Off the Record! From being Left on Read to being left speechless

Ever wondered what a Cradle of Filth, Enya, and Craig David collaboration would sound like? Limerick band, Left on Read, might just have the answer.

Formed in early 2020, the genre-defying band demoed their first tracks during the pandemic. Made up of two brothers, drummer Adam and guitarist Jack Reeves, bass player James Doherty, as well as singer and multi-instrumentalist Steven Tynan, the four-piece quickly got noticed.

By 2021, they were on the radar of Creative Ireland and Limerick City and County Council, who awarded them with a ‘Made in Limerick’ recording grant.

At the minute, only James is in the Treaty City, Steven is in England for a funeral, brothers Adam and Jack are sipping cocktails in Dubai.

On December 28, Left on Read played Dolans. Speaking of the gig, Steven said: “It was really good fun, we had a good turnout. It's kind of a weird time doing it between Christmas and New Year's because no one knows what day it is.”

The musicians have been friends for years, but when did they start being Left on Read?
“We used to meet up at open mic nights that were on in the city. Every now and then, we'd just kind of jump up and jam together, with unrehearsed stuff,” said Steven.

For drummer Adam Reeves, lockdown was beneficial. “I think the three of us were all bored off our heads. But Steven had built a bit of a studio, so we had a really cool place to go to, record and hang out and all that jazz, which was really nice.”

According to Adam, that’s when things became serious, and were no longer “just a bit of crack.”

“The first song that we released, we were just sitting on the floor in the studio at home, on a very hot day, sweating balls because the place is really well insulated” he laughed.

According to Steven, that’s the best way to write music.

“I think when you sit in a room by yourself and try to write a song, you can be quite unsure. Whereas when you're bouncing off each other, you can kind of reassure each other.”

Steven believes that, to some extent, they might all have a sense of imposter syndrome. “A nice thing is that we all look at each other, and we're so amazed and enamoured by what each of us does. Everyone in the band really does bring something special to the table. It’s pure respect and love for each other,” he said.

If he had to describe their sound using only three words, guitarist Jack Reeves would say it’s “hot sex energy” – and this answer has nothing to do with the “midday margaritas” the brothers are sipping in Dubai.

Speaking of cocktails, Left on Read certainly has a knack for mixology.

From Jack’s “catalogue of seventies funk and disco music” to heavy metal, their taste is as eclectic as their sound. While their music could be compared to the likes of The Killers, Red Hot Chilli Peppers or Muse, their melodies are varied enough to grab an audience and keep them held.

“We mess with a lot of genres and styles, it's just fun to kind of mess around and see what we can do with different sounds,” explained Steven.

He continued: “I think the key is not to pigeonhole yourself. You can listen to funk music, reggae, pop or dance music, and take something out of everything really.”

According to Adam, their sound is eclectic, fun and vibey. “Vibey is a good word. What did the three white guys choose? Vibey,” he chuckled.

Recently, the band shared the music video for their latest release, Duet. Commenting on the “almost eerie detective noir” visuals, Steven said: “We met with the videographer, Shane Joyce. We saw his stuff online and thought it looked really cool. So, we wanted to give him as much free rein as possible.”

Speaking of creative control, the singer stated: “If you're doing what you believe is right with any art form, I feel like you're just going to give a lot more of yourself if you're allowed some level of creative control as well.”

This reporter wonders where the name Left on Read came from. It was Adam’s idea.

“It was totally random. There were like three or four different names, and I think the easiest way out was to pick one off a page and move on with it. I guess the name itself is a little bit self-deprecating. We’re having the laugh, not taking ourselves too seriously,” he said.

Their fans will be glad to hear that in 2023, the band will be releasing lots of new music.

“We've already got eight recorded, and we're booked into the studio to record more. It will be an album in a way, but we have a few singles to release as well, so we're still trying to work out the logistics of that,” Steven commented.

Looking back on 2022, the quartet can’t help but feel grateful. “We were lucky enough to get an award from the City and County Council, which was just mind-blowing,” said Steven.

Rather than being left on read, the guys were left speechless.

“It couldn't have really gone much better than it did.

“For 2023, it's onwards and upwards. We want to make sure that we keep going, and play a lot more shows because that’s when we're in our element”, Steven said.

Is there anything the four-piece would like people to know?

“We owe that to other people. It’s good that we’re sitting in our bedrooms and making songs all day long, but if you don’t have people to share them with, then they’re kind of worthless.

“So, just a huge amount of thanks to everyone who’s enjoyed and listened to them so far,” said Steven.