The Focus Group

THE FOCUS GROUPS, LYRIC OF THE FORTNIGHTPressure is for tyres. -"I'm in Retail"
Look, we're really a band says Steven O’Brien as he sits in the living room of his home at a redeveloped Parkton House and takes in the view of Enniscorthy from this former maternity facility. The creative force behind musical outfit The Focus Group explains that this is where 99% of the band’s writing, recording and rehearsing occurs. “We get together every Sunday that I’m not working and grind out a song in the sitting room.”
O’Brien is coy when describing his own music (he can talk for hours about anything from Abba to Zappa) and it becomes clear spending time with him and the band that they are keen to let the music speak for itself.
Known to most as Gandhi, O’Brien jokes that The Focus Group are “me on vox and guitar with a scatter of Murphy around me”. The line-up is completed by namesakes Colm on bass with drummists Jamie and Pip alternating on percussion, keys and guitar.
With their debut album now nearing gestation things have begun to accelerate for the four piece. Recording with producer, beard wearer and namedropper extraordinaire Acko has helped The Focus Group to up their game no end; “I think we’ve been lucky to happen upon our own Martin Hannett” laughs Pip; a reference to the former in-house producer at Factory Records and genius behind albums by Joy Division and John Cooper Clarke.
When asked about the origins of the band’s name O’Brien mentions RTE’s use of American corporate, political consultant and pollster Frank Luntz to conduct focus groups and gauge public opinion of our politicians prior to the last General Election . “I’d watched the programmes and wasn’t overly impressed with Frank Luntz as a moderator; or human being for that matter, but when talking about them with a friend it hit both of us what a great name it would be for a band.” After a pregnant pause he adds “I’d like to make it clear that in many ways we are the complete antithesis of everything Frank Luntz stands for.” The other band members cramp up laughing before Colm describes Luntz as “akin to a modern day snake oil salesman.”
A brief check of Wikipedia’s entry on Mr Luntz does little to dispel this view.
Where focus groups are about the redefining and distorting words to make politically divisive ideas more palatable to the public The Focus Group approach what they do as a reaction to the dumbing down of public discourse with the aim of capturing through their music the minutiae of everyday living by playing sets of subtly sardonic social power pop.
In songs like Private Function, Automatic Doors and I’m in Retail the band brilliantly capture the isolation, social awkwardness and farcical nature of modern existence by detailing tales about the rationale of Bouncers, how technology is making us increasingly redundant and struggling through work with the mantra that the customer is always right.
Renowned for the intensity and invention of their live performances they are certainly not to be missed, The Focus Group’s kinetic stage shows are bristle with energy, anger and insight. Fresh from a stint at the Hot Press First Cuts Clinic; where they were one of eight groups in the South East selected for a confidential mentoring session with a panel of industry bigwigs; Jamie, the groups quietest member urged people to come to the shows, promising a “a rock solid set of old favourites, new tunes and great outfits.”
Hotpress
"Gandhi shows all the signs of having a fresh voice and something both serious and original to say. Lets hope we hear more from him".
The Focus Group impressed with their quirky attitude and their damn fine music. For a band who claim not to be a band at all, and only meet every second Sunday in somebody's living room, they make a very stimulating racket.
Jackie Hayden
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