The Third Eye

If you follow The Third Eye regularly, you know by now that we’re big fans of an Irish psych-rock and jam band called Space Shepherds. We’ve written reviews of three of their albums thus far, including their newest release, Washed Up On A Shore of Stars. We simply can’t get enough of the jams!

Space Shepherds is a band formed out of a love for jams, and they’ve released five terrific albums of instrumental space and psychedelic rock jams since their self-titled debut in 2020. It’s the type of music that serves many forms. You can chill to it, smoke to it, and generally get lost in the spacey sounds.

I’ve often corresponded with the band since we first wrote about them, and I finally sent them a few questions for a Q&A-style interview. After writing about a band so much, I naturally want to get to know them more and what makes them tick. David Malone of Space Shepherds (drums) was kind enough to answer my questions. Enjoy the interview, which has been slightly edited for space and clarity.

Interview with David Malone of Space Shepherds

Third Eye: Thanks for doing this interview! Can you introduce Space Shepherds and give us some background on the new album, Washed Up on a Shore of Stars?

David Malone: Thanks, Nick, and cheers for having us! So yeah, we’re a jam band from Ireland with Gareth Hill on guitar, Dave Ciggs on Bass, Maeve Mulholland and Peter Hunter supplying the synth wibbles, and myself on drums. We have been together now in our current state for roughly three years, although there have been a few additions to the line-up over the years, with Tyrell Black from Electric Octopus playing on the album Home in the Far Away and Stevie Lennox from Junk Drawer/Unbelievable Lake playing some sitar with us live at a few shows. 

We’ve always loved to mix things up and really appreciate what other artists can bring to the music. Our latest album Washed Up on a Shore of Stars just kind of happened the last time we went to Galway to visit Dave. He had set up his space with a few mics to test out what it would sound like, and after a five-hour drive from Belfast, we just started jamming. The tracks on the album are the only ones we recorded while there, as it was mainly just for a bit of a laugh and to see if the space sounded good. 

It’s an intimate setup, and I think the fact that there was no dedicated snare mic in the recordings shows that. So, a few weeks later, Dave sent us the stems, and we were happy with the jams and really surprised at how well it sounded that we decided to send it off to our digital wizard, Niall Doran from Start Together Studios, for mixing.

Third Eye: Space Shepherds is a jam band, so I imagine you guys listen to many other jam bands. Where do you stand on The Grateful Dead? Do any of you consider yourselves Deadheads?

David: Yeah, there’s just something about the free and sometimes weird places jams take you to. The Grateful Dead do that sort of thing wonderfully, especially with their live shows. Actually, just the way that The Grateful Dead’s album Anthem of the Sun is made up of a lot of cut-ups of jams is something similar to how we edited Home in the Far Away, merging and splitting tracks to create a cohesive and flowing theme throughout the album. So yeah, it’s safe to say we’re Deadheads, especially Peter – he’s the deadest of the heads.

Third Eye: How do you think Space Shepherds’ sound has evolved from the self-titled 2020 release to this new record?

David: I think it’s evolved to include a wider range of influences, having added more members to the band and jamming with other people all the time. We’ve pushed ourselves into new musical territories, incorporating a variety of instruments and playing with the structure and length of our jams. This latest album is almost the exact same instrumentally as the first, but I think the differences between the two show the evolution that a few years can make.

Third Eye: You’re a psychedelic band, so let me ask you this: How would you define psychedelic music? What makes a piece of music psychedelic?

David: Well, I’d say that all music is kind of inherently psychedelic, with it speaking in waves and vibrations and all that. But if we’re talking specifics, what comes to my mind are big, washed-out fuzzy sounds, screaming guitars, and a whole lot of weird. But, most importantly, for something to be psychedelic music in my mind is for it to be totally unashamedly free in being itself.

Third Eye: I love jam bands and improvisational records, and I’m always curious about how they’re made. Do you guys have any rules you stick by while recording improvisational jams for your records? Or do you throw out the rule book and just go with the flow?

David: Yeah, we just plug in and go. Whatever happens, happens. Although quite a number of our other tracks were recorded by Niall Doran in Start Together Studios or our own practice room. He’s really made the recording process such a laid-back and stress-free process, and it’s allowed us to relax and go with our instincts.

Third Eye: What’s the best live show you’ve ever seen? And why?

David: Well, I’ve seen some amazing shows in my time, though it’s gotta go to HRH Doom vs Stoner in Sheffield’s O2 in 2016 with a mega lineup of some serious bands like Conan, Orange Goblin, Limb, Electric Citizen, and Ohhms. Another noteworthy one was in Voodoo, Belfast, when Monolord played alongside Slomatics, Conan, and Elder Druid. Gareth was recently over in Glasgow seeing Elder, and from what I hear, that’s right up there, too; very sad to have missed it myself.

Third Eye: What’s one record that “changed your life” and made you want to play and make your own music?

David: That’s a really hard one. A few of the ones being thrown around the band here are Hawkwind’s In Search of Space, Jimi’s Axis: Bold as Love, James Brown’s Mutha’s Nature, The Doors’ Self-Titled album, and Deep Purple’s Fireball just to name a few.

Third Eye: What’s one record you can’t stop spinning right now? And why?

David: The Murlocs Young Blindness. I’ve not been able to get away from it. It always creeps back up on me from time to time, and it’s got me in its clutches again. Another that’s been on heavy rotation is Slomatics new album Strontium Fields bringing lots of much-needed heft and lovely shifts in mood.

Third Eye: What’s going on in Ireland? How’s the music scene over there?

David: It’s been great! I feel like there’s been a massive resurgence in great local acts and plenty of shows happening to keep the music flowing. For you psych heads out there, a few notable bands to check out are Electric Octopus, Junk Drawer, Unbelievable Lake, Wild Rocket, and Search Results if you haven’t listened to these guys before.

Third Eye: Last question – What’s next for Space Shepherds? What are some short- and long-term plans for the band?

David: Well, we’re looking to do a few shows around Ireland and the UK in 2024 and then take it from there. Maybe even another record or two. No matter what, though, we’re going to keep the jams alive! Thanks, mate!

Check out Space Shepherds’ new record, Washed Up On a Shore of Stars, on Bandcamp here.

Support Space Shepherds by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube).

Like what you read? Then consider supporting The Third Eye on Patreon.

Sign up for email updates from The Third Eye below: