• 18 for ’18: The Bonk

    January 23, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up, The Bonk. Photo by Moira Reilly Formed by O Emperor virtuoso, Phil Christie; The Bonk are one of Ireland’s most interesting experimental outfits today. They take influence from 60’s garage, jazz and experimental pop as a means by Christie to express some of his more psychedelic ideas. Since their conception the group have been impressing throughout…

  • 18 for ’18: A Ritual Sea

    January 23, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up, A Ritual Sea. Photo by Loreana Rushe Formed in 2016 and currently working on a highly anticipated debut full-length, Irish / French dream-pop prospect A Ritual Sea may be fairly fresh, but from what we’ve heard so far, the four-piece are far from ‘wet behind the ears’. Via ‘Serpentine’, seemingly the only public offering released to…

  • 18 for ’18: Pillow Queens

    January 22, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature of showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up is Pillow Queens. Photo by Ciara Brennan, taken at plantlife.ie Queer, feminist, socialist. How does one encapsulate the pulsating movements of culture and ideals that are currently sweeping across the world, and furthermore, how does one do so colloquially and naturally? Dublin based Pillow Queens have the answer, using more than just their…

  • 18 for ’18: Molly Sterling

    January 18, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature of showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up is Tipperary’s Molly Sterling. Photo by Ciara Brennan Try as one might, it’s usually nigh on impossible to clearly pinpoint what demarcates a great artist from a good one. Often, the real difference can only be traced in the smallest moments – music that has a way with itself, the space between the…

  • Worlds Apart: An Interview with Brigid Mae Power

    January 17, 2018 - By 

    In the winter of 2017, Irish multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Brigid Mae Power shared the first single from her forthcoming second album, The Two Worlds, scheduled for release this February. ‘Don’t Shut Me Up (Politely)’ effortlessly encapsulated the tone of that season with its prevailing darkness. This is a soundscape that we are invited to explore in her new material. Through her lyrics and haunting arrangements, Power examines the duality that is ever present in the artist both creatively and personally. Words by Zara Hedderman You released your self-titled debut in 2016. How was it returning to an empty notebook after promoting and touring…

  • 18 for ’18: Silverbacks

    January 17, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature of showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up is Silverbacks. Photo by Colum O’Dwyer Dublin five-piece Silverbacks may have already released a debut album back in 2015, but it’s what they release next that we’re most excited about. That debut, Hot Bath, was a strong starting effort from brothers and primary songwriters Daniel and Kilian O’Kelly – a fairly loose affair that…

  • 18 for ’18: EHCO

    January 16, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature of showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up is Wicklow’s EHCO. Photo by Niall O’Kelly  Eoin Whitfield has ditched his indie-rock roots and swapped them for another genre; slick electronica. The Wicklow-based artist, formerly of Enemies, recently dropped his first cut under the moniker EHCO. And the track, titled ‘Raise It Up’, serves as an ideal glimpse into what we can…

  • Festival Preview: Quarter Block Party 2018

    January 15, 2018 - By 

    Returning to the centre of Cork city for its fourth year isQuarter Block Party, a music and arts festival fast establishing its position as one of the finest weekends in the cultural calendar. Presented by Makeshift Ensemble and the Southern Hospitality Board, a myriad of events are due to provide some much-needed upliftment following the post-Christmas tedium over the first weekend of February (Friday 2nd to Sunday the 4th). Psych-pop experimentalists O Emperor (below) have been quiet since the release of their Lizard EP which came out back in 2015 and their return provides an occasion for the band to debut…

  • 18 for ’18: Landless

    January 15, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature of showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up is Dublin/Belfast quartet Landless. Traditional music has experienced somewhat of a renaissance over recent years, with artists such as The Morning Tree, Rue, Lisa O’Neill and Martha Wainwright waving the flag proudly. Arguably spearheading this, however, are Dublin/Belfast-based Landless. The four-piece, comprising of Ruth Clinton, Meabh Meir, Sinead Lynch and Lily Power, have…

  • 18 for ’18: Sun Mahshene

    January 15, 2018 - By 

    We continue 18 for ’18, our feature of showcasing eighteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going places in 2018. Throughout January we’re going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph from one of our photographers. Next up is Sun Mahshene. Photo by Moira Reilly Dublin’s Sun Mahshene are dedicated to doing their own thing. Indeed, frontman Nathan Henderson started the project having grown tired with the local band scene back in 2014. Initially a solo endeavour where he played all instruments himself, over the years a revolving door of musicians…