Mmoths

For most teenagers, or musicians, rubbing shoulders and performing with their idols while the blogosphere erupts in their praises would be enough to lead them to believe they've made it. Not so for Jack Colleran, the fresh faced youngster behind electronic sensation Mmoths.

“I don't understand why anyone would want read an interview with me” he states. “Just because they like my music or whatever, it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm an interesting person”. For the sake of my job I politely disagree, but it's not hard to see where he's coming from.

At 18 years old he's been holed up in the same room all day doing interview after interview when all he really wants to be doing is making music. Surely the music could do the talking? But then again, this is a guy who's been vouched for by Flying Lotus and done remixes for Bon Iver and Interpol at the same time as sitting his Leaving Cert, so interest is pretty high.

“It's cool to know that there are a lot of people interested but it also puts pressure on me. I always want to think that I haven't done my best yet and the last EP is just one step and from there it's going to go up and up. Not necessarily in terms of popularity, but for myself, I always want to think that I can do better. I think once you've thought that you've done your best, then you won't do any better than that”.

It's an incredibly mature attitude for someone his age, but then again the subtleties that belie his musical landscapes have always suggested that Colleran has wisdom beyond his years.

The music itself has been lauded in all corners. His slow burning rhythms and arching soundscapes intertwine with the lilting vocals provided by various collaborators. Perhaps Mmoths greatest strength is their awareness of the space that they have in each song, and how they use it.

“I don't know how other people write tracks but I never sit down and plan something out. It's more just experimenting and allowing things to happen as they happen. I think you just need to listen to it and let it take it's own shape. I just wanted to music that wasn't in your face, like everything else that people are listening to these days”.

Interest in Mmoths grew after the artist was contacted by American producer and musician Flying Lotus, who was full of praises for his work. But it's a subject the youngster is somewhat bashful about.

“It's weird. When you're so behind that person and you've respected their music for whatever period of time, and then they hit you up on Twitter saying how much they like you're music it is cool. But I don't see that as any different than another person who buys the EP off itunes. I was never into the whole concept of musicians as artists. I never really followed the artist, I just follow the music”.

It's perhaps his instinct of following the music that led Colleran to remixing tracks on behalf of some of his favourite artists, including indie giants Interpol. And, as you may have come to expect by now, Colleran is somewhat self-deprecating about the whole affair.

“It was the first time I had ever taken a band who work with conventional instruments and put my own spin on it, it was interesting. I'm not too fond with that remix, but it was cool at the time to know that they were into it. It was an interesting time, trying to balance doing fucking homework with this remix I had to do for fucking Interpol”.