Until the fall of 2021, the group was called "Girl Band", but later the musicians decided that this was a misleading name that could be supported by supporting a culture of non-inclusivity.
The beginning of this post-punk and noise rock group is Dublin in 2011, where vocalist Dara Kiely, guitarist Alan Duggan, bassist Daniel Fox and drummer Adam Faulkner gathered. The first self-released singles and extremely passionate concerts in his native Ireland and Great Britain caught the attention of Geoff Travis, founder of the legendary record label Rough Trade. Music critics recognized that it was indeed one of the most impressive bands, creating "exciting and menacing noise". The group's open approach to music was revealed by the cover of techno artist Blawan's song "Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?", which greatly expanded the circle of Gilla Band fans.
The Gilla Band have recorded numerous singles and EPs, their debut album Holding Hands with Jamie (2015), the techno and glam-influenced The Talkies (2019), a year-long hiatus due to health issues, and last year's Most Normal.
According to influential music source Pitchfork, while the Gilla Band have always been slow, methodical creators, Most Normal is their most painstaking work yet, the result of hours of extensive rehearsals during the Covid-19 lockdown. Without worrying about how to play these songs live, the musicians were more interested in shaping the sounds and enjoying the freedom without the guidance of producers. Pitchfork points out that the Gilla Band's sonic imprint has been ironclad from the start: Kiely's mundane yet surreal lyrics, Faulkner's punishing rhythms, Duggan's caustic guitar parts, and Fox's ability to make his instrument sound anything but bass guitar.
The musicians claim to have shied away from the usual indie rock sound from the start because, they say, Dublin was full of Radiohead copies. The band names Bad Brains, James Chance and the Contortions, Neu!, or The Chemical Brothers as influences. And now try to hear how such a cocktail might sound? With ingredients like these, it just can't be bad!
When listening to Gilla Band, the sounds in the head are not specific instruments, but the rumbling of concrete slabs crashing into the ground, the screeching of a derailed wagon or the ominous hum of robot bees. It's like eating really spicy food, laughs the group's joker D. Fox, so painful it's even nice.