• Interview & Guest Mix: I Am The Cosmos

    May 18, 2015 - By 

    Two years on from the release of their extraordinary, critically-acclaimed debut album, Monochrome, Dublin-based duo Cian Murphy and Ross Turner AKA I Am The Cosmos are still very much one of the country’s most exciting propositions. Choosing to perform rare live appearances and currently focusing on recording and their ongoing colloborations with the likes of Jape, Lisa Hannigan and Solar Bears, the pair play their debut Belfast show at Chromatic at The Woodworkers this Saturday, May 23 (free entry). Ahead of that show, Cian Murphy chats to Mike McGrath Bryan, as well providing us with an exclusive mix featuring the…

  • Interview: The Cribs

    May 17, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of Belfast and Dublin shows this week, English indie rock brother trio The Cribs are already working on their forthcoming seventh studio with none other than Steve Albini, having just released their sixth, For All My Sisters. In a revealing conversation with Will Murphy, Ryan Jarman from the band touches upon being “reluctantly co-opted” by the mainstream, the loyalty of their fans and the band’s “opinionated” nature. So, how is this tour going for you guys? It’s really short. We’re literally just here doing The Great Escape from Brighton and then we’re going out to do a couple of Irish dates. I…

  • Q+A: Tell No Foxx

    May 15, 2015 - By 

    Wicklow soundscapers Tell No Foxx have been thrust into the public eyes and ears the past few weeks following the release of their well-received single ‘Dust’ last March. Living somewhere between kaleidoscopic and melancholic, their massive pop sound has earned them the applause of fans and critics alike. Liam Doyle caught up with the lads ahead of their supporting slot this Sunday with Indiana at the Workman’s Club in Dublin to get the low down on ‘Dust’ as well as their plans for the future. It looks like it’s been a busy year for Tell No Foxx, any personal highlights…

  • Interview: Ane Brun

    May 13, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of her highly-anticipated return to Dublin in December, James Hendicott chats to Norwegian alf-folk singer-songwriter Ane Brun about her forthcoming seventh studio album, working with the likes of Peter Gabriel, and the profound feeling of excitement she gets when starting a new musical project. Your last couple of releases, the ‘best of’ and the rarities album were interesting, in that one summarises your career, and one diverges totally from it and delves into other people’s work. i in particular came straight out of the blue. Was that an exciting way of doing things for you? Will you be returning…

  • Belfast Forward: Ten Foundations

    May 12, 2015 - By 

    In the very first installment of Belfast Forward, a new regular feature looking at some of the city’s most intriguing small businesses, organisations and individuals,  Laura Carland spoke to Ten Foundations founder, Ian Campbell, about an inspiring organisation. Nestled on the busy Lisburn Road in Belfast, you can find one part coffee shop one part charity thrift store, Ten Foundations. Promoting a genuinely warm, welcoming and positive atmosphere, you relax with a hot drink, plug in and work or browse and shop safe in the knowledge that 100% of the proceeds will be used to help those living in poverty in Philippines. Photos…

  • Dublin Gay Theatre Festival Preview: Bird

    May 2, 2015 - By 

    Just before a major move of show from South Africa to Dublin, playwright and performer Marnitz van Deventer chats to us about the impact of past relationships, story-telling as the heart of performance, and bringing a South African flavour to Dublin’s International Gay Theatre Festival. Hi Martniz. Can you tell me a little bit about Bird and the creative process behind the show? Sure.  Bird is actually a story of the self before, during, and after a relationship.  I guess the story started three years ago when I was in a relationship with somebody, and I fell head-over-heels in love…

  • Dublin Gay Theatre Festival Preview: Graham J. Norton

    May 2, 2015 - By 

    Preparing for a triumphant return to the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, Graham J. Norton talks to us about his lifelong work as a classical singer, drastic changes in life and career, and the steps he took leading to the formation of the Orpheus Blues and Graham J Does Cabaret. Hi Graham. So how did you go about forming the act Graham J Does Cabaret?  How long have you been training as a singer? Well I’ve trained as a singer since I was four, and I have been, for many, many years, a classical singer, performing in operas.  But I’ve…

  • Dublin Gay Theatre Festival Preview: Going Up

    May 2, 2015 - By 

    Amid chaotic preparations in shipping out from NYC to Dublin, playwright Penny Jackson sits down with us to discuss her success as a writer both on and offstage, the lead-up to the debut of her brand new show Going Up at this year’s Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, and how she believes in the power of theatre to foster social change. Hi Penny. How’s everything going with preparations for Going Up? Fantastic.  The script was just published online—newyorktheatre.com—people are reading it, plenty of great responses.  I have a lot of fans here in New York, and I would love to have…

  • Dublin Gay Theatre Festival Preview: The Equals

    May 1, 2015 - By 

    With just about a week left until showtime at the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, playwright Sean Denyer of theatre troupe Acting Out talks to Joe Madsen about the history behind the community theatre group, its growth in the past decade, and the need for some musical comedy in examining gay issues. Tell me about The Equals and the creative process behind it. Well, I suppose I’ve had the idea for Equals for quite a while.  I tend to ponder things for quite a while before I actually write them, and then the writing happens rather quickly and I have a…

  • Interview: Woody Woodmansey

    May 1, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of the legendary English drummer’s appearance at Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival’s Marquee on Friday, May 8, Mike McGrath Bryan chats to Mick “Woody” Woodmansey, best known for his work with David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars. Hi Woody. You played on four of Bowie’s most influential and important records. How did you come into his fold, so to speak? I had played with Mick Ronson in a band called The Rats in the city of Hull, East Yorkshire. We were a blues based progressive rock outfit playing on the University circuit, supporting major acts at that time, plus we…