• Something Positive, Something Sincere: An Interview with Wooden Shjips

    September 6, 2018 - By 

    Ahead of shows at Belfast Empire Music Hall (Sept 17th) and Dublin’s Whelan’s (Sept 18th) Ripley Johnson of San Francisco psych alchemists Wooden Shjips talks to Cathal McBride about songwriting process, positivity and playing to “up for it” Irish audiences. It’s been a full five years since the last Wooden Shjips record. What made 2018 the right time for a return? Well, it was 2017 that we reconvened to make the record. Hard to say why, really. For me, I just got the urge to work with the guys again so proposed a simple plan for making it. The plan was…

  • Transpositional Vibration Analyst: An Interview With Will Carruthers

    August 23, 2018 - By 

    Best known as bassist in Spacemen 3, Spectrum, Spiritualized, the Brian Jonestown Masssacre and Dead Skeletons, amongst many others, Will Carruthers is also a memoirist, poet, book-binder and artist. Ahead of the launch of a new exhibition of his art at Belfast’s Framewerk, he talks to us about the challenges and victories of creation, how living in Belfast has influenced his art, identifying as a transpositional vibration analyst and more. Hi Will. What are your earliest memories – foggy, clear-cut or otherwise – of creating visual art? When I was five my Mum put a big piece of paper on the…

  • Q+A: Sea Pinks’ Neil Brogan Interviews TERRY

    August 17, 2018 - By 

    Sea Pinks’ Neil Brogan is a big fan of the Australian band TERRY. So much so that he has turned promoter to ensure the band stop off in Belfast on their upcoming UK tour to promote new album I’m Terry. You can catch them September 7th at Voodoo with a reformed (for one night only!) CRUISING supporting. Neil caught up with Al Montfort from the band for a Q&A that touches on Home & Away, the band’s love of Van Morrison and Melbourne’s place in the global liveability index. Meanwhile you can catch Sea Pinks launching their new record, Rockpool Blue, over…

  • A Musical Voyage Through the Cosmos: An Interview with Frankie Cosmos

    August 15, 2018 - By 

    Ahead of her mini-Irish tour, Greta Kline of New York DIY indie band, Frankie Cosmos speaks to Zara Hedderman about recording over fifty albums, dogs of Instagram and the bigs steps she took with her band whilst honing her craft and building an audience. Photo by Landon Speers Hey Greta, where are you right now? I’m at my house in New York, getting ready for the upcoming block of shows for the Frankie Cosmos tour. Do you write new material on the road? I do write while I’m on tour but it definitely changes the way I compose songs. When…

  • Bathing in Folk: An Interview with Jeremy Barnes of A Hawk and A Hacksaw

    August 9, 2018 - By 

    Ahead of their gig in the Workman’s club next week, Jack Rudden chats to Jeremy Barnes of A Hawk and Hacksaw about Eastern European music, Don Quixote and the possibility of Jeff Mangum being a time traveller. Photo by Christian Pallin. Many people know you as a drummer, but you are also an accomplished accordionist. Which instrument did you pick up first and which would you consider your primary instrument? The drum kit was my first instrument. My goal as a youth was to make as much noise as possible on it. I as not interested in nuance. I wanted to…

  • Therapeutic Comedy: An Interview with Mad Notions

    August 8, 2018 - By 

    “The last thing we wanted to do was be just another podcast where two or three lads sit around chatting about nothing for an hour.” Mission accomplished then for Mick McCullagh and Nathan O’Regan, hosts of the Mad Notions podcast. Far from their fear of chatting about nothing, over the past six months the two musicians have, perhaps accidentally, created something which is having a positive impact on other musicians in Northern Ireland beyond the infectious howls of laughter the two share during episodes. Cooped up in Nathan’s home studio better known as the ‘Poditorium’ once a week, Mick and…

  • Everything Goes: An interview with Aidan Moffat

    July 12, 2018 - By 

    Still best known as one half of Arab Strab with Malcolm Middleton, Aidan Moffat’s later career has been a multifaceted one, and his latest album, Here Lies the Body, a collaboration with RM Hubbert, is one of our favourites of 2018 so far. Ahead of July dates at Galway’s Róisín Dubh (23rd), Dublin’s Grand Social (24th) and Belfast’s Black Box (25th), Cathal McBride speaks to Aidan (pictured right, with Hubbert) about this latest project and other recent work.  Hi Aidan, how has the tour for Here Lies the Body been going so far? They’ve all been pretty great so far,…

  • Interview: Chelsea Wolfe

    July 9, 2018 - By 

    Currently on tour in Europe, the bewitching force that is Chelsea Wolfe will play Belfast’s Limelight on July 23 and Dublin’s Tivoli Theatre on July 24. Ahead of those shows, the Californian goth-rock artist talks to Jack Rudden about new music, her country music background, the ideal breakfast and more. On your latest release, Aaron Turner of Post Metal icons ISIS featured on the track ‘Vex’. What was it like collaborating with Aaron  and have you any plans to collaborate with other artists in the near future? CW: I also collaborated with Troy Van Leeuwen of QOTSA, and my longtime bandmate…

  • Melting Songs: Seán Mac Erlaine interviewed

    July 3, 2018 - By 

    Woodwind specialist and experimental composer Seán Mac Erlaine creates deeply cerebral and alluringly unclassifiable music. Long celebrated for his own swirling, phantasmal compositions as well as his work with Swedish/Irish folk group , This is How We Fly, May saw the release of his latest solo album, the divine Music for Empty Ears. The album was recorded in collaboration with Norwegian luminaries, innovative live sampler Jan Bang and guitarist Eivind Aarset and also features the sumptuous wraith like vocals of Galway singer Sadhbh Ní Dhálaighhe. The dizzying array of talents on record combines to create one of the most seductive releases in Mac…

  • Lost in the Forest: An Interview With James Holden

    June 21, 2018 - By 

    Few artists have taken such a personal journey as James Holden. The electronic artist’s transformation is not subtle; Holden, now a practised bandleader, ties together jazz, folk, psychedelia and world music with an ideology rooted in trance. The Animal Spirits, one of 2017’s most interesting and colourful releases, threw these experiments loudly in the face of the listener with an unrivalled fervent energy. As a result of the critical acclaim, Holden is now in the thick of a cross-continental festival trek, including an appearance at Ireland’s very own Body & Soul this weekend. Despite this, Dom Edge had the pleasure of…