• Album Premiere/Q+A: Bamboo – Prince Pansori Priestess

    January 21, 2016 - By 

    Comprised of Rachel Horwood and Nick Carlisle (originally from Northern Ireland) London duo Bamboo are a curious proposition in the most nonpareil sense of the term. Melding influence from various folk tradition with far-reaching synth-pop, their sound (and new debut album, Prince Pansori Priestess) is a feat of spirit and ingenuity. We chat to the pair about their craft and process. Hi Nick, Bamboo are based in London but you’re originally from Northern Ireland. Did you make music or play as part of any band(s) when you were based here? Nick: The first band I was serious about was Peepholes, a band I am (still) doing with…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Inbound: exmagician

    November 12, 2015 - By 

    Cashier No. 9’s debut album To the Death of Fun was a quiet triumph for the Northern Irish music scene; a record that showed off the quartet’s songwriting imagination whilst still being respectful to their heroes – thanks in no small part to David Holmes’ lightness of touch on production duties. Whilst Cashier officially became defunct earlier this year, creative duo Danny Todd and James Smith have returned with a new EP under the exmagician moniker. Lead single ‘Kiss That Wealth Goodbye’ feels instantly more urgent than the pair’s previous output, who liken their latest material to “…the dirt under…

  • Inbound: The Cujo Family

    October 13, 2015 - By 

    The story of The Cujo Family is a familiar one. Since their conception eight years ago they’ve amassed a serious, almost fervent fan base through their poetic song writing and knees-up live shows. Yet despite wide acclaim, full widespread attention remains elusive. Then life does its thing, and nips at your time with work, children, the day to day. And though music may remain the centre of your world, it’s one that has to be shaped around the very real needs of being a normal human. Yet that doesn’t mean you should give up, because here they come again. With…

  • Inbound: Pleasure Beach

    May 25, 2015 - By 

    Belfast’s newest dream-pop outfit Pleasure Beach dazzled into our ears at the end of April with their shimmering and uplifting first release ‘Go’. The song emerges from a haze of wavey synths, which envelope and carry the twanging 50’s diner guitars and driving drums. The five-piece seem to have put enormous concentration into the sound they are hoping to achieve and into how each instrument would play off the other on their glamorous debut. With ‘Go’ being the first and, thus far, only thing we have to go on with Pleasure Beach it is safe to say that anticipation is…

  • 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…

  • Inbound: Hare Squead

    February 11, 2015 - By 

    In this installment of Inbound we chat to Jessy and Tony from Dublin based hip-hop trio Hare Squead about the foundation of their sound, sidetracking profanity, their forthcoming debut album and more. Photos by Alessio Michelini. So tell us about Hare Squead. Who are you, and what’s your deal? We are just three polite boys from Dublin who like to sing and perform, and make people happy. We want to be joyful and energetic and we want to spread that to other people. Discuss each members individual strengths and traits and what you bring collectively. We decided to write these about each other, just…

  • Inbound: DVO Marvell

    January 20, 2015 - By 

    With the underground Irish hip-hop scene having been injected with some much needed gusto in 2014 by the likes of Simi Crowns, ProFound and BeeMickSee, this year looks set to be the year of DVO Marvell. The Dublin rapper, known by day as Marvell Mavungu, had seen some early success from his debut mixtape The Playbook but remained largely under the radar, much to our dismay, until being awarded a supporting slot for Lil’ Wayne’s 2013 O2 arena show. Having been given that tremendous opportunity to break-out and demonstrate his mission-statement publicly, Mavungu honed his skills further and the evidence was…