• The Record: Robocobra Quartet

    February 1, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of The Record, we eavesdrop and follow-up on the recording of ‘Kikazaru’, the superb new single from Belfast’s Robocobra Quartet. Photos by Colm Laverty. Hi Chris. ‘Kikazaru’ is the third “part” of the three-wise-monkeys songs you’ve written and recorded. Can you shed some light on the thematic/conceptual narrative threading the three installments? Chris Ryan (drums/vocals): It’s pretty loose. The lyrics were leaning that way for this collection of three songs and so the concept came in retrospect. It’s not strict by any means. For me, it helps not to get too lost in the process of…

  • The Record: Stonemasons

    August 20, 2015 - By 

    Featuring in studio photos by Liam Kielt, we chat to Belfast-based alt-rock trio Stonemasons about the writing, recording and release of their vehement new five-track EP, Lost Layers.  Hey guys. For complete newcomers, how did the Stonemasons come about and get off the ground? Pod (Kerr, bass/vocals): We all grew up around the same area of North Antrim. Blaney was playing guitar in a pop-punk called Breaking Even and McCann and myself were playing covers with a different drummer. We initially met through from beating lumps out of each other on a hurling pitch until a hazy 18th birthday party where we got chatting about…

  • The Record: Enemies

    July 13, 2015 - By 

    When we get to see a band on stage it’s hard to reverse engineer the process and think about how and why the performers got there. On stage it’s about performance and precision. Some swagger, some sway but what they all have in common is the process. The particulars may vary but they’ve all engaged in the craft. Whether solo or sextet, singer-songwriter or composer they’ve all started with a melody, the faintest whisps of an idea or, maybe, nothing at all. It’s a process that Enemies, playful math-rock maestros that they are, take very seriously. Over the space of…

  • The Record: Heroes In Hiding

    June 5, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of The Record, Cian Donohoe, drummer from Dublin folk-rock quartet Heroes In Hiding offers an insight into the writing and recording of their second EP, Decorated Absence, which is released today. Photos by Tara Thomas. “Our second EP, Decorated Absence was recorded and produced by Philip Magee. The writing and recording process was hugely different to our first EP, Hush, which was released in March last year. Hush was self-produced and recorded and then mixed by SOAK’s producer, the brilliant Declan Legge. That first EP was a much longer and more easygoing process than the one we have just…

  • The Record: Sissy

    May 11, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of its launch on at TenterHooks Gigspace on Sunday, June 28, we catch up with Dublin lo-fi three-piece band Sissy to discuss the writing and recording of their forthcoming 7″, as well as the reception to their music to date. Photos by Carlos Daly. Hi guys. What’s been the general reaction to the first EP, and ‘Sail & Rail’ particularly, given the subject matter and events over the past year? Leigh (Guitar/Vocals): ‘Sail and Rail’ has become our most popular song. The response to that has been tremendous. It feels like shouting about abortion, when there can be such…

  • The Record: Abandcalledboy

    February 3, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of The Record, Brian Coney talks to Ryan Burrowes (below) from recently-expanded Belfast-based quartet Abandcalledboy about changes within the ranks, the writing and recording of their forthcoming new material and their plans for the rest of the year. Photos by Colm Laverty. You’ve been playing sets solely comprised of new material live recently. Why such a shift there? Basically the shift was down to how much we have changed musically, the older material doesn’t really fit with the tracks we have now. We used our last mini-tour (with 100 Onces) to say goodbye to the older…

  • The Record: RuggedWood

    November 6, 2014 - By 

    In the latest installment of The Record, our photographer Tara Thomas both shoots and reports back from from folk-pop five-piece Ruggedwood recording in the studio. “Trying to capture the atmosphere of a band laying down tracks is a tough task but one I relished when spending time with RuggedWood in Nutshed Studios Clara Co. Offaly. I arrived to the rhythm of beating drums and made my way into the Control Room, which was pretty impressive. Here I found the members of RuggedWood – Johnny, Ronan, Jerome, Ted & Geoff – passing the time, strumming guitars, having banter and munching crisps, awaiting their turn in the isolation booth. The…

  • The Record: And So I Watch You From Afar @ Start Together Studios

    July 30, 2014 - By 

    In he latest installment of The Record, Jill Moffett exclusively shoots North Coast post-rock quartet And So I Watch You From Afar record their forthcoming fourth studio album at Belfast’s Start Together Studios. Produced by Rocky O’Reilly, the record – expected to be released next year – will be the follow-up to the band’s 2013 Sargent House debut, All Hail Bright Futures. And So I watch You From Afar will play a Sargent House label show at Dublin’s Button Factory Wednesday, August 27. Check out the photos from Start Together below.

  • The Record #004: Funzo

    May 2, 2014 - By 

    The brainchild of Liam McDermott, Dublin hip-hop group Funzo have had a prolific and tireless journey since their inception in 2009. With 250 live shows – including numerous high-profile festival appearances – under their belt, they launch their debut album, The Great Lonesome, at Dublin’s Twisted Pepper on Saturday, May 17. Talking to us for the latest installment of The Record, McDermott fills us in about his songwriting process, the recording of the “concept” album and his very generous plan for its launch. In-studio photos by Shaun Neary. Hi Liam. You recently recorded your new album, The Great Lonesome. First off, can you tell us…

  • The Record #004: Stillpoint

    January 28, 2014 - By 

    In the latest installment of The Record, Liam Kielt caught up with Belfast alt-rock band Stillpoint as they recorded their forthcoming single ‘Go Ahead and Go’ at Start Together Studio. A semi-swansong as sorts coinciding with the band’s recent decision to go on hiatus for a while, it will be released at some point over the next couple of months. Check out Liam’s photos from the recording and our interview with Stillpoint frontman (and Two Glass Eyes‘ bassist) Dave McKendry below. Hey guys. You recently recorded your single ‘Go Ahead and Go’ at Start Together. Tell us about the recording process.…