• Inbound: Mongrel State

    January 19, 2016 - By 

    Ahead of the launch of their their debut album, Mestizo, at Dublin’s Whelan’s on Saturday, January 30, we get the lowdown on Dublin-based Americana-tinged rockers Mongrel State. Photos by Brian Mulligan. Hi guys, first off, for the unacquainted: when did you form how did the band come about? Was it destiny? Compromise? Start off as a Boney M cover band and decide to keep it going with original material? Darren Flynn (bass/vocals): Hah! No, not Boney M! Claudio (Mercante; guitar/vocals) and I originally met when he joined a cover band I was in – more old school rock n’ roll though (lots of Stones…

  • Belfast Forward: Guerrilla Shout

    January 19, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of Belfast Forward – a regular Thin Air feature look at the city’s emerging creative talent – Brian Coney chats to the team at Guerrilla Shout, a multi-discipline creative visual ideas company set to make their mark in 2016. Photos by Sara Marsden. Hey guys, first off: the name. How did you come to settle on Guerrilla Shout and does it hold any significance?  The name was a natural progression from our sister brand, techno label DSNT, which is based around the concept of dissent, an attitude found in early punk labels. We’re a small, agile…

  • Interview: Rabid Bitch of the North

    January 15, 2016 - By 

    Ahead of the launch their ‘Green Eyes’ 7″ single at Belfast’s Voodoo on Saturday night (January 16), Belfast metallers Rabid Bitch of the North chat to Liam Doyle about the progression of their sound, releasing music on tape and what it means to support local music. Can you tell us how Rabid Bitch of the North got started? It’s pretty much the same old story of a garage band that started in our school years. Gerry Mulholland (our guitarist) and me (Joe McDonnell) started what would become Rabid Bitch Of The North while still at school. Gerry got a guitar…

  • Interview: Sea Pinks

    January 7, 2016 - By 

    Ahead of the launch of their stellar fifth (and second studio) album, Soft Days, at Belfast’s Lavery’s tomorrow night, Cathal McBride chats to Neil Brogan of Belfast guitar-pop trio Sea Pinks about progression, variation and recording their most emphatic record to date. Soft Days sounds like the most varied Sea Pinks album so far, was that a conscious choice when you were writing and recording it? I think the songs just came out that way, but I did want it to sound more varied. I’ve been doing this band for five years so you have to try and keep it interesting…

  • Inbound: Bagels

    January 5, 2016 - By 

    Dublin’s Bagels have got no time to waste. Having spent the guts of half a decade honing their craft, the group are ready to make 2016 their year. Having recently released their first single, The Cast of Cheers inflected ‘To An End’, we had wee sit down with the band’s own Adam Redmond to talk about influences, the trappings of youth and the group’s curious choice of name. Words by Will Murphy. How long has it been since your first started playing together? It’s been the best part of five years now. Jaysus, aren’t we old. We started when we…

  • Inbound: Apartments

    December 15, 2015 - By 

    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…

  • Interview: Butterfly Child

    December 11, 2015 - By 

    Will Murphy chats to Belfast born, LA based Joe Cassidy of seminal 90’s dream pop act Butterfly Child about releasing his latest record – his first since 1997 – John Peel and discussing Northern Irish politics with Scott Walker. Hi Joe! How has it been getting back into the releasing an album routine? It’s been really weird. I don’t know how much you know about what I did because it’s all old news, but I haven’t put out a Butterfly Child record since 1997. It wasn’t like I stopped making music though. I’ve been working on multiple other things with a…

  • Interview: White Collar Boy

    December 2, 2015 - By 

    Dublin duo White Collar Boy have been turning heads of late. With an increasing focus on their live show over the past few years, the pair have already impressed with their warped electronica; from the leftfield garage of 2013’s SUUU/Tide EP, to the accessible slow burn of 2012’s Kinsale. Having met each other at Primavera and subsequently forming in 2011, the pair have supported the likes of Factory Floor, Com Truise and Creep on tour, and are ready to mark the apex of their journey so far by releasing their debut LP in 2016. Euphoric lead single ‘Away From Reality’…

  • Snooker Looping: Steve Davis, DJ

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    Having recently been announced to DJ at electronic mecca Bloc in March – an unmissable prospect in itself – snooker legend Steve Davis chats to Loreana Rushe about his deep, decades-spanning love of collecting and discovering music and swapping the snooker table for decks for the century break of his life. Hi Steve! It’s brilliant to chat to you, I’m a big snooker fan for a 30 year old woman but I’m not here to talk to you about it unfortunately, so let’s get to talking about your love for music! When did you first start collecting music and how large…

  • HOUSE @ the MAC: From Vogue to MikeQ

    November 17, 2015 - By 

    Not only a stand-out event at this year’s Outburst Queer Arts Festival in Belfast, the premiere of HOUSE at The MAC on Thursday night is almost certainly set to be one of the most inspired happenings of the year. Having descended from the legendary Harlem Drag Scene, the New York House and Ballroom Community is one of the most exciting underground scenes in the world. HOUSE brings three of the city’s most innovative performance makers and cultural agitators together for an immersive performance and discussion that presents a very rare and intimate glimpse into the history of the House and…