When Post-Burnout last spoke with the Crossmaglen indie band Brother Vice in 2023, they had just released their debut EP, Another Day on Earth. Despite making original music from their inception, since that interview, the band have actually found an alternative route to attract new listeners: Playing cover gigs.

“We’re getting our name out there, which is probably the main thing, and the numbers do show on social media, as well; once you play a gig, you’ll get a few new followers after the night,” frontman James Feely tells us of this decision. “So, it’s all working towards that main goal.”

James also feels that these cover gigs have made him more confident as a performer, as he explains, “My nerves and anxiety have all sort of faded away since we started taking the cover gigs on because you’re just more used to being in a lively setting, being around a lot of drunk people, and just learning how to talk to people through a microphone from a stage. It does really work, yeah. Somebody once told me that it’s the best workout a musician can do, is to just do cover gigs, and it does work out, and, 100%, I back them up.”

Playing pop songs each night has also brought the knock-on effect of opening the possibilities of what their original tunes could sound like. “I’m starting to notice, even when I start writing, the writing process has kind of changed and I’m sort of fixated on writing something that’s universal and that everybody will like, and not be stuck in one sort of groove with music,” James says.

“I feel like we’re always going to work towards something that we’re going to like and that’s going to work with people, and we’re willing to go in any direction, really; whether it’s pop or it gets a bit more obscure with rock. We’re just happy to take it in any direction that’s going to work, really. That’s the bottom line, yeah.”

And the music they’re crafting now has enjoyed a lot of success. “We’ve got a lot of reception from the last release, which was ‘Money’,” James says. “We’ve got a great PR agent at Cobra Promotions. She’s great help with that; Rhí [McPhelim]. She’s lovely. She’s really good help. She’s done a lot for us over the last couple of months.

“But it’s all sort of working out well, at the minute. We’ve got a lot of radio play, a lot of coverage with press, as well, and we’re all taking it in our stride, really. Just enjoying it. Just enjoying releasing music and playing the gigs when we can.”

A few months ago, the band’s bassist, Callum McKibbin, decided to leave for scheduling reasons. Despite currently playing without a bassist (although they are searching, so if you’re interested, hit them up!), this has not knocked the momentum of Brother Vice at all.

“I feel like, right now, with the three of us, we’re pretty happy with each other and what’s happening and what we’re doing,” James says. “We’re not headlining any shows, we’re not headlining any festivals, but we’re still having a really fun time playing these cover gigs and small gigs and releasing music. That’s basically what the main thing is, what we’re all about. We’ve found love doing that, itself.”

The band have enjoyed great opportunities to showcase their music, such as when they supported the seasoned Irish folk band The Wolfe Tones. “It was great!”, James says of the gig. “It was a fun day out. We all had work the next day, so we didn’t go too mad, and it was a nice crowd to play with.

“We didn’t get to meet them either, but we met their stage crew and that, and they were really, really nice and really helpful. It was a nice experience to have a big, massive stage and having all the support and the help from the crew.”

Although he does admit, “It did lash rain, even though it was the summer, so all our gear was destroyed and my guitar was not giving a good signal, but, you know, we still loved it. It was great.”

Today, as of publication, Brother Vice have released their first song of 2025, titled “Somebody To Love.” Explaining the song, James says, “Sometimes you just get an idea by just realising someone’s situation and that. To put it into words, it’s like looking back on someone that you knew that was in a bad place, and you don’t know where they are at this point in time, and you’re just wondering, ‘Did they turn out OK? Did it work out for them? Are they still the same person that you remember they were?’ But, yeah, it’s just kind of reflecting on someone you knew, years ago, that was pretty mental. [Laughs]”

With their first single of the year out, we concluded the interview by asking James what the band’s plans are for the rest of the year. He responded, “I think we’re just going to keep knocking away at the music. We’re going to try to look for a bassist.

“Maybe, hopefully, get some festivals for August or September, no matter how small they are, and try and get some opening slots, as well. We really are the underdog band, and we’re just going to keep doing it, even if it doesn’t work out. I mean, we’re just still happy doing it.”

Brother Vice’s new single, “Somebody To Love,” is on all streaming platforms from today. You can find the band’s music, live dates, social media accounts and more on their website.

Tune into POSTBURNOUT.COM Interviews… tomorrow to hear this interview in full. Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music Podcasts.

Aaron Kavanagh

Aaron Kavanagh is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Post-Burnout. His writing can also be found in the Irish Daily Star, Buzz.ie, Totally Dublin, The GOO, Headstuff, New Noise Magazine, XS Noize, DSCVRD and more.