In a time of global chaos and uncertainty, it is difficult to concentrate and think about the future and family.

A global lockdown is not pleasant at all, and perhaps few people would think in the first instance that music matters, and that music heals.

But it’s true, or at least that’s what we believ on this pirate ship, and also fortunately, we continue to come across great musical projects that captivate and excite in such confusing times.

The story of The Petal Falls dates back to the mid to late 90’s, in the towns of Medway in Kent, UK.

A very passionate project by lead singer and songwriter Keith Leahy. A band that had the bad luck to be trapped under legal problems with their record company and that their songs could not see the light of day until 2020.

Otherwise, today we would talk about The Petal Falls in a different way.

Because the essence of the band has an original sound that sounds so familiar and nostalgic, but is new and original. The music of The Petal Falls speaks for itself.

It is contagious and emotional. At first listen, the most normal action would be to scratch your head and wonder if we haven’t heard them before on that hit radio station. They are songs that seem like they have been in our musical repertoire for years and we had forgotten.

Leahy has been working on these songs for years. They are years of a lot of work and frustration to release them and play them to the public.

But the band’s place is in 2020 and not as a jump in time. The Petal Falls are at the right time to take off and finally be heard.

Now with two studio albums, the band’s fire is just beginning and their new album “All These Years” is a very good medicine for these days of confinement and uncertainty.

It’s an exciting album and Keith Leahy talked to us about it.

Interview with Keith Leahy – The Petal Falls

First of all, a warm welcome, on behalf of Pirate Rock Radio and our audience, 

How are you dealing with coronavirus and what are you doing to stay busy in this down time? Any writing or recording?

These are very strange times and the lockdown in the UK is only now being eased a little but I suppose until they find a vaccine we will all still be at risk. However the up side is that I have been able to do a lot of writing and recording which has been great.

Tell us about your background, how and when did you start to do music together as The Petal Falls?

The Petal Falls were formed in the mid-nineties and we really should have released our music way before now but it was prevented from release until now for lots of different reasons including some that were legal in nature.

Our music in the main was recorded some years ago and like any band we of course believe it is unique and worthy of a larger audience, which up until now was denied us for the reasons I have stated to above.

Around 3 years ago the opportunity arose for me to actually look seriously at releasing The Petal Falls music and this journey began.

I took the recorded songs and began to work on them with an engineer and very close friend John King and we mastered the all songs over the course of about 24months and began releasing the music in August last year with the Workin’ All Night Workin’ All Day Album

Listening a little deeper into your work, one does not miss your natural fondness for literature influences, thinking – correct me if I am wrong with my assumption.

No you are not wrong, I love my work to tell a story and one which will conjure memories and emotions from the listener, I lean towards traditional signwriting with a beginning, middle and end, I also look for those words and phrases that will set the lyric apart as the story unfolds so that the lyric can be more memorable for people.

Where do you get your inspirations from? And is there a message you want to convey to the listeners?

In some songs the message is sometimes obvious such as Between My Brother And Me.

I wrote the lyric to convey the futility and divisiveness of war and conflict. Other songs are written arounds themes of Love, Hate, Desire and Hope and I suppose i’m just snapshotting the human condition and our ultimate journey through this minefield we call modern living…lol 

Your voice has its own strength and tranquillity, what have been your vocal influences, we hear many reminiscences of great rock singers.

That’s a very generous statement and thank you for that.

I suppose David Coverdale, Paul Rogers, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Bono are all singers that I admire hugely not only for their achievements in the music industry but also for their undoubted talents as vocalists and I only wish I was half as good as those guys.

Give us insight into your creative inner workings. How does a song come together for The Petal Falls?

I work very much in isolation on my songs and I am always striving to improve every aspect of my writing. I always have a very clear idea of how the song should sound and work extensively on the all the elements and parts to ensure it comes out that way or better once it moves to the recording stage.

But I have to say that as you build a song it does grow organically and that can sometimes lead you in a different direction.

It is very remarkable, there’s a lot of passion in the music you make. Can you take us behind the curtain, into the studio, ¿to give us a peek at the production?

How was the process of recording these new songs?

You are correct there is a lot of passion in the music but then again life is full of passion and I have always believed that a good songwriter should be like mirror that reflects the passion,  the memories and the emotions of everyday life back into society via their work.
A road map for recording a TPF song is something along these lines.

Once the music and lyric are written and the song is put in a workable format with an intro verses, choruses and ending. it then moves into a stage where the basics are recorded such as Drums and bass and keyboards etc. At that stage I will usually do a vocal as well.

After my vocal, the guitars are added along with backing vocals and all the final production begins which can be a very involved process until the song gets to its final stage where it is ready to mix.

What was the most challenging part and what do you enjoy the most?

I always find the mixing the most challenging trying to get all the parts of the jigsaw to fit properly but I enjoy the whole process of creating and recording songs it is one of the most fulfilling of feelings when you complete the whole process and it is no longer just a song but a living breathing entity that is capable of filling people with all sorts of feelings and emotions.

The record seems to just have a very natural flow. The music words come across as sincere and pure. If you don’t mind, can you take us through each song on the new album and tell us whatever you like about it?

The “All These Years” Album is deep down really all about Love, Family and Home.

I tried to ensure that all the songs conveyed a story about those key elements which is why I hoped that it would not sound disjointed and as you correctly stated it has a natural flow because the songs are in essence about the same subjects.

So I’ll to run through the songs one by one from the “All These Years” Album and hopefully explain a little about them.

Between My Brother And Me

So this song I wrote with Guitarist Rob Harpum and is about the almost lemming like way we humans kill ourselves in droves during conflicts and the impact that has on family and in particular mothers. It also questions the need and sanity of war.

I Won’t Be There

A song about the pain that people can cause each other when a love affair goes sour.

Second Sight

A song written with a guitarist Dave Richards and this one is about wanting to step back into a relationship that had ended some years before and those feelings of regret and uncertainty that swell up inside you.

All These Years

I lived in a steel town for some time and it dominated all life in that town.
So this story is about someone who has escaped that life and is now returning because their father is dying.

A Lifetime Too Late

Is a song that questions the journey we all take towards death.

In The Shadow Of The Clan

This was a song I wrote about forbidden love between black and white lovers in an area of the world where such a love at a certain time and era could have caused either or both of them to lose their lives.

Say A Prayer

I had a friend who lost his daughter to a man who claimed he loved her but none the less murdered her.
This is a song about the impact such an event can have on the children who witness that violence

Liberated

A song I wrote that is really the prequel to All These Years and lays out the reasons for leaving home in those circumstances

When we heard your music, we went straight to the first album Workin ‘All Night Workin’ All Day, and man! what a great album!  It’s a great introduction to The Petal Falls.

It was a pleasant surprise from the first track to the end, ‘A Man In Chains’, we think that it encapsulates all the influences of the band very well, sounds from the 80s and 90s, but very fresh and unique, very cool in a way that only you knew how to solve it, we loved it!, next time we have to talk about that album too, it has an energy that only made us more excited to listen to the second album right away.

Many thanks for those Kind words and yes maybe we can do another interview to talk about Workin’ All Night Workin’ All day?

What do you think has been the main difference and changes between writing and recording that first album and All These Years?

The Main difference I think is that the first album probably contains a larger element AOR type commercial songs and the 2nd Album is a little edgier and a bit harder in its overall sound.

Those guitar arrangements and percussions are incredible, as well as the vocals and choruses. Tell us a little more about how the other members of the band contribute when working on a song?

So most of the time the parts and arrangement are all in place before I ask the others to play on the song I have always preferred to record individuals as it reduces mistakes and offers much better level of control on the individual performances.

Allowing people just concentrate on their own interaction and performance with the song.

I always think that I get a better end product from people if you work almost one on one.

Now, let us take a deeper look in your sound. How would you describe it to new listeners, especially in conjunction with your latest stuff?

Are there special inspiration maybe to film, art, literature or something else? Please share all you get in your mind about it with us!

So this is a thing that keeps rearing its head “how do you get that sound”?

And the answer is that I have always looked for sounds from my past ala Journey, Springsteen, Bad Company, Bon Jovi etc. and sounds that fit each other well.

So you add the performances from all the artists involved and it gives you that Petal Falls sound.

I think it’s unique in many ways and The Petal Falls motto is “Let The Music Do The Talking” and in that respect I really want people to make up their own minds about TPF’s music.

We would love to know more about your local scene. Any bands you think we should keep an eye on and an ear out for?

Yep so I like Greta Van Fleet I think they do an honourable job of keeping that Led Zepplin sound alive they are a very exciting prospect.

I also like a couple of bands I have heard more recently The Fade and Emerald Sunday both are very good.

Which are your favorite albums to listen to or when you are stuck in traffic which one makes you not go crazy while waiting?

I love to listen to AC/DC loudly in the car ..lol.. And a multitude of other seriously good rock bands such as U2, Bon Jovi, Journey etc.

We hate that this virus has affected everyone from musicians, fans, venue owners, festival promoters, labels, and so on. Tell me about some of these kick ass shows The Petal Falls was supposed to play?

Will they be rescheduled? We hope The Petal Falls has great success with the album and merch sales.

Fortunately we did not have any shows booked and yes this Virus has been a dreadful experience for the entire world so let’s hope we can all get back to something like normal really soon.

What’s the vision for The Petal Falls to moving forward?

To get a great many more people listening to the music of The Petal Falls!

Thank you for your time for this interview. We hope you all and your families and friends are well during this tough period. 

Thank for sharing your music and words with the readers of Pirate Rock Radio. 

And good luck in your future plans!

Keep Rocking!