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interview: Anna McCarthy of Dott

By ⋅ July 9, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
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Dott is from Galway, Ireland and their first EP Buttons was released by Popical Island this past May.  Popical Island is a Dublin based pop collective that throws shows, and releases music (they have two great compilations for free download, and a new up that can be streamed.  These comps feature the likes of So Cow,  No Monster Club, Patrick Kelleher, and many more. Stream one of them after the jump!).

Dott drinking milk shakes!

Dott is made up of Anna McCarthy, Laura Finnegan, and Tony Higgins (formerly of So Cow) and will be in New York this week for their first American appearance.  That show happens at Cake Shop tonight (Monday July 9th!) with Gondola, Rohypnotize (from Australia), and the Hairs.

Anna McCarthy (center) took the time to talk with us about eating and drinking in Ireland, and what she is looking forward to doing while she is in North America.  More about Dott’s wonderful new EP, music video, Popical Island, and their show at Cake Shop after the interview!

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My knowledge of Ireland is limited to Dublin, Galway, and Tuam…where did you grow up, and where are you living now? How did those places influence your diet and what you like to eat?

I have lived in Galway for 8 years, but I grew up in Schull, West Cork on a dairy farm where we milked our own cows. Schull is a tiny fishing village famous for the Gubbeen Cheese farm which is just up the road from my house.  It’s  known for it’s amazing cheese originally but now also for it’s cured meats and all kinds of things.

Both places are major fishing places, so fish is big news, but also really attract quite alternative people which always welcomes a good range of food. In Galway we have a small weekend market where you can get locally made Indian food, Hare Krisna food, South African Boere Sausage, Falafel and loads of locally grown organic vegetables.

Did growing up on a farm make you more of a home gardener?  Do you own any unusual animals?

No, probably the opposite really! It made me want to get the hell away from the farm and move to the city which I did as soon as I turned 18. I really think I left that all behind when I moved away from home. When I was a child I used to plant all sorts of things, sunflowers were my favourite. And I had so many pets back then. I wish I had a dog right now but I don’t think I’d have the time to spend with it, and it would break my heart to leave it at home lonely.

Have you been to the Gubbeen Cheese Farm?  You mention that they are known for other things now.  What should people be eating if they make it to Schull?

My sister sadly passed away two years ago. So my whole family were home in Schull for a few days after the funeral. My boyfriend Evan really wanted to get some Gubbeen Chilli Sausages but the locals shops were all sold out. A few of us decided to call up to the farm and see if anyone was there to buy a few things from. So we arrived up out of the blue and Fingal Ferguson who runs Gubbeen nowadays greeted us and decided to give us all a free tour of the whole farm. It was absolutely amazing. We went through the whole smoke house where the meats are cured, smoked etc. He showed us where all the cheeses are made and we got to taste all kinds of “just made” cheese. We went through the farm and got to see the pigs, chickens, cows and all of the animals and then he gave us bags of stuff to take home, refusing to take any payment for it! I just really love the way Gubbeen farm works. The staff all seem really happy, and the animals are treated really well. And the family who run it are just so kind. The brand is relatively famous across the world but it’s just so nice to think we were able to roll up to their front door and they took the time to show us around the whole farm. He spent about two hours with
us when he could have been doing other things! It’s just a really nice memory.

I love hearing personal stories about well-known businesses.  It reinforces that they are well-known for a reason.  That sounds like an amazing experience. 

Do you eat Oysters?  I hear Galway is known for them and has an annual Galway Oyster Festival?  
No and no, sorry. I really don’t know anything about the Oyster Fest. I’m writing this section from Toronto and my friend suggested we go for Oysters and I wasn’t too hot on it. They just don’t do it for me, the consistency, but I’ll try anything at least once to give it a chance.
It seems like Jameson is the go to whiskey here in America…and Ireland as well.  Whether I’m in New York, Charleston, SC (where I’m from), or in Galway it seems like friends are toasting to Jameson.  Do you drink the stuff?  Is there another brand you prefer?
Yeah, when you think of whiskey you think of Jameson don’t you. But my dad was called Paddy so he drank Paddy’s whiskey, and I would do the same in his memory. The other major one around here is Powers but although I have tried, I’m just not a whiskey drinker. But it rains ALOT in Ireland, and the best thing ever in horrible weather is a hot whiskey with sugar, lemon and cloves. Every Christmas Eve I meet up with two friends from home who I only meet at Christmas and we sit by the fire and drink Hot Whiskeys. Even thinking of the smell makes me smile.
If you aren’t a whiskey drinker…what do you like to drink?
The night I finished my Leaving Cert exams (the exams that get you a place at University etc) I went out to celebrate with my friends and raided my parents drinking cabinet for a half empty bottle of vodka. I got FEROCIOUSLY drunk, but apparently in a really funny entertaining way. Turned out the vodka I had been drinking was my dads secret stash of Poitín. (Poitín is an Irish potato whiskey, one of the strongest alcoholic drinks in the world, it might still be illegal too!) I think I’ve kind of avoided it since!
Do you know anyone who makes Poitín? It sounds like the Irish equivalent of Moonshine in the States.  

Ha no! But I’ve heard rumours my grandmother did, so maybe that’s where it came from?

Ireland might be most well-known for Guinness.  It’s a beer known worldwide, and although it originated in Ireland it’s now brewed in 60+ countries.  I toured the “brewery” (brewery is in quotes because there is no actual beer made at that site anymore),  and found the advertising exhibit to be the coolest thing.  Are you a Guinness drinker?  
Yes! The old advertising is my favourite thing about Guinness. “Guinness GIVES YOU STRENGTH!” & “My Goodness, My Guinness!” There’s also a really cheesy ad that features a fresh-faced Michael Fassbender before he made it big. I drink beer, but not a lot of it and no I’m not a Guinness drinker, but I worked in a bar for a while and have mastered pulling the perfect pint.
I also thought the beers from the Porterhouse Brew Pub in Dublin were quite good, and I have even drank their Oyster Stout at bars in NYC.  Any other Irish beer we should be checking out?
 There’s a locally made Pale Ale called Galway Hooker (a hooker over here is a traditional Galway boat!) it’s pretty good, and their advertising is fun too. Another new brewery is Trouble Brewing which is really good! They do an ale and a porter. I’m not a Porter drinker but the Ale good. I’m shaming my Cork routes by not pretending to drink the Cork made Murphy’s Stout. People are either Murphy’s drinkers or Guinness drinkers, they might physically argue over which is better too!
Do you have any favorite bars in Galway that you would recommend to a weary traveler?

Neachtains which I mentioned earlier is great. My ‘local’ would be O’Connells on Eyre Square, it’s an ancient building with a roof stained brown from cigarette smoke from back in the day. The Bier Haus has great beers and good music and the Roisin Dubh is where you go if you want a boogie to real music!

Speaking of physically arguing and Bier Haus, when I was in Galway we were out around 2am at the place right by Bier House a 20 something intoxicated Irishmen started to talked to me…I was quickly pulled away by Jonny and Brian (So Cow) in fear that he would start a fight with the American (or anyone for that matter).  I felt more safe in Galway after drinking in a pub on a weekend than I did in Temple Bar. Were my friends being over protective?

Oh jeez. No idea. Galway is so safe though. I’ve never come across anything dodgy like that myself, but maybe that’s because I just ignore crazy people or people who have drank waaay too much. So maybe Jonny/Brian were right to pull you away in case things got lost in translation. I really don’t like violence. I would be really really embarrassed if my boyfriend punched some guy in my honor.

Do you make it to Dublin often?  I feel in love with Cake Cafe while I was there, and had a wonderful meal The Winding Stair.  Any places you would recommend to travelers outside of Galway?

I have 2 brothers and a sister in Dublin and Dott are always playing shows up there. My favourite place to eat in Dublin is Boojum! They do the very best Burritos. Yum. But I feel like I’m always grabbing something really quick in Dublin so a nice sit down place escapes me right now. I’ve heard great things about the Winding Stair. Miriam who has been filling in for Laura on bass for the summer went there the other week and was raving about it. I get to Cork as often as I can too and my two favourite places would have to be Cafe Paradiso (AMAZING gourmet vegetarian) and Scoozi’s (it’s Italian hasthe very best desserts in the city, I’ve been going there since I was a kid).

Where have you traveled?

I have done a LOT of travelling in the last 5 years. Been all over Europe (Spain, Austria, Germany, Edinburgh, France, Portugal, Czech Republic) South East Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia) Australia, New Zealand, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Canada (Toronto) and last year my boyfriend and I did a mammoth US road trip from Seattle to San Diego then East through New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi,  Louisiana, Tenessee, and I’ve been to New York 3 times.

What were the circumstances you were traveling under?  In a band, with school, by yourself, with your family?

In Ireland we’re really lucky to have really cheap travel all over Europe so my friends and I would book flights to different countries to see bands we like for the fun of it. My trip last year (Thailand/Aus/NZ/USA Road trip) was with my boyfriend Evan. I went to Central America on my own, but managed to meet lovely people. And the others would have been with friends. New York will be the first band holiday. But we’re all traveling separately so it won’t quite be the same. Laura (bass) is working in NY for the summer. I’m coming from a wedding in Toronto and Tony (drums) is flying in from Ireland!

Have you eaten anything interesting in Toronto? 

Ummm…. landed in Toronto on Sunday and we went to a famous wings place called Duff’s. They do loads of flavours of wings, from mild to Armageddon. I ate one Armageddon wing and totally lost control of my eyes and nose. I was pretty  much crying. But I finished it and I think I must repress bad memories because afterwards I was like “that was awesome!”. My friend who stuck to the mild wings was asking why the hell do people put themselves through so much pain for something like that. But I pointed out that some people get TERRIBLE hangovers, but that doesn’t stop them having a fun night out involving lots of boozing. Humans are weirdos.

That sounds intense.  I’ve been eating meat now for about the past 4 years (I was vegetarian for about 10 years), but haven’t really gotten into wings yet.  I would probably have to try one called Armageddon so that I could compare it to Thai spice.  
Are you doing any other traveling while you are in the US?

Not this time, just New York. I’ve been to the entire West Coast now and most of the South so next time I decide to do an epic road trip I want to see upstate NY, Boston Maine etc and head over towards Chicago. Hopefully I’ll incorporate a tour in there somewhere too if I’m lucky. Music and traveling are my biggest extravagances. I couldn’t care less what kind of car I drive or if my shoes are falling apart, but I’m happy to hop on a plane and see a band I like in a place I’ve never been to before.

We have talked a lot about Irish booze.  What are some of your favorite foods and most memorable eating experiences?  

Thai, Italian, anything spicy, NY pizza! and then basically anything that uses fresh vegetables in a really colourful creative way. There’s a place in Galway that uses really fun combinations of carrots, red cabbage, anything colourful, so you can eat with your eyes too! As you can see I’ve done lots of traveling so I love to try out whatever someone else thinks is worth writing home about. My favourite meal in Thailand was on the side of a busy road with dirt and dust flying in our faces but the queue of Thai’s outside confirmed we’d be onto a winner. My best meal in Belize was sitting on the sand watching the sun going down eating a barracuda steak after I’d stared a barracuda down snorkeling earlier that day. I hadn’t realised they had teeth as sharp as piranhas!

Was the barracuda that you ate the same one that you stared down?

No :-) I was  just trying out the theory that animals can sense fear so I was letting that particular animal know I wasn’t scared of it. I think I would have peed my  pants if I ‘d known how scary they actually are!

What is the pizza like in Ireland?  I assume different from the New York pizza, or the states in general.

I’m not sure if there is an Irish type of Pizza. There are so many of the American chains everywhere and then an upper market European chain too. But you do find a few nice independent places. There’s a lovely place in Galway City called Pizza Napoli which is right beside Tigh
Neachtains, a great bar for people watching. Anyway, they make up these huge pizzas and sell giant slices for €3. They have a secret sauce with tonnes of garlic and oregano and it’s just so good! It goes really well with a pint outside Neachtains!

Besides pizza is there anything else you are excited about eating while in the States?
Yes! In New York alone I’ll be heading back to that area in the Lower East Village with all of the amazing Indian restaurants. The last time I was over I ate in Brick Lane which is a London themed Indian Restaurant in NY. Ha. Anyway, we ordered the Faal which is so spicy that if you finish it you get your meal for free. We didn’t. Found a park in Manhattan called McCarthy park (my namesake!) and found an amazing Falafel place right next to it, so I’d like to try that again. I’m not a vegetarian but I eat veggie and vegan pretty often for no good reason. I had a really good meal in a vegan restaurant beside Generation Records so I’d like to go there again. And the falafels on the corner of St. Marks Place are so good too. Also, it’s always fun to find a nice Mexican place that doesn’t just mean an inch of cheese on top of everything so I’ll be looking out for that too!
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Dott’s debut EP Buttons can be streamed off their bandcamp, and is also available for purchase.  Buttons is a glimpse into the soundtrack of my summer.  Rides to the beach, sunshine, cassette tapes, windows down or air conditioning on, four extremely well crafted pop songs with jangely guitars, and dreamy female vocals .  Think about twee dance parties and c86.  For fans of Black Tambourine and Best Coast alike.

 

If you are in New York see Dott live:

Tonight Monday July 9th, 2012 @ Cake Shop w/  Gondola, Rohypnotize (from Australia), and the Hairs.  Dott is on 3rd. 

Watch Dott’s video for “Let’s Do it” here:

 

If you are interested in learning more about Irish pop music check out the most recent compilation from Popical Island to hear new tracks by No Monster Club, So Cow, Grand Pocket Orchestra, and Patrick Kelleher (and of course Dott!)…you can stream it below while you check out the rad poster for the show they threw this past weekend!

Popical Island 3 Live

The other Popical Island comps can be found here.

Follow Dott on Facebook  and Bandcamp for news, new songs, and live dates!  

Follow Popical Island on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

 

 

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