Kodaline have opened up about 2020 being “tough and scary”.
The Irish band are set to perform their greatest hits alongside RTÉ’s Concert Orchestra on Soundtrack To My Life this evening, as they ring in the new year.
Ahead of their performance, bandmates Steve Garrigan, Vinny May Jr., Mark Prendergast and Jason Boland reflected on the challenges they faced this year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Drummer Vinny said: “We had well over 100 shows that we’ve had to postpone or reschedule, so it’s had a massive impact on us.”
“Live musicians make the majority of our income and money to survive from playing shows, so to have the rug completely pulled from under you, it was pretty scary at the start.
“It’s a good thing that there’s the four of us and we’re each other’s support system because I know I had a few wobbles at the start of it where I was freaking out at the fact that we weren’t on the road,” he added.
“Having the rest of the lads to talk to about it means a problem shared is a problem halved. No matter who you are, you’ve been hit by this. It’s a tough one.”
Guitarist Mark revealed he tested positive for the coronavirus back in March, and also sadly lost his grandmother to the virus.
Describing his symptoms, he told The Irish Sun: “I had difficulty breathing two or three times since but that only lasted an hour each time. I feel I have recovered fully.
“I got Covid in March and an immunity test in October, by which time all my antibodies were all gone, so they don’t last very long.”
Soundtrack To My Life airs tonight at 9:45pm on RTÉ One.
For our final episode of the Gosscast this year, Goss.ie Founder and CEO Alexandra Ryan chats with Goss.ie Editor Kendra Becker about the biggest stories of the year, the most read articles, and all the drama in between.
Take a listen:
The Gosscast is available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify and iTunes.
