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Sep 30, 2024 By Andy Von Pip Photography by Press Shot

The Irish music scene has long been a breeding ground for extraordinary talent, with artists like Fontaines D.C., CMAT, and The Murder Capital certainly leading the charge over the last few years. Their success has undeniably inspired the next generation of musicians, including Cork’s own Cliffords. Young, eloquent, politically aware, and musically astute, the band blends prodigious talent, creative vision, and an unerring ear for melody, setting them on a path that could see them becoming the next big thing.

Central to their sound is singer Iona Lynch, whose stunning voice—charged with raw emotion and striking intensity—has the power to stop you in your tracks. The debut EP, Strawberry Scented, showcases a musical maturity that belies their youth, sounding more like the work of seasoned professionals than a group barely in their twenties. The music captures the raw energy of Wolf Alice, the melodic sophistication of The Cranberries, and even hints at the soaring emotion found in Sinéad O’Connor’s work.

The band members—rhythm guitarist and singer Iona Lynch, bass and trumpet player Gavin Dawkins, lead guitarist Harry Menton, drummer Dan Ryan, and their newest addition, Locon O’Toole on keys—have known each other for quite a while. Lynch and Ryan go all the way back to their school days.

“Yeah, Cork’s a very small place. We all kind of know each other or have known of each other,” Lynch says, smiling. “Like, I’ve known Harry and Locon’s girlfriends before they were even going out and stuff like that. You know, we all hung out in the same scenes. But yeah, it’s nice that we’ve known each other for a while. And Dan and I have our secondary school origin stories as well.”

“House parties and all that stuff,” Ryan adds with a laugh.

Lynch continues, “I suppose me and Dan are what you’d call the founding members. We’re the only two left from the original lineup.”

Ryan explains how things started: “There’s this Irish movie called Sing Street about these kids who start a band. We thought it was brilliant and wanted to start a band—none of us could play, though. We just bought instruments and thought, ‘We’ll figure it out as we go.’” After some early lineup changes, they found their rhythm. “One of the guys from the band wanted to do something else, so it ended up being just me and Iona as a version of Cliffords,” Ryan continues. “Gavin came in again, and we kept jamming, and in 2022, we won the UCC (University College of Cork) Battle of the Bands. That’s when things really started to click.”

Harry Menton joined soon after, adding more depth to the band’s growing sound. “Harry had a roommate who he said was great on keys,” Ryan says with a grin. “That’s how Locon joined. So yeah, we’ve picked up a few stragglers along the way,” he laughs.

While Cliffords’ debut single “antihero” in 2022 showed early promise, it was their 2024 debut EP Strawberry Scented that truly made people sit up and take notice. Reflecting on the release, Iona Lynch explains, “I mean, we thought it was good and would do well with our local fans and people who had already started following us. But we didn’t expect such a wide audience to get into it. It’s been crazy! We’ve met so many lovely people since it came out, and we’ve gotten opportunities that we never would have even dreamed about beforehand. It’s been incredible. I’m just glad people like it because, you know, music—it’s just something we love to do together.”

Strawberry Scented is a stunning debut, featuring standout tracks like the wistfully beautiful “Second Skin” and the buoyant rush of “If the Shoe Fits.” However, both Lynch and Ryan agree that “Like a Man” serves as the perfect gateway song for those yet to fall for the band’s charm. Ryan explains, “I think it has all the different aspects of what we do, you know?” Lynch adds, “And it’s quite succinct, with all of our storytelling elements. It’s dramatic. I’ll never get sick of that song. It’s probably my favorite we’ve ever done, except for the newer ones we’ve just written. But then again,” she pauses, “‘Sleeping With Ghosts’ is great fun too. I love doing that song live.”

The band recently dropped the definite article “The” from their name, and their collective moniker also happens to be Ryan’s dog’s name. He confirms the dog is, indeed, big and red. “Yeah, we’re just Cliffords now,” Lynch says with a conspiratorial laugh. “We changed it about a month ago. You see, you get higher up the poster on festival bills like that, you know?” She pauses, then adds, “I didn’t think it’d be such an ordeal to actually make the change, though. Sorting it out on Spotify is taking forever. Nobody wants to help you.”

Despite being unsigned, the band isn’t just a talented group of young musicians—they’re also pretty adept at making their own videos. And it seems they’ve already attracted at least one superfan on their YouTube channel, with someone repeatedly commenting, “Harry, it’s me,” under a couple of videos.

“I saw that the other day,” laughs keyboard player Locon O’Toole. “It looks like something straight out of Baby Reindeer or something. I think it’s got to be one of Harry’s aunts or something. I don’t know.”

“That’s hilarious,” Lynch chimes in. “Do you remember when I found that TikTok account? I was like, ‘What the fuck is this?’ It was just a woman filming all her stuffed toys with our song ‘Shattered Glass’ playing over it. It was weird, and then Locon told us, ‘Oh, don’t worry, that’s just my mum’s friend—she runs a toy shop.’”

The video for their single “If the Shoe Fits” was directed by Lynch’s boyfriend, Mark Phelan, and playfully explores the idea of what might happen if one of the band members became consumed by ambition and tried to take Lynch’s place. “I had this idea—wouldn’t it be really funny if we did a whole music video where Gavin was dressed up as me? With makeup and a blonde wig,” Lynch says, laughing. “I mentioned it to Mark, and he suggested we take it a step further, making it almost supernatural, where the wig seems to possess Gavin, and he gets more and more diva-like as the video goes on. We had so much fun with it. I still have that wig!”

For a band not known for acting, their performances are surprisingly convincing, especially when Lynch discovers the plot to replace her and loses her temper. “She wasn’t acting; that’s what she’s really like,” Ryan jokes. “Yeah, I was genuinely raging,” Lynch adds, laughing.

When it comes to influences, the band has been happy to take on the musical comparisons that have been thrown their way, though each member brings their own personal taste to the mix. “Yeah, we all love a bit of everything,” says O’Connell. “Like, Iona and Harry might love a bit of folk, I love electronic stuff, and Dan always has a solid indie pop mix going on. There are a lot of different things going on, which is cool.”

“I think the one band we all agree on is Radiohead,” reveals Ryan. “We all have a lot to learn from them.”

This blend of influences, while creating a sound uniquely their own, has led to them picking up a wide demographic of fans in Ireland. “Yeah, we get the older men in their 40s and 50s coming along, who love it, and a lot of young fans and queer kids seem to be into it too. It’s great that you can connect with so many different kinds of people,” says Lynch. “That’s what’s been lovely about it.”

The band is clearly excited about the future and how their sound has developed. “When Dan and I first started the band, we had another guitarist—we’re still friends now, God bless him—but he only liked playing blues,” Lynch laughs. “So, we were kind of a blues covers band for about two years. And when he left, I don’t think I’d really figured out my songwriting style yet. We had these incredibly varied songs that didn’t have a cohesive theme or style. But now, getting to know myself lyrically and all of us getting to know each other musically, we’ve definitely found our feet. Even now, we’ve been writing over the past few weeks, and our sound is already changing from Strawberry Scented—this new chapter we’re entering, where we’re headed next, is really exciting.”

Lynch has previously described Strawberry Scented as capturing her experience of growing up in Ireland. When asked if Irish identity plays a significant role in their music, she doesn’t hesitate. “Oh yeah, it’s a huge factor,” Lynch says enthusiastically. “Irish people have a rich culture of storytelling, and I’d like to think that really comes across in our music. As Irish people, we’re always eager to hear stories and tell them. A lot of our influences—most of them, really—are Irish. Like, we are all big Fontaines fans, and I’m also a huge fan of artists like CMAT and Sprints. For Lynch, Irish identity isn’t just an influence; it’s woven into the fabric of Cliffords. “It’s absolutely instrumental to who we are as a band,” she says with real conviction.

The grassroots music scene in Cork has played a crucial role in the band’s development. “The Cork scene is a really lovely music community,” says Lynch. “We’re all very supportive of each other.” One venue that holds a special place in their hearts is the incongruously named Fred Zeppelin’s. “I wouldn’t say it’s very glamorous,” Lynch reasons, “but we learned how to play there. We didn’t know how to be a band before that. They allowed us to learn and make mistakes, to be a bit shit without feeling this insane pressure.”

Lynch is keen to highlight the number of young bands currently on the scene. “We’re lucky to be friends with so many of them, but there’s also this bit of competition, which is great. We’re all pushing each other.” She’s particularly excited about being supported by a band called Pebbledash, saying, “Honestly, they’re just incredible. They recently got a new lineup, and it was one of those gigs where it felt like a spiritual experience. We were just like, ‘Holy shit, this is something huge.’”

Despite the supportive nature of the local scene, the band and Lynch are acutely aware of the challenges facing women and non-binary artists in the industry. In fact, Lynch wrote her university dissertation on sexism in the Irish music scene. According to her, things are moving in the right direction, but there is still much work to be done.

“I think in Ireland and the UK, the culture within the music scene is still like a boys’ club,” Lynch explains. “It’s not just structural; it’s also about the attitude and how you’re treated in different venues—by everyone, including other bands and sound engineers. The industry is definitely changing, but there are huge issues, like Irish radio playing less than two percent of Irish female or non-binary artists each year, let alone Irish female artists of color. And there’s certainly no lack of Irish female or non-binary artists with talent; we just aren’t getting the same recognition or support that we need. So, it’s important to continue championing them.”

Lynch recalls an event called “We’ve Only Just Begun,” held at the iconic Whelan’s in the heart of Dublin, which featured an all-female or non-binary lineup. “It was so nice to be part of a lineup where you didn’t feel left out or like a novelty,” she reflects. “But I’ll keep bringing up the issue because for one, it’s important, and two, I had to write 10,000 fucking words about it,” she laughs. “But if we all keep talking about it—including the lads in the band—we can make a difference. They’ve noticed how I’m treated differently than they are on many occasions, so it’s on everyone to call it out. Some people say, ‘Oh, it’s a tough industry; you should just develop thicker skin to cope with it.’ But if you take a moment to consider that advice, the only logical response is, ‘Well, fuck that—we need to change the fucking industry.’”

Challenging offensive, outdated attitudes that should have been left in the past while looking to the future is a mission Lynch and her bandmates are passionate about, and the future certainly looks bright. The band is planning to relocate to London. “Yeah, it’s going to be a bit staggered,” says O’Toole, “but we’re all aiming to be over there by next summer.” Lynch adds, “Harry, Locon, and I have just been over there for about two weeks writing. It’s pretty cool over there. We’re just really excited to see what the next chapter brings.”

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