• Irish Tracks of the Week – April 23

    April 23, 2021 - By 

    It’s been yet another banner week for Irish music. Dig into the best new sounds of the past seven days below, featuring new sounds from Ships, The Altered Hours, Villagers, TOYGIRL, Kojaque, Smoothboi Ezra and more The Altered Hours – All Amnesia All Amnesia by The Altered Hours Villagers – The First Day Ships – One to the Ward TOYGIRL – Water Kojaque – Town’s Dead SORBET – Only For The Young feat. Arborist BANYAH – Black Fires Pretty Happy – Sea Sea Sea Smoothboi Ezra – Stuck Seba Safe – Map Runner Amerik – Bouquet EP Bouquet by Amerik…

  • Ships Scoop Album of the Year 2017 at RTÉ Choice Music Prize

    March 9, 2018 - By 

    Dublin electronic duo Simon Cullen and Sorca McGrath aka Ships have walked away with the Album of the Year 2017 at tonight’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize. The event – which took place once again at Vicar Street – saw the pair scoop the prize, as well as a cheque for €10,000, courtesy of The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) for their stellar debut album, Precession. Along with a premiere of the album, which was the product of two long years of writing, demoing, debating and recording, we spoke with Cullen and McGrath back in April last year. Revisit…

  • Album Premiere and Q+A: Ships – Precession

    April 27, 2017 - By 

    The product of two long years of writing, demoing, debating and recording, Dublin electronic duo Ships will release their debut album – and one of the Irish albums of the year – on Monday. Ahead of its official release, have an exclusive first listen to Precession and read our interview with Simon Cullen and Sorca McGrath from the fast-rising outfit below. What was the writing process like for the album? And are there are any overarching main themes? The songs were written over the space of two years or so and the idea of the album gathered momentum over time.…

  • Watch: Confess The Night, a new short by Dublin director and writer Dave Tynan

    June 23, 2016 - By 

    Featuring music by Dublin duo Simon Cullen & Sorca McGrath AKA Ships, Confess The Night is a brief yet perfectly engrossing two-minute short by Dublin director and writer Dave Tynan. A piece that is, according to its creator, “not exactly a short film but not exactly a music video either”, it is imbued with a curious somnambulist subtlety that has proven a lure in his previous efforts. Watch the film and see our brief Q+A with Tynan – in which he discusses his latest work, his early beginnings and career to date – below. Hi Dave. Can you give us some background…

  • Track Record: A Tribute to Prince

    April 22, 2016 - By 

    In the wake of his death, we’ve searched through our archives for the Prince records that have left an indelible imprint on the music and life of the artists featured, from Wounded Healer to Cave Ghosts. Photos by Aaron Corr and Ian Pearce. Tim O’Donovan // Buffalo Woman- Purple Rain I never saw the movie the first time round. But the music was just too powerful to ignore. All the songs are so different and have such a personality of their own, but they still all sound like Prince. I love the fact that ‘When Doves Cry’ has no bass in it. I love the fact…

  • Castlepalooza 2014

    July 27, 2014 - By 

    A highly-anticipated annual fixture at the breathtaking Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Castlepalooza 2014 will take place across the weekend of August 1-3. Super Furry Animals’ main man Gruff Rhys, indie-pop duo Summer Camp and Franco-Swiss DJ Gilles Peterson top the bill this year, with several Irish acts including TVVINS, Hurdles, We Cut Corners, The Clameens, Affleck and Ships also featuring in this year’s line-up. Buy tickets and check out full line-up for the festival – taking place across August 1, 2 and 3 – over at Castlepalooza’s official website and check out a live version of ‘Book’ by TVVINS below.

  • In Photos: Love System feat. Daithi, Ships & Le Galaxie @ The Academy

    May 12, 2014 - By 

    On Friday night (May 9), Le Galaxie presented Love System, an unforgettable late-night celebration of marriage equality at Dublin’s Academy. Also featuring performances fromShips and Daithi, Le Galaxie and various DJs reeled in the small hours in full-on, fuck tha police (legislative Government) party mode. Check out Shaun Neary’s photos from throughout the night below.

  • Gig(s) of the week: Le Galaxie, Ceephax Acid Crew, De La Soul

    May 7, 2014 - By 

    With several new line-up announcements for Irish festivals being made over the last couple of days – Longitude, Sunflower Fest, Culture Tech – we are well and truly looking forward to the coming Irish summer here at the Thin Air towers (I say “towers”, I mean Caffe Nero on Donegall Square West, Belfast). Ahead of that cider-soaked maelstrom of mini-buses and crap tents however we have another installment of our Gig(s) of the week, featuring hopefully something for everyone, North and South, over the next seven days. Le Galaxie present Love System – The Academy, Dublin Friday, May 9 Our outright…

  • Castlepalooza Announces First Acts

    April 22, 2014 - By 

    An annual fixture at the breathtaking Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Castlepalooza have announced their line-up for 2014. With a handful of acts yet to be announced, Super Furry Animals’ main man Gruff Rhys (pictured), indie-pop duo Summer Camp and Franco-Swiss DJ Gilles Peterson top the bill of acts performing this year. Several Irish acts including Hurdles, We Cut Corners, The Clameens, TVVINS, Affleck and Ships also feature in this year’s line-up. Buy tickets and check out full line-up for the festival – taking place across August 1, 2 and 3 – over at Castlepalooza’s official website. Here’s the launch poster for the festival and…