“I’D say Sabrina Carpenter’s lost so much sleep over that, I’d say she’s devastated,” laughs The Coronas frontman Danny O’Reilly, referring to the fact the band’s latest album knocked the American popstar off the top spot on the Irish album charts.
“We were around way before the whole TikTok and streaming thing came in and that’s not really our generation so to get the number one was great.
“And it’s something to talk about and have at the top of our bio when we’re going to America, Australia and all these places which is really cool and as I say I don’t think Sabrina Carpenter minded too much.”
The Irish indie rockers released their eighth-studio album, Thoughts and Observations, in September which earned them their fourth Irish number one album in a row.
Although Danny admits that despite the band’s continued success, he still gets nervous when an album is “launched into the ether”.
“We actually recorded it in January and then you have to go through all these different stages which is something that’s really changed over the years,” he explains.
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“I remember when we did Closer to You, we were in the studio recording it at the start of September and it came out in October, we turned it around so quickly.
“Whereas now you have to tee it all up, drip feed a few songs, and I actually think that build up makes me more nervous.
“But there’s also an element of excitement to it as well and thankfully the response to Thoughts and Observations has been great so far so we’re happy.”
The fourth album to be released under their own record label, So Far So Good Records, Danny says it has given the band a “new lease of life.”
“When things aren’t going well and you’re signed to a label you tend to blame them for things - but when you start your own label there’s no-one to blame but yourself so it’s made us work really hard,” he says.
“And amongst myself, Knoxy, Conor and our manager Jim we’ve gotten better at doing the behind-the-scenes stuff and delegating the work that needs to be done.
“So, it definitely feels like a new chapter since we started the label and we’re really enjoying it.”
Although Danny confesses that he does have a “slightly easier job” that bassist Graham Knox and drummer Conor Egan.
“Knoxy is almost like the first point of contact for our record label – he does all the social media, all the merchandise, all the designs.
“And Conor does all the sort of live show stuff and puts the production together and organises how the stage show looks.
“Whereas I do nothing, I just come and talk about the band and sell it,” he jokes.
Although The Coronas have become renowned for their seemingly seamless ability to write, record, tour and promote chart topping tunes, Danny confesses that it “doesn’t always come naturally”.
“I always find with songwriting that it comes in waves,” he says.
“And in the last couple of years it’s just been flowing and I’m reluctant to stop it.
“Even at the moment I’ve already started doing a bit of work for what will hopefully be our next album because the inspiration is coming and I’m just trying not to get in the way of it.”
He confesses that many of the songs from the band’s 2017 album Trust the Wire were based on his experience of writer’s block.
“I remember when we moved back from London a few years ago and we were writing for Trust the Wire I really struggled because I genuinely didn’t have any idea what to write about.
“I ended up delving into that and a lot of the songs on that album like Give Me a Minute and We Couldn’t Fake It are about that time and me struggling with the industry and trying to lead the band.
“Often I’ll have moments where I’m struggling to find inspiration but at the moment it’s flowing and I’m writing and I’m really enjoying it.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on the road and playing live again because that’s a big help in terms of creativity too.”
In November the trio kicked off their Thoughts and Observations tour with gigs in the US and Australia, but this month sees them perform much closer to home with six sold-out performances in Dublin as well as show in Belfast’s Ulster Hall.
“The Ulster Hall is a special, special place and we’re buzzing to be playing it again,” Danny enthuses.
“I always say Coronas gigs are made by the crowd - the more they get into it, the more they sing, the better the experience is for everyone – for them and us.
“Those moments are amazing and the Ulster Hall is a brilliant example of that because between the crowd and the acoustics it just sounds so loud and big and it’s just amazing – I can’t wait.”
The Coronas play Belfast’s Ulster Hall on December 19, tickets via ulsterhall.co.uk. Thoughts & Observations is available on Spotify and other streaming services now.
