• Malibu Shark Attack

    June 27, 2013 - By 

    Tucked into a corner of Weaver’s Court Business Park are Studios 2 and 3 of Start Together. Control room, recording booths, a treasure trove of sound equipment – this is Rocky O’Reilly’s manor, the place where the one-time Oppenheimer man, and production maestro, has helped deliver a dizzying array of music. Sitting in his favourite seat, the one beside the mixing console, Rocky has invited me here to tell me about his latest endeavour, Malibu Shark Attack. There is reason to be intrigued. First off, it’s the first band he’s been a part of since Oppenheimer called it quits in…

  • Inbound: Joshua Burnside

    June 18, 2013 - By 

    Hands down one of the most-forward thinking folk artists from these shores in recent times, Joshua Burnside is set to release his latest EP, If You’re Goin’ That Way, off the back of a wave of momentum created by his latest single ‘Black Dog Sin’. Having received 6Music Airplay from the likes of Lauren Laverne and Gideon Coe, Burnside’s wistful, altogether playful brand of experimental folk not only defies regional comparison, it is indicative of a particular musical spirit that has every potential to thrive much further afield. We catch up with the Comber-based singer-songwriter to get his thoughts on lyrical…

  • AAA: Gacys Threads

    June 12, 2013 - By 

    Having captured their recent show with Toronto quartet Cancer Bats, Belfast-based photographer Tony Irvine posed a few questions to Stephen Currie from our very own hardcore metallers Gacys Threads to get the lowdown on their recent three-day stint with the Bats and various other matters of riff-related interest. ___ What has been your biggest challenge as a band on your 3 days with Cancer Bats and have you been able to overcome that challenge? Biggest challenge… uhm, none really. This tour has been so much fun, and everybody including sound engineers, promoters, band members have been awesome. Zero complaints, man.…

  • Lost In Necropolis: Overoth

    June 10, 2013 - By 

    In the second installment of his Lost In Necropolis column, Conchobhar Ó Dochartaigh interviews Belfast death metal band Overoth. Eight years into their tenure, he gets their thoughts on everything from the musical technicality, lyrical themes and the current state of Northern Irish metal. ___ Tell us about the writing for the upcoming album. Recently, songs have been slightly more mid paced, giving a more brooding feel to the songs. Is this a conscious effort to bring more atmosphere to the sound, or has it simply been a natural process? Daniel: It’s been a natural process. The older stuff was…

  • Tied To Machines

    June 10, 2013 - By 

    Having been taking some well-earned time off to refuel the machine, Banbridge hardcore quartet Tied To Machines are on the brink of returning in fine fashion. Talking riffs, album number #1 and the so-called music scene, we catch up with Edward Henry (frontman) and Jordan (guitarist) from the band to get the lowdown on the ground they’ve covered, the album they’re making and where they want to go. __ Hey guys. You’ve been keeping your collective head down for the last few months – what’s currently afoot in the Tied To Machines camp? Edward: “Well, at the minute, we’re waiting…

  • Solar Bears

    June 3, 2013 - By 

    Earlier this year, Dublin/Wicklow duo Solar Bears released their second album, Supermigration. The record built on the template they set out on their debut album She Was Coloured In – a blend of nostalgic electronica, psychedelia, Krautrock and sci-fi themes – while reshaping and refining it, tapping into their pop tendencies and working with guest vocalists for the first time. Chris Jones spoke to John Kowalski and Rian Trench over email to find out more about the record and where the band might be headed next. How did you feel the first album went in terms of execution and reception,…

  • Inbound: Go Wolf

    June 3, 2013 - By 

    Having spent the last few months building an ever-increasing fanbase, fast-rising Belfast indie pop band Go Wolf have just finished recording their debut EP. Seven months on from the release of their incandescent debut single ‘Voices’ (featured via Bandcamp below) Brian Coney catches up with Scott and Chris from the band four-piece to talk music, image and the Northern Irish music scene. ___ First thing’s first: how did GO WOLF come to be? Did you all know each other beforehand or was it a case of one person setting out to start a band? Scott: Chris and I met at…

  • “Social Consciousness and Bono”: Nomeansno interviewed

    May 24, 2013 - By 

    In 1979, two brothers got together in a basement in Canada, and began making noise. In 2013, that noise shows no sign of dissipating. Nomeansno have blazed a trail through punk rock, tackling the subjects that few others would dare to, and experiencing more reinventions than a gaggle of scientists at a reinventing convention.  Currently somewhere out there in the world, preaching the gospel, Steven Rainey caught up with guitarist Tom Holliston to get the low-down on the career that never should have been. Nomeansno are an enigma. Wrapped in a conundrum, if you like. Whatever suits you. A lot…

  • Lost In Necropolis: Nomadic Rituals

    May 15, 2013 - By 

    In the very first of his regular column on all things metal – Lost In Necropolis – Conchobhar Ó Dochartaigh catches up with Belfast-based doom/sludge metal three-piece Nomadic Rituals ahead of the release of their debut album to talk doom, recording and their thoughts on the local metal scene. Tell us about how the band formed. Was there a shared vision or aim in mind? What influences would be a good reference point for those unfamiliar with you? Craig, our vocalist/bassist, asked us if we wanted to form a sludge/doom band, so we organised a jam to see if it…

  • Will Self

    May 3, 2013 - By 

    As much renown for his towering intellect and vocabulary as he is for his increasingly ambitious literary work, 51-year-old writer and journalist Will Self is, equally, widely recognised as “that clever guy from Question Time and/or Shooting Stars“. Ahead of his talk at this year’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Brian Coney happily risks becoming fully aware of his own intellectual impotency in discussing Self’s beloved London, the oft-misunderstood approach ‘psychogeography’ and the author’s latest, arguably most accomplished novel, the Man Booker Prize-nominated Umbrella. You have, of course, recently published Umbrella. At the risk if being too general, what type of…