BRING THE NOISE FESTIVAL | CEDAR INTERVIEW

Hailing from the sunny backwater territory of Gibraltar, Cedar comprises frontman/rhythm guitarist Patrick Murphy, lead guitarist Harry Meenagh, bassist Daniel Ghio, and drummer Daryl Pallas. Formed in the autumn of 2022 by fortunate circumstances and chance meetings with like-minded musicians looking to escape the insular tendencies of tribute and covers bands that populate Gibraltars local music scene, cedar have taken several pages out of the books of vibrant music scenes found in Brighton, London and Northern England, and carved a path distinctly their own. They’re due to release their debut EP ‘Past Lives’ on 15th May 2025, with their first single ‘I’m Gone’ released on 20th March and upcoming second single ‘Separating’ set to release on April 17th. With another Autumn tour on the horizon, after a summer full of gigs both local and abroad, Cedar looks set for their most important year yet as a band.

Could you introduce yourselves, who’s in the band, what your sound is, and how you came together?

We’re Cedar, a four-piece alternative rock band from Gibraltar. Patrick Murphy is on vocals and guitar, Harry Meenagh is on lead guitar, Daryl Pallas is on drums, and Daniel Ghio is on bass. We best describe our sound as a fusion of alternative rock, grunge, shoegaze and post-punk. I met Daryl in the summer of 2022, and we talked about getting a group together to work on original music. Patrick soon joined after returning from some months abroad in Mexico, and we completed the full band line up after bringing in our now ex-bassist Bradley Hewett. We’ve now got Daniel Ghio on bass to complete the line-up again.

What’s happening for you right now? Any new releases, upcoming gigs, or exciting projects in the works?

A lot to look forward to right now! ‘Separating, ’ the second single off our upcoming EP ‘Past Lives, ’ is due to release on the 17th of April, with the EP itself set to drop on the 15th of May. We’re really looking forward to having the EP out; it’s a real milestone moment for us. We’ve also got the EP on 12-inch, which we’re buzzed to start shifting – it’ll be amazing to finally have physical music out in the world. Beyond that, we’re in the planning stages of our third self-funded UK tour.

Looking back, how has your music evolved since you first started out? Are there any key moments that shaped your sound or approach?

I think we’re always trying to evolve our sound. We approached music writing more straightforwardly in the early stages, gathering distinct music tastes and inspirations and carving out the sound. They definitely show on our early material, though we’ve been experimenting with sound, genre and time signature in our more recent stuff. I think a huge key moment for us was getting recorded most of the material we developed for live shows at the very beginning of the band’s life, and then beginning the writing process again once that run of tracks was finished – very much closing a chapter of music writing and opening another.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an independent band, and how have you navigated it?

The biggest challenge for us is being a Gibraltar-based band trying to make an impression in the UK and elsewhere. We see these music scenes around the UK and Spain (our closest neighbour) and are always reminded that in Gibraltar, we’re a bit closed off and removed from where the opportunities are. We love our home town, but the magic is where the music is, so we’re very much operating on our own to get our name out there. Best way we’ve navigated this so far is by putting in the time and the money to get to these places, getting in on gigs in the Uk and Spain, going to gigs and festivals as attendees to meet cool, likeminded people – basically going all in on being a band that wants to get noticed and play to larger crowds.

What’s your songwriting and recording process like when creating new music? Do you have any unique rituals or methods?

On the writing side, it’s very much a collaborative process. We don’t like to have one guy controlling the sound, so all of what you hear is a collection of ideas from four brains. It makes for organic writing that we can all say we have a stake in. We haven’t called it a ritual, though we love jamming out before a practice session – that’s normally where the new ideas come from. On recording, there isn’t really much in the way of proper recording studios in Gibraltar, so we tend to self-record and send off for mixing and mastering in Spain or the UK.

If you had to describe your upcoming (or latest) release in just three words, what would they be?

On upcoming single Separating: ‘Mosh-pit f*cking certainly’

What made Bring the Noise stand out to you? What excites you most about playing (or being part of) the festival?

We heard about Bring The Noise from local Gibraltar hard man, gig promoter and unofficial manager Wayne Meenagh (FutureSoundZ), and he made a point of pressing our name to the organisers – cheers, Wayno! We’re really grateful to Bring The Noise for taking a chance on us – we’re really looking forward to getting our sound to new ears. Beyond that, of course, playing alongside and supporting some really cool bands is basically why we love shows like this- a good sense of community and coming together of people and bands to celebrate upcoming sounds.

Sheffield has a rich musical history; how do you see your band fitting into or challenging that legacy?

We’re really on the outside of the scene and local music history as a Gibraltar-based band, though Sheff has been on our radar since we started looking at planning tours. Of course, bands like Arctic Monkeys, Joe Cocker, Pulp, Drenge and The Human League are cornerstones of musical heritage in Sheffield, so it’s a pleasure and an honour to have our sound heard where they started. The scene’s growing in Sheffield and looking really promising, so pretty much our only hope is to turn some ears at a new audience and play to some good crowds – we’re also definitely looking at getting into Sheffield for some more gigs down the line, so hopefully it won’t be last you hear of us.

The indie scene is constantly evolving. Where do you see it heading, and how do you hope to contribute to its future?

I think the more bands there are that are committed to their own sound, the more it’ll improve and grow over time. The proof’s already there for so many bands that have broken through into more mainstream territory. It looks really hopeful, but we’re also aware that the more grassroots venues close in the UK, the harder it’ll be for unsigned bands to get heard. It affects us all, and we hope to see some serious action in the coming years. I think it’s hugely important for an unsigned band to carve out a niche sound and a clear identity. As an unsigned band, we hope to follow those lines and remain true to the sound we’re eager to share.

Who would you choose if one band on the lineup could cover your tracks?

We’d love to see the Holy Youth Movement try it. Their synth work is really cool, so I reckon they’d put a neat spin on it.

CEDAR plays at the Bring The Noise Festival at Sheffield’s Network on the 26th of April. Tickets are available here: https://www.skiddle.com/festivals/bring-the-noise/