• Inbound: Apartments

    Belfast’s very own two-piece emo/punk band Apartments are a rare breed in the music scene around Northern Ireland. Hosting influences from many underground bands in the punk scene, there a few bands across Ireland that mix the apathetic lyricism, the emotive vocal delivery and the fast paced, aggressive tones of the two piece. The duo have two releases behind them, the latter being a 6-track EP entitled Rush and have been slowly winning people over with their honest, almost self-depreciating music. We caught up with the pair recently to find out about their background, their plans and the music scene…

  • The Winter Passing – A Different Space of Mind

    Irish five-piece The Winter Passing have built up to their debut record for around a year now. Having announced the signing to US label 6131 Records, A Different Space Of Mind was scheduled for release back in May, and although a few delays surfaced, the band dropped the full length mid September to much hype around the genre and DIY scene. With a large fan base around Dublin, having played on some incredible shows supporting the likes of Balance And Composure, Touché Amore and will even be in attendance at Fest this year, momentum is gathering rapidly and with a full…

  • The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness

    Hailing from Toronto and one of Canada’s hottest talents right now alongside Drake, R&B singer The Weeknd drops his newest record Beauty Behind The Madness. With a number of hit singles before the release, something huge is expected from vocalist Abel Tesfaye for his sophomore album. The lyrical content of previous work often contained stories of sex, drugs and drink, and although there are a few songs with strong such references, the lyrical theme has been diluted on the record, and involves more of a sombre tone of hurt and relationships. Abel expresses the stories with a soulful voice that…

  • SOAK – Before We Forgot How To Dream

    Youth is a wonderful and bliss experience, and it passes us by too quickly. Bridie Monds-Watson, still in her teenage years, has been able to pen the most relatable experiences and over the past few years, her progression into an artist has unfolded before our eyes. Having written single ‘Sea Creatures’ years before it made it to the Radio 1 A List, SOAK has been gaining traction across the UK ever since. With notable fans across the Beeb and even further afield, along with appearing at numerous festivals across the UK, it wasn’t long before Rough Trade took notice and…

  • Slane 2015

    County Meath holds one of the most beautiful areas of land in all of Ireland, and the worldwide famous landmark of Slane Castle hosts one of the biggest rock bands in the world today. There seems to be no better fit. The Irish music fans seem to be some of the best, recognised worldwide, and the statement made by the overwhelming crowd, surpassing the 70,000 mark, who came to see the Foo Fighters despite a number of other events on the same day, including Forbidden Fruit Festival not too far down the road, was an incredible sight to see. And…

  • Festival Mixtape: Longitude 2015

    One of Ireland’s biggest festivals, Longitude will return to Marlay Park from July 17-19 to showcase some of the best upcoming talent across the UK and further afield. With Alt-J, The Chemical Brothers and Hozier set to headline, there is a sense of real progression around the festival as more big acts and artists continue to be revealed. Alongside the headliners, Caribou, Metronomy and James Blake fit nicely in amongst the bill, which has something to offer in every genre. Hip-Hop fans won’t be left out: with 2014 Mercury Prize award winners Young Fathers in the mix on the Friday, and with Pusha…