Music, put simply, is centered on two things: Sound and stories. For Vienna-based indie outfit The Belgian Blue, both elements first drew me in when I heard them in a random playlist rotation on a streaming platform. I’m so glad I did.
Their story is familiar but decidedly new: a fusion of backgrounds and cultures. And the 5-piece band makes a compelling and notably atmospheric entrance with their debut full-length release, "Summer Sweeps." This 8-track EP is not just a collection of songs, but a sonic statement born from a period of early transition and creative immersion.
Go West Young Men
I interviewed three members of the band in August 2024 - they dialed in from a cabin somewhere in the American West. They were “reuniting today in Montana of all places,” and little did I know that I caught them amidst the lyrical beginnings of what would become "Summer Sweeps.” Frontman Pádraig Mac Mahon penned the songs that summer of while holded up in a cinder-blocked RV in the woods while working at a logging camp in Montana's rural Little Belt Mountains. This solitary, rustic incubator for the lyrics, later brought to life with the full band and producer Jakob Herber back in Austria, imbues the record with a palpable sense of place and introspection. It’s a collection that feels both intimately personal and broadly resonant.
The Belgian Blue itself is an international affair, a testament to the serendipitous connections that often spark creative endeavors. The core songwriters Pádraig Mac Mahon (vocals, guitar) from Ireland and Ian Strahn (guitar, banjo) from the US, initially met in a shared flat in Vienna. Their musical partnership evolved from busking on the city streets to organizing basement shows. It was in these burgeoning live settings that they encountered Ferdi Rauchmann (keys) and Jani Holzer (bass), who jumped on stage and soon became integral members. The lineup was completed by drummer Mo Herzog. This eclectic group of individuals, each bringing their own experiences and perspectives, forms the heart of The Belgian Blue.
The Belgian Blue Sound
The band crafts a sound that, while rooted in indie rock with discernible folk and Americana leanings, actively defies easy categorization. It’s Death Cab for Cutie meets Nathaniel Rateliff. During their August 2024 interview with Curious Goldfish Mac Mahon shared an amusingly modern classification of their music. "I've looked at this website... " he explained, "and it officially says that we are New Wave Deep Americana." While perhaps delivered with a touch of irony, the label hints at their eclectic nature. Mac Mahon himself acknowledges a deep connection to American musical traditions: "a lot of the music that we love is all Americana kind of folk and, um, roots and stuff. It was a big part of growing up for me to listen to, you know, the greats, the American greats." Yet, he also noted, "obviously being from Ireland, a lot of Irish music too has had its place in forming the modern idea of what American music is."
This cross-pollination of influences is central to The Belgian Blue. Strahn elaborated on this blend on the podcast: "we're definitely influenced by the other members of the band too, and learning a lot of great Austrian music that we'd never heard before. And a lot of very weird Austrian music... So I think that all just sort of gets thrown in into a big smoothie together." Pádraig acknowledges this dynamic, stating that while songs often start with him or Ian, "usually they, they take shape when we, when we bring it into the band, band room... it's just a eclectic mix to bring a song written by an Irish songwriter to an Austrian drummer, and then an American banjo or electric guitar player. I think it's a strength of ours, um, but it can also be a, uh, bit of a complicated mess at times."
Summer Sweeps: A Season to Build Off Of
The band describes "Summer Sweeps," the EP, as a "tattered, sonic collage of vignettes documenting the cracks and stark contrasts of rural and urban communities". The Montana experience clearly steeped the lyrics in its big blue sky atmosphere.
The title track, "Summer Sweeps," opens with a sense of being overtaken by the season and its inherent melancholy: "Summer sweeps us up / Like a long empty hand / And i'm still holding out / Though there's glass in my palm". The Montana wilderness echoes in lines like, "Nights reverberate / With coyotes in the fields", and a poignant awareness of departure: "And i wanna touch your skin / Though it pains me now within / To leave this old land / And cross that old divide". The song concludes with a stark realization, "But the dinner bell it sounds / Through the conifers and pines / And i know now i know / I know its not mine.” Its melancholy is surprising peaceful and pleasant.
"Sorry, Chicago" is a road-worn narrative, heavy with the dust of the American West: "I'm sorry Chicago, I didn't make it this time / It was outside of Ellensburg / I burned up on the side of the road". The lyrics are a map of hardship and fleeting moments: "Outside of Spokane / run out of propane / Couldn't sell my coat to make some change," and vivid snapshots like, "Looking down Aurora at the junkies and skylines / Rainier filling up the windshield.” An obvious nod to time spent in neighboring Washington state. I can see and hear this song being the band's audacious opener at concerts and festivals for years to come.
This period of songwriting in Montana was one of significant personal reflection for Mac Mahon. He shared during the interview, "I've been here for about a month and a half now and haven't been... performing, which is probably the longest time since I was a kid... I'm in this time now, uh, noticing some changes in my, in my voice and then in my sort of way of seeing music and which is, which is terrifying... but I think it's actually probably going to be the thing that is going to be the most exciting thing for me out of this is just to, to see how. How my creativity or my output, my performative output changes... and I'm excited to, to just, um, remain open to that." This commitment to embracing change and authentic expression is a powerful undercurrent in "Summer Sweeps."
The other songs are also notable, all with different tones and feelings. Mac Mahon’s lonesome voice feels right at home on all three:
The introspective "Delirium" lays bare this vulnerability: "I'm well enough to know my own self / The bottom dropped out... Why / Do I find it so hard / To unname my mind / To untether from you".
"Beautiful World" offers a broader, almost melancholic social commentary: "Broken by riches tied to a wheel / Running in circles missing what's real... All these people live / They live in a beautiful world alone".
The raw emotion of "Blood" explores the painful detritus of a ended relationship: "Look at the blood / How it drips onto the end of the bedsheet / We slugged out our last one now", and the stark acceptance, "You cant always be right / Cant always be right / All the time".
Lead Singer Pádraig Mac Mahon’s Vocals Anchor the Band
Mac Mahon’s "raw keening vocals" are the undeniable heart of these songs. He spoke of his vocal delivery with a sense of mystique and ancestral connection: "Ian once described it to me of the way he sees my singing or the way I perform as being some sort of channel, some sort of funnel... I do feel like, uh, an envoy or, uh, um, ambassador for where I come from. And I'm very proud to be Irish and, And represent sort of the history that people have gone through there." He even half-joked about the Irish tradition of songwriting as a form of retribution: "That's, I mean, I think that's the only real threat an Irishman has, is they'll write a song about you if you wrong them." This "achiness," as it was described in the interview, is a defining characteristic, and Strahn attested to its power live: "Pádraig sings so goddamn loud... especially when you get on the stage with him, it becomes a completely different thing... I get goosebumps."
The band’s journey, from Pádraig and Ian's initial, somewhat reluctant musical courtship (Ian: "he's like, no, I hate Irish music.") to selling out venues in Vienna, reflects a growing momentum fueled by a clear intention. Pádraig recalled a pivotal moment: "I remember the moment where we really looked at each other as a band after a gig... And we were like, are we serious about this? Are we gonna try?... I think something happens when you commit to something and things really started to start slotting into place." For Ian, this intention is about "building a community" around their music.
"Summer Sweeps" is the compelling first chapter from this committed and evolving band. It’s a rich, textured debut that introduces The Belgian Blue as artists with a unique, transcontinental voice and a deeply felt narrative. As Pádraig himself expressed a curiosity for their own evolution, "to kind of, as time goes on, see where the limitations are, see what, see what we can sound like. And then. Shatter that or move away from that and go in a new direction... we're just in it to sound like whatever weird thing we sound like at the moment." This EP is a captivating snapshot of their "weird thing" right now, and it’s a sound that lingers long after the last note fades.
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You can find out more about The Belgian Blue and their music on their YouTube channel. The full August 2024 interview referenced can be found on the Curious Goldfish website and Curious Goldfish YouTube Channel.
