Introducing the Dublin based R n B band
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR US WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOU AND
YOUR MUSIC AND TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
We are Toshín, a seven-piece band based in Dublin, Ireland! We started playing together five years ago in 2016, and we’ve loved every minute. We float between a few genres, but most of our music falls into the soul/R’n’B category. That said, funk, pop and rock all feature heavily in our music.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM OR SINGLE?
We’ve just released our new single ‘She’. It’s the first song we’ve put into the world for a little while, and our first since the virus and the lockdowns hit. It’s a smooth, sensual R’n’B song which talks about loving another person, but more importantly, loving yourself first and really being comfortable in your own skin. This is something that’s really important to me, and it’s been really nice to put that message in our music.
WHAT INSPIRED THE ALBUM OR SINGLE?
The song came from my own thoughts really! Living with myself and really loving myself is something that has eluded me in the past, but it’s something that I’ve really worked on recently and I’m in a place now where I’m enjoying being me!
CAN YOU SUM UP THE ALBUM IN A FEW WORDS?
New Toshín is all grown up, and she’s ready to love.
WHAT RECORD CHANGED YOUR LIFE AND WHY?
Aretha Now. Without a shadow of a doubt. That album, and Aretha Franklin in general, have played a huge part in my life. She’s someone I really look up to both personally and musically, and there’s just no denying that she’s one of the greats. Also, it just so happens to be one of those albums where every song is 10/10.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE MUSIC VIDEO FILMED BY YOUR BAND OR ANOTHER ARTIST?
I love our live video that we did for ‘Eat Sleep Sex Desire’. It really captures the energy that we have as a band, and the energy that we want to share with anyone who will listen to us! We miss being in a room together, and we can’t wait until we can be on stage in front of people again, but watching videos like this make it a little more bearable for us. You can find it on our YouTube channel.
WHAT WOULD WE FIND YOU DOING WHEN YOU'RE NOT MAKING MUSIC?
You’ll either find me working at my ‘real job’ in a restaurant in Dublin, or else studying! I’m in my final year of music college at BIMM Dublin, and the work is starting to pile up! If I ever do get any free time, I love cooking and baking. My mum works in catering, so I’ve got cooking skills to burn (pun intended)!
DO YOU GET NERVOUS PERFORMING LIVE, IF SO HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
As a band, we’ve got to a point where we really act like a family on stage. We enjoy playing shows so much that there’s no room for nerves any more! Of course, before a big show or something really important, it’s easy to get nervous and fear the worst, but we’ve found that our best shows happen when we have fun, so we try to let that flow as much as possible.
HOW DID YOU FORM THE BAND?
Toshín started as a college project! I put together a band for an end-of-term show, and afterwards, everyone was on board to start a proper band! We’ve seen some lineup changes since then, and we’ve come to a point now where we’ve become like siblings. It’s such a blessing to get to work with such great people and such talented musicians.
HOW DO YOU WRITE? - DO YOU HAVE A KEY SONGWRITER, OR DO YOU ALL WORK
TOGETHER?
Generally, we’ll write in a small group of 2 or 3, and we’ll occasionally collaborate with someone where lyrics are concerned. Once we’ve got the bones of a song, we’ll bring it to rehearsal and try and make an arrangement, and suddenly we’ve got a new song! It’s been hard not being able to rehearse in lockdowns, but we’ve been sending demos between our various bedrooms and we’re making it work.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Lots of different things! I think I get the most inspiration from people and experiences. Especially where songwriting is concerned, I find it most natural to express my own life in my music. Whether it’s a specific event that happened to me or something I’ve been thinking about recently, generally my ideas will come from my life. That said, I take great inspiration from people in another sense. I find that seeing successful people around me makes me want to push myself to bigger and better, and I’m lucky to be able to surround myself with role models!
WHAT IS NEXT?
We’re currently working on a collaboration with some of our friends in the Dublin music scene. That’s all I can say for now, but we’re really excited for it to be out in the world. Stay tuned!
PLEASE TELL US ANY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS SO WE CAN SHARE.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Toshinband/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/toshin_music/
YouTube : https://youtu.be/kJYCqgJ1oR0
Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/toshinband
Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AsnVV70cVK2LIbzr18HvS