In a landscape where authenticity often gets buried beneath gloss, Irish alt-rock trio Curfew offer a sound that’s cinematic yet unvarnished, poetic yet bruising. Hailing from North Dublin, the three-piece, made up of Jj Smilez, Gavin Dunne, and Mick Caffrey, are carving their place in the Irish rock scene with a debut album that doesn’t shy away from emotional complexity or existential weight.
'Black Doll’s Eyes' is a record of deep contrasts, from love and apathy, to screens and silence, and past selves and present hauntings. Recorded at Temple Lane Studios with producer Shaun Cadogan, the album captures Curfew’s raw energy with refined clarity. One moment you’re in a storm of distortion; the next, you’re caught in the stillness between two unspoken truths.
So with the new album available now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Gavin: I gravitated towards the guitar from a very young age and started learning properly when I was 8. It has and always will be the guitar first and foremost for me.
Jj: When I was younger my mom was a music teacher, so we were always surrounded by instruments. Can't say I'm brilliant at any of them at all, but over time singing was the expression I really gravitated towards. Specifically the movie Sister Act 2 changed everything for me when I was little. That crazy high note in Oh Happy Day was like a wake up call. I realised then that all I wanted to do was sing, and have that effect on people.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Gavin: I was obsessed with Elvis and the Beatles, Paul was my favourite, I even had the bowl cut. I once played Elvis in a school play. I also loved the Police and Queen.
Jj: I was definitely a little metal head. I absolutely owe my music taste to my older sister. Anything from Deftones to System of a Down, Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, Audioslave, Soundgarden, Metallica, Panthera, Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age, Linkin Park…. I could keep going on forever, the list is so long. The chunkier the riff, the more likely possibility you would have found me bouncing around, singing all those songs in my room.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Gavin: The Police greatest hits.
Jj: Easily still one of my favourite albums of all time: Slipknot 1999.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Gavin: Lover you should have come over by Jeff Buckley - would do well to find a more beautiful piece of songwriting.
Jj: This is actually such a tough question. Planet Caravan by Black Sabbath seems like the only true answer for me. That song unlocks something truly cosmic and deeply emotional. To me, it is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Gavin: I mess around in alternate open tunings and drop tunings a lot to find different voicings. I also love jamming with the guys and seeing what we cook up naturally, that's how many of our best songs were written.
Jj: When it comes to writing, my most preferable way is to jam with the band, and sing improv. That, a lot of the time, creates the building blocks that I use to refine my parts. I'm a bit of a naturally chaotic personality, so really I have my many notebooks and my phone at the ready whenever I get a creative spark. I very often send myself voice messages, and sing ideas, melodies.. I could be crossing the road but if I find a line I like, I send it to myself straight away.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Gavin: I'm gonna go all Irish on this one. Yard, Bleech 9:3, Really Good Time, Scustin, Bicurious, Just Mustard, Lemoncello, Basht, Big Sleep, Fizzy Orange, Bricknasty.
Jj: I'm incredibly obsessed with Bernelius at the moment. I listen to his albums a lot. I think he's so incredibly talented and underrated. I'm manifesting a future show together. It's gonna happen!
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Gavin: I would have to say Muse because they're the band that I idolized for the longest.
Jj: I would love to open for Deftones. I feel like we're both heavy-emotional and we would compliment each other on a line up really well.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Gavin: I love songwriting and recording very dearly, but I think nothing in the world beats the high of playing live.
Jj: As a lyricist, the most surreal thing I've experienced was a friend singing my song back to me word for word. There are so many rewarding things about being a musician, but when you put your vulnerability out there and tap into some harder topics, seeing my own words move and dare I say help someone, is a very emotional and rewarding experience. I will never forget it.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Gavin: I think we could all think quite easily of many negatives like financial challenges or having to market oneself to build an online brand, however it's quite simple that the pros of music outweigh any cons.
Jj: I wholeheartedly agree with what Gavin said. The pros of music for me are just so much higher. It's not just a hobby. This band is like a way of life for me, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. The frustrations, be they heavy at times, is totally worth it in the end. If I could just have one wish, it really would be to rethink the musical community to be able to support musicians early on. I don't know what that would look like, but I often think about musicians that have been discouraged early on and the incredible music we will never have because of that.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Gavin: to play live as often as possible.
Jj: It wasn't directly for me, but Billy Gibbons once advised in an interview to make recording a habit. I have applied that to music as a whole. Make music a habit. Make writing a habit.. music should be a way of life and you should be rolling around in it all the time. It just makes so much sense to me.
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Curfew's new album 'Black Doll's Eyes' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.