FYNCH
FAC Focus: Catch Up With Fynch Ahead Of His Upcoming Gig In The Complex For The Dublin Fringe Festival.
A year of rapping can change a guy. From researching YouTube rappers to playing some of the biggest stages in the Irish music circuit, FYNCH has taken his humble roots and made a splash in the pool of Irish music. From self-deprecating rhymes to a penchant for obscure footballers, FYNCH has a sound that is unmistakably his own. “I didn’t get into hip hop until I was about 13 or 14 after researching hip hop on YouTube which then led me to Nas and Irish music. When I heard Irish fellas rapping I thought to myself ‘I could do that.’” FYNCH was able to relate to these Irish rappers and create his own story. A hearty mix of stateside and Irish influences gives FYNCH his flair and panache, alongside a healthy dose of comedy that makes Irish rap unique in the macho world of hip hop.
Photo: ‘C-Kel the Dawg’
The initial reception of MIXVAPE took FYNCH by surprise. The fact that a meme became so popular and was generating a buzz was a shock. The development of the idea to the execution and release of his debut tape was a long one. There had been ups and downs on the release of his tape but all in all he’s proud of it. MIXVAPE allowed FYNCH to gather a following without the worry of thematic issues. “There’s no underlying theme evident in MIXVAPE, you can’t gather any one thing from the collection of songs but people fuck with them hard and I’m glad about that.”
Having just played Electric Picnic, the biggest stage of his career so far, FYNCH has the sky as his limit. Riding the wave from Electric Picnic, he’s been getting noticed more. “I was walking into the shop to get a Monster, doing a quick thing, and the young fella was like ‘FYNCH?’ and I was caught by surprise. It’s weird man, it’s just weird.” More attention brings bigger shows and FYNCH was announced for the Dublin Fringe and the upwards trajectory is there. “I’ve got an agent now man, people do stuff for me now. I hate saying it though, when I say it people are like ‘sit down youngfella, who do you think you are?’ But you just go to go with it.”
FYNCH’s love for football is well known, a diehard St Pats Fan and not shy of his love for a certain football simulation game, his knowledge of obscure footballers is impressive. However, he doesn’t want to be labelled the guy who raps about semi-professional footballers. “I’m not gonna take Tendayi Darikwa, the right back who doesn’t even play for Nottingham Forest and make the whole song about him. If it flows I’ll throw it in but it’s not the main element of what I’m trying to do. I make music that I like so if I wasn’t rapping, I’d listen to it.” His style is more than a caricature of himself and his knowledge of football, it has potential to make ripples in the Irish hip hop community.
The Irish hip hop scene is a tightknit community, and FYNCH alludes to this with the support he garners from prominent members of the Irish hip hop scene. “Mango and Mathman fuck with the Irish scene hard. They just want everyone to flourish and grow and that’s only good for me and everyone else. Irish urban music is growing man and I’m glad to be a part of it. Those guys are leading the way alongside Kojaque, Jafaris and Rusangano and I think I have a similar outlook on Irish hip hop as them. I was listening to the Animators when they were in it, all those intrinsic things that were going on back then that they were involved in man I was a fan. All I know is that they fuck with Irish urban music heavy and I fuck with them heavy.”
Photo: Grace Garvey
Things are changing for FYNCH now, he has to think more critically for his next drop. The pressure is on for the next release to be even cleaner, better and more polished than MIXVAPE. “Whatever I do next, it has to reach more ears and capture more people than at least Burner. I’m not trying to regress, I’m trying to be constantly improving. I don’t want to be that guy that plays the odd gig every now and then, that’s not me bro.”
“I want to be a writer, my writing skills have deviated and turned to music. I’ve been studying how to write for the last four years, but that’s where I’m at right now finding my way, with a recognised focus on music. I’m aware though, I have a slim chance at being a career rapper but you gotta be versatile.” FYNCH has a load of free time these days, time for him to collect his thoughts and be ready to go whenever the call is made.
“I’m BARS man I’m BARS.” FYNCH doesn’t do choruses, hooks lines and sinkers are his jam and he is planning on being more executive in his next release. “I’m bad at making beats man but I’m gonna keep trying…may as well. I’m gonna want to chop and change things with people I work with. I have a good relationship with them all, so I just want to take a bit more control for this next release.”
“The biggest stage I’ve played in Dublin is the Button Factory, and I got freaked out when I went to the jacks before the show cause I realised that Johnny Marr was playing the next day. I was like alri grand, compose myself y’know? Next is the Academy, then the Olympia. I think that’s the kinda show that I could get to, whether it’s supporting or part of some conglomerate thing, I think that’s the stage that I could be. If that’s in five years, who knows? I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow!”
The stage is set for FYNCH to take the Dublin urban scene by storm. He’ll be playing the Dublin Fringe on Friday if he can tear himself away from trying to complete San Andreas.
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