These days, the math rock scene is brimming with talent, including some of the most inventive guitarists in the world today.
If you're a fan of the genre, you've probably dug into the likes of Covet, Chon and Polyphia. But every scene has its origins and influences, and if Yvette Young of Covet's opinion carries weight for you, then one band that should be earmarked for your listening pleasure is Wicklow, Ireland's Enemies, who sadly shut up shop in 2016 after the release of explosive third record, Valuables (2016).
Young loves Enemies' music so much that she name-checked the band's Lewis Jackson and Eoin Whitfield as guitarists who shaped her sound earlier this year, sharing, "I'm obsessed with them. I feel like I'm really inspired by them, just for the cool melodies, guitars weaving in and out of each other, the really interesting rhythmic things happening. I grew up on that British and Irish math-rock scene – like the British match-rock scene and Midwest emo scene got married."
She continued, "I think Enemies does a really great job in bridging that accessibility thing with the whole progressive thing. I never got to see them live, but I hope one day if they reunite, I will fly there."
As fate would have it, not long after Young's conversation with Guitar World went live, news trickled in that Enemies would be reuniting after seven long years of dormancy. But given the intricacies of their music – which, to Young's point, pairs technique with melodicism – one can't help but wonder if the band's two six-string technicians can pick back up where they left off.
"Me and Eoin had a conversation after the first rehearsal about how tricky some of this stuff is," Lewis Jackson tells Guitar World. "I can only speak for myself, but I hadn't played guitar for a few years before we got back together. So, as you can imagine, I was pretty rusty."
"And when we started playing again, I couldn't believe how fast these songs felt to me," Jackson admits with a sigh. "Meaning, I couldn't believe how incredibly quick and difficult to get right they are. So, Fierce Pit Boss has been difficult, and We've Been Talking has been an absolute bitch to re-learn, if I'm honest [laughs]."
And it seems that Jackson's partner in guitar crime, Eoin Whitfield, would agree, saying, "Yeah, Beacher has been a tricky one for me, and Morse Code has been, too. It's so fast, and my fingers don't want to stretch like they once did. I've had to find new ways of playing many of my riffs because my wrists are seven years older, and stretching my hands that way is actually painful."
"So, I've been finding all these easier ways of playing them and wondering why I didn't do it that way when I wrote them," Whitfield laughs. "It's like, 'Oh, there's a much nicer and neater way of playing this that's more efficient and sounds better. I think I'll do it that way.'"
In preparation for their first show in seven years, Lewis Jackson and Eoin Whitfield beamed in with GW to dig into the intricacies of their history, music, and impending reunion.
What led Enemies to call it a day in 2016?
Eoin Whitfield: "Before we packed it in, we were working on our last album, Valuables, and we got offered a tour of the United States, starting with a spot at South by Southwest. So, we took it on even though we were a bit wary about taking on such a thing while recording an album."
And how did the tour go?
Whitfield: "The tour was intense. So much so that when we got home, we needed a break. But there were deadlines and obligations to meet, so we couldn't do that. And then, things started getting a bit loose at the wheels, and before we knew it, the wheels came off proper. We never fell out with each other, but it did get a bit strange. But through our best intentions, we managed to pull it together, get back in harmony, and close the whole thing honorably by finishing Valuables and doing a few final shows."
Lewis Jackson: "That's the nuts and bolts of it. At the base of it, I could feel our relations within the band slipping. So, we reached a point where we needed to decide if we would keep going with this and destroy our friendships, which we'd built before the band, or call it a day. We felt like we were ending the band in a beautiful way that would allow us to preserve our friendships, too. But I think Eoin would agree that we never thought Enemies would come back together."
And what did bring Enemies back together?
Whitfield: "It's crazy to think, but seven years felt like a long time to us. I think all the old wounds and the feelings of how difficult it was back then don't exist anymore. We can come together now because we're just doing it for the love of it rather than trying to make it a full-time project."
Yvette Young recently referenced you both as influences of hers. Could you have ever imagined your music's impact?
Jackson: "No, we never could have. To see that has been very powerful for us. I have to say… in the seven years since Enemies ended, the strange thing is that our music never seemed to die."
Whitfield: "When we first started, we had a case of impostor syndrome. And I think it's still there. We didn't expect to do what we did or for people to care."
Jackson: "The band is from this little village in Wicklow, Ireland, and there were never a lot of instrumental rock bands. So, we always felt somewhat alone in the world. Enemies never felt like something that could grow legs. So, as Eoin said, the imposter syndrome thing was real for us."
Do you feel it's natural for creative people to suffer from imposter syndrome?
Whitfield: "Probably. But for us, we came from a punk rock, D.I.Y. background. And as far as the guitar is concerned, we're self-taught. We have no training, which only adds to our imposter syndrome. We always made a conscious effort to preserve that aspect of what Enemies were so that we'd remain homegrown. So, I do think that imposter syndrome is inherent to a degree. I mean… those albums we did were recorded in my little shed studio [laughs]."
How did you craft such expansive sounds in such a small space?
Whitfield: "I don't know... that's a good question. I will say that Lewis has always been big on effects. So, that, along with my knack for production, is how we found that happy medium."
Jackson: "That's why our records took so long to make. It was three or four years between each record, so the process was meticulous. And sometimes, achieving that sound took a long time, which may be why we decided to split up. As the process became more difficult, the idea of our shared vision fell apart. That's when resentments started to boil up."
Given that, one would assume Valuables was your most challenging record.
Whitfield: "It was. But I appreciated the blood, sweat, and tears."
Jackson: "Valuables was a hard album. The process had become tough by that point, and we really did have to hunker down. But I think we're all very proud of all our records. With each record, we felt we were challenging ourselves not to sound the same. That in and of itself was challenging."
I'd wager that speaks to the interplay you two share. Can you expand on that?
After Enemies ended, my sense of identity suffered… My relationship with music has been a struggle over the seven years
Eoin Whitfield
Jackson: "Eoin is a few years older than me, so I genuinely looked up to him as a guitarist. And Eoin really was thought of as a phenomenal player. So, when we got to be in a band together, it felt like such an honor. I'd only started playing guitar, so I was super-green and shy about the experience. But regarding our chemistry, we listened to many of the same bands, so our tastes were shared."
Whitfield: "I remember Tortoise being one that we both loved. Bands like that were building blocks for us to start messing about with the style that we developed. Lewis and I had this unspoken chemistry. And when I listened back, I often forgot how we even made those songs [laughs]."
Jackson: "We found our roles with each other quickly. The way the two sounds sat together became apparent early on. And then it evolved so that we could be liberal with our approach. The way we went about it was unusual, but for some weird reason, it worked. As Eoin said, it was unspoken."
Is that unspoken chemistry still present?
Jackson: "At this point, we've only had four or five rehearsals, and I think it feels different but in a good way. It feels easier this time around. The music is still hard to get right, but the chemistry feels better because we don't have the baggage. And the pressure is off."
Whitfield: "Thinking back, at the end of Enemies' first run, our chemistry fell apart, which was unexpected. And after Enemies ended, my sense of identity suffered. I think Lewis would agree with me when I say I didn't know where I stood. My relationship with music has been a struggle over the seven years. I couldn't decipher myself from my teenage musical identity, but now I'm returning as an adult."
And that was specifically because of Enemies ending?
Whitfield: "Yeah. It felt like starting at the bottom rung of the ladder, which was unexpected. I went from feeling like we had a purpose to nothing. Having it happen so suddenly was emotionally draining. I had no idea what to do, which left me feeling lazy."
Lewis, you mentioned you put the guitar down entirely. Were you disconnected, too?
Jackson: "I didn't sit down and say, 'I think I'll stop playing.' It happened over time. Just after Enemies ended, I played. But eventually, my creativity ran dry in that everything I wrote after Enemies still sounded like Enemies. But now that I've dusted it off, it's almost like I'm picking up a new instrument again."
Whitfield: "It was similar for me; I didn't play much guitar, either. In fact, I've only picked my guitar up a handful of times over the last seven years. When we went into practice again, I still had the same strings from our final show on my guitar; that's how little I've played."
Do you feel a fresh perspective will make you better players?
Jackson: "We're smarter now, so we're figuring out new approaches to playing. But as far as learning all the material, I think it flows better because we play differently. I feel differently to where I want to play. It hasn't been that way for a long time."
Whitfield: "It's been similar for me. I feel like I pigeonholed myself in Enemies. And having never stepped away from it, I couldn't see that. So, returning fresh feels like I'm playing someone else's guitar parts. It feels like there's air in the room."
Will you be using primarily old gear?
By the time the first album was done, I ended up with this genuinely cheap guitar, an Epiphone B.B. King Lucille, which I got for around 300 Euros. It's cheap, but I adore it
Jackson: "Yeah, we will. So, at the band's beginning, I felt like I'd go out and get another guitar each week. I feel like everybody who makes music usually buys and has too much shit [laughs]. But by the time the first album was done, I ended up with this genuinely cheap guitar, an Epiphone B.B. King Lucille, which I got for around 300 Euros. It's cheap, but I adore it. And I run that through a Vox AC30."
Whitfield: "Like Lewis, I found a cheap guitar that suited me. And I must say, it's an embarrassing-looking guitar, too. It's a Washburn, and I think it's the Idol one. It has a matte black finish and this bizarre Nightmare Before Christmas skull and crossbones graphic. And I scratched and scuffed it all up so it didn't look so embarrassing. I then put an active EMG pickup in the bridge, and that was me sorted. But there's a story regarding that guitar."
Oh, do tell.
Whitfield: "So, we were playing an evening show in Galway the same day we'd begun recording Embark, Embrace. And as I entered the booth to start recording, I slipped, and the head snapped off the neck. But thankfully, we found one in the local adverts that looked just like mine. But it was an hour away. So, we drove out, gave him 200 euros, and got it. But you'd never believe it... it was the same finish, and he'd scuffed it up as I had. I was a carbon copy of my guitar. So, I just popped my EMG pickup in, and that was it. Oh, and I use a Laney TT100H half stack. It's a lovely amp."
Any new additions to your respective signal chains?
Jackson: "Over the years, our pedal setups have changed a lot. After each album, we’d be looking for new sounds to add to our plate. New pedals will usually spur on a ton of new ideas while we’re writing. Having said that, the pedals that stick around the longest are usually the ones that manage to repeatedly inspire new ideas."
Whitfield: "I agree with that. I keep my 'board pretty simple when playing live: a Boss Tuner [TU-3], a Line 6 Looper [M9], an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail [reverb], and a Boss Turbo Distortion [DS-2]."
Jackson: "I’ve got a bit more going on myself during live shows: an Eventide Audio PitchFactor [harmonizer], an MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay [M169], an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser, a Line 6 looper [M9], a Boss Delay [DD-2], a Boss Blues Driver [BD-2], Boss Super Octave [OC-3], a Mooer Ana Echo [delay], and a Dunlop Fuzz Face."
Which of Enemies' records is the band's definitive statement?
There is a beautiful community playing this music, but I haven't been listening to a lot of it while we've been away. Getting back has been a joy, but I'm unsure how we fit in
Eoin Whitfield
Jackson: "My idea of our definitive record is always shifting. But I think our first record, We've Been Talking, is almost unanimously loved by many people outside the band. But our most adventurous has to be Valuables. And my favorite track is from Embark, Embrace; it's called Love Unlimited."
Whitfield: "I would say that Embark, Embrace is peak Enemies where it was like, 'Oh, shit, this is really happening.' It was the culmination of everything we'd been working towards. But I love the excitement and youthful exuberance of We've Been Talking and, like I said, the blood, sweat, and tears of Valuables. And my favorite song would be Coral Castle."
After being away for so long, how does Enemies fit into the current scene?
Jackson: "Right now, it's one step at a time. We've got a show announced in Dublin, and we're doing another in London. And like we said, the pressure is off. We're not trying to do anything crazy. So, it's about taking one step at a time and enjoying it as much as possible."
Have you written any new music?
Jackson: "I honestly can't speak to that now. But while we were in rehearsals, our bass player, Mark [O'Brien], came up with this bass loop, and we naturally gravitated toward it. We started doing a bit of writing without even speaking to one another. Beyond that, I can't say just yet."
Whitfield: "It felt exciting to flirt with writing again. But Lewis is living in Germany, so how much writing we can do remains to be seen. But it felt like we could write again. So, the honest answer is there is a beautiful community playing this music, but I haven't been listening to a lot of it while we've been away. Getting back has been a joy, but I'm unsure how we fit in. We'll see."
- Enemies play Dublin and London in September 2023 – for tickets, head to linktr.ee/enemiesmusic.
