The Cranberries’ Drummer Fergal Lawler Reflects on 30 Years of ‘No Need To Argue’
“Just relax and enjoy the adventure.” That’s the simple advice Cranberries drummer Fergal Lawler would offer his younger self back in 1994, just before ‘No Need To Argue’ carved its place in music history.
Three decades later, the album’s voice remains steady and its grief still lingers. The Cranberries never really struggled with following up their debut. Lawler recalls how new tracks found their way into live shows almost as soon as they were written. ‘Zombie,’ for instance, was already a fan favorite by early 1993, exploding well before its release. That song, sparked by real events back home in Ireland, still cuts through with its blunt honesty. Dolores O’Riordan once said she wrote the way she did because she had feelings, and that was reason enough. Her voice carried anger, sorrow, tenderness, … sometimes all at once.
The new anniversary edition adds another layer to what was already deeply personal. It includes early demos, recordings from Woodstock and MTV Unplugged, and new remixes by Iain Cook that reveal new textures without diluting the original intent. Even now, Lawler says the songs bring back vivid memories. “It’s just like a photograph in sound.” The album has become far more than a success. It has truly lived. And in living, it remains remarkably alive.
“Songs are like a photographic snapshot in time.”
When you listen back to ‘No Need To Argue’ now, is there a deep cut on the album that still hits you in a special way or reminds you of a cool story from those days?
Fergal Lawler: ‘Everything I Said,’ ‘Disappointment’ and ‘The Daffodil Lament.’ These three songs really have a powerful emotional impact when I listen to them.
When we were in the studio recording ‘Daffodil Lament,’ we were worried that it would be a very difficult track because of the way the song changes in mood and tempo. We had played it live many times on the previous tour so Stephen Street suggested that we do it the same way as we did it live, and it worked. The “chanting” part with the organ was recorded separately and added on.
The Manor sounds like it was an amazing place to record. Was there a moment during the sessions where something funny or totally unexpected happened that no one outside the band would know about?
The Manor studio was a beautiful, peaceful old manor house in the countryside with a top-class studio attached. It was the perfect place to just focus on the music and the recording sessions. If there was a particular part we were stressed about, then we would just head off around the grounds for a walk, calm down, and come back refreshed for a few more takes.
Yes, something unexpected happened one day. Paul Weller turned up to shoot a video on the grounds of the Manor. He had recorded his album there and loved it so much he decided to shoot the video there. We all knew his music and were delighted to meet him. He was an absolute gentleman.
‘Zombie’ blew up big time pretty fast. Can you remember the moment on stage or just off the cuff when it really hit you that this song was going to be huge?
We had been playing ‘Zombie’ live for about a year or so before it was recorded. For the audience, it was a new song they had never heard before, but always by the time the second chorus came around they were singing along. That was a sign that we had something special.
During the recording sessions you guys were apparently messing around with a camcorder. Are there any funny or unexpected moments caught on tape that you think fans would love to see one day?
Yes, Stephen Street had a camcorder which we borrowed and had some fun with. There are lots of “comedy sketches” we did for fun. I’m not sure how funny they are though. Some of them could be quite embarrassing!
When you first heard Iain Cook’s remixes of ‘Zombie’ and ‘Ode To My Family’ what was your initial reaction? Were you nervous about how they would turn out or did you immediately feel they worked?
Iain did a wonderful job with the remixes. He was very nervous about doing ‘Zombie’ in particular because he grew up with the song and it is such a huge anthem. We encouraged him to go for it and not overthink it too much and it turned out to be a great dance version which will sound amazing in a club.
The video for the remix turned out incredibly well. It was done by Mardo El-Noor, a very talented director from New Zealand. He used a base of cuts from the original video by Sam Bayer and then added some of his magic to it.
You have performances from Woodstock ’94 and MTV Unplugged included in this release. Which of those gigs do you think felt more special to you and why?
They were two completely different types of gigs. Woodstock ’94 was a massive outdoor festival with the biggest audience we had ever played to. It was just mind-blowing to see that many people, it was a huge adrenaline rush.
On the other hand, the MTV Unplugged gig was a really intimate, laid-back experience. Very relaxed.
We had been playing acoustic sets since our early days in record stores and at radio stations so we were well prepared. We also played with a string quartet who we had worked with previously so that familiarity helped us feel more comfortable.
Both gigs were really enjoyable but in very different ways.
“Just relax and enjoy the adventure.”
Is there a particular moment or memory from either Woodstock or Unplugged that still sticks with you after all these years?
I remember the audience reaction when we played a cover of The Carpenters’ ‘Close to You’ at Woodstock. We had recently recorded it for a charity album so had been playing it in our live set.
The whole crowd was singing along and it was such a fun, uplifting experience.
If you could give your 1994 self one piece of advice before everything exploded with ‘No Need To Argue,’ what would you say?
“Just relax and enjoy the adventure. Don’t take it so seriously.”
After all this time are there any songs on the album that have taken on new meaning for you or that you see differently now?
For me personally, all songs (not just Cranberries songs) are like a photographic snapshot in time.
They take me back to a specific part of my life and trigger many fond memories.
The Cranberries keep finding new fans decades later. What do you think it is about this album or your music in general that keeps people coming back?
I think it’s the honesty and the emotion of the songs. A lot of Cranberries songs have space but can also be dynamic. The majority of Dolores’s lyrics are about personal experiences that a lot of people can relate to.
What’s one small moment or inside story from the ‘No Need To Argue’ era that you hold onto as something that really captures what the band was like back then?
I think by the time we got back on the road for the ‘No Need To Argue’ tour we were playing at a much higher level as musicians. Those gigs were some of the best we ever played. There were many times onstage where I remember feeling as if we were in complete harmony with each other and with the audience. It was truly a transcendental experience, like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was magical and I am so grateful to have that memory.
Looking back now what do you hope someone who’s hearing ‘No Need To Argue’ for the first time today will take away from it?
Hopefully they will be moved by the emotion of those songs. I listened to them many times in preparation for this 30th anniversary album and the whole album has stood the test of time. It still sounds very powerful and relevant.
What kinds of things are filling your time these days both personally and professionally now that the anniversary is coming up?
I am busy working on music for a documentary with an amazing company from New York called ‘Copperpot Pictures.’
I’m also working on tracks for a new instrumental album I’m hoping to release next year.
And, obviously, I’ve been doing some interviews in relation to the Cranberries 30th anniversary album.
If we popped round your place what recent records or artists have been on repeat for you lately that you really recommend or just love listening to right now?
There is a great band called New Dad that I love. I only found out after I discovered them that they are from Ireland!
Also, I’ve been listening to Khruangbin, Nilüfer Yanya, Yot Club, Just Mustard, Wet Leg.
Also a lot of ambient music like Tim Hecker, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, Kali Malone, Ben Frost, and Max Richter.
I have a very varied taste in music so I will listen to jazz, classical, film soundtracks, alternative rock, metal, etc.
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Andy Earl
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Fergal Lawler Website / Bandcamp
