Two Cities’ Mags Garvey and Mark Ferguson are equal parts Dublin and London, but Berlin makes them a tale of three cities.
By Colleen Taylor
The link between London and Dublin needs no historical justification. It’s there in the geographical proximity, the architecture and infrastructure (Dublin was redesigned to be modeled after London in the 18th century), and most obviously, in the constant flow of passengers going back and forth between the two cities on a daily basis. Now, the historic bond between the two metropolises has been memorialized in the name of a band that credits the back-and-forth over the Irish Sea with its creative inspiration. Two Cities, aka Margaret (or Mags) Garvey and Mark Ferguson, is a band equal parts London and Dublin, and likewise represents an energetic merging of the two cities’ cultural pastiche. With their second EP, “Fragments,” released in April, Two Cities are starting to make a splash.
London and Dublin may be the band’s two home bases, but it’s not its birthplace. Garvey and Ferguson joined forces in Berlin in 2014. When Ferguson heard Garvey sing an acoustic cover of Damien Rice, he immediately sought her out backstage for a musical collaboration, and the project traveled back north with the two musicians. For the most part, Two Cities have written all their music in exchange across the Irish Sea from Garvey in Dublin to Ferguson in London. Garvey would send lyrics to the studio in London, and Ferguson would send back the finished melodies to Dublin. The band’s first EP, “We’ve Arrived,” quite literally came together in the ether somewhere between London and Dublin—a creative concept that is both symbolic and reflective of the modern musical culture in Ireland today.
Technically Two Cities ascribes to the same electro synth genre that is taking Ireland and most of its musicians by storm. Mags Garvey, however, is the wild card that distinguishes Two Cities from your run-of-the-mill modern electro band coming out of Dublin. Her voice is raw, real and emotive. The band is particularly extraordinary-sounding when they go acoustic—Garvey’s voice and Ferguson’s guitar spark without the synth. What’s more, the duo’s wide array of musical influences expands their horizons beyond what you might expect. They cite Fleetwood Mac, Bat for Lashes, and the Haim as influences. They have also opened for, toured with, and recorded with platinum artist Rea Garvey, the Tralee native and German musical superstar.
As of now, Two Cities is arguably better known in Germany than at home. Their hits there include “Open Your Eyes,” a rhythmic, catchy tune, and their original debut single, “Cracks”—a favorite among German fans. More melancholic than my own favorites, “Open Your Eyes,” and “Take Me to the Water,” “Cracks” is, nonetheless, like the band’s other tracks, intrinsically catchy and easy to sing along to. The song has been a showstopper for audiences numbering up to 12,000. Two Cities recently did a tour in Germany to promote their latest EP, “Fragments,” where they also opened for another rising Irish band, the Riptide Movement. In Berlin this Spring, Garvey and Ferguson sold out shows and held a Meet and Greet with fans, evincing their rising fame on the continent. So, really, this has become a story of three cities: London, Dublin, and Berlin.
Ironically, although they are the product of musical technology, Two Cities remain digitally illusive in this modern day in age. You won’t really be able to sample the EPs without splurging for the buy. But hopefully, if this group gains as much traction in Ireland as it has in Germany, the group’s digital footprint will expand as well. Whatever way you spin it, Two Cities is living proof of the increasingly cosmopolitan nature of Irish music today.
