Cork musician Alan’s new Odyssey in the USA

ALAN O’Keeffe was part of the music scene in Cork in the 1990s and early ’00s, playing an integral part in the formation of Cork band Bass Odyssey, with whom Alan was a founding member alongside Graham Finn and later Chris O’Driscoll.

The band had a hit song, Remote Control Soul, which featured in the Hollywood movie Deep Blue Sea starring Samuel Jackson and LL Cool J.

Alan started out as a producer and DJ, before working with Finn to initially form Bass Odyssey. They had a 1996 gig in the Old Half Moon Theatre at the Cork Opera House. It was off the back of this that the talents of Bass Odyssey started to get noticed. They shared some great success, in particular with Remote Control Soul before finishing up in early ’00s.

Alan played with the band Des Roar for some time after moving to the Big Apple and has since been involved in set production on some major American TV shows.

He has recently released a solo song titled Crossed Fingers under the name Last Man Back. The music video is directed by Brandon Gallagher and can be seen on Youtube.

Where are you from and where do you

currently live?

I’m originally from Nuns Walk in Ballyphehane, but we say Pouladuff Road if we’re trying to be a small bit posh. We built a home here in Kent, north-western Connecticut, in the U.S, about an hour, 45 minutes from Manhattan.

When did you move there? And was there any particular reason why you moved there?

I moved here around 2006. I came to New York City on a 1-3 year artist visa, we came here to write and work on an album and to play some shows and immerse ourselves in the music scene here. That album never got done.

What is life like in your new home?

New home indeed! After 17 years in NYC working in bars and playing shows, my wife and I recently relocated to the countryside. It’s definitely a change of pace. We are surrounded by nature. We get to experience all the seasons here. Living and working in the city took its toll, it’s full on and we wanted a change. We’ve been here nearly three years now and we’re loving it, once you stay away from the bears.

What has been the biggest challenge? and how have you tackled it?

Honestly, my biggest challenge living here was missing home and all the gang in Cork, missing out on all the special moments, birthdays anniversaries, things like that.

But social media and technology have changed that a little bit over the years, it’s easier to be in contact with everyone, but it’s only a little bit.

How might you spend your weekends?

Weekends are very different now to our weekends in Brooklyn, weekends now are doing a bit around the house, maybe meeting friends for dinner one night and just enjoying the country living as much as possible before the winter sets in.

I try to do a little bit in my studio for a few hours working on new music. My wife is pregnant with our first child so that’s all going to change soon. Ha, ha.

Tell us a bit about the culture of where you live?

Myself and my wife are both artists, me with music and Ali with photography, where we live there’s a thriving little scene so we surround ourselves in that when we can. A lot of music and art festivals happen throughout the year. There’s a lot of people who were the same as us and moved from NYC so we have a lot of diversity in culture and art.

What do you do for work? Tell us about your line of work?

For years I worked in the bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn and loved it but it can take it out of you over the years with the late nights.

I got interested in set design for TV and movies and started working with the local 52 Union, building and developing sets, but when Covid hit I lost my job and that line of work changed, but through that I got into working with art galleries in art installation and handling and I’ve been doing that since.

What has been your most memorable

moment in your new location so far?

Seeing a 400lb black bear walking around the garden, followed by her two cubs. You do not mess with them.

Any special mentions to friends or family back in Cork?

Always a big mention to all the gang in Nun Walk, there’s so many of us but they all know who they are, and of course all my family scattered all over Cork. They are the people that will always be there for me and who made me who I am today.

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

Well, the main event will be the birth of our first child so that’s all we can think about, a very exciting time ahead.

New music coming up soon and hopefully bringing the band home to Cork.

Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork?

There’s not a day, week, month or year that I don’t think about Cork. It runs deep in every proud Corkman. I miss it all, the smell, the city and of course the people.

I dream of when I can walk down around The Lough, out Pouladuff Road, turn right down Barrack Street, past Tom Barry’s, down past Tom Forde’s and over the bridge into town.

The Oval, The English Market, The Mutton, a few nods and hugs, back up out North Main Street, over the bridge again, turn right towards St Finbarr’s and into the Abbey to meet my dad. I miss everything about Cork. It’s who I am to the very core.

To listen to Alan’s solo song titled Crossed Fingers under the name Last Man Back see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGATeCfbtCo

You can catch up on our Corkonians Abroad series online at EchoLive.ie in Cork Lives.