THE DEBUT solo album from BibleCode Sundays bassist Enda Mulloy may be called Notions in Midlife Crisis, but it was a record that was predicted when the Mayo man was just a boy.
The Mulranny native grew up immersed in music, playing with the family band the Mulloy Brothers from the age of 14 as well as with the Mulranny Pipe Band.
However, Enda's love of music was first sparked by his uncle, Pat Mulloy.
Playing his collection of vinyl records for the youngster as he began his musical education, the elder Mulloy predicted that one day it would be his nephew's record he would be listening to.
Mayo native Mulloy co-founded the London Irish band the BibleCode Sundays"Part of the inspiration for doing this is my uncle Pat Mulloy," says Enda.
"He introduced me to music and he used to play albums to me when I was a kid and he got me into my love of music.
"He used to say to me, 'One day I'll be playing your album'.
"So now I've got it for him and I've dedicated it to my uncle Pat.
"He loves it so that's made me really proud."
Pandemic opportunity
The influence of those childhood experiences as both a music fan and a performer can he heard on Notions in Midlife Crisis, which was launched last month.
Similarly, there are parallels with the music of the London Irish band he co-founded, the BibleCode Sundays.
Despite that, Notions is a stunning work in its own right as Mulloy successfully carves out an identity as a solo recording artist.
Perhaps it is the introspective lyrics that help make this very much an Enda Mulloy album in spite of the many musical influences.
Despite its beautiful vocals and harmonies, Notions focuses on some dark themes, including homelessness, loss and troubled relationships.
Meanwhile, the album as a whole was largely penned against the backdrop of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Mulloy's debut album is an introspective work set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic"When lockdown happened that's when I really upped the pace," says Mulloy.
"I had more time on my hands in the house, sitting on my own.
"The whole thing [the pandemic] was starting to get on people's nerves so that became the theme of the album.
"I include myself in that. I was stuck in the house — I was never used to that in my life, I always used to be out and about.
"So that was the thought process behind it — what it was like for everyone.
"Everyone in the world seemed to be going through a midlife crisis so that was the theme of the album.
"There's a lot of introspection to that as well — it's not just thinking about other people, it's about myself as well as what we were all going through."
Introspective
While most of the tracks were written during lockdown, some of the songs — like A Message From Stephen (Carry Me Home) and Bobby and James — were penned in the previous years during a period of transition for the BibleCode Sundays.
Drummer Carlton Hunt tragically passed away in November 2017, after which the band decided against any further recording.
Meanwhile, frontman Ronan MacManus took a break from the group.
Mulloy, however, decided to keep writing, influenced by a world that would soon be in the grip of a global lockdown.
Yet, despite that ultimately expansive backdrop, the tracks focussed on the sometimes sombre personal stories of Mulloy and those he encountered.
"There's a lot of introspection about myself and life and the struggles in life, the things that have gone well and that have not gone so well," he says.
"But also seeing people around you, sometimes it's easy to see yourself in other people."
He adds: "[The pandemic] was the absolute theme of it, but it's not just that, there's issues like homelessness involved.
"I met a guy called Stephen who used to sit outside Whelans in Uxbridge when the BibleCodes used to play there.
"We used to come out after the gig and we'd always talk to him — me, Andy, Ronan, Paddy… whoever was there — always talk to him, give him a few bob and have the craic with him.
Mulloy with late BibleCodes bandmate Carlton Hunt"I remember one night I was talking to him and this girl who was there.
"We were loading the stuff in the car and this girl asked him the old glib comment — 'If you'd one wish, what would it be?'.
"Stephen said, 'My social worker told me that my mother carried me home from the hospital one day. If I'd one more wish, it would be that my mother would carry me home again.'
"I thought it was really powerful and really sad. That night I went home and I wrote that song, Message From Stephen.
"The next day I wrote Bobby and James, which is another song that touches on homelessness as well as isolation and people being ostracised because of their social status.
"I'd wrote those two songs before lockdown and most of the others came after that."
Mulloy says his personal favourite though is Grey and Iconic.
"It's a song about that hero at the bar who's had a great life and he's got stories to tell," he says.
"Sometimes he might be maudlin to himself, crying into his beer, thinking of past glories.
"He's iconic, while the grey symbolises the past, looking backwards.
"Everyone knows a person like that."
From folk to Vedder
All of this isn't to say that Notions is a bleak album.
It may deal with difficult subjects but each of the 10 tracks are crafted and presented beautifully, honed by a lifetime immersed in music.
Mulloy's folk roots are most evident on Brother and You by the Sea.
Meanwhile, as well as the Celtic rock influence of the BibleCodes, there are nods to the Britpop and Grunge genres of the 1990s, particularly in Bridge out of Your Heart and Lemming.
Mulloy, second right, with BibleCodes bandmates and celebrity fan Russell Crowe in 2015Elsewhere, the track Trouble — which Mulloy himself describes as 'experimental' — successfully splices those genres and is complemented superbly by the vocals of his cousin, Westport-based singer Gráinne Fahy.
The disparate sounds come as little surprise when Mulloy cites some of his musical inspirations.
"My musical influences have always been songs with meaning," he says.
"I love Pearl Jam and grunge — I think Eddie Vedder is a perfect songwriter. He writes deep and meaningful lyrics.
"I like some of The Eagles' songs. Some of their songs, like Take It to the Limit or Hotel California are really deep and dark and there's a lot of imagery there.
"And I love folk music. I grew up with my dad playing Irish ballads so that theme is always there."
Following a midlife crisis
Mulloy is currently in Ireland for a few weeks, during which time he hopes to work on tracks for a follow-up album.
His label, Marquee Records, are keen to keep working with the musician after Notions peaked at number 2 in the UK Singer/Songwriter Download charts.
While they are hoping Mulloy can pen a new record by the end of the year, he says there is no pressure from the label, describing them as 'a really supportive bunch of people'.
"They're supportive about what direction I want to go in or what I'd like to do — not once have they said, 'You must do this or that'," he says.
"They've given me a target to write a second album by Christmas if I can — if I can't, I can't."
However, while Mulloy admits you can't force writing, he is keen to keep the momentum going.
While a date and venue have yet to be confirmed, he will host a showcase in London in October, where fans can sample Notions in Midlife Crisis live and perhaps a preview of what's to come.
In the meantime, music fans of all tastes can continue to savour Notions, which really does offer something for everyone.
"I'm thrilled to pieces with it, absolutely thrilled — it's been a labour of love," says Mulloy.
"I'm happy with all the songs. There's some minor things I would change but invariably I'm really happy and delighted I could finally get it out there and do it."
No doubt, Notions in Midlife Crisis is now rightly pride of place in his uncle Pat's extensive record collection.
Notions in Midlife Crisis by Enda Mulloy is available on a range of download and streaming platforms by clicking here.
