SINGING IN THE RAIN: Since being dropped by his record company singer-songwriter Mundy is thriving on his independence, writes Kevin Courtney
Do you remember that summer in Dublin? For a country whose summers are notoriously wet and grey, we have an abundance of songs which celebrate the joys of long sunny days and tropical nights. It must be wish fulfilment, but Irish bands seem to catch that summer vibe in song, even though it's often not there in actuality. From Bagatelle's Summer In Dublin to U2's Beautiful Day, Irish tunesmiths have celebrated a slanted angle on the hot season, and every year the summer festivals are full of sodden fans, singing the bright, hopeful lyrics in the rain.
Mundy's got a summer song to add to the canon. It's titled July, and it was written during the grey depths of winter, when thoughts turn to holidays and halcyon days. Never mind that July in Ireland is traditionally wet and miserable, a mini-winter rudely gatecrashing the open-air party season. In Mundy's lyrics, July is the smell of fresh-cut grass, the glory of a "gorgeous Levi ass", the sound of steel drums, and the sight of water dancing through the bullrushes. July is destined to become a classic Irish summer song, but since it lasts a lazy and languid five minutes, it's not quite snappy enough for daytime radio, so Mundy has been trying to edit it down to a radio-friendly three minutes - without much success.
"I was at home trying to edit it, and it's very hard to chop it up," he says. "I tried to cut off half the intro and half the middle eight, and the tail end of it. It's a pity that radio stations are so stuck for time they can't play the full five minutes. They'll probably cut it off at the middle eight. I should probably write two-minute songs."
Edmund Enright hails from Birr, Co Offaly and on many a summer's weekend he can be found in his parents' pub, Enright's, holding impromptu musical sessions with his mates, and playing for nothing more than the pints and the craic. To his pals, he's always been Mundy, so it was the natural stage name for the 26-year-old singer-songwriter to use.
Mundy first came to Ireland's attention when he was signed to Epic and released his patchy but often excellent début album, Jelly Legs. He came to the world's attention when one of his songs, To You I Bestow, was used on the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. Mundy's presence on the soundtrack propelled Jelly Legs to sales of 50,000-plus, but while he was working on his next album, 24-Star Hotel, he was suddenly told by Epic that he had until noon to check out. Nothing to do but pack up his guitar and master tapes, get back up on his wobbly legs and strike a path on his own.
"After I got dropped I went to Cuba, and just seeing the music that's there and seeing that music is beautiful and it's something that makes people happy and it's a form of expression, and I was like in this beautiful country going, why is music driving me up the wall and making me feel all depressed and anxious?" he says. "And I learned there that, no, it is something beautiful and something not to be threatened by, and I decided there and then to try and be my own boss and go independent.
"There's a new song that will be on the next record, called 10,000 Miles Away From Harm. I wrote that when I was in Cuba, because I was away from all the bullshit. And the great thing about it, is that the likes of The Frames and other bands that have been through the mill in Dublin, have encouraged me to stand up and fight on my own, do it on my own. Otherwise I'd say I'd probably never have done it."
With no record deal, and a nearly completed album in his back-pocket, Mundy had to find the wherewithal - and around €15,000 - to finish the album and put it out himself. He recorded the final three tracks on the cheap, but the album spent two years gathering dust in Mundy's bedside drawer, playing on his dreams and silently mocking his aspirations. Finally, in the spring of 2002, Mundy realised that the time was now, and if he was going to catch the vibe, he'd better seize the day. Happily, he had royalties from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack to get him started, and the rest of the capital was raised from his increasingly well-attended live gigs.
"I was kind of apprehensive about putting it out because I was very precious about the record and didn't listen to it for a couple of years. I loved it, and I loved the time I made it, and I loved all the songs, but I had to figure out a way of getting it out there on my own. I had to learn a bit about business and stuff, and just getting a budget together. It just felt right, I didn't have to rush it.
"I was actually meant to have it out in January 2001, but I've changed management as well, and all those things take time. Plus I wanted to do loads of gigs and see what people thought of the songs before I put it out.
"It took a couple of years to build up my confidence again, I can look the audience in the eye now and believe I'm singing great songs. They're giving me back the same thing. I had lost a lot of confidence, and there was a moment where I actually thought I wasn't talented."
He grins, and adds: "Just for a second." The talent is all there on songs like Rainbow, Rescue Remedy, Addicted and Healthy, and the vibe is there on the upbeat sentiments of The Last Time, Anchor the Sun and Mexico. There's a strong sense of place and pace, a feeling that Mundy is going somewhere, moving forward and stopping off at interesting locations along the way. The album's title, 24 Star Hotel, refers to Mundy's age at the time of the record's completion.
It was originally called 22 Star Hotel, but time fritters away when you're not having fun.
"That was at a time when I was sensing a bit of trouble going down at the record company, and it looked like I was doing well in my 22-star hotel - people thought I was doing great. But in fact I was starting to feel cynical, there was a bitterness setting in."
He believes his own label dropped him because his songs didn't chime with Britpop, being more influenced by Dylan, Neil Young, Paul Westerberg and Red House Painters. Mundy was a round peg in a square hole, and it was inevitable that the hammer would eventually fall. Now, with freedom, comes a happier attitude to music, and a sense of personal satisfaction. The new album went into the Irish Top 10, and has already sold 4,000 copies at home. If he'd gone in at number nine with big label backing, it would probably have felt like a failure.
But doing it all yourself and going into the Top 10, says Mundy, is like winning a big race without a trainer. With record companies running a more ruthless race, more Irish artists are having to go the independent route, buoyed up only by hard work, self-belief and a loyal home fan base. Mundy logs onto his own website daily and corresponds with his fans in the chatroom - a hands-on style which reaps dividends.
When Mundy performed at the Heineken Green Energy Festival in Dublin last month, his faith in the power of independence was confirmed. The grounds of Dublin Castle were packed with a new generation of Irish music fans, no longer impressed by bands with big record deals, and who fiercely support their own independent heroes. Mundy was sharing the bill with The Frames and Damien Rice, both of whom have also lost major record deals, only to return stronger and more popular with Irish fans.
"I think they've given back what the fans have given them, and if you want to make a long life with it, you have to respect the people who buy your music," Mundy says. "I find that people are more willing to pay money for a CD if they think most of the money is going straight to the artist and not a big huge corporation. And I think people like the honesty, the less satanic buzz about it."
Next week, Mundy will play his biggest headliner to date, at Vicar Street. You can be certain that, no matter what the weather, there will definitely be a summer vibe in the house.
•Mundy plays Vicar Street, Dublin this Thursday. 24 Star Hotel is released on Camcor Recordings. Mundy's website, with fans' chatroom, is at www.mundy.ie