• One Vision: An Interview with 20:20

    Tucked away in a side-street of bustling Belfast City is Accidental Theatre, a relatively-fangled DIY space that plays hosts to a cavalcade of events, both illustrious and wonderfully unassuming. Sitting somewhere in between the two is 20:20, a monthly charity songwriter night that takes over the venue’s upstairs – and singularly cosy – book bar. Giving rise to a whole new kind of “intimate” gig experience, the night takes place on the second Wednesday of every month and – full testament to its stripped-back, yet carefully-curated M.O. – delivers something special, time and time again. Ahead of its next outing on October 10th…

  • A Series of Unexpected Surprises: An Interview With Julien Baker

    Speaking to Julien Baker feels like talking to your friend in a bar. Her unassuming nature and down to earth discussion can almost make you forget what a successful, accomplished person you’re dealing with. Despite being only 22 years old, Baker has managed to forge an illustrious career with her emotive, gentle indie rock. Having shared stages with the likes of Death Cab For Cutie and Paramore, with two critically-acclaimed albums already under her belt, she is humble about her success. “I try to be personally aware that any response to the record at all has exceeded what I expected,”…

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

    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

    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

    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

    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…

  • Interview: Chelsea Wolfe

    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

    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

    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…

  • Noise Canvas: Olan Monk interviewed

    Porto-based, west of Ireland raised artist and musician Olan Monk‘s two EPs INIS and ANAM come paired with a single lyric each. They aren’t sung. In fact, they’re not heard at all. Nonetheless, he says, they’re the lyrics. They read as follows… ANAM extend ourselves through rifts in place multiple outcomes of wet decisions delusions made and loves we lost on distant shores breathing, being, mind less Wanderer INIS nobody enters the second zone there are always enough others to exist you drift hopelessly through other people the love they give is more than a geographic boundary a feeling extends…