• Other Voices Dingle 2024

    December 3, 2024 - By 

    Driving into Dingle on Friday afternoon, the excitement of a musical weekend descended like the mist over the Conor Pass. The first day was the quietest, as a flutter of festival-goers wandered the streets, drifting from pub to pub in search of some late-afternoon musical respite. Fast-rising Fermanagh artist RÓIS (below)opened the Music Trail at An Díseart – a church turned temporary musical haven tucked away off the central road in Dingle – setting the tone for the trail with haunting dance fusion tunes that greeted early attendees. While acts like DUG, Oisín Leech and Khakikid christened Friday night’s Music…

  • We’ve Only Just Begun at Whelan’s, Dublin

    August 13, 2024 - By 

    We’ve Only Just Begun is a tonic in music festival form, created to celebrate the wealth of musical talent possessed by women and non-binary artists of Ireland. Taking place in Whelan’s over a balmy mid-August weekend, showcased a mere fraction of feminine musical power on the island. Comprising both Whelan’s upstairs and main stages, the festival boasts alumni ranging from Soda Blonde and Sorcha Richardson to SPRINTS and Cathy Davey. This year’s line-up included Choice Music Prize nominee Ezra Williams, 2FM Rising Star Qbanna and radio presenter and musician Rachel Mae Hannon. A report published by research activist group Why…

  • Festival Preview: Faoin Tuath

    July 24, 2024 - By 

    Faoin Tuath makes its debut on the last weekend of July as a festival paving the way for the queer community in the west of Ireland. The three-day celebration of nature and the arts is set to take place from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th of July on the grounds of Common Knowledge in Kilfenora, County Clare. Common Knowledge was cultivated as a collective founded on the belief that connection through the artistry of practical skill has the power to encourage sustainable and revolutionary change. The organisation aims to connect its people through land-based skill sharing. From house building to…

  • Authentic and In Control: An Interview with Shiv

    April 16, 2024 - By 

    From on a blue velvet couch in a bustling hotel lobby in Dublin City Centre, Zimbabwean-Irish sensation Shiv chats to Ciara Byrne, reflecting on her unconventional journey to becoming a musician and the contributions and pitfalls of social media as a platform for self-promotion. Diving into her new single ‘Limerence,’ collaboration, working with Bricknasty and finding her own authentic voice, Shiv lays herself bare in the wake of her musical re-emergence Photos by Seán McMahon Shiv’s new album ‘the defiance of a sad girl’ is out on 4th July. Your music career started with a recording of you being uploaded to…

  • Digging Deep: Introducing DUG

    February 21, 2024 - By 

    Off the back of their first-ever show and debut single ‘Jubilee,’ Dublin-based folk duo DUG, aka Lorkin O’Reilly and California native Jonny Pickett, speak to Ciara Byrne about new beginnings and what looks set to be a very bright future. In the aftermath of their debut single, ‘Jubilee,’ and two sold-out shows at Whelan’s in Dublin, DUG injects fresh energy and a comedic twist into the age-old fusion of Irish folk and American old-time music. October 2023 marked the inception of the project, a collaboration between songwriter Lorkin O’Reilly and California native Jonny Pickett. Their musical journey began amidst the…

  • Inbound: Fiona O’Connell

    January 9, 2024 - By 

    Emerging artists of the Irish folk sort have been making waves across these pages with distinctive takes on the traditional form. With mystical melodies and ethereal vocals, Dublin’s Fiona O’Connell transcends genre with her sweet, yet melancholic sound. A rising star in the indie folk scene, she has been in the habit of weaving delicate blends for the last decade. Combining traditional influences with electronic, pop and ambient measures, O’Connell is forging a path of her own. Her debut single ‘Easily’ assumed a breezy ebb and flow of nostalgia, with haunting vocals, a gentle guitar melody and resonant percussion creating…

  • Other Voices 2023

    December 6, 2023 - By 

    Other Voices drew the best of Irish music to Dingle, Co. Kerry for three days of intimate performances, secret sessions and a vibrating air of magic. Now in its twenty-second year, it maintains its position as a stand-out music festival full of surprises, facilitating close access to unique performances by and for music lovers. Lines are blurred between musician and music lover, bringing a special element to the weekend that differentiates it from any other music festival. Renowned for creating a pocket of magic in Dingle every December, this year’s festival was no different.  With lit streets and pub doors…

  • Tandem Felix – There’s a New Sheriff in Town

    November 8, 2023 - By 

    A funky yet melancholic guitar melody moodily introduces There’s a New Sheriff in Town, the second album by Tandem Felix – a Dublin-based project of David A. Tapley in collaboration with producer Stephen Dunne. Bathing in an expansive ocean of shoegazey dream pop, the album opens with ‘Finger on the Button’, paving the way for the arioso sound to follow. The title track ‘There’s a New Sheriff in Town’ boasts a sound reminiscent of Beach House, while standing firmly in bestowing its unique sensibility.  The nine-track album exemplifies the progression of Tandem Felix as a project since their debut Rom-Com,…

  • November Reign: An Interview with Nealo

    November 3, 2023 - By 

    Community, culture and collaboration are the three words that stand proudly at the centre of Nealo’s sophomore album November Medicine. Launching to the world on November 17th 2023, November Medicine features artists ranging from Morgana and Jehnova to Rebel Phoenix and Shiv and touches on themes close to the heart, embracing vulnerability without a hint of discomfort. Following on from his debut album All The Leaves Are Falling, November Medicine delves into the depths of the human experience. The album directly involves the listener with Nealo’s inner world, with carefully chosen voice notes punctuating the album in interludes and emotion…

  • Kindred Soul: An Interview with Negro Impacto

    September 18, 2023 - By 

    Off the back of their new single ‘Maybe,’ Ciara Byrne chats to Dundalk neo-soul duo Negro Impacto about encapsulating the vitality and fun of the scene, representing diversity in genre and celebrating the cultural soul of Irish music Photos by Sean McMahon Emerging from the effervescent Dundalk music scene, Negro Impacto have been making a name for themselves across the island of Ireland since forming as a band in 2021. Composed of vocalist and songwriter Chi Chi and multi-instrumentalist Laurence Kapinga, aka StrangeLove, Negro Impacto first met as part of the skate scene in Dundalk, living within 2km of each…