience which is quickly becoming a fundamental musical landmark.