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t's certainly not a safe bet in ail instances, but on occasion the best way youto want to look good. And we just let it ail happen in the background, then endear oneself with the mainstream is to completely cut across it. Tocome home here and forget about it. All the people that we're with don't Ieschew it. To thumb one's nose in its general direction. bother talking about it, they don't go on and on about it." The cranberries are exhibit "A." Barely a year ago, these four young people from Limerick, which isDid you find it easy to write on the road? situated some 60 miles from the west coast of Ireland, delivered their first"Yeah. It's easier to write on the road than it is at home, because then you've collection of recorded music - and promptly sold nearly three million copiesgot nothing else to do but work. When you're at home, you tend to spend more worldwide. The album,everybody else is doing it, so why can't waswe?, time going out with your friends, 'cause you know you're not gonna have a lot comprised of a dozen tunes that featured singer Dolores O'Riordan'sof time. When you're out on the road, you work together all the time, so it's distinctly Irish style and the delicately swirling, dream-like music made byeasier to see each other and get it together; it'll happen quicker. We do it at guitarist Noel Hogan, his younger brother Mike, who plays bass, andsoundchecks, wherever we can." drummer Fergal Lawler. All of 23, Lawler is the elder statesman in the cranberries. With two hit singles, "Dreams" and "Linger," the cranberriesOften, when there's a frontwoman in a predominately male amassed a huge fan base despite the fact their music had very little to do withband, it takes much of the focus off the guys and places it the harder-edged sounds that have been embraced by radio and boughton theby woman. How does that affect the way the consumers these past few years. cranberries are seen as a complete band, and what, if In recent weeks, the cranberries have complemented the exposure affordedanything, have you done to keep that from being a them from their debut release by playing "Woodstock '94" and by scoring thep ro b le m ? marquee track ("Close To You") on the hotIf Inew Were A Carpenter tribute "It's never really been a problem because we don't really mind. It happens to CD. every band, I think, whether there's a male or female fronting it. We're not too Now, the cranberries return withno need to argue, whose first single, bothered about who gets their picture in front. You just let that happen, 'cause "Zombie," has already served notice that this record is not as soft as itsI've got better things to do than worry about if people are going to recognize predecessor. Once again, O'Riordan, Hogan, Hogan and Lawler have workedme or not. with producer Stephen Street (Pretenders, The Smiths, Morrissey, "Some people will see it as Dolores and three guys, but that's fine, because Psychedelic Furs). "We worked really well with Stephen," says Noel. "He's I'm doing what I want to do, you see. So whether people see it that way or not, never tried to change the songs or anything. He just helps us out." And, onceI know what way it is in my head. People always go, 'Dolores is going to go again, the cranberries' songs are highly emotional, incredibly melodic andsolo,' and all this, but she just says to us, 'It works, so why destroy that?"' ultimately accessible. A couple of weeks ago, Noel Hogan and I spent some time on Goinga into making this record, did you have any cross-Atlantic phone conversation, discussing "Zombie,"no need to argue, premeditated ideas about how it should come out? success and "Woodstock'94." "Not really, 'cause it's really hard to plan like that...you never know what way it's gonna happen. We did want it to be different, somewhat, from the first album. I think it's very easy to go, The first album was successful, so let's do Dolores wrote the words to "Zombie" as a result of the the whole thing all over again and really bore everybody.' conflict/fightlng in Northern Ireland, correct? "The songs we wrote on the first album were done when we were 17, 18, "We did want it to be "Yeah. It's about the way it affects children, more than having a go reallyat young. It's nearly five years ago, we're different now, so we write anyone in particular. It's having a go at everyone involved with it." different songs. That in itself was helping. We just started putting them down, and whatever way they would come out, we'd keep it." How long has the fighting been going on between the different, some what, British and the I.R.A.? Did it seem odd or uncomfortable that so much media "Since 1916." attention was focused on Dolores's wedding a couple months ago? Are you ever directly affected by this fighting in Northern "No, I think we all knew it was going to happen;she did, anyway. It was blown from the first album. I Ireland? up a bit more than we thought. In this country, it went mad. The next day every "No. You wouldn't even know, it's so far away...I'd say 200 or 300 miles." paper had it, so we weren't really surprised. It's not something that happens very much in this country." How did you get that "grungy" guitar sound on "Zombie?" think it's very easy to go, Immediately, it's rougher and more discordant that the last One writer called your band "spectacularly vulnerable." a lb u m . What do you think about that description? "We just turned everything up. Steve and myself spent ages going through"We don't plan the songs out. We just write 'em. So whatever way people want different things, different amps and distortion pedals. About three guitartracksto look at them, I suppose, istheirthing. I thinkthe songsno need on to argue, 'The first album was are put all together, because we wanted it to be a huge, massive sound."people might not look at the same way." I understand you've now sold roughly 2.8 million copies of What did you think of Woodstock? your first album worldwide and 1.7 million in the States. "It was fine. I had a bad day, so you're asking the wrong person." successful, so let's do A re y o ufazed by those numbers? (l-r):Fergal Lawler, Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan, Dolores O'Riordan "Yeah, it's kind of hard to take in, butyou just try and let it happen. You can'tWhat let happened? yourself get too caught up in it and go, 'I'm brilliant,' and forget what you're"I just made too many mistakes. It was a bad gig. Once that happens, you supposed to be doing." always remember that day. But the rest of them really enjoyed it." the whole thing all over n ill r a m ' t This topiccam© up earlier this yearin an US m a gazine How did it feel to be a part of history? f article, in which yousay, "Soma bandsforget about the "It was great to be asked. I suppose it was a bit of an honor. We were W f III !*' ™ 1 songs and get into theimage," and Doloressays, "All that probably the youngest there, but it was good to be involved." again and really bore matters is what you feelinside and whetheryou want to say something about it." Howdo you go aboutm a kin g What had you heard about the original W oodstock prior to sure that youd o n't forget aboutthe songs andyo u d o playing the sequel? remember what's on the inside? "I'd seen bits of the film and you hear about things, about it being a hippie A i § U t WITH "For us, it's probably when we come home. When we're here, we're totallything. This one was probably completely different, because it was a totally everybody.'" away from everything, so you don't get caught up in any of that scene thatdifferent generation. I'm sure they were still trying to capture the same kind of goes on. You can just get on with what you're supposed to be doing andfeeling, not so the intention was good." worry about anything else, because we all live at home and still hang around with the same people that we grew up with. It keeps your head together. Are you glad you did it, even with the mistakes? Noel Hogan ^|l CL S By Jim Nelson "You start in a band 'cause you want to play music, you don't start because"Yeah." 25 virtuaUyalternative Smashing Orange “The Way I Love You” MCA Smashing Orange is a band aptly named. One listen to "The Way I Love You" is proof positive. From the debut album,No Return In The End, the single is a melodic, yet pulse-pounding tune. The cut is further embellished with a catchy chorus and an intense rhythmic drive. The single packs a powerful, raw punch. However, "The Way I Love You" is not lost in a blur of mundane, guitar-driven power chords; the lyrical intensity and savvy songwriting allow it to develop into a solid effort on the part of Smashing Orange.

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