• Digging Deep: Introducing DUG

    February 21, 2024 - By 

    Off the back of their first-ever show and debut single ‘Jubilee,’ Dublin-based folk duo DUG, aka Lorkin O’Reilly and California native Jonny Pickett, speak to Ciara Byrne about new beginnings and what looks set to be a very bright future. In the aftermath of their debut single, ‘Jubilee,’ and two sold-out shows at Whelan’s in Dublin, DUG injects fresh energy and a comedic twist into the age-old fusion of Irish folk and American old-time music. October 2023 marked the inception of the project, a collaboration between songwriter Lorkin O’Reilly and California native Jonny Pickett. Their musical journey began amidst the…

  • A Strange, Much-Missed Feeling: The Return of Casavettes

    February 21, 2024 - By 

    Last month, the news of return of Limerick emo legends Casavettes after four years away was met with no shortage of rejoicing on Irish music Twitter (and Instagram etc. etc.) Ahead of a handful of eagerly-anticipated shows from the band – kicking off in Galway on Friday – Mike Ryan picks the brain of frontman Diarmuid O’Shea about second acts, sonic evolution, Ireland’s DIY scene and – an old classic to end all old classics – the strange passing of time. It’s been 5 years (almost to the day) since your debut album, Senselessness, and just over 4 years since…

  • L’esprit de l’escalier: An interview with Perlee

    December 12, 2023 - By 

    Ahead of playing Dublin and Belfast this weekend, Berlin-via-Navan duo Perlee discuss the magic of taking chances, putting their stamp on dream-pop and releasing one of the Irish LPs of the year, Speaking From Other Rooms Speaking From Other Rooms is one of the most accomplished Irish albums of the year. It spans soundworlds and explores some really strong themes like self-actualisation, destiny and long-distance love. It feels like you invested a lot of your soul into the release. Looking back, does it feel that way to you? Thanks for saying so. There were so many beautiful Irish releases this…

  • In A Different Space: An Interview With Alicia Raye

    December 6, 2023 - By 

    Ahead of the release of Love Letters, her collaborative EP with Becky McNeice, Belfast-via-Drogheda powerhouse Alicia Raye chats to Andrew Moore about representation and spearheading change for female empowerment through her own artistry and management Photos by Kate Lawlor The rise of the female powerhouse has been a breath of fresh air within what is, typically, a male-dominated music industry. Artists like Doja Cat, Cardi B, Tinashe and Summer Walker are picking up where the pre-gen started; reshaping the hip-hop, R&B and Afro landscape through a strong, independent female and gender minority gaze. While this is great news for those…

  • A Different Beast: An Interview with Elaine Malone

    November 24, 2023 - By 

    Elaine Malone’s debut album roars “Fuck you, thank you” into the abyss. Words by Mike Ryan. Photo by Celeste Burdon Residents have long believed that there’s something intangibly special about the country’s second city, and the same holds true for its musicians. Cork has produced a plethora of transcendent acts in recent years, across the entire musical palette, including Fixity, the Altered Hours, Trá Pháidín and Pretty Happy to name just a few; the Cork music scene is a many-headed beast. The most recent of which has now reared its head in the form of Elaine Malone’s first full-length album,…

  • Serving Punk: An Interview with Problem Patterns

    November 20, 2023 - By 

    Off the back of the release of their debut LP Blouse Club and winning Best Video at the Northern Ireland Music Prize, Jack Rudden speaks with Belfast queer punks Problem Patterns about politics, representation and fancy blouses Photos by Sean McMahon Political frustration, an insatiable hunger for justice and pure unabashed cheek are the weapons of choice for Belfast punks Problem Patterns. Formed in 2018 in the wake of a high-profile rape trial, the four-piece has spent years espousing calls for collective action and solidarity amongst oppressed peoples with their distinct brand of abrasive, infectiously catchy and unforgivingly queer hardcore.…

  • Radical Optimism Above All: An Interview with David Holmes

    November 8, 2023 - By 

    Ahead of the release of his most fully realised record to date, Blind on a Galloping Horse, Belfast torchbearer David Holmes talks radical optimism, Weatherall, self-awakening, signing to Heavenly and really making it count Artwork by Jimmy Turrell Photos by Steve Gullick Whoever coined “there aren’t enough hours in the day” might not have bothered if they were up on David Holmes. Lauded producer, generation-spanning DJ and soundtrack composer par excellence is the brief but it only grazes the surface of a trailblazer who has packed in more than most. Three sprawling decades in, it’s a journey that hits like…

  • November Reign: An Interview with Nealo

    November 3, 2023 - By 

    Community, culture and collaboration are the three words that stand proudly at the centre of Nealo’s sophomore album November Medicine. Launching to the world on November 17th 2023, November Medicine features artists ranging from Morgana and Jehnova to Rebel Phoenix and Shiv and touches on themes close to the heart, embracing vulnerability without a hint of discomfort. Following on from his debut album All The Leaves Are Falling, November Medicine delves into the depths of the human experience. The album directly involves the listener with Nealo’s inner world, with carefully chosen voice notes punctuating the album in interludes and emotion…

  • Dreaming In Another Language: An Interview with Arborist

    September 28, 2023 - By 

    Riding a wave following the release of his stellar third album, Mark McCambridge chats with Cathal McBride about subtlety, sold-out shows and winning over BBC 6 Music Photos by Jane Donnelly When Arborist managed to entice US indie rock royalty Kim Deal, of Pixies and Breeders fame, to sing backing vocals on debut single ‘Twisted Arrow’ back in 2014, one could easily have assumed this was an early peak that would be impossible to top. In actual fact, the project of Belfast-based Ballymena man Mark McCambridge has only gone from strength to strength ever since, scooping NI Music Prize nominations…

  • Slomatics

    September 19, 2023 - By 

    Off the back of their trouncing new LP Strontium Fields, the Belfast prog-doom titans sit down with Pádraic Grant to talk sci-fi, analogue synths and two decades of sonic expansion Photos by Sean McMahon ​​Twenty years into their existence, Slomatics have entered a new phase. Over six albums, countless splits and EPs, their fuzzed-out sound has grown in complexity and scope. Emerging from the chaos of the pandemic, latest release Strontium Fields, sees the trio – guitarists David Majury, Chris Couzens and vocalist/drummer Marty Harvey – push beyond the doom-stoner-fuzz continuum to blossom into an experimental rock unit as likely…