AirSpace

By Kathleen Wehle

Photo by Frank Balthazar

Right as this issue was being released, we got news from Airspace saying the band had broken up. Jimmy Brown is releasing an EP shortly called Muzzle the Muse. Singer Alan Mearns is also working on a solo project. Drummer Alex Watson is playing keys in a band called Flagship Brigade. Bassist John Coogan has moved back to Vidalia, Ga. Brown tells us they all left the band on good terms.

The spiritual terrain of an open sky.

The skyway that spans over a country’s borders.

The limited timeframe a program, song, or other work has to present its message(s) to its audience.

What are all of these? Airspace. But odds are that “North Carolina band” will be the first meaning to come to mind in the near future. Airspace is made up of Northern Irishmen Alyn Mearns and Jimmy Brown and Americans John Coogan and Alex Watson. The band is poised to release its first album, Oil the Gun, this spring. The album pays homage to influences like Interpol, U2 and Radiohead, but elegant stringwork and rich lyricism make Airspace a unique addition to the music scene. The band’s goal, to use frontman Mearns’ witticism, is “to push the rock until it rolls.” Brown (lead guitar) adds that it’s important to compose great songs given the transient nature of the industry; and that rule applies regardless of what side of the Atlantic you live on. Nothing really comes without diligence and ability, he says.

Which brings us to “The Conjuror,” a song inspired by George Best, an international soccer legend and a native of Northern Ireland who died in 2005 at age 59. Best may not be a familiar name outside the soccer world (AKA America), but Pele once said George Best was the best soccer player in the world. That’s saying a lot. The song was written by Mearns and Ulster poet Adrian Rice. Instead of a pop piece, they composed a solemn ballad that retells the story of Best without mentioning his name. It hallmarks the feats and successes of this sports legend and the inexplicable genius and skill that made him both a household name and a cherished hero. It is backed by piano, building more momentum near the end. It’s not hard to imagine it being played in a spiritual setting.

It could be said that Mearns feels a similar kinship with a guitar that Best felt with a soccer ball. Growing up, Mearns was fascinated with music, enjoying punk and new wave styles, be-bopping to Buddy Holly with his sister and playing violin at a very young age. By his early ‘tweens, dad’s guitar was too great a temptation and he got caught playing Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” After that, he got his own guitar. By his late teens he won a scholarship to study music in America. At college, Mearns met bassist Coogan. Coogan, who has played guitar since age 14, recalls Mearns studying classical music and having a real gift for it. So he was pleasantly surprised to learn that Mearns had penned several pop rock songs and invited him to jam along on a few of them. Watson (drums) was a high school grad who had the beat they wanted. The last piece of the puzzle was Brown, a new arrival from Northern Ireland, who hit it off with the other three. He and Mearns parents probably knew each other, but these two hadn’t jammed together until now, some 10-20 years later and an ocean away. Mearns notes that there’s a great sense of familiarity and energy they have in playing together; nothing seems forced or artificial.

In the closing notes of “Ocean Song,” Mearns sings, “Things have a way of working out.” With diligence and ability, they certainly do.

www.myspace.com/airspacemusic