• Inbound: Peter McVeigh

    August 20, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Inbound, we chat to Belfast-based singer-songwriter Peter McVeigh, touching on the recording and release of his new album, PM, collaborating with an array of musicians on the release and the current state of the Irish music industry. Hi Peter. First thing’s first: for those not acquainted with your backstory, how did you first get into writing and making music? I’ve always played music of some sort. I played flute at primary school, got kicked out of it for not doing my homework in high school and decided to teach myself piano, guitar and sing. Then…

  • Interview: Foals

    August 19, 2015 - By 

    Foals have this aura of being an incredibly intense act. There’s an image portrayed of this bunch of manic but brooding individuals from Oxford who have gone from creating live dance punk to trash a house party to, to crafting some of the most lucid and crushingly expansive indie-rock of the past decade. Speaking to Foals’ drummer Jack Bevan on the phone about their upcoming release What Went Down then, it felt both refreshing and jarring to be met with a relaxed yet chirpy voice on the other side. On the subject of change, writing, dynamic and everything that was…

  • Interview: The Wood Burning Savages

    July 20, 2015 - By 

    

 On the day of the release of their stellar new single, ‘Premier League’ (stream below), we chat to Paul Connolly from Derry quartet The Wood Burning Savages about recent stirrings, future plottings and the recording and release of their latest and greatest track to date. Hi Paul. You’re just back from Swell Festival. How was that and the last few months for you generally? Hello The Thin Air! Swell Festival was incredibly good fun, it’s like a happier version of The Prisoner or Lord Of The Flies. It’s only in its second year but it’s got an amazing vibe and the…

  • Video Premiere + Interview: Carnivores – Apathy In The UK

    July 17, 2015 - By 

    Set to headline the next Smalltown America Records All-Dayer on Friday, July 31 – co-promoted by yours truly – Scottish alt-rock trio Carnivores underwent some elated highs and crushing lows during the making of their stellar debut album, Let’s Get Metaphysical. Touching upon that process, the band’s love of Northern Irish alt-rock and signing to Smalltown America, the band’s frontman Kenny Leckie chats candidly with Brian Coney Go here to buy tickets to the All Dayer and check out our premiere for the video to ‘Apathy In The UK’ below.   Hi Kenny. First off, ‘Apathy In The UK’: the song…

  • Interview: Deerhoof

    July 15, 2015 - By 

    Last year, Californian experimental indie rock quartet Deerhoof released their twelfth studio, La Isla Bonita, having spent the last twenty years unfailingly re-inventing themselves as one of the most exciting and downright inimitable bands of their generation. Ahead of Cork, Dublin and Belfast shows on Tuesday, August 18, Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20, the band’s vocalist/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki and drummer Greg Saunier about their legacy, their expectations and memories of playing Ireland and their mantra of always looking forward. Photo by Chad Kamenshine Hi guys. What stage are you at right now as regards another album? as soon as one comes out, are…

  • Front of House: Rocky O’Reilly (Start Together Studios)

    June 26, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Front of House, Laura Carland chats to Rocky O’Reilly of Start Together Studios about the origins of the studio, making music as part of Malibu Shark Attack, his career highlights to date and much more. Photos by Colm Laverty. Hi Rocky! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Hi, my name is Rocky O’Reilly and I’m a recording engineer , producer and mixer. I co-own Start Together Studios in Belfast where I spend most of my time recording all sorts of music from doom metal through to indie-pop and rap music. How did you first become involved in music? I guess it was…

  • Q+A: Timmy Stewart

    May 28, 2015 - By 

    This Saturday’s AVA Festival in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter shines a light on the city’s vibrant house and techno scene like never before. Chris Jones speak to a true hero of the Belfast scene, house DJ, producer and Extended Play co-chief Timmy Stewart. Photo by Niall Murphy How did you first get into DJing? Did you take to it straight away? My friends and I were coming to that rebellious teenage angst age (imagine an acid house Inbetweeners) when the whole rave scene was beginning to blossom. My girlfriend at the time had an older brother who was a Belfast DJ…

  • Front of House: Blue Monkey PR

    May 21, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Front of House, Mike McGrath Bryan chats to Blue Monkey PR agent Darren Johnston about his background in the industry, its role within a burgeoning Cork music scene and how others can get involved in the music PR industry in the current climate. Photos by Melanie Mullan. Hi Darren, could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved with Blue Monkey? Well, I’ve worked within the music scene in Cork for the last 10 years both in bands as a musician and supporting bands through various means and I’ve been involved with…

  • Inbound: Oaks

    May 21, 2015 - By 

    When he’s not drumming for the likes of Matua Trap and Kasper Rosa, Belfast-based drummer and producer James ‘Tree’ Bruce is concocting some sublime electronic sounds as Oaks. Having just released his consistently impressive, hugely promising debut release, L’etoile Mysterieuse, Brian Coney chats to Bruce about the project. You’re a drummer in a couple of different bands – what inspired you to branch out (no pun intended) into Oaks? I’ve been making music on my own for years but it was always just for the pleasure of doing it, seeing what I could come up with. It was actually a…

  • Interview: August Wells

    May 21, 2015 - By 

    In a wonderfully reflective conversation, Eoin Murray chats to Ken Griffin (pictured, right), ex-Rollerskate Skinny frontman and current frontman of the New York-based August Wells about the latter’s recent melancholic masterpiece ‘Here In The Wild’, recently signing with Cork’s FIFA Records and the current state of indie rock music. So, firstly, ‘Here in the Wild’ was recently released on the excellent FIFA Records. How did you get involved with the label? What made you want to release the single with them in particular? A friend of mine from Cork, Graham Finn, lives in New York, and he played bass on the song.…