• Maija Sofia and Aoife Wolf at McHughs, Belfast

    September 14, 2023 - By 

    Choice Prize-nominated Galway singer-songwriter Maija Sofia makes her long-awaited Belfast debut at McHughs on Saturday, 30th September. Hosted by The Thin Air, the show comes off the back of the release of True Love, Sofia’s critically acclaimed second album, which was released via TULLE Collective on 1st September Four years on from her debut, Bath Time, True Love has been hailed by the likes of the Quietus. In their review, they said: “It’s about real people, alive and dead, and the power of objects, substances, time and place. It is the work of someone with an enviable talent, and it…

  • The Court House in Bangor named as finalist in National Lottery Awards

    September 13, 2023 - By 

    The Court House in Bangor has been shortlisted for the National Lottery Project of the Year Award. The prestigious nod is a very worthy acknowledgement of the non-profit arts venue’s vital home in the County Down seaside city. Announced just a few weeks before its first anniversary, having opened its doors last October following seven years of fundraising, lobbying, planning and refurbishment, the nomination brings into sharp focus the hard work of the venue’s owners and operators, local arts charity Open House, who are also responsible for Open House Festival. Made possible with a major grant of almost £1 million…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 8th September

    September 8, 2023 - By 

    It’s another big week for Irish music, from the latest installment of island-wide compilation A Litany of Failures, to new releases from Slomatics, Elaine Malone, Dollops, girlfriend. and more Slomatics – Strontium Fields Strontium Fields by Slomatics Elaine Malone – Pyrrhic Pyrrhic by Elaine Malone Dollops – Wire and Wood Wire and Wood by Dollops A Litany of Failures: Volume IV A Litany of Failures: Volume IV by Litany Of Failures girlfriend. – In Silence In Silence by girlfriend. Niall McDowell – Start Again Sprints – Up And Comer Soda Blonde – Dream Big Dream Big by Soda Blonde

  • Video Premiere: Danny Carroll – Cheesemonger

    September 7, 2023 - By 

    We’ve long championed former Shrug Life frontman Danny Carroll as a forerunner in the conversation around Ireland’s greatest current-day lyricists. Continually capturing his milieu in sardonic, vivid detail, age has sharpened his instincts and composition, yet tempered his self-deprecative tendencies – to a point. That point is exactly what Carroll’s latest single, ‘Cheesemonger’, finds itself wrestling with throughout. The track is featured on Volume IV of the Litany of Failures compilation of which Danny Carroll is co-curator. It comes out tomorrow on digital & vinyl, and we’re pleased to give you a first look at the video for ‘Cheesemonger’. It…

  • Back + Stacked: Lavery’s Belfast

    August 28, 2023 - By 

    In the ever-changing landscape of Belfast’s increasingly diverse music scene, few institutions have stood taller than Lavery’s. From its long-time home on Bradbury Place, the bar and venue has played a vital role bringing grassroots solo artists, bands, DJs, producers and a whole host of wonderfully eclectic nights to the heart of Belfast. It’s a well-established, far-reaching and carefully curated commitment that has rarely felt more locked-in. Off the back of first-rate events from the likes of local drum ‘n’ bass heroes Crilli in recent times, Lavery’s is doubling down to underscore its status as one of Belfast’s very best…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 25th August

    August 25, 2023 - By 

    From every corner of the island, here’s the very best new music of the week from Aoife Nessa Frances, Meljoann, Joel Jarkin, Akrobat, Touch Excellent, Autre Monde and more Aoife Nessa Frances – Fantasy Meljoann – Broke Joel Harkin – Is Iomaí Lá Sa Chill Orainn Is Iomaí Lá Sa Chill Orainn by Joel Harkin Jape – Lashing Through The Minutes Niamh Bury – Who Am I To Tell Him? Akrobat – Are You Listening Middler – Home Port (Preference Remix) Middler – Home Port (Matheson Remix) Touch Excellent – Couch Song Aby Coulibaly – DYWS? Autre Monde – Strictly…

  • Q+A: Swimmers Jackson

    August 24, 2023 - By 

    Off the back of his stellar new LP Now Is All, we chat to Dublin singer-songwriter Niall Jackson aka Swimmers Jackson about the health of the scene, breaking new ground and being 100% DIY Swimmers Jackson plays Belfast’s Sunflower on 8th September, the Kicking Donkey in Bundoran on 9th September and Sandino’s in Derry on 10th Sunday. Go here for tickets Your new album, Now Is All, is full of highlights and features some of your finest songs to date. Taking a step outside of it, how do you feel it stands apart from what you’ve done before? It’s been…

  • The ddr. Radio Logs – Entry #5: Talking Notes

    August 1, 2023 - By 

    In this month’s edition of the ddr. Radio Logs, Ellen O’Donohue discusses the background of her radio show Talking Notes. In my house growing up, the radio was always something to talk back to. BBC Radio 4’s current affairs programme The Today Show was the backing track to mornings before school, and alongside the smells of ground coffee and charred toast, my mum’s loud retorts to whoever was speaking carried throughout the house. On mornings with a particularly bad schedule, full-blown arguments back and forth would occur. At the weekend, the station’s afternoon comedy programmes brought a cackle so gleeful…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 28th July

    July 28, 2023 - By 

    As we try to come to terms with the collective sucker punch that is Sinéad O’Connor’s passing, we also band together and celebrate the very best Irish music of the week from Naoise Roo, Alpha Chrome Yayo, Cruel Sister, Aislinn Logan and more. Naoise Roo – Sacred Cow Elaine Malone – Eat Out of Your Hand Alpha Chrome Yayo – Baby Steps Baby Steps by Alpha Chrome Yayo Cruel Sister – Hands Infinite Left – Infinite Bliss Infinite Bliss by Infinite Left Aislinn Logan – Tír na nÓg Nara – Scarlet Moncrieff – Love Somebody

  • Lankum Nominated for Mercury Prize

    July 27, 2023 - By 

    In surely one of the most warranted determinations in the history of annual album prizes, Lankum have been nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize. Alongside the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Jockstrap, Shygirl and Young Fathers, the Dublin quartet will vie for the prestigious annual album award for their fourth studio album, False Lankum. Released via Rough Trade back in March, the album doubly underscored the band’s forward-pushing, genre-trouncing experimental folk. The winner of this year’s Mercury Prize will be announced at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on 7th September. Check out the full shortlist below. Revisit Andrew Lambert’s verdict on False Lankum here and check…