• Maija Sofia – True Love

    September 7, 2023 - By 

    Galway singer-songwriter Maija Sofia’s debut, 2019’s Bath Time, was a rare gem, arriving in a haze of stirring narratives and intimate musicality. Four years later, she swings the lens away from history’s wronged women, towards herself. Here, she is not a compassionate historian – she is a protagonist filled with pain, anger, love and passion. Early single ‘Four Winters’ is an avant-garde pop ballad that marries figurative imagery with plainspoken references to sexual violence and direct imploring. This mode switching builds intimacy and depth. Sofia’s self-expression is complex and volatile, much like life is for a 20-something-year-old woman – her…

  • Some Buzz! An Interview With Honeypot

    July 11, 2023 - By 

    Kelly Doherty chats to the founders of club night and community Honeypot about providing welcoming and accessible events for queer women and their friends in Dublin Photo by Kate Lawlor A new series of parties proving community for “gay girls and friends” has taken the Dublin sapphic scene by storm. Honeypot, founded by couple Kerry Mahony and Emma Murphy – aka Rhyzine – just last summer, has already sold out numerous events and built a steady online following with its irreverent, bubbly branding. In a Irish queer scene where almost every other night primarily serves a male audience, Honeypot is…

  • Preview: Origins is the Appreciative Ode That Irish Hip-hop Deserves

    September 2, 2020 - By 

    Origins: The Story of Irish Hip Hop is a brand new documentary presented by Red Bull and Collective Films charting the development and growth of the Irish hip-hop movement over the last four decades. Multiple years in the works and due for release on RTÉ One this Thursday, Origins takes a deep dive into the stories and mythologies of the scene through key figure interviews, live footage and narrative talking points. With an inimitable soundtrack (surely an official compilation is on the way?) and a familiar, amiable tone, Origins is the appreciative ode that Irish hip-hop deserves. Some of Origins’…

  • MuRli – Till The Wheels Fall Off

    August 25, 2020 - By 

    MuRli is an Irish music renaissance man. The Limerick rapper, producer and singer has stamped his mark on the Irish scene over the past half decade as part of Choice Music Prize winning  trio Rusangano Family and through a string of striking solo releases. 2019’s The Intangibles mixtape saw the Togo-born artist further establish his distinct sound through experimentation and collaboration with some his favourite Irish artists – including Outsider YP, God Knows, Farah Elle and Denise Chaila.  On 5th June, as Black Lives Matter protests took place around the world in reaction to the killing of George Floyd by a…

  • UD – Fruitless Grapevine

    July 14, 2020 - By 

    UD is an artist who knows who he is and what he wants. On his debut EP, Fruitless Grapevine, the Lucan rapper lays his cards on the table across five lushly produced and lyrically emotive hip-hop jams in his first attempt attempt to “build [a] legacy that echo when the signal fade away”.  Fruitless Grapevine’s biggest strength comes from its most vulnerable turns. ‘Felt’, which features Chicago MC Mick Jenkins, blends perfectly crafted hooks with a deep insight into UD’s internal process. Ruminating on the impacts of anxiety and depression against a seductive mellow beat, UD handles introspection with sincerity. It’s…

  • 10 for ’20: Denise Chaila

    February 18, 2020 - By 

    In the latest installment of 10 for ’20, Kelly Doherty tips Limerick-based Zambian-Irish rapper and poet Denise Chaila for huge things in 2020 and beyond. Photo by Tara Thomas Few Irish artists are swimming as smoothly in a wave of excitement and anticipation as Denise Chaila. The rapper and poet, despite having only two solo singles to her name, has been turning heads across live venues and major publications for the last couple of years. Winning herself a cover spot on the Irish Times’ 50 People To Watch in 2020, a celebrity fan in BBC Radio 6’s Cillian Murphy and…

  • Beatyard 2019 @ Dún Laoghaire

    August 6, 2019 - By 

    Beatyard is a very different festival to your standard Irish festival. Boat parties and a concrete setting make for a different experience than the typical field fare. Families litter the audience and Bodytonic pieces are everywhere you turn from the Wigwam stage to the Eatyard area. Setting a festival in such a centralised area is no mean feat but Beatyard manage to pull it off with unique elements and a stellar line-up. This year’s Beatyard predominantly caters to dance fans with an occasional spot of pop music. The Main Stage boasts a number of big-name festival acts whilst the Wigwam…

  • Knockanstockan 2019

    July 23, 2019 - By 

    2019 will be remembered as a phenomenal year for fans of Irish music with so many genres showing substantial growth and development. Hype has been reverberating throughout the whole scene but too often these acts that are doing so well are overlooked by festival line-ups. This year, Knockanstockan is an exception to that rule with the entire line-up feeling like a homage to Irish growth. Boasting a line-up that incorporates the vast range of sounds on display in Ireland’s musical canon right now, Knockanstockan 2019 is admirable in its dedication to eclecticism and musical inclusivity and makes itself a fore-runner…

  • Sharon Van Etten w/ The Golden Filter @ Vicar Street, Dublin

    March 24, 2019 - By 

    Over the past 12 years, New Jersey native Sharon Van Etten has steadily made a name for herself as one of indie music’s most reliable and consistent artists. Since 2009’s debut Because I Was In Love, her melancholic, mature songwriting has gone from strength to strength with her recent album Remind Me Tomorrow being the most experimental and accomplished of all. It’s been quite some time since Van Etten’s last outing to Dublin however before she takes to the stage the audience is treated to support act The Golden Filter. The synth-pop duo (below) is the perfect companion to Van…

  • Years & Years w/ Flynn @ The Olympia Theatre

    January 28, 2019 - By 

    It’s been nearly four years since London synth-pop band Years & Years burst into the charts with their mammoth single “King” and won hearts all over the mainstream, became darlings of the internet and prominent public representatives of the queer community. Last summer they returned with their sophomore album Palo Santo, a concept album around a world where gender and sexuality don’t exist and were met with acclaim from critics and fans alike. In the light of their ever growing momentum, Years & Years have returned to Ireland to a packed out Olympia Theatre absolutely brimming with anticipation. Olly Alexander has…