The Point of Everything: Recent Episodes
The Point Of Everything
The Point Of Everything is a podcast based out of Cork that tackles the biggest issues in the music world, near and far, every week. Expect chat, music, and interviews every week
Ae Mak released their long-awaited debut album Folk Songs for Mama and Papa on May 29. The songs were written in the winter during a time of deep emotional pain and self-questioning. Living alone in a Berlin apartment, Ae Mak began writing at a friend’s piano, singing poems formed over a year of heartbreak, anxiety, low self-worth and self-reckoning directly into melody. The music came quickly, not as an idea to be shaped but as something that already felt there. The recorded demos were later brought to Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds), who tenderly co-produced and engineered the record with Aoife. Together with Cian Hanley (drums) and Kevin Corcoran (piano, bass) and Fennel the cat, parts of the album were re-recorded in a friend’s farmhouse in Ravensdale forest under the mantelpiece in their kitchen, with other elements captured in her family home in the Cooley Mountains. The recordings hold onto their beginnings - the production remains close and human, drawing from the warmth of ‘60s and ‘70s folk and baroque pop, gospel-leaning organ, reverberant orange guitar textures, and layered harmony, the voice at the centre.On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Aoife talks about the journey to get to Ae Mak's debut album, the story of heartbreak behind it, and finding her voice. Buy Folk Songs for Mama and Papa: https://aemak.bandcamp.com/album/folk-songs-for-mama-papaAe Mak tour dates:June 8: The Lower Third, LondonJune 12-14: Beyond the PaleJuly 23: Workman’s Club, Dublin
Ross Hamer aka Hamer Place released his debut album Specials in April. A heartfelt tribute to Gerry’s - the beloved Dublin café on Montague Street that has since closed - it was recorded by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox at Sonic Studios. The Hamer Place band features Niall Murphy (Oh Boland) on guitar and Jack and Fionn (Search Results) on rhythm.Ross has been a mainstay of the Irish music scene for years. You might know him from Jetsetter (a band I was a huge fan of over a decade ago), and he’s currently playing with Padraig Cooney and Bedroom Now as well as Postcard Versions with Paddy Ormond.In this chat we dive into Ross’s journey through Dublin’s music scene, the realities of releasing a solo album, his creative process, and plenty of other stories - including some disgusting food recipes. We also talk about music manager and former Spies member Conor Cusack, whose GoFundMe to help with a major operation has raised over €115,000. Support it here: https://gofund.me/3b6dd8a1bBuy Specials at hamerplace.bandcamp.com
Fifteen years on from their debut album Yeah Nothing, Dublin band Squarehead released Ossory Road in December 2025. Their fourth full-length record, it was written during the Covid era and finished in a whirlwind burst of recording before two members became dads within weeks of each other.On this episode of The Point of Everything, frontman and guitarist Roy Duffy takes us on a chronological deep dive through the band’s history, from the DIY Dublin scene of the late 2000s to US tours, labels like Richter Collective and Popical Island, parenthood, nostalgia, and the making of Ossory Road.Squarehead play a rare live show at Bello Bar on Saturday, May 30, with support from Anamoe Drive. Tickets: https://ie.powertik.com/events/squarehead-with-support-from-anamoe-drive
Gemma Hayes celebrates 25 years in music with a special show as part of the NCH Landmarks series next Tuesday, May 12. She’ll be playing debut album Night on my Side in full, plus rarities and b-sides from that era. The record went on to be nominated for the Mercury Prize and took Gemma Hayes on tour around the world. Now based in West Cork, she returns to it with fresh perspective for what promises to be a reflective, intimate performance.On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Gemma talks about revisiting her 2002 album, some of the stories behind making it with Dave Fridmann in New York, record label wranglings, touring, Mercury Prize nominations, and lots more.
Gemma Hayes celebrates 25 years in music with a special show as part of the NCH Landmarks series next Tuesday, May 12. She’ll be playing debut album Night on my Side in full, plus rarities and b-sides from that era. The record went on to be nominated for the Mercury Prize and took Gemma Hayes on tour around the world. Now based in West Cork, she returns to it with fresh perspective for what promises to be a reflective, intimate performance.On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Gemma talks about revisiting her 2002 album, some of the stories behind making it with Dave Fridmann in New York, record label wranglings, touring, Mercury Prize nominations, and lots more. Tickets: https://www.nch.ie/all-events-listing/nch-landmarks-gemma-hayes-may26/
The Scratch return to the TPOE podcast for the third time to chat about their third album Pull Like a Dog, released on March 13 on Sony Music. Gaz and Cathal talk lineup changes, world tours, politics, getting heavy on the new album as well as introspective, the amazing story behind record closer Ringsend and lots more. The Scratch play Momentum Festival in Oranmore, Co Galway, on Monday, May 4, with Cliffords and Madra Salach, plus special guests Groev and TaLLLon. Tickets available at https://www.momentumfestival.ie/Buy Pull Like a Dog: https://www.thescratch.ie/collections/store
Buy the album: https://laurieshawofficial.bandcamp.com/album/felted-fruit-viLaurie Shaw plays The Listening Project #7 at the Town Hall in Skibbereen, West Cork, with the Whooper Swans and Phil Langero on Saturday, May 16. Tickets: https://ie.powertik.com/en/events/listening-project-7-laurie-shaw-special-guest-tba
David Kitt released The Big Romance (KIttser's Version) on April 8 via All City's Alchival label. The original record, which has featured in a number of ‘greatest Irish albums’ lists, marks its 25th anniversary this year, having been released on June 18, 2001.Following his home-recorded debut Small Moments, 2001’s The Big Romance marked Kittser’s first experience working in a professional studio. “The bulk of the original album was recorded at Pulse Studios off Camden St. with producer Ken McHugh - owner of many of the synths and samplers and drum machines I dreamt of owning back then. It was such an exciting time to have access to this dream palette of sounds and Ken's skill and talent as a producer/programmer. I was bringing in records from underground electronica and hip hop as references for the sound I was going for and the results were a fusion of more traditional acoustic and electric instruments with electronic sounds and hip-hop flavours that was pretty fresh for the time. It felt like a distillation of all the things I was a fan of. It's a sound I feel I've been honing and crafting ever since.” The record - featuring the singles 'Song From Hope St. (Brooklyn, NY)' and 'You Know What I Wanna Know' - sold 60,000 copies in Ireland alone and marked a major shift in Kitt’s life as a musician and performer. Originally released on Warner Music, Kitt says: “The contract I signed back then means they own the rights to the album 'for the universe forever', apparently. Great! I approached them about a vinyl reissue for the 10th and 20th anniversaries and got nowhere. So, for the 25th anniversary, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a version of the album that I own myself and I'm free to press on vinyl.” The new release features all ten tracks of the original album along with three new tracks and b-side and fan favourite 'Saturdays' - all lovingly and faithfully remade in Ballinskelligs, at Kitt’s home studio, with the invaluable help of Ken McHugh and drawing on his 25 years’ experience of making records with synths and samplers. “I feel I've landed on a document that has the sonic and emotional DNA of the original - and at times improves on it, a record that will be cherished by fans of the original and would get the seal of approval from my 25-year-old self.”David Kitt will perform The Big Romance in full across two special shows at the National Concert Hall this week (Friday and Saturday, April 10-11), joined by an all-star band featuring Dylan Lynch, Rachael Lavelle, Katie Kim, Ryan Hargadon, Paul G. Smyth, Eamon Brady and Gareth Averill.Buy The Big Romance (Kittser's Version): https://davidkitt.bandcamp.com/album/the-big-romance-kittsers-version
he says. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Joshua Burnside talks about touring the US with Ye Vagabonds; getting nominated for the Choice Prize for 2025 album Teeth of TIme; embracing traditional Irish music; grief, the creative process and paying tribute to his friend Dean; the direct nature and homour in the songs; and his family's reaction to the record. Buy the album: https://joshuaburnside.bandcamp.com/album/its-not-going-to-be-okayJoshua Burnside tour dates: Friday, May 1: Cyprus Avenue, CorkSaturday, May 2: Button Factory, DublinWednesday, May 6: Oran Mor, GlasgowThursday, May 7: Brudenell Social Club, LeedsSaturday, May 9: Prince Albert, Stroud (two shows (2pm, 9pm)Sunday, May 10: EartH Theatre, LondonMonday, May 11: Beacon, BristolWednesday, June 17: Cornish Bank, FalmouthThursday, June 18: Barrel House, TotnesFriday, June 19: The Tree House, FromeSaturday, June 20: Craufurd Arms, Milton KeynesSunday, June 21: Beverley Folk Festival, BeverleySaturday, August 15: Custom House Square, Belfast (supporting Foy Vance)
Cork artist Pat Carey calls himself the creative director of How I Became a Wave, who release their self-titled debut album on Friday, March 27. Lush in strings and pedal steel, the nine-track album features contributions from some of Ireland’s most accomplished musicians and featuring string and piano arrangements by Cormac McCarthy (RTÉ Concert Orchestra). Carey says: “I have sat with these songs, pulled and pushed at them for what seems like a decade now. It's taken that long to come to a place where I can sit comfortably with my own voice, where I can embrace both the vulnerability and strength of authentic self expression.”Buy the album: https://howibecameawave.bandcamp.com/How I Became a Wave tour dates:Sunday, March 29: Whelan’s, Dublin (supporting Joan Shelley)Sunday, April 12 - afternoon and evening shows at Coughlans, CorkFriday, April 17: Unitarian Church, DublinSunday, April 19: Prim’s Bookshop, KinsaleThursday, April 30: The Ghostlight Sessions, Balor Arts Centre, DonegalSaturday, May 16: Levis' of Ballydehob
Dublin four piece Big Sleep (Rónán Connolly, Matteo Poli, Aidan Gray, Naiara Clarke LaFuente) released their debut album Holy Show on February 20 via LAB Records. They say it's an album about transience; the messiness of love, the beauty in impermanence, and the constant transformation that occurs as we stumble through connection, heartbreak, and growth.On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Ronán and Naiara talk about the music scene in Dublin and the importance of local venues, the community of artists they are part of, the journey of the band, and the creative process behind their album.Buy Holy Show: https://labrecords.bandcamp.com/album/holy-showBig Sleep Online Store: https://bigsleep.tmstor.es/Big Sleep tour dates:April 15: Wavelength, CorkApril 16: Dolan's Upstairs, LimerickApril 17: Mike the Pies, ListowelApril 24: Cleere's, KilkennyApril 25: Connolly's of LeapApril 28 Roisin Dubh, Galway
Pint, GlasgowSaturday, April 11: Cumberland Arms, NewcastleSunday, April 12: Grove, NottinghamWednesday, April 15: Folklore Rooms, BrightonThursday, April 16: Wight Bear, BournemouthSunday, April 19: Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
Irish/Portuguese Kraut/psych rock band pôt-pot released debut album Warsaw 480km in September 2025. It's nominated for Irish album of the year at the Choice Music Prize which takes place at Vicar Street tomorrow, Thursday March 5.In this episode of the TPOE podcast, Mark Waldron-Hyden, the brainchild of pôt-pot, talks about his journey from Cork to Lisbon, the creative process behind the band, and the personal stories that influence the music - and what it was like to get the news - and the recognition - of the Choice nomination. pôt-pot tour dates: May 21: The Workman's Club, Dublin (presented by Enthusiastic Eunach)May 22: Luca, WaterfordMay 23: The Kino, Cork (presented by DOSE)Buy Warsaw 480km: https://potpot.bandcamp.com/album/warsaw-480km
Cork band Cypress, Mine! released their second album pulling all the clouds apart on February 13, 2026 - nearly 40 years after their debut Exit Trashtown. The current lineup is Ian Olney (guitar), Ciarán Ó Tuama (vocals), Mark Healy (bass), and Morty McCarthy (drums). They say the songwriting on the new album has changed significantly, focusing on themes of strong women, struggles of physical/mental pain and societal issues such as coercive control, intimidation and violence. Second single Safe Highway, meanwhile, draws from a 1997 poem by Ciarán's father, Seán Ó Tuama.On this episode of The Point of Everything, Ciarán and Ian discuss the spark behind the comeback, reasons for the original breakup, memories of 1980s Cork (including catching The Smiths live at the Savoy), the enduring legacy of Exit Trashtown, their personal growth, and how pulling all the clouds apart marks a fresh chapter.Buy the album: https://cypressmine.bandcamp.com/Exit Trashtown: https://prettyoliviarecords.bandcamp.com/album/exit-trashtown-in-piecesTo Here Knows When: https://www.paulmcdermott.ie/episode-52
London-based, Dublin-born singer songwriter Ailbhe Reddy released her third album Kiss Big via Don Giovanni Records on January 30. Kiss Big unfolds as a breakup record - but not the tidy, acoustic kind. It lives in the messy middle: the disorienting period when the life you built with someone collapses, and you’re left trying to figure out who you are on your own. Written between Dublin, London, New York and the American Midwest, Kiss Big traces the cycle of love, loss, and renewal. It’s raw and wry: the sound of coming apart and gluing yourself back together.Ailbhe Reddy tour dates:April 21: The Lexington, LondonMay 5: The Deer's Head, BelfastMay 7: Roisin Dubh, GalwayMay 8: Button Factory, DublinBuy Kiss Big: https://ailbhereddy.bandcamp.com/album/kiss-big
Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby aka Pilgrims release their debut album Wintering on Friday, January 30. Built around hushed piano and an intimate vocal, the album prizes space and atmosphere. Over nine track,s it moves from tender stillness to shimmering moments of euphoria. Paul and Brian were in Juniper together in the 1990s before continuing with Bell X1 into the 2000s - Brian left the band in 2008, going on to become an acclaimed film composer. Meanwhile Paul has had solo projects over the past year, including Printer Clips and HousePlants as well as performing shows with Gemma Hayes and Lisa Hannigan - all while Bell X1 continue to inspire. Buy Wintering: https://pilgrimsireland.bandcamp.com/album/winteringPilgrims live dates: January 30: Ballincollig Winter Music Festival, CorkFebruary 1: All We Have Are Days, LimerickFebruary 5: Riverbank Arts Centre, KildareFebruary 6: Whale Theatre, Greystones, WicklowFebruary 7: The Social, Gaoth Dobhair, Co DonegalFebruary 8: Hawk’s Well Theatre, SligoFebruary 12: Spirit Store, DundalkFebruary 14: Solstice Arts Centre, NavanFebruary 15: Watergate Theatre, KilkennyFebruary 19: Connolly’s of Leap, West CorkFebruary 20: Live at St Luke’s, CorkFebruary 21: Green Acres, WexfordMarch 1: Róisín Dubh, Galway
Dublin artist Ian Nyquist is a composer who released the album Gilded in September 2025. It's focused on the bodhrán, pushing the instrument 'beyond its ordinary confines' channelled through modelling software. During this conversation, Ian talks about his upbringing, how he came to the bodhrán (only about three years ago), why limitations on music-making can be revelatory, the Irish artists interesting in taking 'traditional' Irish music to new places, the urban environment, the Complex whose future is in doubt as a music venue, and we discuss the creation of Gilded. Buy Gilded: https://iannyquist.bandcamp.com/album/gildedThe beating heart around which 'Gilded' is woven is the bodhrán, a native Irish frame drum with which Nyquist uses innovative techniques to push the instrument beyond its ordinary confines. Mirroring the instrument's sound through modelling software, the album's title itself nods to a theme of transformation, suggesting something familiar burnished to a new brilliance, giving it new life. The result being a truly unique unfurling of the harmonic, hypnotic and rhythmic potential of the bodhrán.This spirit of transformation is most vividly realised through Nyquist's collaborations with some of Ireland's most evocative voices. On a version of 'Leis a'bháta Dhubh Dharaich (The Black Oaken Boat)', Edinburgh-born, Dublin-based singer-songwriter lona Zajac lends her haunting vocals to an old Gaelic rowing song, her voice holds the track in a timeless tradition even as Nyquist's arrangement swirls around her; an anchor in a storm- tossed sea.Similarly, on 'Úna Bhán (Fair Una)', Cork's sean-nós singer Lorcán Mac Mathúna brings a sacred and ethereal quality to the 18th-century love song, his voice floating assuredly over Nyquist's sparse, shimmering arrangement.An original composition by Laucan, 'What Else Am I For?', marries introspective, dream-washed vocals with an impressively fine-tuned production style. Once again, Nyquist demonstrates his ability to connect diverse genres and musical traditions.Ireland's music scene continues to branch out and evolve, spurred on by the artists-like Nyquist; with 'Gilded', he melds the sound worlds of old and new, of technique and heart, of heritage and reinvention. His work resists neat distinctions and rigid genre typologies, while retaining a sense of where he calls home.
On their first podcast together of 2026, Eoghan and Cíara run through the best new Irish bands to keep an eye on in 2026
as they learn to find beauty in a place many people describe as broken.In this interview, Flynn Johnson talks through his journey as a young rapper from Blanchardstown, exploring the duality of his hometown and the responsibility he feels to inspire the next generation. He reflects on the evolution of Irish hip hop, the collaborative energy of Golden Éire Records, and the guiding influence of his mentor ROC. We start off by talking about the closing track on the album, '4Eva', which acts as a manifesto for his community, grounding his music in authenticity, history, and pride.Buy The Green Box Theory: https://flynnjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/the-green-box-theory
Maykay returns to the TPOE podcast to discuss her self-titled debut solo album, released October 10 via Grainstore Records. Known for fronting Fight Like Apes, she’s also spent years collaborating with Le Galaxie, Elaine Mai, DJ Kormac, Jerry Fish, and appears on the forthcoming third album from Ailbhe Reddy. You might also know her as a co-presenter of Other Voices.In this conversation, she gets into the creative process behind the album she made during lockdown and held onto for a couple of years - a record she describes as the soundtrack to both the most trivial and the most painful moments of her life. We talk about the realities of the music industry, pushing through self-doubt, finding her own sound with the help of Ian McFarlane (Squarehead, Tieranniesaur, Cruel Sister), and we break down a couple of tracks on the record as well. Buy the album at https://maykay.bandcamp.com/album/maykayMaykay plays a full-band show in Whelan’s on December 18. Tickets: https://www.whelanslive.com/event/maykay/
Dublin/Galway guitar band Adore released their debut EP Biter on September 26 via Big Scary Monsters. Lara Minchin and Naoise Jordan Cavanagh. We talk about the transition from the remnants of their previous band to starting Adore with the premise of having it be fun, what it's like pitching to labels and playing London showcases, the Galway and Cork music scenes, working with producer Daniel Fox, and we talk through some of the songs on the EP. Adore play the Button Factory, Dublin, on Saturday, November 29. Tickets: https://singularartists.ie/show/adore-25/Buy Biter: https://adore4.bandcamp.com/album/biter
greet)November 28: The Commercial, LimerickNovember 29: Gleneagle, KillarneyBuy the album:sausagesofireland.comirishmusicmarket.com
Cork-based band The Altered Hours released their self-titled third album via Pizza Pizza Records on November 7. In this episode, co-frontperson and guitarist Cathal Mac Gabhann talks through the band’s 15-year journey and why this record marks a new chapter - their most collaborative and instinct-led work yet. He discusses recording live to tape at Analogue Catalogue, the musical community that surrounds the group, and the influence of projects such as Elaine Howley’s acclaimed solo work. The conversation reflects on energy, curiosity, and connection - both in the studio and on stage.The Altered Hours live dates:December 10: Whelan’s, Dublin (Main Room)December 12: Live at St Luke’s, CorkDecember 13: St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, GalwayAlbum available at thealteredhours.bandcamp.com
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh - Old SegotiaThey discuss recent live shows and the rise of Madra Salach, plus new tracks of the week:Cypress, Mine! - SpellbindingFred Again.. ft Reggie - Talk of the Town
Cork-based band Ways of Seeing released their second album The Inheritence of Fear on October 10. Singer and guitarist James O'Donnell talks about his long road to the album, from starting out alongside Eoin 'Talos' French a decade and a half ago to Dear Desert before a years-long estrangement from music. We talk about how he came back to music, his health issues such as losing his voice and tinnitus, literature and influences on The Inheritence of Fear. Ways of Seeing play the Kino, Cork, on Friday, November 14. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ways-of-seeing-album-launch-party-tickets-1773309459329Buy The Inheritence of Fear: https://waysofseeing.bandcamp.com/album/the-inheritance-of-fear
Dublin producer Rory Sweeney released his second album Old Earth on October 24. Written between Dublin, Manchester, Letterkenny and Sligo, the record draws on Stone Tape Theory - the idea that ghosts and hauntings are echoes imprinted into the land. Old Earth explores memory, history and the esoteric in the information age, and features a stacked cast including RÓIS, Saoirse Miller, Risteárd Ó hAodha, Emby, Emily Beattie, Curtisy, Ahmed With Love, Roo Honeychild and Ushmush, among others. We talk about the Irish Hash Mafia Mixtape, Rory’s creative partnerships, and his ever-evolving production style.Buy Old Earth: https://rory2.bandcamp.com/album/old-earth
Shannon-based rapper God Knows released his debut solo album A Future of the Past on September 26 via Narolane. We talk about his journey from serial collaborator to solo artist - though with his longtime collaborator Murli and his family by his side. He talks about how he has changed - or not since Rusangano Family, his experiences with the music industry that get aired on the record, his family history in Zimbabwe, and lots more. God Knows tour dates: October 24: Mo Cultivation live showcase with Celeveidamai and Jar Jar Jr, The Kino, Cork Jazz FestivalOctober 30: Other Voices Cardigan, WalesBuy A Future of the Past: https://godknows.bandcamp.com/album/a-future-of-the-pastFurther listening:TPOE 53: Rusangano Family - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/tpoe-53-rusangano-family/id1032886343?i=1000384547117TPOE 119: God Knows - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/tpoe-119-god-knows/id1032886343?i=1000428779272TPOE 231: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/tpoe-231-god-knows-elaine-howley-f%C3%A9ile-na-gr%C3%A9ine-sweat/id1032886343?i=1000576344123
Eithne Ní Chatháin aka Inni-K released her fourth album Still a Day on September 26 via Green Willow Records. She describes it as her most sweeping and emotionally charged work yet, moving with a deeper gravity and startling clarity. Working with producer Seán Mac Erlaine (synths, woodwinds) and Matthew Jacobson (drums, percussion), Eithne wrote the album in the aftermath of a breakup.She says: “Songs help. These songs really helped me - they accompanied me through a very emotionally difficult time. I wrote this album because I needed to more than anything." It is music stocked with experience and steeped in flow, alive with the invisible direction life takes.On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we talk about the evolution of her sound, the influence of traditional Irish music, the creative process behind Still a Day, touring in Germany, the joy of collaboration, and the importance of artistic freedom.Tour dates:October 9: Ó Riada Hall, UCC, CorkOctober 10: Sarah Walker Gallery, CastletownbereOctober 11: Levis' of BallydehobOctober 16: Spirit Store, DundalkOctober 23: Cleere’s, KilkennyOctober 24: The Dock, Carrick-on-ShannonOctober 30: Riverbank Arts Centre, NewbridgeNovember 6: The Sugar Club, DublinNovember 7: The Linenhall, CastlebarNovember 9: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray
This special episode of The Point of Everything pays tribute to the late Eoin French aka Talos, who passed away in August 2024 at the age of 36. A brilliant musician, Talos released three albums - Wild Alee in 2017, Far Out Dust in 2019, and Dear Chaos in 2022 - as well as a posthumous EP with Atli Orvarsson called Sun Divider and posthumous album with Olafur Arnalds, entitled A Dawning. He was also part of the Sounds from a Safe Harbour team. At this year’s festival, the opening concert Remembering Talos brought friends, collaborators, and family together at Cork Opera House.In this episode, you’ll hear memories of Eoin and reflections on his artistry from Loah, Christof Van Der Ven, Sam McNicholl, Ye Vagabonds, Nick Raynor, and Brian Dillon. Recorded backstage during rehearsals and in conversation afterwards, these stories capture the impact of Talos’ music and the deep connections he created.Cover pic by Bríd O'Donovan
Eoghan and Cíara talk about Sounds from a Safe Harbour, which took place in Cork over the weekend, preview new albums coming out of Ireland over the new few weeks, plus new track recommendations
Ronan Kealy aka Junior Brother, returns to The Point of Everything to talk about his extraordinary third album The End, released September 5 on Pete Doherty’s Strap Originals label.The album was recorded almost entirely solo, with only a guest appearance from Lankum’s Ian Lynch on Uilleann pipes, but its sound is expansive and band-like, rooted in Irish tradition while reaching into something stranger and more contemporary. In this conversation, Junior Brother reflects on his time in Dublin’s music scene, how folklore and storytelling seep into his songwriting, and the role of collaboration in shaping his work. He also touches on themes of love and life, the visual worlds of his music videos, and the childhood stories that continue to fire his imagination. The result is an album that connects the past and present, the personal and the mythical, into something both timeless and unsettlingly current.The End is available now at juniorbrother.comJunior Brother tour dates:Friday, September 12 – The Pav, Cork (Sounds from a Safe Harbour, Album Launch)Saturday, September 13 – The Grand Social, Dublin (Album Launch)Sunday, September 14 – The Grand Social, Dublin (Album Launch)Saturday, September 21 – Vantastival Festival, DroghedaFriday, October 10 – LASTA Festival, Síamsa Tíre, TraleeSunday, November 9 – DeBarras Samhain Festival, ClonakiltyThursday, November 14 – Róisín Dubh, GalwayFriday, November 15 – Upstairs at Dolan’s Warehouse, LimerickFriday, November 21 – Sandinos, DerrySaturday, November 22 – Open House Festival, BangorSunday, November 23 – Spirit Store, Dundalk
TRM (formerly known as The Redneck Manifesto) release their sixth album Grushy via Dublin's Ten Spot Records on Friday, September 5. Comprising seven tracks, they say they found a new creative surge - a different pulse yet from the same wellspring - when making the album. Currently a three piece (though swelling to six when playing live), Niall Byrne, Matty Bolger and Richie Egan have been playing together for nearly 30 years. On the TPOE podcast, Matty and Richie talk about how TRM startted, what the scene in Dublin was like back then, the ideas behind the new album and lots more. Richie and Matty also play in Jape, who is part of the Landmarks series at the NCH on Sunday, September 14, where they will perform in full two albums: The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me (2004) and Ritual (2008), a Choice Prize-winning album. We talk about those two albums, their influence, Floating, and always looking forward even when you're looking back. Buy Grushy: https://www.tenspotrecords.com/tenspotreleases // https://theredneckmanifesto.bandcamp.com/album/grushy-2TRM live at Button Factory, Saturday, September 6: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/artist/947174?venueId=198299&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAactxpTMF7l3t-Fx7NJCPLkrC9wOBxK2XJgFfbpG_LFvOUpc6HU_XaQ_ph7Kzw_aem_gdt9d2rmjPluUIbibNWTOAJape at NCH: Landmarks, Sunday, September 14: https://www.nch.ie/all-events-listing/nch-landmarks-jape-sep25/
Throwing Shapes are Méabh McKenna, Ross Chaney, and Gareth Quinn Redmond who release their self-titled debut album on WRWTFWW on September 5 - a hypnotic, texturally rich exploration in sound. Led by the striking timbre of the Irish wire strung harp, the album weaves intricate instrumental tapestries with ambitious electronic synthesis and arrangements.Eoghan talked to the three members of Throwing Shapes at Another Love Story, discussing ambient music, how they got together, recording the album, the importance of the Irish harp and so much more. Buy the album: https://garethquinnredmond.bandcamp.com/album/throwing-shapes
Recorded live at Love is a Stranger at Ballyvolane House, Co Cork, Eoghan and Cíara induct the first four Irish albums into the TPOE hall of fame. 01:20 Sinéad O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got08:20: Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History15:10: Gilla Band - Holding Hands with Jamie23:50: Villagers - Darling Arithmetic
Recorded live at Cork Opera House to mark 30 years since the untimely death of Rory Gallagher, this special episode features Gerry McAvoy — Rory’s longtime bassist and musical companion. Gerry played alongside Rory for 20 incredible years, from the early 70s through to 1991, bringing Irish rock to international stages and sharing bills with the likes of Rush, ZZ Top, and Fleetwood Mac.We trace Rory’s journey from the Belfast music scene to becoming one of Ireland’s most celebrated rock musicians, hear stories from life on the road, and get an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of the man behind the music. Packed with memories, humour, and the heart of a partnership that defined an era, this is a must-listen for Rory Gallagher fans and lovers of rock history alike.Thanks to Cork's Feedback Promotions for asking me to do the interview. The Point of Everything will be doing a live show on Sunday morning of Love is a Stranger festival in Ballyvolane House, North Cork, this weekend, August 15-17. Tickets/info: https://anotherlovestory.ie/
Eoghan and Cíara talk about their experience at All Together Now 2025, and two incredible performances by CMAT and Fontaines DC.
Eoghan and Ciara celebrate the 10-year anniversary of The Point of Everything podcast, reflecting on its evolution and some of Eoghan's favourite interviews. Then then preview All Together Now 2025, talking about Fontaines DC and CMAT headlining, plus the emerging Irish acts to look out for, the worst clashes and the best of the rest. Cíara then talks about seeing Billie Eilish headline 3Arena and they finish with tracks of the week. TPOE will be at Love is a Stranger festival on August. 16-17. Tickets/info: https://anotherlovestory.ie/liasbv/
Poor Creature aka Ruth Clinton (Landless), Cormac MacDiarmada (Lankum) and John Dermody (The Jimmy Cake) released their debut album All Smiles Tonight via River Lea Records on July 11. They talk about their 'other' bands before discussing how Poor Creature started, how some of the songs on the record developed (Willie-O, The Whole Town Knows), working with producer John 'Spud' Murphy, supporting/playing with Lisa O'Neill, plus lots more. Poor Creature tour dates:September 12: The Duncairn, BelfastSeptember 16: The Attic, LeedsSeptember 17: The Portland Arms, CambridgeSeptember 18: The Larder House, SouthbourneSeptember 19: Strange Brew, BrisolSeptember 20: Subterranean Festival in the Royal Festival Hall, LondonSeptember 21: Yes, ManchesterNovember 27: Button Factory, DublinBuy Poor Creature - All Smiles Tonight: https://riverlea.bandcamp.com/track/the-whole-town-knowsAll Smiles Tonight music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV8YtKabvpM&ab_channel=PoorCreature
Cíara and Eoghan discuss new albums by Poor Creature - All Smiles Tonight, Olafur Arnalds & Talos - A Dawning, and Wet Leg - Moisturizer. Plus music chat and new track recommendations
Aaron Smyth aka A Smyth released his second album Hello Goliath via Lover Records on June 13. He joins to talk about previous band Vann Music and feeling "blacklisted" in the music industry. From there, we talk about A Smyth's journey, with a deep focus on songwriting and simply just trying to get better at it. Working with producer Darragh Nolan was key and he also became a dad - how did that affect him personally and musically; he also explains how his son should have a co-writing credit on the opening track on Hello Goliath. We discuss releasing debut album Last Animals in 2021 and talk through some of the deep tracks on Hello Goliath. Buy A Smyth - Hello Goliath: https://asmyth.bandcamp.com/album/hello-goliathA Smyth album release party at Annesley House, August 23: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/a-smyth-hello-goliath-album-launch-the-annesley-house-tickets-1429020261069Vann Music - Electro Shock Dreams: https://soundcloud.com/vannmusic/sets/electro-shock-dreams
Cíara Byrne joins to talk about Glastonbury 2025, in particular CMAT, Bob Vylan and Kneecap, favourite albums of the year (so far), album news, new track recommendations, gig news and more. Preorder For Those I Love - Carving the Stone: https://forthoseilove.terrible.group/Pot-Pot - Warsaw 480km - https://potpot.bandcamp.com/album/warsaw-480kmThrowing Shapes - Throwing Shapes - https://garethquinnredmond.bandcamp.com/album/throwing-shapesJameson x Mo Chara tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/jameson-connects-presents-sean-mckenna-dug-asha-ari-tickets-1441559426049
Texas-born, Laois-raised, London-based artist Kean Kavanagh returns to talk about his debut album The County Star. An introspective work, it finds him examining all those sides of his being: USA, Ireland, and London as he adopts the dual persona of a cowboy county star/GAA county star. Kean, who many will know as a close collaborator of Kojaque (they co-founded Soft Boy Records) released his debut project Dog Person in 2020. He suffered a vocal injury on tour with Kojaque in 2022 and had to undergo vocal therapy and relearning how to sing. It's something he examined on the 2023 EP Wrestling Music. It is also inherent on this album. We talk about all this and more in a 40-minute chat. We talk about community, traditional music and GAA, making videos with Kojaque starring comedian Peter McGann, collaborating with Karma Kid and Baz Kaye in making the record, and why he's not counting Dog Person as his debut release. Buy The County Star: https://heaven-sent.ochre.store/Kean on TPOE 192: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DaEf882Y1VjoWBQVeuTOP?si=ecbf6ddd8c2046bb
Eoghan and Cíara chat about their weekend at Beyond the Pale and the difficulties the music festival faced in the week preceding it. There's also music news, review of Kean Kavanagh's debut album The County Star, and new track recommendations. 0:00 Intro and Beyond the Pale review18:51 Music News21:00 TPOE Album Club: Kean Kavanagh - The County Star27:48 New track recommendationsLinks for music discussed Kean Kavanagh - The County Star: https://heaven-sent.ochre.store/Kez - In The Arms https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kez11/in-the-arms-2Laurie Shaw - Please Can You Cut That Out (And Stick It In My Almanac) https://laurieshawofficial.bandcamp.com/album/magnetosphere
Eoghan is joined by Stevie and Jake Lennox of Belfast’s Junk Drawer, who released their second album Days of Heaven on June 6 via Pizza Pizza Records. Formed in 2015 alongside Brian Coney and Rory Dee, Junk Drawer blend Weezer-esque riffs, shoegaze and indie rock. Fresh off an eight-date tour of Ireland with Cola and M(h)aol, the brothers reflect on the DIY logistics of putting it all together, the origins of the band and the evolution of their sound, working with producer Chris Ryan, what it means to make "weird, cosmic Ulster music", playing SXSW, the Belfast music scene and lots more. Buy Days of Heaven: junkdrawerbelfast.bandcamp.com.
Eoghan and Cíara return to chat about the music news, including new albums by Altered Hours, Big Thief and Cate Le Bon, discuss Pulp and Iggy Pop coming to Dublin, dive into our first TPOE Album Club with post-punk band M(h)aol's second album Something Soft, discuss new albums coming out this week, and finish with two track recommendations. 04:34: Music News and Upcoming Releases14:39: TPOE Album Club: M(h)aol - Something Soft31:06: Recommendations and closing thoughts
Cíara Byrne (Golden Plec, The Thin Air, Irish Examiner) joins to run through music news (Grizzly Bear are back, Basic Income for the Arts, Sufjan Stevens), recent gigs by Morgana and CMAT, new releases and our favourite Irish festival sets as festival szn 2025 kicks off
Limerick artist Laura Duff released her debut album Sea Legs on May 23. A meditation on grief, it sees her confront the death of her father and the fallout in the following months and years. “I was setting out to write Sea Legs in my dad’s memory,” she says. “It was very intentional in that way. All of the lyrical context is based around that, and his life, as well as trying to maintain some level of communication. Sea Legs is inspired by my experience of navigating everything that comes with losing a parent; dealing with grief as time passes, family relationships and the physicality of death.”Sea Legs was recorded, produced and mixed by Mícheál Keating in Knockaderry, Co Limerick, with the band featuring Keating, JJ Lee and Christopher O'Sullivan.Buy the album: https://lauraduff.bandcamp.com/
Dublin-based traditional Irish duo Varo (Lucie Azconaga and Consuelo Nerea Breschi) released their second album The World That I Knew on May 9. A collaborative album produced by John 'Spud' Murphy (Lankum), it features some of the most acclaimed names in the Irish folk music world in 2025: Ruth Clinton (Landless, Poor Creature), Cormac Mac Diarmada (Lankum, Poor Creature), Alannah Thornburgh, Inni-K, John Francis Flynn, Anna Mieke, Niamh Bury, Lemoncello, Junior Brother, Ian Lynch (Lankum), Branwen (Rufous Nightjar), and Slow Moving Clouds, among many other musicians too. Five years in the making, The World That I Knew began a month into lockdown. Lucie and Consuelo began working on a meaningful project related to the challenging and historical times the world was experiencing, selecting 10 songs, written between 30 and 300 years ago, that speak powerfully to our present moment.“Through the passage of time, political, social and cultural contexts vary, but the core of people’s experiences remain the same,” say Varo. “Themes like loneliness, heartbreak, racism, homesickness, and human connection are universal. These songs still speak truth.”Buy The World That I Knew: https://varodublin.bandcamp.com/
Dublin rapper Curtisy released his debut album What Was The Question on May 3, 2024, and releases his new project, a mixtape made with producer Hikii called Beauty in the Beast, on May 30, 2025. We talk about both releases - marking a year of the debut album - and everything in between as Curtisy won a whole host of new fans with his searing and honest lyrics and was nominated for the Choice Prize. We talk about influences from Earl to Kendrick to horror, his crew which includers rapper Ahmed, With Love and producer Rory Sweeney, Curtisy's journey in music and the futureBuy What Was The Question: https://curtisy.bandcamp.com/album/what-was-the-questionPreorder Beauty in the Beast: https://spindizzyrecords.com/products/curtisy-what-was-the-question-deluxe-edition-cdIntro music: Curtisy - Wok to BlackrockOutro music: Curtisy - Milk & Honey
Dublin-based artist Danny Groenland (fka Danny G and the Major 7ths) released his third studio album Burning Rome on April 25. He says: "The issues I focus on with this album - climate disaster, war, genocide, division, homelessness, inequality, mental health, police brutality, institutional racism - all stem from the same root cause. Our economic system is destroying our planet. We need a complete systems change, with everyone pulling in the same direction. And we need it now. Despite the gravity of the above topics, I wanted this album to be optimistic. These songs come from a variety of feelings. Love, anger, empathy, sorrow, fear and hope. I do have hope, otherwise I wouldn’t have recorded it. I have faith in humanity. We’ve been conditioned to think that things like poverty and war are normal and will always be. It doesn’t have to go like this. I hope this music gives you both comfort in solidarity, and the energy to be the change that’s needed."Danny chats about all this on the TPOE podcast, as well as growing up in a musical family and initially playing trad music, his journey into the Dublin soul scene on the early 2010s, why and how he started Danny G and the Major 7ths, playing in a wedding band, and how and why he got political on Burning Rome. Buy the album: https://dannygroenland.bandcamp.com/album/burning-romeDanny Groenland launches Burning Rome at the Sugar Club, Dublin, on Friday, May 9: https://thesugarclub.com/tc-events/danny-groenland/
Paddy Hanna released his fifth album Oylegate on April 11 via Strange Brew Records and returns to the podcast for the first time since TPOE 90 in 2018. That was around his second album Frankly, I Mutate. In between, there have been two albums, The Hill in 2020 and Imagine I'm Hoping in 2022, which Paddy himself says flopped. While he's got married and become a dad of two since we last chatted, artistically it's been a tough road.---From the press release: OYLEGATE, the upcoming album from Paddy Hanna, is a journey through the euphoric highs and crushing lows of parenthood, delivered with his signature blend of melancholic wit and lush, off-kilter charm. Elation and exhaustion. Love and terror. The weight of responsibility and the strange, disorienting beauty of watching life unfold before your eyes. After his fourth album, Imagine I’m Hoping, arrived to critical acclaim but not the mainstream success needed for him to continue on as a full-time musician, Hanna found himself at a personal and artistic low point. However, thanks to support from the Arts Council and the encouragement of his family, Hanna has returned as the intrepid captain of his own ship; he may not know the destination, but he’ll see us along the journey with his graceful pop sensibilities.Determined to sidestep the usual sentimental trappings of writing about having a child, Hanna found an unlikely creative companion in grim Soviet-era cinema. As he wrote, films like Solaris flickered in the background—bleak, meditative landscapes that mirrored the depths of sleep deprivation and the existential wonder of bringing a new life into the world. This contrast of warmth and detachment, of intimate revelation and surreal detour, courses through OYLEGATE’s DNA.Despite its moments of cold introspection, OYLEGATE is sonically rich and enveloping—an effect captured in a single request to producer Daniel Fox: "sweet, sweet caramel." Hanna wanted the music to feel like satin lining the listener’s ears, wrapping them in warmth even when the themes tilt towards darkness.True to form, OYLEGATE marks yet another creative leap for an artist who refuses to be boxed in. "One advantage of being an ‘artist’s artist’ is that you never have to worry about being creatively different between albums. There's real freedom in doing whatever you want and not being judged for it. And even if you are judged, who gives a shit?That spirit of fearless exploration—of finding joy in the unknown, the absurd, and the deeply personal—defines OYLEGATE. An odyssey of tenderness and turbulence, it’s the sound of an artist embracing life’s messiest, most beautiful contradictions.Buy Oylegate: https://paddyhanna.bandcamp.com/album/oylegate
French-American musician and composer Zoé Basha released her debut album Gamble on April 17. Blending storytelling traditions, Appalachian mountain songs, Irish traditional music, and American blues and ragtime, the album is a woozy melange. We talk about her life journey, travelling around the US, joining the Occupy San Francisco protests, moving to Dingle, Dublin, France to learn traditional French timber framing, and back to Ireland. Throughout it all, there's music, though she did fall out of love with it for a while before Rufous Nightjar started up with Anna Mieke and Branwen Kavanagh. And now comes her debut solo album Gamble. From the press release: Zoé’s debut is an intimate exploration of identity, grief, the deconstructing of societal norms, and the complexities of human connection, all delivered with a mesmerising voice that echoes the vulnerability and depth of her diverse influences. Inspired by the greats of times passed such as Billie Holiday, The Mills Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, Joni Mitchell, Texas Gladden, Edith Piaf and The Steve Miller Band– as well as her peers in the Irish folk music scene, Zoé Basha savours the sounds of golden eras with contemporary nuance and shameless honesty.Zoé Basha tour dates: April 24: De Burgos Club, GalwayApril 25: The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, LeitrimApril 26: The Duncairn, BelfastApril 27: The Record Room, LimerickMay 1: Fennelly’s of Callan, KilkennyMay 2: Bray Jazz Fest, WicklowMay 3: The Crane Lane Theatre, CorkMay 4: Blennerville, Tralee, Co. Kerry (co-headling with Rachel Sermanni)Buy Gamble: https://zoebasha.net/album/3407338/gamble
Daniel McIntyre aka Lullahush released his second album Ithaca on April 11 via Future Classic. Having collaborated with the likes of AE Mak in the past and attended the Red Bull Music Academy, Lullahush released his debut album A City Made of Water and Small Love in 2022, an ode to his home town Dublin. He's developed a complicated relationship with it, which he explores on Ithaca, having moved to Athens in recent years. From the press release: Ithaca weaves a narrative interrogating ideas of pride, home and belonging. Longing for home in exile has been widespread amongst the Irish diaspora over the years. This includes 19th-century famine refugees, 20th-century exiles fleeing the Catholic Church's oppression, those who left during the economic depression of the 1980s, and more recently, those affected by Ireland's housing crisis and Dublin's embrace of Big Tech. Daniel explores all of this as well as his own odyssey with him now living in Europe as a result of his homeland becoming “economically uninhabitable.” “I miss it, but I have a difficult relationship with it” says McIntyre. “‘Ithaca’ is where Odyssus is trying to get back to in the Odyssey - my search for a sense of home since leaving has made me think about what Ithaca means. Maybe it's not a place, maybe it's a series of circumstances, maybe it's something internal, maybe it’s something you carry around with you.”Lullahush supports Róis at the Workman's Club on May 1. Buy Ithaca at https://lullahush.bandcamp.com/album/ithaca-2
Alan Duggan Borges, the guitarist in Gilla Band, released his debut self-titled EP as The Null Club on April 4. Comrprising three tracks, 'Frameshift' features the rapper ELUCID (one half of Armand Hammer), '14 Hours' features Faris Badwan (The Horrors), and 'Slip Angles' has vocals by Valentine Caulfield (Mandy, Indiana). We talk about how the Null Club began and what it was like making the tracks with those contributors and what the future holds. We also discuss Alan's previous 'other' band, The Claque, and topics from Fontaines DC to Gilla Band's cover of Blawan's 'Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage', which felt like a turning point for them, techno music, and supporting Iggy Pop at In The Meadows on June 7. Buy The Null Club EP: https://thenullclub.bandcamp.com/album/the-null-club-epThe Null Club live dates:May 2: The Workmans Club - DublinMay 13: Corsica Studios - LondonMay 14: Rough Trade - BristolMay 16: Yes, The Basement - Manchester---Press release: Spending time over the last few years learning about synthesis, production, and how to record has been an incredibly rewarding experience for Alan. This project has created an opportunity to explore genres and styles of music outside of Gilla Band that he's never done before, as well as being completely in control of the production and instrumentation. It’s also been an opportunity to work with incredible artists who Alan truly admires and have had a massive influence.Getting the caliber of talent on the EP happened very naturally and somewhat unremarkably. He reached out to Val from Mandy, Indiana via Instagram and she thankfully agreed. Faris and ELUCID had both reached out to Gilla Band to say hey and he jumped at the opportunity to get them involved in the project. The EP will be released on a limited run of 500 12” white label records, each hand stamped by Alan and released independently on a label ran by his wife and himself. The EP was mixed by Daniel Fox (Gilla Band), and mastered by Jamie Hyland (M(h)aol). with vocals contributed by the artists. All instrumentals were performed and recorded by Alan in his home, and rehearsal studio in Dublin, Ireland. with vocals being recorded in a mix of places – NYC, London, and Manchester (sometimes in studios, sometimes in the artists homes).There will be a number of solo shows across Ireland and England where Alan will be reworking the tracks from the EP live along with a number of unheard pieces of music. There will be numerous synths, noise machines, guitars, and many pedals on stage all being looped into different amps to bring the songs to life in a live setting. Tickets on-sale now.
Matthew Xavier Corrigan, an artist who splits time between Cork and Dublin, released his debut solo album Beast of Changing on March 21. Written in reflection of a tempestuous season of change across Irish coastlines, centred on Ballinskelligs in Co. Kerry, Myrtleville in Co. Cork and Clare Island in Co. Mayo, Beast of Changing follows a story of growth, of love lost and found, of crossing the threshold into dark, cold, saline water - of surrender. Themes of environmentalism and how we shape the coasts, of erosion and rising water, are woven throughout. Matthew Xavier Corrigan’s debut album was cut to tape with a single collaborator, Mike Halls, over five days in Liverpool, the product of years of writing rendered in a few day's takes. After pushing to a more intimate and organic sound on the From ten, with love EP, the artist now goes deeper; covered in analog warmth and rich harmonies, delicately performed, taking inspiration from the likes of Andy Shauf, Bill Callahan and Robin Pecknold. This renewed focus on analog warmth even comes out in the imagery; the press photos and album/single artwork were captured on expired film by Ronan Burke on vintage film cameras.Matthew talks about his former project Ghostking is Dead, why that came to an end, the Cork scene and working on festivals such as his own River Runs Round, Quarter Block Party, Quiet Lights and Sounds from a Safe Harbour, the story behind Beast of Changing, and lots more.Buy Beast of Changing: https://matthewxaviercorrigan.bandcamp.com/album/beast-of-changing
Declan McClafferty aka Ramper released his debut solo album Loner on March 7. Formerly a member of the award-winning Donegal band In Their Thousands, along with his brother, Declan is a session musician who plays as part of Ryan McMullan’s band. He says of Loner: "It’s about lots of things. About my childhood growing up and feeling the wheel go around when I had children of my own and I was on the other side. About the characters I grew up around and the way of life they had that’s almost unrecognisable now. It’s a reminder to keep things simple. I made it for the love of making music. Starting with nothing but ideas and ending up with 10 things that paint a bigger picture is a great lesson. Anything else that’s come along after that is a bonus - and I’m grateful for it all!"Press release: Loner is an apt name for the album; Ramper played every instrument on the LP, which he recorded and self-produced over six months at his own home studio during stolen moments when his sons were napping. The record was mixed by Daniel Ball (Chubby Cat, Ryan McMullan) and mastered by Richard Dowling (David Bowie, Sinead O’Connor).Ramper takes the best of primal rural simplicity and transports it into the future whilst telling the stories of our past and ever-changing present. Based on a childhood lived before the internet and in the Irish language first, Ramper captures those moments in time that are almost so simple you may not notice them at first, but when you let them settle hold a beauty that cuts through the noise. Much of his music ruminates on the slow erosion of our language and culture: “It’s not a right-wing approach that things should be conserved and locked down, or that other cultures are not welcome. It’s a lament that the culture of a place and skills like weaving, fishing or boat building are lost, while the people who should be carrying that on are in Australia and priced out of returning.”Loner’s songs, adorned with woozy pedal steel and deftly fingerpicked guitar, are about the peace of rural living (‘Cold in the Morning’, ‘Back to the Start’), the drawn-out death of Irish traditions (‘EYES’), the struggle to accept depression (‘Pale as the Moon’), the satisfaction of a job well done (‘If You Want a Good Dream’, ‘Promised’), his culture shock upon moving to Brighton for college (‘I Can’t Pretend’) and the many lessons McClafferty learned from his neighbours growing up in Donegal. These neighbours populate the songs, bringing rich colour along with them—like the “real quiet character” on ‘Cold in the Morning’. McClafferty remembers her as “humble and kind, but not very confident. This song is remembering her and putting her at the centre of the narrative for maybe the first time.” Or there are the two very different men on the penultimate track ‘Don’t Forget to Look Up’. “One worked every hour that was sent his way until he eventually accepted retirement and the other read books, smoked cigarettes and was an alcoholic. I attended both of their funerals in the same week,” McClafferty recalls. “This song is trying to zoom out from what a life is and realise the importance of balance. Both these characters would have changed things I think.”
Maria Kelly released her second album Waiting Room on February 28. The followup to 2021's The Sum of the In-Between, the title is a very real place as Maria found herself stuck in sterile clinics hoping for answers to inscrutable chronic pain, and a dream-like, surreal space representing her own inner world. “This album is an exploration of the roadblocks, both internally and externally, that keep us feeling powerless and taking away our agency,” she says. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we talk about her health issues, the impact of the housing crisis, and channeling those experiences into creating Waiting Room. We also discuss her living room tour, supporting Tom Odell at Live at the Marquee, facilitating her writing night Tangent Dublin, and more. Buy Waiting Room: https://mariakellymusic.bandcamp.com/album/waiting-roomTangent Dublin: https://www.instagram.com/tangentdublin/
Julie Feeney won the inaugural Choice Music for her debut album 13 Songs in 2005. Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Choice on March 6, Julie talks about what it was like to win the award and the impact it had on her career. We also talk about how she made 13 Songs; playing all of the instruments, including a clock, across the record; self-financing the LP; why albums still matter; and lots more.
The Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year 2024 will be announced at Vicar Street on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Ahead of the show, John Barker from new Irish music show Tilt (Dublin City FM) joins to run through the 10 nominated acts and help predict a winner. The 10 nominees: A Lazarus Soul - No Flowers Grow In Cement GardensCurtisy - What Was The QuestionFontaines D.C. - Romance Orla Gartland - Everybody Needs a HeroKNEECAP - Fine ArtNewDad - MADRANiamh Regan - Come As You Are Róis - Mo LéanSilverbacks - Easy Being a WinnerSPRINTS - Letter To Self
Mayo harpist Alannah Thornburgh talks about her debut album Shapeshifter, released February 12. She is inspired by the traditions of fairy folklore and mythology from rural Ireland. The project began when Alannah was commissioned to compose a piece for the Linenhall Arts Centre’s New Music in Mayo series, curated by traditional musician Emer Mayock. With the support of the Arts Council's Next Generation Award, Alannah conducted interviews with nearly 50 historians, storytellers, and locals, collecting stories and experiences that inform her music. These conversations are woven throughout the album. We talk about all this, as well the Thornburgh family band and the influence of her saxophone-playing dad, the influence of the late Conor Walsh, and her various collaborations with the likes of Lemoncello and Varo.Buy Shapeshifter: alannahthornburgh.bandcamp.comAlannah Thornburgh tour dates:April 4: The Linenhall Arts Centre, Co. MayoApril 11: Levis’ Cornerhouse, Ballydehob, West CorkApril 12: Maureen’s, Cork CityApril 17: The Cobblestone, DublinApril 27: Prim’s Bookshop, Kinsale, Co. CorkMay 9: The Duncairn, BelfastMay 10: Fennelly’s, Kilkenny
Mark Chester aka Ginnels released their first album in a decade, The Picturesque, on February 7. He talks about what he's been up to (becoming a dad of two, mostly), playing with Autre Monde and why they've come to an end, songwriting, nostalgia, Popical Island, and lots more. Buy The Picturesque: https://ginnels.bandcamp.com/album/the-picturesque---Press release: Ginnels never let up. Though it has been, staggeringly, eight long years since the last irresistible jangle pop transmission under the Ginnels moniker, nothing much has changed in Mark Chester’s approach when it comes to the practice of music making, even if much everything else for Chester has seen considerable flux – he’s now a father of two, and most shockingly of all for an indie popster of his ilk, gainfully employed. “It definitely started the same way all Ginnels stuff starts,” Chester explains, “which is just me looking through five years of phone demos and going ‘that’s a decent song’ and ‘that’s a decent song’, and if you keep that up then you have a full album.”The man himself might be coyly committed to making his process sound as pedestrian as possible, but from the moment the delicate chiming introduction of album opener ‘The Body Was Gone’ goes widescreen – revealing an expanded sonic palette richer in timbre and exponentially wider in scope than anything Chester has let out into the world thus far – it is apparent that “The Picturesque” is poised to be less than parochial in its sonic purview.From here, “The Picturesque” plays like a gauzy road trip Super 8 footage cutting between scenes of sunset at Monument Valley and B-roll from around middle-Ireland, entirely soundtracked by some enchanted mixtape of heretofore unheard B sides from REM, XTC and The Go-Betweens, unexpected guest appearances from the surprisingly together-sounding ghost of Johnny Thunders and snippets from your coolest friends’ unreleased instrumental experiments. All liberally rippled with Chester’s unique ear for melody and appetite for the unexpected when it comes to crafting guitar parts. And this, by design, feels like a Guitar Record, above all else.For all its effortlessly sticky lyrical and melodic twists, “The Picturesque” separates itself within the mighty Ginnels catalogue in both the dexterity in playing and diversity in tone on show across these 12 tracks. And 12, of course as we know, being the optimum number of tracks for any LP to have, so bonus points for that too.
London-based industrial noise pop trio Tayne (Matt Sutton, Tom Hancock, Paul Traveller) released their debut album LOVE on January 31. Frontman Matt talks about moving to London, how the band started, the influence of his dad on the lyrics, Matt's tattooing career, and art.Buy LOVE: https://tayneband.bandcamp.com/album/love
London-born, Donegal-based singer-songwriter Anna B Savage released her third album You & I Are Earth via City Slang on January 24. Calling it a love letter to a man and to Ireland, the record features Irish musicians Anna Mieke, Kate Ellis and Caimin Gilmore (Crash Ensemble), Cormac Mac Diarmada (Lankum), and Lankum producer John 'Spud' Murphy'. On the episode, Anna B Savage talks about books and book clubs, writer's block and feeding creativity, moving to Dublin for music college and then Donegal, working with those Irish musicians and the ideas underpinning the record.Buy You & I Are Earth: https://annabsavage.bandcamp.com/album/you-i-are-earth---Tour dates:January 31: All We Have Are Days, LimerickFebruary 12: Lantern, BristolFebruary 13: Night & Day, ManchesterFebruary 14: Stereo, GlasgowFebruary 15: Brudenell Social Club, LeedsFebruary 17: Hare & Hounds, BirminghamFebruary 18: Latters, BrightonFebruary 19: Where Else, MargateFebruary 20: Union Chapel, LondonMarch 20: Coughlan's, CorkMarch 21: Roisin Dubh, GalwayMarch 22: Unitarian Church, DublinApril 12: Botanique Rotonde, Brussels
Aaron Corcoran aka Skinner released his debut album New Wave Vaudeville on January 7. He talks about playing open mic nights when he was in his mid-teens, his DIY ethos, his creative process and influences, and discusses making some of the tracks on the album. Buy New Wave Vaudeville: https://skinner97.bandcamp.com/album/new-wave-vaudeville----Press release: Skinner is the project of the Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Aaron Corcoran who was inspired by the New York No wave scene in the late '70s/early '80s for this debut record. The record's lead track "Calling In Sick" perfectly exemplifies this influence as he takes cues from the genre, while also carving his own path on the scene as well.Speaking about "Calling In Sick", he said, "The song is about calling in sick to the world. Life is tough for most people right now and there is no down time for most of us. Some days just feel like you're hurtling towards destruction and I just wanted to write a song that captures that feeling of anger and frustration of having to say enough is enough. Fuck everything I'm just going to do me for today. And I think that's fair."'New Wave Vaudeville', the song and album title, references the New Wave Vaudeville music variety freak show that took place at the 57 Club in New York from 1978 to 1983. The club was known for its free-form art shows, a debaucherous wild riposte to creeping commerciality of modern culture of the time."The ethos of the album is to celebrate the weird part of who you are and be proud of it," says Aaron. "You might feel strange in society but you don't when you're listening to your favourite music, and this record is a space for the outsiders to feel comfortable."Skinner's debut album takes inspiration from the outsiders in alternative music who populate the greatest hits of no wave, dance-punk, Latin disco and post-punk genres - Liquid Liquid, A Certain Ratio, Kid Creole And The Coconuts and James Chance And The Contortions to name a few."I like the idea of mixing genres that shouldn't go together," Aaron adds. "That's probably why I like no wave music. It's just total and utter free expression of music without any constraint or rules. And it's not constrained by any societal ideals like a lot of other music can be. It's pure raw human emotion and expression."Throughout the LP, Corcoran makes use of vocal training by Dara Kiely of Dublin noise-rock Gilla Band, who taught Aaron how to scream effectively while singing without losing your voice, as heard on the tracks "Calling In Sick", "Tell My Ma" and "When You Live In A Shoe".Percussion also plays a big part in the record, with Latin American music and disco cited as an influence on the 10 tracks on the LP.New Wave Vaudeville was recorded and produced by Aaron Corcoran at the Meadow and engineered alongside Rian Trench. The album was mixed by Sean Corcoran, and mastered by Tj Lipple.
It's the end of the year - we made it! And that means it's time to look over our favourite music moments of 2024. Nicole Glennon, assistant editor of the Irish Examiner Weekend magazine, and Cíara Byrne, a music writer with bylines in the Examiner, Golden Plec and the Thin Air, join to talk through our favourite live shows, best albums, best tracks - and some disappointments as well. 2.55: Best live40.45: Best albums1.12.00: Best tracks
Peter Lawlor aka Polytunnel, a producer and DJ, releases his debut album The Word for World is Forest via Alien Communications on December 13. He says: "The Word for World is Forest is an album influenced by the city of Glasgow, showcasing Polytunnel’s love of classic detroit-inspired electro along with nods to the techno and house that has influenced his work over previous records. Recorded in Glasgow, the album is a love letter to the city that continues to inspire and over the course of nine tracks, offers a glimpse into the producer’s broad palette of electronic sounds. The title is inspired by Ursula K Le Guin’s novella of the same name, which delves into themes of destruction, resistance, and the devastating impact of imperialism.'On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we talk about the journey to Polytunnel's debut album, running his label Moot Tapes, clubbing and nightlife in Ireland vs Glasgow, favourite music of 2024, hardware, and more. Polytunnel: https://polytunnel.bandcamp.com/Alien Communications: https://aliencommunications.bandcamp.com/Moot Tapes: https://moottapeslabel.bandcamp.com/Lebanon Fundraiser: https://moottapeslabel.bandcamp.com/album/lebanon-fundraiser
SIlverbacks (Daniel O'Kelly, Kilian O'Kelly, Peader Kearney, Emma Hanlon, Gary Wickham, Paul Leamy) released their third album Easy Being a Winner on October 18 via Central Tones Records. Scattered around Dublin, Drogheda, Kildare and Paris, Silverbacks have really found their groove on this album. It sounds like an effortless progression. I talked to Dan about making the album, life in Paris, cycling, Other Voices, being a dad, and some of his favourite music of the year.Buy Easy Being a Winner: https://silverbacks.bandcamp.com/album/easy-being-a-winner---As a band, Ireland six-piece Silverbacks are restless, eager to move onto the next thing: Three albums in four years is evidence of this. That their fizzing, rock-addled songs rarely pass the four-minute mark is further proof. But in their personal lives, they’re not restless. In fact, they’re settling down. Lead singer and guitarist Daniel O’Kelly now lives on the outskirts of Paris with his wife - it’s where he sees his immediate future too. His brother, guitarist Kilian, has moved to Drogheda, an hour north of Dublin, with wife and fellow Silverback Emma Hanlon, where they’ve discovered a newfound interest in plants (red hot pokers are their favourite). They’re content. Their relationships - their friendships - take the pressure off the music and ultimately allows for something that is more enjoyable to make, and perhaps, as a result, sounds more authentically like Silverbacks too. As they sing on the closing track of third album Easy Being a Winner: “You start to figure it out.”
His Father's Voice (Ash O'Connor, James Reidy, Laya Meabhdh Kenny and Cian McGuirk) released their debut album Black Poison Morning on September 6. Frontwoman Ash talks about how the band have developed over the years, making the record with Micheál Keating (Bleeding Heart Pigeon), the Limerick scene and Féile na Gréine, and lots more. Buy Black Poison Morning: https://hisfathersvoice.bandcamp.com/album/black-poison-morning---Press release:‘Black Poison Morning’ is the debut album from Limerick-based outfit His Father’s Voice. The album’s fabric takes its form through a methodical weaving of avoidance, desire, imperfection and impatience. Parallel to a tug of war between these lyrical vices runs a mix of wide ummeling instrumentals and raw dead space, giving a cinematic quality to each of its eight tracks. Even in the album’s more exuberant moments, an anchor of tension brings an unnerving reluctance to the listener. Equally, the album’s more claustrophobic moments are underscored by a sense of hope for emotional release. The granting of catharsis is carefully crafted through soaring pop melodies, immersive guitars and muscular rhythms, flipping the postpunk genre’s penchant for emotional outburst on its head. As with its ability to blend moods which lie in opposition to each other, the band find balance between its accessible sound and emblems of the experimental music community that it emerges from.It feels as though our debut album grew up alongside us over a number of years, learning to navigate reluctance, longing and impatience. It’s fragile alongside bolder and more resistant moments. We wanted an album that could find a home for both our sweeter sound and the murkier gothic cornerstone of our music. This album collates and distills an energy that we’ve been testing out live for the last year. Sometimes the music can feel like it’s heaving along with us, fighting for emotional release.
Dublin singer-songwriter Daniel Anderson aka Anderson released his second album Some Rain Must Fall on November 1. It's nine years since he released debut album Patterns (2015), after going solo following his band The Rags. Named after Karl Ove Knausgaard's book Some Rain Must Fall, Anderson says of the record: “This album was a long time in the making, perhaps these songs offer clues as to why. I’m an electrician by trade. That’s what I’m professionally qualified to do and what I worked as before I dedicated my life to music. Being a musician has taken up the majority of my adult life but I’d always had a feeling of imposter syndrome with it. In the back of my head I’d be thinking ‘I’m an electrician – I’m not supposed to be making art. But the dilemma triggered something in me and new songs and ideas started coming. I stopped obsessing on the career that music hadn’t given me and instead focused on how it had enriched my life. It wasn’t easy but everything I went through was captured in the songs and it’s all there on the record: work, worth, fear, pain, ageing, art, love, life and an understanding that into every life some rain must fall.”Buy Some Rain Must Fall: https://andersonsongs.bigcartel.com/product/some-rain-must-fall-12-vinyl
Cork artist Yenkee aka Graham Cooney released his long-awaited debut album Night Golf via Soft Boy Records on October 25. He talks about making the album, being inspired by labelmates Kojaque and Kean Kavanagh, life in London, the dream of owning a house, the housing crisis, songwriting, and lots more on this episode of TPOE.Yenkee tour dates:December 1: Upstairs at Whelan's, DublinDecember 10: Old Blue Last, LondonDecember 15: Folklore Rooms, BrightonDecember 21: City Hall, CorkBuy Night Golf: https://yenkee.bandcamp.com/album/night-golf---Press release:Yenkee is now based in London, but it’s where he was raised on the Northside of Cork City in Ireland where he developed his admiration for simplicity and his love for music. “Being Irish, you are always brought up around music and song. It’s so ingrained, you can’t avoid it”. It’s this immersion that bred inspiration from a diverse array of artists. Arthur Russell’s versatility, Dolly Parton’s timeless songwriting, Manu Chao’s eclectic style, Talking Heads’ playful spirit and Fionn Regan’s graceful depictions of Ireland all play a role in who Yenkee is today.His early projects, marked by an experimental spirit and a penchant for blending genres, laid the groundwork for what would become Yenkee. The transition to a solo career allowed him to fully explore his artistic vision, leading to a widely loved series of singles and EPs that garnered him placements on TV series’ Normal People and Conversations With Friends and finding fans in people like Florence Pugh.Throughout these early days of Yenkee, ‘Night Golf’ would begin to develop. It all started with a throwaway tweet Yenkee had posted in 2014 that simply said “#NightGolf”. The phrase stuck with him for years, eventually guiding the whole album’s creation. “I had songs written but I just thought right, that’s the name of the album. How do I fit the music around that title?.” The name inspired a strong visual component and evoked an 80s musical awakening within, guiding Yenkee back to his love for that era’s music with Prefab Sprout, in particular, becoming a significant influence.Yenkee recorded most of the album himself in various makeshift setups, but his best days were spent with others. Whether that was with producer Peter Brien in his Belfast studio, working with Adam Kaye in Hackney or knocking out single-session songs with Karma Kid in South London, it was these moments that solidified what the album would become. ‘Night Golf’ is a labour of love, a project born out of instinct rather than meticulous planning, designed more for dancing than deep contemplation. As Yenkee puts it, “It’s only music at the end of the day.”
HousePlants are Paul Noonan and Daithi. They released their second album Half Known Things on October 18 and talk about its creation on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Buy Half Known Things: https://wearehouseplants.bandcamp.com/album/half-known-thingshHousePlants tour dates: December 27: Roisin Dubh, GalwayDecember 28: Cyprus Avenue, CorkJanuary 11: Dolan's Warehouse, LimerickJanuary 30, 31: Button Factory, Dublin Intro music: HousePlants - Swimming PoolOutro music: HousePlants - Hope is a Hell of a Drug---Press release: HousePlants have built a reputation for their electrifying live performances, from festivals like All Together Now and Beyond the Pale, to opening slots for legends such as Chic and Leftfield. Their unique combination of energetic rhythms and heart-on-sleeve storytelling has earned them a loyal following. With Half Known Things, the band promises to deliver more of the vibrant, feel-good energy that has become their hallmark, while venturing deeper into sonic experimentation and live band dynamics. Paul Noonan reflects on the evolution from their debut: "This album was very much informed by playing shows with the first one, feeling what was connecting and creating those euphoric collective moments. With Dry Goods, we were sending each other parts from our respective bunkers. This time, we had the luxury of being in the same room for some of it and making decisions in the moment. Every decision, we asked, ‘Will it make the people move?’The result is an album full of heart, heat, and groove, with distorted textures and vibrant beats driving the music forward. From the album opener “In The Right Light” to the seven-minute opus “No Pushover,” Half Known Things pulses with life, capturing the raw, raucous energy of their live performances.Daithí shares his journey throughout the making of the album: "Half Known Things feels alive in a way I’ve never experienced before – we’ve tried to capture the wild energy of our live shows and bottle it into these nine tracks. It’s music that’s messy, human, and alive, which to me is the heart of what HousePlants is all about."Standout tracks include 'Swimming Pool', an upbeat anthem that captures the messy joy of life, and 'My Love My Umbrella', a haunting ballad that draws inspiration from Irish writer John McGahern’s works. From start to finish, Half Known Things offers a sonic experience that is simultaneously introspective and celebratory, inviting listeners to lose themselves in the music, and most importantly, have fun.
Cork singer-songwriter Stephanie Rainey has had an interesting year, appearing on America's Got Talent over the summer. She talks about that experience, why she felt like she wanted and needed to do it to shake things up, and her new EP The Highs and Lows of It All, due out next month. Stephanie Rainey tour dates:November 14: Button Factory, DublinDecember 18: Cork City Hall---Press release: In 2015, Stephanie emerged onto the music scene with 'Please Don't Go,' a song born from the depths of her soul, dedicated to her one-year-old nephew, Fionn, who tragically lost his life to meningitis. At a time before ‘going viral’ was even coined, the single reached 5 Million people worldwide on YouTube and Facebook when it was first released. Almost 10 years since its first release ‘Please Don’t Go’ has found new audiences with over 8 million Spotify plays and a staggering 40 million combined views on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram since September 2023. The recent resurgence of 'Please Don't Go' catapulted Stephanie to the top of the Singer-Songwriter Chart in Canada, claiming the number 1 spot, and reaching number 2 in the United States. Her heartfelt music also charted on the main iTunes Charts in Ireland, Australia (reaching number 16 on the Main Chart), and the UK (reaching number 31). The outpouring of support online underscores the song's profound impact, with countless messages attesting to its ability to guide individuals through grief and healing. The accompanying music video, a poignant tapestry of personal tributes, amplifies the song's universal message of love and loss. As a result of this recent resurgence Stephanie travelled from Ireland to bring this heart stopping anthem to the America's Got Talent stage. This audition will air to an audience of 10 million viewers in America alone this June 25. Her new found TikTok fanbase, with over 27 million views, confirms her anthemic songwriting continues to inspire and resonate with audiences around the world, proving that music can be a force for healing and unity. Often compared to the likes of Adele, Dermot Kennedy and Ed Sheeran, Stephanie Rainey possesses a unique voice that is both authentic and honest. Since her breakthrough, Stephanie has amassed over 70 million streams across all her social media platforms and has become one of Ireland's most played female artists on radio. Stephanie Rainey's success in 2021 and 2022, with hit singles like 'Ross & Rachel,' 'No Cowboy,' '13,' and ‘Remember Who Your Friends Are’ also showcased her appeal to a new generation of fans. ‘Remember Who Your Friends Are’ climbed to No.2 in the Irish Breakers Radio Chart and the top 20 Irish Homegrown Chart. These singles were playlisted across national radio stations such as 2FM, RTE Radio 1, iRadio, Beat 102-103, Cork's 96FM, Today FM, and Northern Ireland's Cool FM. Stephanie also made her Irish TV debut on Ireland's prestigious Late Late Show and The Heart of A Saturday Night.
Cork producer Ruairi Lynch aka Bantum and Listowel-based rapper as Gaeilge Séamus Ó Súilleabháin aka Súil Amháin are the guests on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Bantum has just released his third solo album, which is self-titled, and he also produced, mixed, and mastered the debut album by Súil Amháin, which is called athPhORT. They talk about how they got together, collaborating, and the ideas behind some of their tracks - 'Aisling Fhéile' off athPhORT, for example, was inspired by the River Feale, but there's so much more underlying that. Bantum also talks about feeling particularly creative and creating his latest solo effort. Buy Súil Amháin - athPhORT: https://suilamhain.bandcamp.com/album/athphort-2Buy Bantum - Bantum: https://bantum.bandcamp.com/album/bantumIntro music: Bantum - Bamboo, Súil Amháin - Viva LiobarnachOutro music: Bantum - Carousel
Gemma Hayes, from Tipperary and now living in West Cork, released her sixth studio album Blind Faith on September 27. It's her first album in 10 years - Gemma says she has reasons for the break: she simply lost the urge to write and was busy raising two children. We talk about all that - how she literally locked away her guitars and subsequently lost confidence in her ability to make music - in this interview. Produced by Hayes with Karl Odlum, David Odlum and Brian Casey from Wavefield Recording Studio in Clonakilty, Blind Faith features Lisa Hannigan on backing vocals on ‘Eye For An Eye’ and ‘Feed The Flames’, which she also co-wrote, while Paul Noonan duets with Gemma on ‘Another Love’.---From the press release: The youngest of eight children raised in the small village of Ballyporeen, Co Tipperary, Gemma Hayes’ introduced herself to the world with her 2002 debut Night On My Side. With its deft production, ambitious arrangements and Hayes’ dreamy, rock-leaning vocal delivery, the album was a critical and commercial success and was nominated for the Mercury Prize (now known as the Choice Music Prize). Since then, she has released four critically acclaimed studio albums and a limited-edition live album, while her music is constantly in demand for film and TV placements. Her version of Chris Isaak’s 'Wicked Game', recorded for the US TV series Pretty Little Liars, now has over 24 million streams on Spotify alone, while she recently contributed to the soundtrack of the film adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s Greyhound of a Girl.Buy Blind Faith: http://gemmahayes.com/
Susan O'Neill released her second album Now in a Minute on September 20. Recorded with brothers Cillian and Lorcan Byrne, it was produced by Christian Best at Monique Studios in Midleton, Co Cork, and follows the 2021 collaborative album In the Game with Mick Flannery. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Susan talks about the past couple of years and touring with Mick, how she came back to focus on and create Now in a Minute, and we talk through some of the songs on the record. Susan O'Neill tour dates:October 10: Dolan's, LimerickOctober 11: Glór, EnnisOctober 12: Live at St Luke's, CorkOctober 17: Whelan's, DublinOctober 18: Sandinos, DerryOctober 19: Oh Yeah, BelfastOctober 20: Spirit Store, DundalkOctober 24: The Sky and Ground, WexfordOctober 25: Mermaid Arts Centre, BrayOctober 26: Connolly's of Leap, CorkOctober 27: INEC, KillarneyOctober 31: Hawkswell Theatre, SligoNovember 1: Róisín Dubh, GalwayNovember 2: Theatre Royal, WaterfordNovember 3: Set Theatre, KilkennySongs played: Sign of the Times, Rewire, Tijuana (outro music)
Landless are Lily Power, Méabh Meir, Ruth Clinton and Sinéad Lynch, a vocal quartet coming out of the same Dublin scene as Lankum, Lisa O'Neill and ØXN. They sing centuries old ballads as well as more recently penned folk songs. Lúireach (out now on Glitterbeat) is their second album and as with their acclaimed debut Bleaching Bones (2018), it was produced by John ‘Spud’ Murphy, known for his inspired work with artists such as Lankum and ØXN. Sometimes unaccompanied and at times with subtle instrumentation (including Lankum’s Cormac MacDiarmada on various instruments), their vocally rich music is dark and patient; spellbinding and gorgeous.On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Méabh and Ruth talk through the 10 tracks that comprise Lúireach, what it was like working with Spud, how they create their harmonies, and lots more.Buy Lúireach on Bandcamp: landless.bandcamp.com/album/l-ireachBuy Ruth's book This Fearless Maid 2: marrowbone.ie/shop/this-fearless-maidListen to TPOE 105: Landless: open.spotify.com/episode/1oANsP8t…57d8a7b994fb412b
Bill Shanley is a guitarist from Clonakilty, West Cork, who has played and made music with, among others, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Ray Davies, Mary Black, Eleanor McEvoy, and Paul Brady. He got lessons with Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience as a youngster and ever since has had a fascinating career. We talk though as much of that career as we can - spoiler alert: it features the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony - in this interview recorded at Clonakilty International Guitar Festival 2023.Clonakilty International Guitar Festival returns September 19-22, 2024 around the town. For more, see Clonguitarfest.comOn Garinish Island, West Cork, on September 20-22, Crosstown Drift is taking place. There will be free-to-attend walking tours as well as seated events with writers, poets, musicians and cultural creatives. Cormac Begley and Lisa Hannigan are playing evening concerts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. I'll be chatting to various writers over the weekend including Toner Quinn from the Journal of Music, about his book, What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music. See https://thegoodroompresents.com/
Eoin French aka Talos passed away on Sunday, August 11. This is a repost of TPOE 56, our interview from 2017, around the release of his debut album Wild Alee.Team Talos announced Eoin's death on social media with the following message: It is with great sadness that we let you know that our friend Eoin French, known to many the world over as Talos, has passed away after a short illness.Eoin passed peacefully in his sleep early on the morning of Sunday August 11 2024 in his native Cork, surrounded by his loved ones.A beautiful soul, a true artist, a son, a husband, a father, and a friend. We are devastated by his passing.As was his wish, there will be new music from Talos to share with you all in the future.Music: Talos - In Time (Wild Alee)Talos - All Ours (Dear Chaos)Outro: Collaboration at Sounds from a Safe Harbour 2023 (https://www.instagram.com/p/C6rQq5ysTXe/)Picture: Bríd O'Donovan
Waterford accordion player Seamas Hyland released his debut solo album Maidin Domhnaigh on May 20. A set dancer and traditional singer, Hyland also plays with Acid Granny and John Francis Flynn and has in the past been part of the Mary Wallopers live band. He talks about all these and more on today's episode, as well as where the ideas for the debut album came from, the influence of Waterford and accordion player Bobby Gardiner, and collaborating with RF Chaney.Seamas says: In this recording, I wanted to stay true to the deep tradition of Irish music, but also to record music that doesn’t fall under the title of traditional music.Buy Maidin Domhnaigh at https://seamashyland.bandcamp.com/album/maidin-domhnaighOutro music: Seamas Hyland - Cooley's Delight
A Lazarus Soul released their latest album No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens on July 5 via Bohemia Records. Frontman and lyricist Brian Brannigan talks though all of the 10 tracks that make up the record on this episode of the TPOE podcast.---A Lazarus Soul tour datesAugust 23: Coughlan's, CorkAugust 24: Cleere's, KilkennyAugust 25: National Museum, Collins Barracks, Dublin (supporting The The)October 26: Vicar Street, Dublin---Press release: No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens, (named after a line from The Fall’s 'Psykick Dancehall', aptly, as this line-up of A Lazarus Soul came together specifically for a 2011 tribute to that band) is a meditation on wilderness, nature and spirit. Brannigan’s lyrics, written during long walks across the Bog of Allen and along the Royal canal, have never been more masterful, reaching new heights of visceral, unflinching song-writing. Brannigan is at the peak of his powers here, capable of turning from eviscerating fury to unexpected moments of tenderness and heartbreak in a single couplet. Songs of police brutality (Black Maria) sit side by side with loving portraits of Moore Street dealers (The Dealers) and thrilling blow-by-blow accounts of three-day benders, worthy of Flann O’Brien (Wildflowers). There is humanity at the heart of all of these songs, even the vicious teacher, meeting out physical abuse on his pupils finds some kind of understanding in Factory Fada.Musically, No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens, is the sound of a band on fire, unleashed after a long period of separation. It is the sound of a band relishing being together once more. Importantly, for a record about wildness, it is a fiercely honest record, made in an old-fashioned way with as little technological interference as possible. Like many of their favourite records, you can hear the mistakes. The approach pays off, especially on GIM, which blossomed from first hearing to the recorded version in just two hours. From the thrilling garage drums and bass of opener, 'Black Maria', to the sparkling electric guitar lines of 'The Flower I Flung Into Her Grave', 'The Dealers’ acoustic guitars and strings, the wild harmonium and bowed guitars of 'Wildflowers', to the dreamy 'Diver Walsh' and the Sonic Youth-meets-Richard Thompson 'Factory Fada', this is surely the band’s most musically ambitious record to date.---Buy No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens: https://alazarussoul.bandcamp.com/album/no-flowers-grow-in-cement-gardens-2
July 20, 2024, marks 10 years since Cork venue the Pavilion, run by Pat Conway, Stevie G and Joe Kelly, closed its doors. It left an indelible mark on me and so many music lovers. Friendships were formed there, ideas were hatched, bands were watched, and DJs filled the floors. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, a whole host of the people who loved the Pav recall the six years when the recession took hold of Ireland and the Pavilion opened its doors. The first gig was Evan Dando and the Lemonheads in April 2008. The following year, Kanye West and the xx both graced its stage and the Pav was up and running. Theo Parrish, King Britt, the Pharcyde, Roy Ayers, Floating Points, Franz Ferdinand Eddie Reader, Lee Fields, Candi Staton, NASA, Theesatisfaction, Shabazz Palaces, Sly and Robbie, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Rakim are just some of the big international acts who played the Pav in that time. It also hosted and supported so many Irish acts, from Altered Hours to Hozier, Saint Yorda to Gilla Band. There were club nights like Go Deep, Sunday Times and Floating Joints which called the Pav home over the years. We hear about all of these and more over the course of this episode charting one of the best venues the country has ever seen.Contributors:Joe KellyAoife ConwayStevie GCaoilian SherlockFish Go Deep (Shane Johnson and Greg Dowling)Gilbert SteeleAisling O'RiordanBríd O'DonovanJack CollinsBrendan CantyCathal MacGabhann (Altered Hours)For more, see https://tpoe.substack.com/
Niall Murphy is Oh Boland, from Tuam, Co Galway, and currently based in Dublin. They've released three albums since the band started over 10 years ago - third LP Western Leisure came out May 31. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Niall talks through all the songs on the album, touring the US, and their journey as a band. Plus going country!Oh Boland launch Western Leisure at Bello Bar, supported by Stupid Son, on Friday, July 5. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oh-boland-stupid-sonwestern-leisure-lp-launchbello-bar-tickets-922903117067Buy Oh Boland - Western Leisure: https://ohboland.bandcamp.com/album/western-leisure---Press release: Oh Boland’s sound has been described as having a “rare potency”, one that exists in their live shows and two records, their 2016 debut Spilt Milk which featured in Pitchfork’s “Best Underground Garage Punk Albums” of that year and its equally visceral successor, Cheap Things. Over the course of the Tuam-via-Dublin-based band’s lifespan, Oh Boland has existed in several guises and their forthcoming third record heralds a compelling new phase as the solo project of founding member, Niall Murphy. The self-produced Western Leisure (mixed and mastered by Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control) signifies an electrifying artistic evolution spurred by Murphy’s unwavering musical curiosity which hears him experiment with wistful Country motifs alongside Oh Boland’s synonymous noise-rock tendencies.Written over a handful of years, many of which were spent in solitude, away from familiar recording practices and live performances, the making of this record presented Murphy with opportunities to wholeheartedly engage in musical and personal exploration. Following a shift in Oh Boland’s line-up in 2018 and a period of touring, Murphy worked alone to create demos that would eventually grow into these ten simultaneously invigorating and introspective compositions. Drawing from a number of influences such as Robert Wyatt’s 1974 LP Rock Bottom, Arthur Russell, and Pavement’s sprawling and ambitious Wowee Zowee, Murphy describes how Western Leisure was shaped by a renewed approach and process to songwriting. “I felt unencumbered when I was writing these songs. I suppose, there’s sometimes an insular nature to making music, to have the necessary headspace to write. During that time, I was alone with a lot of records, listening to some different things and found myself naturally drifting outside of the lines a little bit to what I was used to doing.”Produced by Mark ChesterRecorded at Start Together, Belfast, September 2021Mixed and Mastered by Mikey YoungWords and Music by Niall MurphyNiall Murphy- Guitars, Drums, Piano, Organ, Rhodes, Steel Guitar, VocalsRoss Hamer- Bass, VocalsArtwork by Joe CaseyDigitised by Aoife Anna Mullan
John Meagher returns to the show to talk about the latest list he's compiled for the Irish Independent: The best Irish songs of all time — ranked: the definitive top 50.He talks about the work involved in putting it together, why there are three songs by Sinéad O'Connor in the top five, but no U2 in the top 10, why the Republic of Ireland team are in there with 'Put 'Em Under Pressure' but not Horslips, and why the Undertones' Teenage Kicks was the obvious polltopper, along with some other talking points about the list. John asked 50 people, including myself, to send in our top 10 and he put it all together - there's a lot of work involved, and no matter your anger or thoughts about the list, fair play to John for the work put into it. Read 'The best Irish songs of all time — ranked: the definitive top 50': https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/the-best-irish-songs-of-all-time-ranked-the-definitive-top-50/a1314511932.html
Dublin singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow released his seventh studio album Wide Open, Horses on June 14 and talks through its 13 songs on this track-by-track interview on the TPOE podcast.--From the press release: In 2023, he brought Wide Open, Horses to life—on stage. He booked two nights at The National Concert Hall in Dublin, recorded a handful of lo-fi demos, practiced the material for a week, and then hit the stage. Phones weren’t allowed, but James recorded it to “see what worked and what didn’t work.”“I literally performed the album before it was recorded,” he smiles. “The whole point was to expose the flaws and also highlight the special little moments. It was an odd experiment, but it worked great. The notion is so simple, ‘Write songs and perform them live’. Without cameras, they were the best shows I’ve ever played—which is interesting because no one knew the music! Everyone was just experiencing it though. I had friends in the lobby talking to strangers. Who talks to strangers anymore? It was lovely. It was a heartening experience for everyone involved.”Galvanized by this energy, he hit the studio and assembled Wide Open, Horses. The opener and single “Never Gone” hinges on finger-picked guitar, soft tambourine, and steady handclaps as he wonders, “Cuz what the fuck are any of us really doing here? Do we even exist at all?”“It’s the anchor of the record,” he notes. “It sums up the whole album; you’re just trying to fight meaninglessness. I always felt like I’ve been trying to find meaning so I could be remembered. When you don’t find it, it doesn’t feel good. I got to a point where I was like, ‘I fucking love this. I don’t care. If my friends, family, and people who know me as a musician love it, then I’m happy’. I regretted missing so many beautiful moments, because I’d get off stage like, ‘What’s the next opportunity?’ I’ve come to terms with the fact that when I die, I’ll be forgotten, and it’s okay. We all will. It felt ridiculous to fight it. Embracing it was very freeing. ‘Never Gone’ is just about appreciating what’s here for you in the moment.Fans got to preview the track earlier this week with a live video of McMorrow performing the track in the wilderness. “To me, the album is about finding relief from the cycle of life’s pressure,” McMorrow continues. “I don’t think the theory ‘modernity equals better’ holds much water these days. The more technology we add, the more unhappy everyone seems to be. I don’t want to move backwards, but I felt a sense of nostalgia and happiness in the album. It would be grandiose of me to think I could offer you some profound release through words and lyrics, but maybe I can…The job is to make a record I love and hopefully offer a respite. Maybe we can all get back to a life where we aren’t so obsessed with trying to seek out meaning from absolutely everything.”In the end, James Vincent McMorrow simply sounds alive on Wide Open, Horses. “I’m grateful to be here,” he leaves off. “The whole process was rebuilding myself and my connection to music, who I am, and what I wanted to be when I was starting out at 20-years-old. I struggle like everyone else does, but I’m going to appreciate the fuck out of every moment I get now. When I play shows, I want them to be shows you talk about for years. Going through hardship, I’m back to a point where I can see myself very clearly in the music and I know what I can do.”
Galway artist Niamh Regan released her second album Come As You Are on May 31. On this episode we talk through all 10 of its tracks, as well as a not-very-secret hidden track, plus some of the fun things that she's experienced since releasing debut album Hemet in 2020.--From the press release: Since its release, Niamh has embarked on headline tours from Ireland, to UK, Australia, Spain + more. Pairing this with many festivals and a variety of support opportunities with artist such as CMAT, Villagers, John Grant, SOAK, Patrick Watson, Sam Amidon, Cormac Begley, and Sorcha Richardson.In between her performances, Niamh began to write her second record in Attica Studios with producer Tommy McLaughlin. She says, ‘I arrived in Donegal to meet Tommy for the first time with a bunch of demos, half-baked ideas and feeling not ready, it was scary. But I’m so glad that I did it that way. Trusted the process and came into the studio with the intention of capturing exactly where I was with it all and Tommy helped me build from there.’And here we are, with the release of that second album, titled ‘Come As You Are’. It’s an album full of acutely observed vulnerabilities and introspection. Its themes are the issues that many of us find loom large in the small hours: questions of self-doubt, uncertainty about your life’s direction, whether relationships are flourishing in the way you’d hoped and determining priorities. “A lot of it is about being in your late twenties and kind of realising we’re all running out of time,” she ponders. “I’d have bouts of massive self-belief in the studio, and then in the next breath I would be like, ‘This is the worst piece of music I could have even imagined.’ It was a rollercoaster. But through that I found self-acceptance; this is where I’m at and making peace with that. That’s what the album essentially is, just making peace with where I’m at and being realistic with myself.”--Niamh Regan tour dates:June 13: Windmill Live Show w/James Vincent McMorrow, Dublin (solo)June 16: Doolin Folk Festival (full band)July 16: Galway International Arts Festival (full band)July 25: Song Room, Wexford (solo)August 2: All Together NowAugust 12: Kilkenny Arts Festival (solo)August 17: Electric Picnic (solo)November 14: Cyprus Avenue, Cork (full band)November 15: Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin (full band)--Buy Niamh Regan - Come As You Are: https://niamhregan.bandcamp.com/album/come-as-you-are
San Francisco-based Irish musician Shane Culloty aka Winter Aid released his second album under the moniker, titled Pull the Sky Inside, on May 17. He talks through all 15 songs on the record on this episode of the TPOE podcast.--The 15-song collection, produced with Larry Crane (Elliott Smith, The Decemberists) and Chuck Johnson (Daniel Bachman, Claire Rousay), finds Culloty stretching the extremities as to what is sonically expected from a collection of Winter Aid songs, weaving in electronic sonic strands and new percussive elements.Having uprooted from Dublin to San Francisco with his wife, assimilating to life in a new city and country shortly led into the pandemic and lockdown. The songs that came out of this gestation period finds Culloty fully exploring his new surroundings. It’s an urban pastoral record, full of flickering images, still lifes from once bustling streets, and a world suddenly torn in different directions. Upheaval, inequality, fear and uncertainty, all captured within the beauty of life, love and a fragile environment in need of nurture.The title track, 'Pull The Sky Inside', was written in the midst of the pandemic, a period of struggle in a new city, far away from family. “I would spend a lot of time watching the sun go down over San Francisco,” notes Culloty. "I was struck by the idea of pulling the sunset sky indoors to preserve it and fall asleep in it. It seemed like a good solution to the darkness I was experiencing and once I finally recorded the line and finished the song, things felt a lot easier.”Ultimately Pull The Sky Inside captures that sense of displacement: feeling a bit unmoored and out of place, but constantly trying to explore new scenery. It's a record with one foot in Culloty’s home back in Ireland, while very much a reflection of his new surroundings, attempting to make sense of everything going on around him.--Buy Pull the Sky Inside on Bandcamp: https://winteraid.bandcamp.com/album/pull-the-sky-inside
Conor O'Brien aka Villagers released their sixth studio album That Golden Time on May 10 via Domino Records and talks through its 10 tracks on this episode of the TPOE podcast.----From the press release: After the band-centred sessions of its predecessor Fever Dreams, That Golden Time’s solo-centric core was not forced on O’Brien by lockdown. “For me, That Golden Time has an internalised voice, so much so that I almost found it impossible to let anyone else in,” he says. “It’s probably the most vulnerable album I’ve made. I played and recorded everything in my apartment, and finally, towards the end, invited people in.” Aside from Dónal Lunny, the album features American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick on violin, David Tapley of Dublin band Tandem Felix on pedal steel guitar, and a group of players that O’Brien had first seen performing in a tribute to one of his great loves, Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who added soprano vocal, viola and cello.The understated poetry within That Golden Time is effortlessly carried by gorgeous melodies and sublime instrumentation. Inspired by philosophers, poets, playwrights and singer-songwriters that had seeped into O’Brien’s consciousness: namechecks this time go to Friedrich Nietzsche (his Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future is quoted in the album’s accompanying booklet), Dory Previn, Marcus Aurelius, Fintan O’Toole, Lorraine Hansberry, Chet Baker, Joan Didion, PJ Harvey and post-classical beauties Rachel’s.---Villagers Irish tour dates:June 29: Trinity College DublinDecember 3: Cork Opera HouseDecember 4: Dolan's Warehouse, LimerickDecember 5: INEC Club, KillarneyDecember 7: Mandela Hall, BelfastDecember 11: Set Theatre, KilkennyDecember 12: Leisureland, Galway---Passing a MessagePassing a Message contains the lyrics to over 80 songs, with artwork and photographs, along with previously unseen notebook lyric drafts and drawings curated by Conor for his musical project, Villagers. Presented as a full-colour hardback book, with a unique glow-in-the-dark cover, there will also be a limited deluxe edition which comes with a 7" vinyl featuring an exclusive unreleased track 'Pictures of the Floating World' (featuring Rachael Lavelle). Both editions are now available for preorder for release on September 12 on FaberLinks and info: https://linktr.ee/passingamessage---Villagers Substack: https://villagersofficial.substack.com/
Dublin dance duo Robbie G and Bissett aka Belters Only are one of the hottest acts in the country. With tunes like 'Make Me Feel Good' to their name and having co-produced the Ivor Novello-nominated 'Giving Me' with Jazzy, they sold out the 3Arena in Dublin in less than 30 minutes in 2023. Over the June bank holiday weekend, they're putting on their own festival at Punchestown, featuring MK, Dom Dolla, NewEra, Conor Coates, Jen Payne Obskür, Route 94, and of course Jazzy. Belters Only also play Ormeau Park, Belfast, June 14; Virgin Media Park, Cork, June 21; and Galway Airport August 11. On today's show they talk about their journey, making 'Giving Me' with Jazzy, closing hours in Ireland, and what's next.
Pillow Queens (singer Pamela Connolly, bassist Sarah Corcoran, guitarist Cathy McGuinness, and drummer Rachel Lyons) released their third album Name Your Sorrow on April 19 and talk through all 12 songs on it in this interview.---From the press release: It finds the group at their most vulnerable and self-assured as they explore themes of queerness, insecurity, desire and heartbreak as well as the positivity and strength that can grow from pain. Produced by Collin Pastore (Lucy Dacus, boygenius) at Analogue Catalogue in Northern Ireland, the collection sees the group chart new territory as they give fans an all new, uninhibited look at both their artistry and humanity----Pillow Queens play their biggest headline show to date at Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, on Saturday, July 13. Tickets: https://www.pillowqueens.com/liveBuy Pillow Queens - Name Your Sorrow: https://pillowqueens.bandcamp.com/album/name-your-sorrow
Dublin-born, London-based Constance Keane aka Fears released her second album affinity on Tulle Records in March 2024. She talks through the 10 tracks on the album on this episode of the TPOE podcast. One part of the post-punk band M(h)aol, she also discusses their past year and latest single 'Pursuit', the first on which Keane takes lead vocals.---Affinity follows her critically acclaimed 2021 debut album Oíche, that landed in the UK vinyl album charts, was chosen by readers of The Guardian as an album of the year, and received widespread radio support for debut single 'Tonnta''. The 10 tracks that make up affinity draw on human connection, intimacy, and moments of peace in a city; combining reflective electronics, acoustic samples, and stirring vocals with organic visuals, blurring the boundaries between music and visual art. Her minimalist yet striking approach centres on emotive subjects which are all-at-once deeply personal yet remarkably universal. Written and recorded between London, New York, and Dublin, affinity is a melancholy and at times playful exploration of the relationship between Fears’ physical surroundings and the work she creates.---Fears plays the Sugar Club, Dublin, on June 1. Tickets: https://singularartists.ie/show/fears/Buy Fears - affinity on Bandcamp: https://fearsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/affinity
Kieran McFeely aka Simple Kid released two acclaimed albums in the noughties before seeming to disappear around 2008. He sold his guitar and packed away his gear. A decade would pass before he went looking for the boxes in his attic. Simple Kid released third album Simple Kid 3: Health & Safety in 2022, and played a show at Whelan's in April 2023.Now, Simple Kid plays the Grand Social in Dublin on Saturday, May 4, and Cyprus Avenue, Cork, on Sunday, May 5, presented by Singular Artists. From Cork, it will be his first hometown show in 17 years. Ahead of the shows, he talks on the TPOE podcast about his journey, how he came back to the Simple Kid project after 10 years not thinking about it. We talk about his old band the V Necks/The Young Offenders, and how that led to his solo project in the early 2000s. Acclaim, charting, and an appearance on 'Later with Jools Holland' all followed.Buy tickets for Simple Kid live at the Grand Social and Cyprus Avenue: https://singularartists.ie/show/simple-kid-2024/-----Press release:Once upon a time, back in 2003, a young hopeful by the name of Simple Kid emerged with his first solo album, Simple Kid 1: full of optimism and arrogance, he was sure of his place in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He garnered some awards nominations, some high profile tours, some good times, some bad. Like many before and since, he was ‘the next big thing’ with a UK Top 40, appearances on ‘Later With Jools’, Glastonbury slots and prestigious touring. In 2008, he followed this up with Simple Kid 2: not so many awards, not so much TV, lots of touring but running out of money, hair receding, girlfriend pregnant.Then along came ‘life’. And life said that Simple Kid needed to change the chapter in his book, to move on. So Simple Kid became Kieran and started to do things like: get a job, get tired, raise children, have financial struggles. Still some good times, some bad. But secretly in 2018, Kieran bought a guitar, a microphone and some speakers and started recording quietly in his loft. He didn’t tell anyone, not even his family. He started uploading songs to YouTube and eventually released 13 of these songs as an album called ‘Simple Kid 3: Health & Safety’ in 2022. Kieran has now changed his name back to Simple Kid and decided to come out to play again. He imagines there will be some good times, some bad.
Anamoe Drive is the solo project of Thumper frontman and guitarist Oisín Leahy Furlong. He released his debut album Breakfast in Bed via Faction Records on March 8 and talks through it track by track on this episode of the TPOE podcast.Oisin says Breakfast in Bed is a breakup album told in three parts. The non-linear narrative flits between the throes of heartbreak to the bliss of new love, from the depths of loneliness, to the slow dissipating of these feelings in the rearview mirror. The album’s title reflects different meanings depending on which song you view it through - from a kind gesture, to a lonely act, to the masticating of these themes in solitude. It also doubles as the place where most of these songs were written - perched on a bed, the morning after the night before, recapping these events in song. He says influences range from Sparklehorse to The Microphones, Bright Eyes to The Beach Boys, and Big Thief to Real Estate.Buy Breakfast in Bed: https://anamoedrive.bandcamp.com/Tracklisting1. The Same Asylum2. Goodbye & Goodluck3. Out Like a Light4. Bulb5. The Finder's Keeper6. Long Time Coming7. Procrastination8. NYC9. Holiday Song10. Don't Walk the Wrong One Home
Singer/bassist Julie Hough and guitarist Matthew Harris from Dublin-based pop-punk trio Havvk talk through all the tracks on their third album To Fall Asleep, released on Veta Records.Julie's battles with insomnia are one of the influences on the album. She says: “I was waking up with an unshakable feeling of urgency, like I was forgetting something and then letting my thoughts spiral for hours. Sleep was something I had always taken for granted, so at first this felt like a huge betrayal from my body. But it wasn’t really. Actually, it was my body trying to tell me something. I had to really listen to it, and examine how honestly I was living my life, and how much energy I was giving to things that I didn’t have the capacity for."To Fall Asleep tracklisting:1. Daylight Robbery2. Expiry3. Strong Possibility4. You Say You Won’t (played in intro)5. White Noise6. To Fall Asleep7. Take It From Me8. Keep It to Myself9. City Creep10. Waste of Time11. Nobody Told You (outro music)Buy To Fall Asleep on Bandcamp: https://havvk.bandcamp.com/album/to-fall-asleep
Dublin singer-songwrriter Danny Carroll released his debut solo album I am the Cheese on March 1. He talks through the nine tracks on this TPOE 304.---Press release: Part of the Dublin music scene for years, Danny Carroll is co-curator of A Litany Of Failures compilation series showcasing independent artists from across Ireland. Having gigged in various projects, he’s opened for kindred spirits such as Jeffrey Lewis and Pavement guitarist Spiral Stairs before the time came to work on his debut solo album. Enlisting the help of Belfast based producer Chris W. Ryan (New Dad, Just Mustard, Robocobra Quartet), the two developed songs with a playful, anything goes approach, with Carroll’s songs likened to softer touchstones of indie rock - Silver Jews, Jonathan Richman, and Lee Hazlewood.---Danny explains: I Am The Cheese is an album I initially recorded with Chris W. Ryan in a week in June 2021. We did this in a terraced house in East Belfast - visited by Carl Eccles on two occasions to play guitar and sing some backing vocals. In the months that followed, Finn McCarthy emailed me bass parts, and I added various bells and whistles to the songs from a flat on North Circular Road in Dublin 7. Laura Ryder also contributed piano to the song Cheesemonger. The drums were performed and recorded by Chris on one day in January 2022 in Start Together Studios. He then mixed the album, and eventually I got it mastered by the late, great John Davis (Blur, The XX, Careerist) who passed away in September 2023.I've sat on the album a long time, in part down due to vinyl pressing, in part due to personal reasons. The mental fortitude it takes to independently 'emerge' and 'unleash' is not always forthcoming. At this point the album feels like a distant document. Nevertheless, it's still something I'm happy to have made for myself.The title is taken from the 1977 Robert Cormier YA novel, which haunted my adolescence. The final lines of the novel refer back to the folk song 'The Farmer In The Dell':"The cheese stands alone.The cheese stands alone.Hi-ho, the derry-o!The cheese stands alone"For a number of reasons it felt fitting to lift that title. credits
Singer-songwriter Niamh Bury released her debut solo album Yellow Roses on March 29 via Claddagh Records. Produced by Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds), it features Caimin Gilmore and Kate Ellis (Crash Ensemble) and Ryan Hargodan (Rachael Lavelle), but it is Bury's amazing voice that stands out as she weaves tales about travel, mysticism, and domesticity, with a theme of female empowerment coming through, particularly when she sings of her mother on one song and her grandmother on the title track. Comprising nine original tracks and one interpretation of an older song ('Lovely Adam'), Niamh Bury talks through Yellow Roses on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Niamh Bury tour dates:April 12: American Bar, BelfastApril 21: Róisín Dubh, GalwayApril 24: Upstairs at Dolan's, LimerickApril 25: Cleere's, KilkennyApril 26: Winthrop Avenue, CorkApril 28: Whelan's, DublinBuy Yellow Roses: https://www.niamhbury.com/
Willie Stewart runs Nyahh Records from his home in Co Leitrim. After releasing the brilliant I Am Kurdish by Mohammad Syfkhan in February, Willie talks about how that album came together and talks about Mohammad's story and musical output. Then he talks through other releases on the label, like Natalia Beylis' collaboration with Eimear Reidy, Ian Lynch's solo debut, and the two compilations from 2023: A Collection of Songs in the Traditional & Sean-Nós Style and Under the Island: Experimental Music in Ireland 1960-1994.Nyahh Records discography on Bandcamp: https://nyahhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-island-experimental-music-in-ireland-1960-1994Ley Lines: https://daily.bandcamp.com/ley-lines/ley-lines-february-2024Mohammad Syfkhan tour dates:March 28: Record Room, LimerickMarch 29: Bello Bar, DublinApril 4: Vicar Street (Gig for Gaza, w/ ØXN, Junior Brother, Pretty Happy)Mohammad Syfkhan is a Kurdish/Syrian Singer and Bouzouki player. He began playing music in 1980 while he was in college studying nursing. When he got his degree in 1983, Mohammad moved to the city of Raqqa, Syria where he began working as a professional singer and started his own band, The Al-Rabie Band which played concerts, parties, weddings and festivals all over Syria. The Al-Rabie Band were a much sought-after group. Their live sets included Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish and some Western songs as well as Mohammad’s own original material.Mohammad continued to play with his band while also working as a surgical nurse until the war broke out in 2011. This unfortunately brought tragedy to Mohammad’s family when one of his sons was killed by Isis thus threatening the lives of the rest of his family. His family had no choice but to leave their home and seek safety in Europe. Three of Mohammad’s sons were resettled in Germany while Mohammad, his young daughter and wife were taken in by Ireland. Mohammad has spoken at length of his confusion and despair with fundamentalists and how their message is a far cry from the teachings of love and understanding that he considers the true message of Islam.Since arriving in Ireland, Mohammad has used the language of music to integrate into the local community by playing at private parties and concerts. He regularly plays at weddings and events for the Kurdish and Syrian communities all over Ireland and in Germany. He has collaborated with such Irish artists as Martin Hayes, Cormac Begley, Eimear Reidy, Cathal Roche and Vincent Woods. In 2023 he opened for Lankum at the Cork Opera House and received huge applause from the packed out room.Mohammad’s own brand of ecstatic music takes elements from Middle Eastern and North African music to create an atmosphere of joy, love and happiness. The songs on ‘I am Kurdish’ have been recorded and mixed with the view to make them to suitable for listening to at a small get together or to be played on a big rig at night clubs. Either way, it is a record that will make people dance.Three of the tracks on the album feature accompaniment by two fellow Leitrim-based musicians: composer, improviser, sound artist and saxophonist Cathal Roche and composer, improviser and cellist Eimear Reidy.Mohammad says: “I thank everyone who has stood with me and supported me. And I especially thank the Irish people who have engaged with my music in such a wonderful way. I consider myself lucky to have come to this wonderful country that has welcomed me and all refugees. I thank God for everything, and now, thanks to this wonderful country, I am a musician and have a safe home. Thank you to the Irish government and people for giving me the honour of calling this country my home.”
Driven Snow aka husband and wife Kieran and Emily released their debut album A Kind of Dreaming on February 9. An intimate collection of nine songs, it's a glance into a relationship, friendship, and all that that entails, with loss and doubt and worries along the way. But there's also hope - like they sing on closing track 'Nothing as Hard as Love': "Life calls me to breathe, calls me to breathe for us. Time makes me believe."On this episode, Kieran and Emily talk through all the tracks that comprise A Kind of Dreaming, how they started and developed, their lyrics, and inspiration. First they take us back 20 years to when and how they met - and their bands Delorentos and Republic of Loose. Driven Snow tour dates:March 22: Winthrop Avenue, CorkMarch 23: Kasbah @ Dolan's, LimerickApril 6: Roisin Dubh, Galway
It's the 300th episode of the TPOE podcast!!! To celebrate, we asked some friends of the show to pick their favourite moment/gig/song/album of the past nine years or so since the show began (summer 2015, since you ask). Thanks to everybody who's listened to TPOE, thanks to all the guests over the years, and thanks to Irish music!You'll hear from:13.45: Niamh Regan16.01: Swimmers Jackson20.55: God Knows25.10: Brian Coney29.50: Ailbhe Reddy33.25: Steve Ryan35.25: Stevie G40.45: Jack O'Rourke43.40: Brian Brannigan (A Lazarus Soul)50.38: Lankum Choice Prize acceptance speech
Neil O'Connor aka Ordnance Survey released his latest album Turas (Journey) on December 1 and talks through the tracks and creative process in this interview. He says Turas (Journey) is the most ambitious Ordnance Survey record to date. The field recordings used on Turas were captured with both analog and digital devices at passage and wedge tombs across Meath, West Cork, Wicklow, Connemara and Roscommon. To make use of the tombs' acoustics, elements like percussion were recorded in the tombs and through the process of re-amplification (playing pre-recorded material back in the tombs), this 3000-year-old reverberation became a major part of the sound world that the listener experience. Turas is an electronically mediated journey that allows these historical sites to become an important collaborative factor in the creative process. Guest collaborators include Roger Doyle (Piano), Gareth Quinn Redmond (Violin), and Billy Mag Fhloinn (Yaybahar).Also known as Somadrone, all of Neil's work can be found and purchased at https://scintillarecordings.bandcamp.com/music
It's the annual Choice Music Prize Preview Special with John Barker (Tilt - https://twitter.com/JohnBarkerTilt) as we run through each of the acts nominated for Irish album of the year 2023 and try to predict who will win the prize on March 7. The 10 acts nominated for the prize (and who we discuss in this order) are:Grian Chatten – Chaos For The Fly (Partisan Records)CMAT – Crazymad, For Me (CMATBABY/AWAL)John Francis Flynn – Look Over The Wall, See The Sky (River Lea)Kojaque – PHANTOM OF THE AFTERS (Soft Boy Records)Lankum – False Lankum (Rough Trade Records)Rachael Lavelle – Big Dreams (Rest Energy)Soda Blonde – Dream Big (Overbite Records)The Murder Capital – Gigi’s Recovery (Human Season Records)The Scratch – Mind Yourself (Perrystown Music Limited)Ezra Williams – Supernumeraries (Ezra Williams/AWAL)
To mark season 22 of Other Voices, which begins on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player on February 29, one of the hottest bands in the country, Gurriers, who played St James' Church in Dingle for the show in December, and host Maykay join the TPOE podcast. Gurriers started in January 2020 and have released a string of excellent singes since, including latest track 'Des Goblin'. Frontman Dan Hoff talks about how they got started, feeling inspired - for good or bad - by social media, playing SXSW in March, what it's like to be part of the hype cycle, and their plans for the rest of the year. A little bonus in the middle of the show: The photographer Rich Gilligan heads to Other Voices every year. He talks about why it's so special to shoot and some of the memorable acts he's experienced in Dingle over the years. Then Fight Like Apes frontwoman Maykay looks back to the Dublin music scene of the mid-00s and how they fitted in, talking FLApes rise, a little about the fall, and their reunion at the Olympia Theatre in 2023. They're returning for a final show there on April 6, 2024 - tickets are running low, FYI. Maykay also talks her solo plans and what it's like hanging out with fellow Other Voices hosts Huw Stephens and Annie Mac in Dingle.The six-part season 22 of Other Voices will showcase some of the most thrilling Irish and international artists on the music scene; with exclusive intimate performances by Griff, Kae Tempest, The Murder Capital, Villagers, BC Camplight, Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhriain, CMAT, ØXN, Gurriers, Mick Flannery, Julie Byrne, The Joy, KhakiKid, Niamh Bury, Qbanaa and Lucy McWilliams.
Berlin-based Dublin artist David Hedderman released his debut album Pulling at the Briars on February 9, 2024, and talks through all of it in this track-by-track interview.From the press release:Written over a 15-year period, Pulling at the Briars captures a transitional period for Hedderman during which he relocated to Berlin, Germany from Dublin, Ireland in the mid-2000s. The initial months and years were shaped by intensive periods creating art whilst cultivating a community of like-minded creatives in Berlin. With regards to the latter, Hedderman engaged in regular music sessions, eventually inviting musicians to his Kreuzberg studio to play together. This ritual not only served as an invigorating social outlet but through playing music, Hedderman was able to process several informative events that occurred throughout his twenties and thirties. Recorded live over five days with Brendan Jenkinson (Aoife Nessa Frances, John Francis Flynn, Villagers) in Sonic Studios, Dublin, Ireland, Pulling At The Briars was produced by Conor O’Brien (Villagers), Hedderman’s close childhood friend and former bandmate in The Immediate. The atmosphere conjured during the recording sessions was amplified by the potent cast of collaborators featuring Peter Broderick, David A. Tapley (Tandem Felix), Corey Blair, and Aidan Gorman, each of whom add rich flourishes to the expansive material. Hedderman explains of the title: “It came from a trip I made to the West coast of Ireland making portraits of people. I was also doing some work outdoors with my friend and we were told we had to pull briars out of some walls in the lashing rain. Afterwards, I remember it being a very heightened memory after that trip of it being very cathartic and symbolic. The act was quite literally doing something in the pursuit of clearing, unclogging. I’ve often seen that as how I’ve treated music in a cathartic way, as a form of therapy. Holding the guitar and singing is my way of getting things out. The album’s title is a lyric in one of the songs and I think it nicely umbrellas the whole album in how it addresses the ways that I try to untangle life.”Buy Pulling at the Briars on vinyl: https://www.groenland.com/en/product/david-hedderman-pulling-at-the-briars-lp/
Cork-based artist Elaine Malone released her debut album Pyrrhic on September 8, 2023. On this episode, Elaine talks through each of its nine tracks, discussing working with Cathal MacGabhainn, who recorded it; her band (Ruairi Dale, Sam Clague, James Christie), the Cork scene, supporting the likes of Mary Wallopers, Protomartyr, and Bob Mould, the problem with the term 'singer songwriter', confidence, her other bands such as Pot-Pot, and lots more. Elaine Malone plays the Metronome concert series at the NCH on March 21, with RF Chaney, while Pot-Pot play Crane Lane in Cork on February 8, and Bello Bar in Dublin on February 10, with Search ResultsBuy Elaine Malone - Pyrrhic: https://elainemalone.bandcamp.com/album/pyrrhic
Dublin-based artist Naoise Roo released her second album Emotionally Magnificent on October 27 and brings the curtain down on the project with 'The Last Headline Show Ever Probably' at the Workman's Club on Friday, February 2, featuring special guests Paddy Hanna and Clara Tracey and support from Danny Carroll. On this episode, Naoise talks about some of the reasons why the project is coming to an end and we talk through Emotionally Magnificent track by track.Buy the album: https://naoiseroo.bandcamp.com/merch/emotionally-magnificent-vinyl-special-editionSign up to the TPOE newsletter (free): https://tpoe.substack.com/---Naoise Roo's Instagram message about 'The Last Headline Show Ever Probably': Years ago, I remember seeing an update on Simple Kid’s website that included a picture of him and the words "Simple Kid is working out what he wants to do with the rest of his life" or some similar sentiment. I've thought about that a lot over the years.I think its time to explore some other things. There is never a time that seems easy to stop; it always feels like sustainable creative success is just around the corner, that you are waiting on a bus to speed you towards a new destination. However, those of us who have been in this game a long time are often faced with the realisation that the destination doesn't really exist — or when it does, no one knows how long it will last. I think I'd like to switch gears and take a paddleboat somewhere, nowhere in particular.I don't really care about success in the traditional sense. I do, however, care about peace, and trying to be the best version of my creative self. Over the last few years, I have realised that the aspects of this work I value the most involve being in the studio, being with people I love and trust, and making something magic. I am far more suited to this cocoon, rather than the emerging butterfly stage of this vocation. Experiencing major losses last year reminded me how emotionally exhausting this industry can be. Being solo is lonely, even though it obviously takes a village to make things happen and I've been privileged to have support across many things. I could conceivably have a hiatus and not make such a boundary, but truthfully I think I want to create space in my life for other things, ideas, projects and also just to be.I've loved making this music and playing this music. I am so intensely grateful that people have written about my music, shared it with other people or have supported me by coming to the shows and buying records and merch. I am also endlessly grateful to all the people I made music with.It would mean a lot if yall would come on Feb 2nd and we see this thing out in style in Workmans.---From the press release: Released via North Carolina label Schoolkids Records, Emotionally Magnificent is offered as the culmination of a chapter of a journey that takes in both Lilith and Naoise Roo’s 2020 Sick Girlfriend EP, whose four tracks are incorporated here. Combined, it honours the full, sprawling majesty of Naoise Roo as a singular artist. Rather than some throwaway snapshot, released as a mere means to an end, Emotionally Magnificent is a slow focus triumph of reflection and resolve. “The Sick Girlfriend EP had a lot to do with my mental health and how I felt about navigating the music industry,” says Naoise Roo. “‘Falling Stars,’ for example, is about watching all these talented people around me hitting the wall and leaving music because it’s just too hard to keep going. ‘Sick Girlfriend’ itself is basically about the trope of the manic pixie dream girl and how that’s exploited, sexualized or slandered.”
The Cope aka Joe Furlong and David Anthony Curley released their debut album Dancer on December 8, 2023. The genesis of DANCER traces back to the isolating lockdown period, when global communities yearned for physical connection, and dance floors lay dormant. Sensing an opportune moment, the duo embarked on a creative journey to craft a musical opus that encapsulates the collective longing for communal celebration. Their aim was to provide the quintessential soundtrack for the eagerly awaited resurgence of nightlife, beckoning the return to vibrant club scenes and festival arenas."We had two goals in mind. Firstly, we wanted to create music that we ourselves would want to hear when people could finally return to the dance floor. Secondly, we wanted to craft the kind of music that compels people to dance, creating an immersive experience that captures the diverse moods of a night out.” On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Joe and David talk us through all the tracks on Dancer, the creative process, and the guest vocalists across the songs.Buy Dancer: https://thecope636.bandcamp.com/album/dancerWatch the short film, The Cope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4DI7LuafzwOutro music: The Cope - Back on My Bullshit
Brian Dillon, one part of Meltybrains, released his second solo album under the moniker The Line on November 1, 2023. Entitled Red Blood Cells and Righteousness, it's an album full of collaborations, featuring Lullahush, Fehdah and Loah, Sarah Corcoran (Pillow Queens), Sorcha Richardson, Talos, God Knows and Murli, and lots more. On this episode, we talk through all the tracks on the album and discuss the making of it. Brian says: “This is an album built on personal relationships and communication, dedicated to playing a small but significant role as a part of a world so much bigger than any of us are willing to admit. After all, maybe we’re all just blood cells, swimming through the veins of the earth, serving a much higher function.”On January 25 at The Horse Gallery, Dorset Street, Dublin, the exhibition White Blood Cells is opening, a sister piece to the album. A series of immersive soundscapes by Brian Dillon in collaboration with photographer Mark McGuinness. The audio-visual work explores the role and effect of supply chains in today’s global world. From the press release: One of the key topics highlighted by the audio work is immigration and refuge. In 2024 global migration is taking place on a level never seen before. The work explores the West’s reluctance to give shelter to people who have been driven from their homes due to economic factors which are heavily influenced by western consumer demands. If Dillon’s soundscapes pose questions for the future of society, industry, and migration, McGuinness’ images act as accompanying notes on our present. The images are all taken from the ongoing project, I Hope I’m Wrong, which documents the impact human activity is having on the environment. All of the images are taken in locations in Ireland which are predicted to be heavily impacted by sea level rise within the next decade.A live performance will take place on the opening night by a music group made up of migrants and asylum seekers. They will perform a short set of songs from their home countries at 6pm, Thursday 25th January 2024. Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.You can buy Red Blood Cells and Righteousness at TheLine2.bandcamp.com
Dublin composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist RF Chaney released his debut solo album Tropism at the end of November 2023. He says it reveals his unique ‘chamber-electronic’ compositional approach that strives to tastefully combine rich textures of synthesisers and electronic instruments with Nordic jazz inspired acoustic instrumentation of saxophones, clarinets and double bass. Tropism was composed and recorded by Chaney, who played all instruments including synthesisers, guitar, piano and drums among others. Field recordings play a subtle but central role throughout the album, giving a sense of place and ambience of where it was recorded, in Dublin and Stockholm. As well as his solo work, Chaney has collaborated with a host of musicians, perhaps most notably for this chat, John Francis Flynn - indeed Chaney was playing drums with his former schoolmate at his debut outing. We talk about his work fusing the worlds of jazz and trad. We also talk about Chaney's journey through music. RF Chaney launches Tropism at the Cobblestone, Dublin, on January 11. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/rf-chaney-tropism-album-launch-the-cobblestone-tickets-779454889557Buy Tropism: https://rfchaney.bandcamp.com/album/tropism
It's a special bumper festive edition of the TPOE podcast as a host of friends help us wrap up the year in music, via interviews in person, over Zoom and through voicenotes. They talk about how the year was for them in general and what they've been up to, their favourite albums, songs, and gigs, favourite Christmas song, and what we can expect from them in 2024. Running order:4.17: Clare Sands8.27: The Cope22.32: Daniel Luke27.04: Honas35.33: Ruth Mac48.10: David Hedderman56.05: Julie Havvk1.08.07: Morgana1.19.08: Winter Aid1.31.28: Silverbacks1.38.48: Sinéad White1.45.32: Ro Yourell
The Scratch, a four-piece from Dublin born from a shared love of metal and trad music, released their second studio album Mind Yourself on November 3. Dock, Lango and Jordo talk through the nine songs track by track today, talking along the way about where they fit in the trad scene, the themes across the album, including alcoholism and begrudgery, and what it was like working with co-producer James Vincent McMorrow. They also talk about covering the Pogues' 'Sally MacLennane' for Ireland 100: An Old Song Re-sung, playing 'Dirty Bastard' on the Late Late Show, and lots more.Buy The Scratch - Mind Yourself: https://thescratch.lnk.to/MindYourselfThe Scratch tour dates:December 22: Set Theatre ,KilkennyDecember 29: Crescent Concert Hall, DroghedaDecember 30: Cork City HallNew Year's Eve: Collins Barracks, Dublin
Super Extra Bonus Party (Gavin Elsted, Gary Clarke, Cormac Brady, Stephen Fahey) released their long-awaited third album Late Nite 99 in September, about 14 years after second record Night Horses. We talk through the album track by track, from how a mate's post-five-a-side ice-cream inspired the title to their friendship and collaborations with Nina Hynes. We talk about singing vs instrumentals and putting yourself in a vulnerable position to put yourself out there, the music industry, and lots more.Buy Late Nite 99: https://superextrabonusparty.bandcamp.com/album/late-nite-99
John Francis Flynn released his second album Look Over the Wall, See the Sky on November 10, receiving rave reviews from the likes of the Quietus, which called it "an album full of generosity and insight, songs that show us to ourselves in the way perhaps only folk music can", and Stereogum, Ryan Leas hailing it as "a stunning level-up from an already fascinating artist". We talked on a cold November morning about the making of Look Over the Wall, See the Sky, influences, trad and the idea of genre, the state of Dublin, Paddywhackery, and creme de menthe. John Francis Flynn tour dates:December 1 – Set Theatre, KilkennyDecember 2 – Vicar St, DublinDecember 8 – Roisin Dubh, GalwayDecember 9 – St Luke’s, CorkDecember 10 – De Barras, ClonakiltyDecember 14 – Dolan’s Warehouse, LimerickJanuary 12 – Out To Lunch Festival, Ulster Sports Club, BelfastFebruary 22 – Theatre Royal, WaterfordBuy John Francis Flynn - Look Over the Wall, See the Sky: https://riverlea.bandcamp.com/album/look-over-the-wall-see-the-sky
Rachael Lavelle released her long-awaited debut album Big Dreams on November 10. A brilliant collection of 10 tracks, the press release says: Big Dreams is an existential coming-of-age album that chronicles the journey of a young woman searching for direction and meaning in a very strange world. Inspired by sounds of everyday life and an intriguing obsession with YouTube self-help videos, the album explores romance, directionlessness, ambition and the expectations of the unsatisfied digital native. Recorded in various locations including an artists studio in Lisbon, the album is the result of years of experimentation and destruction. Written and produced by Lavelle, it was created alongside long-time collaborator, multi-instrumentalist and co-producer Ryan Hargadon and engineer and co-producer Alex Borwick. Throughout, the album features the voice of the Luas, Doireann Ní Bhriain, who narrates the inner monologue of the millennial mind; the ever-wondering, ever-doubting, the contradicting and the aspiring.On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Rachael talks us through Big Dreams track by track, as well as her features with Villagers, Crash Ensemble and others, influences, sleep, CMAT, and dreaming.Buy Rachael Lavelle - Big Dreams: https://rachaellavelle.bandcamp.com/album/big-dreams-2Rachael Lavelle tour dates:November 23: The Black Box, BelfastNovember 24: Project Arts Centre, DublinNovember 30: Mick Lally Theatre, GalwayDecember 1: The Record Room, LimerickDecember 6: Prims Bookshop, KinsaleDecember 7: Coughlan’s, CorkDecember 8: Connollys of Leap, CorkDecember 9: St Michael’s Church, Waterville, Kerry
David Tapley aka Tandem Felix released his second album There's a New Sheriff in Town on October 20. He talks us through the nine tracks that comprise the record, becoming the pedal streel player of choice in Irish music, and how and why BJ Cole (who played pedal steel on Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer') and Joseph Shabason (Destroyer) came to feature on the record.Tandem Felix Irish tour dates: November 17: Coughlan's, CorkNovember 23: Whelan's, DublinNovember 25: The Record Room, LimerickBuy There's a New Sheriff in Town: https://tandemfelix.bandcamp.com/album/theres-a-new-sheriff-in-town
Luke Reilly aka Blood Donor released his debut album Autofiction on October 6. Former frontman of the Choice Prize-nominated band Otherkin, he talks about why they decided to call it a day in 2019 and how his solo project grew out of that. During our Autofiction track by track, Luke talks about trying to improve as a songwriter, inspiration and influences, returning to work as a doctor during Covid, and how he's already planning what's next for Blood DonorBlood Donor play the Soundhouse in Dublin on November 16. Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/blood-donor-dublin-20-10-2023/event/18005F177A8B0A9EBuy Blood Donor - Autofiction on Bandcamp: https://blooddonor.bandcamp.com/album/autofiction
ØXN are Radie Peat, Katie Kim, John 'Spud' Murphy, and Ellie Myler, who have just released their debut album CYRM via Claddagh Records. A collection of six songs, there's old folk/trad tracks like 'Cruel Mother' and 'The Trees They Do Grow High', Katie Kim originals reworked, such as 'The Feast', and covers of Maija Sofia's 'The Wife of Michael Cleary' and Scott Walker's 'Farmer in the City'. On today's podcast, the band talk through the album track by track and discuss how they got together (with a little help from Islander/Quiet Lights' Jon Pearson). Buy ØXN - CYRM at https://oxnmusic.comSubscribe to the TPOE newsletter: TPOE.substack.com
Andy Connolly is the host body of Naive Ted, the DJ/producer/project/character/experience who is hanging up his mask with a final show at Haunted Dancehall at Dublin's NCH on November 4. Andy talks about Naive Ted's first appearances and development as well as his own journey, from helping launch the Community Skratch Games in Galway's Bierhaus to coming to Limerick, DJing and making music with the likes of Flying Buttresses and Deviant along the way, as well as now working with Music Generation Limerick.Buy Naive Ted's music at https://unscenemusic.bandcamp.com/
Galway singer-songwriter Reylta says she wanted her debut album Everything Unsaved Will Be Lost to feel like a Gaeltacht experience. So the recording was done in a remote cottage in Donegal which Seamus Heaney and fellow poets and creatives have frequented over the years. Producer Darragh Nolan uprooted his home studio from Gorey, Co Wexford, and brought it up to Donegal for the occasion, where a whirlwind recording process ensued. The result is an album that's funny and dark at the same time, a record of duality that spotlights an up-and-coming Irish artist at home in myriad styles and genres. On this episode, Reylta talks about the recording process, the experiences that have formed it, the musical education from working in The Temple Bar, and we go through Everything Unsaved Will Be Lost track by track. Buy Everything Unsaved Will Be Lost on Bandcamp: https://reylta.bandcamp.com/album/everything-unsaved-will-be-lostLaunch gig at Unitarian Church, Dublin on October 22 - tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/reylta-album-launch-tickets-718811684097
I Have a Tribe aka Patrick O'Laoighaire released his second album Changing of the Guard on October 6. A really lovely, warming album, it began in Berlin with producer Willi Sieger and was completed with full band in Dublin, with collaborators including Conor O'Brien. Per the press release, On Changing of the Guard, O’Laoghaire translates his everyday engagement with life into his music. At the centre of this collection of songs is our humanity, and all the weaknesses and wonders that come with it. On this episode, Patrick talks through the album Changing of the Guard track by track, the joy of conversing with other musicians, particularly as a solo act, influences and the creative process. Buy Changing of the Guard: https://ihaveatribe.bandcamp.com/album/changing-of-the-guardI Have a Tribe tour dates:October 29: Westival, Co Mayo, (w/ Gemma Hayes)November 10: Whelan’s DublinNovember 16: The London Irish Centre
Richie Egan aka Jape has just released his sixth studio album Endless Thread, via Faction Records. Egan produced and recorded the album at RARN studio using a unique collection of ribbon microphones, tape machines and tube outboard equipment. The album was mixed by David Odlum (Sam Smith, Lisa O’Neill) and mastered by Seán MacErlaine. The artwork was assembled by M&E Sweden. "I’ve been putting all my focus onto getting into the tiny details of songs these days, there is so much joy in the details. The title Endless Thread reminds me we are all stitches on the rug of time who influence each other and inspire people in ways we don’t even know half the time, whether it’s an artist from the past or a thread on a social media page."On this episode, Richie talks through making the album, life in Sweden, being and staying creative, and what to expect from his upcoming tour, which includes a quiz he's calling Japery.Jape tour dates:October 20: Button Factory, DublinOctober 21: Whelan's, DublinNovember 2: Coughlan's, CorkNovember 3: De Barra's, ClonakiltyNovember 4: Kasbah, LimerickNovember 5: Roisin Dubh, GalwayBuy Endless Thread: https://jape.bandcamp.com/album/endless-thread
Soda Blonde have just released their second album Dream Big. They say it’s a mantra – a mission statement from four lifelong friends. It’s their promise to themselves, and a message to all who come along for the ride: A reminder that life is precious, fragile, and fleeting, so we might as well dream big and hold nothing back. Here, Adam O'Regan and Faye O'Rourke talk about the first four or so years of Soda Blonde, what the recording process was like, being proudly independent, Spotify, and we talk through some of the tracks on Dream Big.Soda Blonde Members Club: https://www.sodablonde.com/members-clubTour dates:November 22: The Lexington, LondonNovember 24: Roisin Dubh, GalwayNovember 25: Dolan's Warehouse, LimerickNovember 26: Connolly's of Leap, West CorkNovember 30: Cyprus Avenue, CorkDecember 7: Black Box, GalwayDecember 8: Spirit Store, DundalkDecember 14: Vicar Street, DublinBuy Dream Big: https://sodablonde.bandcamp.com/album/dream-big
Dublin four-piece Autre Monde (Paddy Hanna - vocals, Mark Chester - guitar, Padraig Cooney - bass, Eoghan O'Brien - drums) have just released their brilliant second album Sensitive Assignments. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Padraig and Eoghan talk about creating the album in the studio with Gilla Band's Daniel Fox. We go through the record track by track and we also discuss the state of Popical Island, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2024 and is putting out Autre Monde's album.Buy the album on Bandcamp: https://autremondee.bandcamp.com/album/sensitive-assignmentsAutre Monde tour dates:October 19: Coughlan's, CorkOctober 20: Prim's, KinsaleOctober 21: Caseys, WexfordOctober 27: Bello Bar, DublinOctober 28: Black Box, Belfast
A Litany of Failures is a compilation of Irish independent music that began with a four-track EP in 2016 and has grown into more than 20 songs for Volume IV, which has just been released. Put together by Danny Carroll, a solo artist in his own right, and Stevie Lennox, guitarist in Belfast's Junk Drawer, alongside Paul O'Connor (Licehead), it's a showcase of some of the wealth of talent spread across the country. We talk with Danny and Stevie about how A Litany of Failures began, how the compilations come together (length of a side of vinyl is important), how their own music is going, and then we talk through all of the acts featured on Volume IV, from M(h)aol to Mantua.
Buy A Litany of Failures Volume IV on Bandcamp: https://litanyoffailures.bandcamp.com/album/a-litany-of-failures-volume-iv
Danny Carroll tour dates (with Laurie Shaw) September 22: Casey’s, Wexford September 23: Whelan's, Dublin September 28: Prim's Bookshop, Kinsale September 29: Levis' of Ballydehob September 30: Plugd, Cork
Junk Drawer tour dates September 15: De Barra's (Clonakilty International Guitar Festival September 16: Upstart Festival, Glaunthaune, Cork September 22: McHugh's, Drogheda
Maija Sofia released her second album True Love on September 1 via Tulle Records. I talked with her in Maureen's in Shandon as part of Cork Podcast Festival in August - it's a track by track of True Love, going through the songwriting process, inspirations, saints and influences that make up the record. You can get it at https://maijasofia.bandcamp.com/album/true-loveMaija launches the album at Whelan's, Dublin on September 28. Tickets: https://singularartists.ie/show/maijia-sofia/
Galway-based singer/songwriter Brigid Mae Power released her fourth studio album Dream from the Deep Well on June 30. Here, she talks through the album track by track, as well as discussing her previous album Head Above the Water, released during the pandemic in 2020, the art of covering songs by the greats, and her album-making process.
Brigid Mae Power Irish tour dates: October 5: Whelan's, Dublin October 6: The Chapel at Griffith College, Cork October 22: Roisin Dubh, Galway
Buy the album: https://brigidmaepower.bandcamp.com/album/dream-from-the-deep-well
Ahead of his appearance at Another Love Story 2023, Dublin photographer Rich Gilligan talks about his journey over the past two decades, how he found a calling and a career in the stake parks of Ireland and eventually further afield, how he got into portraiture and his way of working - he's shot the likes of Timothy Chalamet, Elizabeth Strout and Cillian Murphy, as well as Irish acts including Villagers, Damien Dempsey, Pillow Queens and Gilla Band - how you've got to really really want it to make a career out of photography, his work with Other Voices, his own Driftwood Editions photobooks, and lots more.
Another Love Story returns to Killyon Manor, Co Meath, on August 18-20. Lineup/tickets: https://anotherlovestory.ie/tickets/
Driftwood Editions: https://driftwoodeditions.xyz/
Ezra Williams fka Smoothboi Ezra released their debut album Supernumeraries in June 2023, a collection of introspective songs that hit hard. We talk through it track by track, whether they're a more confident person at the end of it. We also talk about moving to Cork for art college, playing Glastonbury, supporting Pillow Queens and lots more.
Buy Supernumeraries on Bandcamp: https://ezrawilliams.bandcamp.com/album/supernumeraries
Krea aka Karen Cowley is one third of Wyvern Lingo, the Choice Prize-nominated group who are currently on hiatus. Krea has just released her debut EP, The Callows. Here, she talks about the band's hiatus and how her solo project started up, before we talk through the EP track by track.
Cowley was awarded the prestigious Music Bursary by the Arts Council, as well as a residency at the renowned Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. It was during this residency that she dedicated her time to crafting the songs that would make up The Callows. She says: "The Callows are the flat grasslands along the Shannon, and the word comes from the Irish 'caladh' for meadow. My mother is from Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly, where I spent a lot of time as a child. There’s something really tranquil and ancient about the landscape there. I wrote 'The Callows' at a time where I was feeling unmoored and craving a stronger sense of identity and rootedness. Images of this beautiful part of the country kept coming to mind, particularly the view from where my grandparents are buried at Clonmacnoise Monastery along the river. The Irish landscape and the effect that it has on me comes into each of these songs in some way, so I wanted to acknowledge that in some way in the title and artwork."
Krea tour dates: July 20 - Frank’s Place, Wexford July 21 - Sea Church Ballycotton, Cork July 30 - Workman’s Cellar, Dublin EP LAUNCH August 17 - Harbour Bar, Bray, Double Headliner with Caoi de Barra
Buy The Callows: https://krea.bandcamp.com/album/the-callows
One third of Wyvern Lingo, Caoi De Barra released her debut solo EP Thicket at the end of summer 2022 after the Choice-nominated band announced they were going on hiatus earlier in the year. Fresh off a European and UK tour playing drums with the Grammy-nominated Allison Russell, Caoimhe talks about her new single Treehouse and her second scooter tour of Ireland. Treehouse is about the housing crisis, which De Barra says leaves her feeling trapped in a perpetual state of adolescence, where the concept of being a self-sufficient artist seems as lofty as building a dwelling up a tree - “It’s really letting my petulant inner child do the problem solving”, she says.
Speaking about the scooter tour, De Barra says “Exploring the backroads, towns and villages of Ireland on my 125 cc scooter feels extremely peaceful and enriching to me. Less practical than a car, but low on fuel usage, and almost as romantic as travelling on horseback. On top of that I have the privilege of performing my songs for people in the places I go to, immediately immersed in the local arts scene. The scooter tour for me is the perfect solo quest.”
Tour dates: FRANKS PLACE, WEXFORD, July 13 IMMA GARDEN PARTY, DUBLIN, July 15 LIVE AT 1868, DUNGARVAN, July 16 WOODFIELD CAFE, BIRR, July 20 POPPY LANE SESSIONS, KINVARA, July 21 POT DUGGANS, ENNISTYMON, July 22 COUGHLANS, CORK, July 23 PRIMS BOOKSHOP, KINSALE, July 26 DE BARRA'S, CLONAKILTY, July 27 ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH, WATERVILLE, July 30 DOLAN'S, LIMERICK, Aug 2 THE GREEN ROOM, DINGLE, Aug 3 ARUNDELS BY THE PIER, AHAKISTA, Aug 9 MONROES, GALWAY, Aug 11 THE MUSIC LOOM, KILLYBEGS, Aug 12 THE HARBOUR BAR, BRAY, Aug 17 THE FUMBALLY, DUBLIN, Aug 18 Tour dates + ticket links: https://campsite.bio/caoidebarra
Buy Caoi De Barra - Treehouse at her Bandcamp page: https://caoidebarra.bandcamp.com/
Anna's Anchor aka Marty Ryan and friends release their fourth album The Merries on Strange Brew Records this Friday, July 7. On this episode of the podcast, Marty talks about moving from Limerick to the US for a PhD a couple of years ago, a scary accident that happened to him that led to the idea for The Merries - he suffered a head injury, with memory loss and long term issues an initial concern - and then we go track by track through the new album. Completed by Brian Scally on drums and Clare O'Brien on backing vocals, Anna's Anchor are heading out on tour after the release of The Merries.
Tour dates: July 12: Róisín Dubh, Galway July 13: The Workman’s Cellar, Dublin July 14: De Barra’s, Clonakilty July 15: Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick
Buy the Merries on Strange Brew: https://www.strangebrew.ie/annas-anchor-shop
Buy the Merries on Bandcamp: https://annasanchor.bandcamp.com/
Outro music: Anna's Anchor - Listowel
Sound artist Natalia Beylis released a brilliant collaboration with Cork cellist Eimear Reidy earlier this year, entitled She Came in Through the Window to Stand by the Door. Ahead of her appearance at MusicTown in Dublin on July 27, Natalia talks about sound recording in rural Leitrim, how her live show comes together, finding sounds around the house, and what's next.
Natalia Beylis plays alongside Anna Mieke, Adrian Crowley and Aoife Wolf on Thursday, July 27, in the depot @ the complex for MusicTown. Tickets and listings: http://www.musictown.ie/listings/
Natalia Beylis on Bandcamp: https://nataliabeylis.bandcamp.com/
John Meagher recently compiled the Irish Independent's top 50 greatest Irish albums of all time list (https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/best-irish-albums-of-all-time-ranked-the-definitive-top-50/a387395613.html). He talks through how it was compiled - more than 50 judges, a weighted voting system - some themes that emerge from the list, such as a dearth of Choice Prize winners, three U2 albums and no album released this century in the top 10, and the surprises and omissions evident throughout.
Follow John on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnmeaghermuso
Dublin producer The Expert aka Cian Galvin was one half of Messiah J and the Expert and some 15 years on since they called it a day, is still releasing top-quality albums. In 2022 he released The Overview Effect with US rapper Jermicide and this Friday releases Ritual with another US rapper, Stik Figa. We talk about his journey from the late 90s, starting out with Creative Control, on through the career of Messiah J and the Expert, how close they got to making it, and then discuss his 'second act', constantly released beat and mixtapes and now working with a series of rappers on some brilliant records.
Buy Ritual on Bandcamp: https://theexpert.bandcamp.com/album/ritual Messiah J and the Expert on Bandcamp: https://messiahjandtheexpert.bandcamp.com/
Sir Bobby Jukebox is the solo project from Bobby Aherne (No Monster Club) who releases his second album In The Organ Loft at Midnight on Friday, June 9, via Popical Island. We go track by track through the record, talking about influences, living in Australia (and Dublin), and so much more. Bobby is also the creator of the brilliant RTÉ children's podcast Nero's Class, so we begin by talking about that.
Buy In the Organ Loft at Midnight: https://sirbobbyjukebox.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-organ-loft-at-midnight
Kerry singer-songwriter Lorraine Nash talks about her debut album All That I Can be. We chat about her youth playing music and various instruments as her sound developed, the #WhyNotHer movement, which inspired the opening track on the album, 'SIng With Her', and we go through the record track by track, touching on slide guitar and influences along the way.Buy All That I Can Be: https://lorrainenash.bandcamp.com/album/all-that-i-can-be
Cork singer-songwriter Caoilian Sherlock releases his long-awaited debut solo album Teenage Jesus on May 26. We go through the nine songs tracks by track, how they were created and how they chart Caoilian's growth as an artist. We also talk about his other ventures, such as bands the Tan Jackets and Shaker Hymn, as well as working with the Good Room promotions in Cork and bringing back Quarter festival in mid-July.Preorder Teenage Jesus: https://caoiliansherlock.bandcamp.com/album/teenage-jesus-albumCaoilian Sherlock tour dates:Friday, May 26: Prim’s, KinsaleSaturday, May 27: Levis' of BallydehobSaturday, June 3: Pharmacia, LimerickThursday, June 22: Workman’s Cellar, DublinFriday, June 23: Fulacht Fiadh, LeitrimSunday, June 25: De Barras, ClonakiltySaturday, July 1: The Green Room (Cork Opera House)Sunday, August 6: The Finsbury, Finsbury Park, London
Stephen Shannon is gearing up to release his first album under his own name. It's called Fathoms and is out Friday, May 19, on 251 Records. But it's far from Shannon's debut release - he's made many albums over the year under guises such as Halfset, Strands, and Mount Alaska. And that's all on top of his work as a sound artist, composing scores for TV and film. We talk about all of that and his upcoming show at the National Concert Hall as part of the Metronome series to launch Fathoms. That gig is also on this Friday, May 19. Tickets: https://www.nch.ie/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=Metronome-Stephen-Shannon-19May23&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=Regarding Fathoms, Shannon received an Arts Council agility award to help compose and record with members of The Crash Ensemble on an album that spans the divide between his film composition work and his more electronic releases such as with Mount Alaska. You'll hear a couple tracks from the album during the interview, including the opener Past Tense and singles Evergreen and Eyot, which closes out the show. For more: https://251records.lnk.to/ssEyot
The Bonk release their second album, Greater Than or Equal To, on Friday, May 12. Band leader Phil Christie joins to talk about making the record. Mainly comprised of tracks recorded at Big Skin in Cork City in 2017 and Ailfionn Studios in Drumcondra in late 2018, Christie teamed up with a slew of fellow musicians on this album, including Niamh Dalton on fiddle, Andrew Grant on clarinet, Ultran Lavery on organ, Brendan Fennessy on percussion and guitarist Alan Comerford. That's alongside regular The Bonk members Jim Christie, Patrick Freeman, Philip O'Gorman, Dan Walsh, and Robert Grant. We start off by talking about his former band O Emperor and their Choice Prize win before discussing some of the ideas, such as experimentation and improvisation, that underpin the Bonk, and then go through the new album track by track. Along the way you'll hear music from some in-between-album EPs the Bonk put out as well as the first song Christie has released under his own name. Buy Greater Than or Equal To on Bandcamp: https://thebonk.bandcamp.com/album/greater-than-or-equal-to-the-bonkThe Bonk tour dates:May 10: Fulacht Fiadh, ManorhamiltonMay 12: Roisin Dubh, GalwayMay 13: Phil Grimes Pub, WaterfordMay 14: Levis' of BallydehobMay 18: Prim's Bookshop, KinsaleMay 19: Crane Lane, CorkMay 20: Cleere's, KilkennyMay 25: The Whale Theatre, GreystonesMay 26: Spirit Store, DundalkMay 27: Sugar Club, Dublin
Dublin-based band No Spill Blood, comprised of Matt Hedigan, Ruadhan O'Meara and Ror Conaty, have recently released their brilliant second album Eye of Night on Svart Records. Per the press release: An arsenal of analog synths and electronics alongside pounding low end strumming underpin a series of inward folding tales of a protaganist's journey within the self. An exploration of the cosmos within, an engagement with the inner recesses, bearing witness to what lies beneath the real.I talk to Ruadhan about No Spill Blood's journey, from starting the band over a decade ago and releasing the Street Meat EP through to binning their initial efforts at a second album and touring Europe with metal band Year of No Light earlier this year. Buy Eye of Night on Bandcamp: https://nospillblood.bandcamp.com/album/eye-of-night
Amelia Baker aka Cinder Well has just released her third album Cadence with Free Dirt Records. From California, Baker has come to call Co Clare home - her previous record No Summer was a love letter to her adopted home. A fiddle player, it was an encounter with Lankum a decade ago that gave her the impetus to come to Ireland - and Cormac Mac Diarmada from the trad band plays on a couple of tracks on Cadence as the journey all comes full circle. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we talk about Baker's journey, both physically and artistically - how she came through a creative block with this record, influences, Irish folk v American country, and go through each of the songs on Cadence. Outro music: Cinder Well - A Scorched LamentBuy Cadence: https://cinderwell.bandcamp.com/album/cadenceCinder Well tour dates:May 18 - Kilkenny - Cleere’sMay 19 - Dublin - The CobblestoneMay 20 - Dublin - The CobblestoneMay 26 - Cork - Coughlan’sMay 27 - Waterford - Phil Grimes
Chris Kabs is a rapper and producer from Dublin who's just released his debut EP Y NOT? He's worked with artists such as Tolü Makay, Hudis, and JyellowL, including on the latter's Choice Prize-nominated debut album 2020 Division, and with Coolio right up to about a month before his death in September 2022, which sounds like it hit him quite hard. He's signed with Roughbones, got a deal with PureSyncInc in London and brand deals with Ellesse and fashion tech company With Legacy, so he's a busy man. We chat about his making hundreds of songs, his collaborations, on coming close to giving up on music but fighting through with a smile, on finding the formula for music, and lots more. Chris Kabs plays a headline show with Loud Motive and an all-star support cast at the Green Room in Dublin's Academy this Saturday, April 22. Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/chris-kabs-loud-motive-dublin-22-04-2023/event/18005D90EBBC8A9COutro music: Chris Kabs - NobodyListen to Y NOT? https://open.spotify.com/album/51py7WINkjcs2SfWXgYoZN?si=1ubNRHkLTIagSUcK77ED7g
Whenyoung are Aoife Power and Andrew Flood, and they've just released their second album Paragon Songs, via AntiFragile Music. Formerly UK based, I caught them in transit on the move back to the west of Ireland. We talk about hype and major labels, why they're moving home, finding their voice through music, supporting Nick Cave, and lots more. Aoife says: "Every step is a new time in your existence and noting it down marks it, celebrates it and reveals you to yourself. These lyrics represent who I am right now or who I've been the past year or two. My intention is to like myself and be kinder to myself. And so I can only present myself in the state that I am currently in which is healing not healed." Whenyoung tour dates:April 12: McChuills, GlasgowApril 14: Pink Room, Manchester YesApril 15: Rough Trade, NottinghamApril 17: The Louisiana, BristolApril 18: Omeara, LondonApril 20: Dolan's, LimerickApril 21: Connolly's of LeapApril 22: Roisin Dubh, GalwayApril 23: Whelan's, DublinApril 25: Spirit Store, DundalkBuy Paragon Songs: https://www.diggersfactory.com/vinyl/275214/whenyoung-paragon-songs
Dublin-born, London-based artist Niall Jackson aka Swimmers Jackson releases his second album Now Is All via his own Wonky Karousel Records label this Friday, April 7. Made between March 2020 and March 2022, it's a journey of sorts through the pandemic. He released his debut album Murmuration in May 2020, but with no opportunity to tour, Jackson took to writing as many songs as possible to document the feelings of that time before heading back into a studio in Limerick over Christmas 2021 and St Patrick’s Day 2022. Armed with a handful of songs about loss of identity, an uncertain future, concerns with society's direction, and getting older against your will, the resulting album Now Is All is both hard fought and hard won. We talk about life in London, his creative process, getting radio play from Steve Lamacq, and go through some of the tracks on the album. You can buy it at: https://swimmersjackson.bandcamp.com/album/now-is-allSwimmers Jackson tour dates:April 6: Islington Assembly Hall, London (supporting Kila)April 7: Norton's Digbeth, Birmingham (supporting Kila)April 8: Secret Cinema, Crystal PalaceApril 14: Betsey Trotwood, LondonApril 20: Roisin Dubh, Galway (supporting David Kitt)April 23: Spirit Store, Dundalk (supporting David Kitt)April 28: Pharmacia, Limerick (supporting Jinx Lennon)May 24: Maureen's Bar, Cork CityMay 26: Prim's Bookshop, KinsaleMay 27: Levis' of BallydehobMay 28: Workman's Cellar, Dublin
David Kitt releasees his ninth album Idiot Check via the label Re:Warm on March 31. Fresh from opening up for David Gray - as well as playing in his band and on his record - Kitt talks about spending time in Paris and Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry, during Covid and how that led to Idiot Check as well as 2021's album of reworkings of his previous work, entitled 20. Then we talk through some of the tracks on the new album, from working with collaborator Katie Kim, to relationship breakups, learning Irish, and then the brilliant closing track 'Wave of Peace' a positive note to end what's an at times dark listen.Buy Idiot Check on Bandcamp: https://davidkitt.bandcamp.com/album/idiot-checkTour dates: APRIL01 BOURNEMOUTH Bad Hand Warehouse02 BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds03 MANCHESTER Yes04 LEEDS Headrow House05 NEWCASTLE Cluny 206 EDINBURGH Sneaky Petes07 GLASGOW Nice N Sleazy15 DUBLIN Whelans20 GALWAY Roisin Dubh21 CORK Coughlans22 WATERFORD Electric Avenue23 DUNDALK Spirit Store29 BELFAST The Duncairn30 DERRY Echo Echo DanceMAY05 LEAP Connollys06 KILKENNY Cleeres11 BRISTOL The Love Inn12 BRIGHTON The Great Escape13 BRIGHTON The Great Escape14 SHEFFIELD The Yellow Arch17 LONDON Jazz Cafe27 BALLYCOTTON Sea Church
Dublin singer-songwriter Ailbhe Reddy has just released her second album Endless Affair, the followup to 2020's Personal History. She says: "Endless Affair is about a fear of letting go. Either of a party or a relationship. The start of the album is about wanting to hold onto youthful chaos and old romances. The end is an acceptance of how letting go is natural and grounding. I think it shows the duality that can exist within a person. They can be a drunk mess at a party, a good friend, a daughter, a bad girlfriend, a hopeless romantic. All of those can exist within one person.”Buy Endless Affair on Bandcamp: https://ailbhereddy.bandcamp.com/album/endless-affairAilbhe Reddy tour dates: https://www.songkick.com/artists/9070334-ailbhe-reddyOn this episode, Ailbhe talks through the tracks on the album, from the partying of A Mess to the pure love song Shoulder Blades and the two closers, about her granny and mother. We also talk about making the artwork and the video for Shitshow, recording with Tommy McLaughlin at Attica Audio, and her future plans.
We start off by looking back at last week's Choice Music Prize ceremony and hearing the winning speeches from Irish artist of the year Fontaines DC (Conor Curley), classic album recipient Sinead O'Connor, introduced by Dave Fanning, and Irish album of the year winner CMAT for If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, with a speech given by drag queen Lavender.12.25: Sister Fenix are a new act comprising Senita (Shookrah) and Jess Kav (Barq) who have just put out their debut single 'Benefactor of Love'. They talk about deciding to form while on a walk up Killiney Hill in 2020 with the aim of writing a disco banger, their work with X Collective and what we can expect from Sister Fenix.34.45: Dashoda releases his debut EP Never Enough today, Wednesday, March 15, launching it with a show at the Workman's Cellar tonight. We talk about how the project has changed from its early days, explore the ideas behind it and go through its four tracks, including closer 'Sultan', a collaboration with Jackie BeverlyDashoda on Bandcamp: https://dashodamusic.bandcamp.com/Tickets to Dashoda's show at Workman's Cellar https://theworkmansclub.com/events/dashoda-never-enough-ep-launch/
Tilt's John Barker (https://twitter.com/JohnBarkerTilt) returns as we run the rule over the 10 nominees for the Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2022 and try to predict the winner. The actual victors will be revealed at a live show at Vicar Street on Thursday, March 9. Shortlist (and order of discussion on podcast):Anna Mieke - Theatre (Anna Mieke under license to Nettwerk Music Group)Aoife Nessa Frances - Protector (Partisan Records)CMAT - If My Wife New I’d Be Dead (CMATBABY)Dermot Kennedy - Sonder (Island)Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia (Partisan Records)Just Mustard - Heart Under (Partisan Records)Pillow Queens - Leave the Light On (Royal Mountain Records)Sorcha Richardson - Smiling Like An Idiot (Faction Records)The Mary Wallopers - The Mary Wallopers (The Mary Wallopers)Thumper - Delusions of Grandeur (Eva Magical Music Sounds)
Ballydehob, West Cork-based duo Colyne Laverriere and Julie O’Sullivan released their debut album There's a Sea Between Us on Valentine's Day. They talk about how they started out, having worked together at Budd's in Ballydehob and crafting the songs in the acclaimed, beloved venue Levis's, recording in Canada with producer Daniel Ledwell(Mick Flannery, Ben Caplan, Jenn Grant), and then go through some of the songs on the record, from the mothers-influence Rejane to the everything's-gonna-be-OK Mary's Got Issues.Tour dates: February 24: The Green Room, DingleMarch 3: Coughlan's, CorkMarch 23: Whelan's, DublinMarch 24: The Commercial, LimerickTBC: The Black Gate, GalwayBuy the album on Bandcamp: https://lessalamandas.bandcamp.com/album/theres-a-sea-between-us-2
Chosta aka Conor Kelly is a Dublin artist who releases his debut album Twilight Transmission on Friday, February 17. He launches the record with a show at the Workman's Cellar that night.Twilight Transmission is a concept record about a fictional network of interconnected radio stations, inspired by the outliers of radio station programming, including Donal Dineen, NTS and Dublin Digital Radio, in an increasingly homogenous radio landscape. I met Conor at Trinity on a bright, brisk spring day to talk about making Twilight Transmission, which was written and recorded throughout lockdown. We talk about his collaborations with Jape and Fears, supporting Caribou, and how the concept behind the album developed.Buy Twilight Transmission: https://chosta.bandcamp.com/album/twilight-transmissionTickets for Chosta at Workman's Cellar: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/chosta-the-workmans-cellar-dublin-d2/venueartist/199998/5401277Outro music: Chosta - Late Night Jazz Radio
Dublin-based three-piece Crowhammer released their eight-plus-years-in-the-making debut album Vol 1: Tales from Vertexia on New Year's Day 2023. Mixing kraut, prog, stoner, and space rock together, it's a wild concept album that you'll want to play very loudly as you parse the story.Here's what Crowhammer say of the concept: In a far off galaxy an evil wizard has unleashed a deadly virus on the planet Vertexia. The only hope in developing a cure lies in travelling to the Wizard's home planet in order to take a sample of blood from the mythical space eagle. The Vertexians developed a new spaceship known as the R4D14NT S1LV3RGUN, which is capable of travelling vast distances of space quickly. The Outlander; the hero of our tale, the only person capable of piloting the R4D14NT S1LV3RGUN blasts off into space on their desperate quest to save the denizens of Vertexia.......I talked to Bobby Corcoran, Ivan Deasy, and Thom Parkes at Guerrilla Sound Studios in mid-January about making the album, why it took so long, looking back on the rock scene of recession-era Ireland, and lots more. Buy Vol 1. Tales from Vertexia at https://crowhammer.bandcamp.com/album/vol-1-tales-from-vertexiaSongs played on the podcast: Crowhammer - R4D14NT S1LV3RGUNCrowhammer - Bronntanasaurus
The long-awaited debut album You from Dublin five-piece Meltybrains? was released on January 25 via Strange Brew records. Brian Dillon talks about what took them so long, their various acquaintances and sideprojects along the way - Micheál Quinn drums for Dermot Kennedy for example, Sim Simma is always one of the best parts of festival season, while Brian and Ben Bix also helped make the music, with Eoin 'Talos' French, for Emmet Kirwan's latest show Accents.It has been years in the making - an exploration of the journey of five young men, trying to get from one end of their 20s to the other. Much like the making of the album, this journey was trickier than any of them thought it would be. It’s an absolute beginner’s guide to the microcosm, the macrocosm and everything in between. It’s also a bit of fun and a pretty good record, combining influences from footwork, drone and j-pop with krautrock, psychedelia and prog.https://meltybrains.bandcamp.com/album/you
On the first episode of 2023, Damien Tuit, guitarist in the Murder Capital, joins to talk about their great second album Gigi's Recovery - and being from Rosscarbery, West Cork. We talk about how the band started, the impact of debut album When I Have Fears, and making the new album amid Covid lockdowns. Murder Capital play Vicar Street on February 26.34.23: Graham Patterson is the director of Out of Place, a music documentary about Limerick City from the team behind Féile na Gréine festival. A meditation on the role music plays in building community, Out of Place seeks to explore the tensions that emerge when musicians struggle to carve out a space for themselves in their city. It features performances from and interviews with Denise Chaila, God Knows, Murli Hey Rusty, His Father’s Voice, and Post Punk Podge.The film is going to be shown around Ireland in the next month. The dates areJanuary 27 - Belltable, Limerick (Irish Premiere)February 4 - Triskel, CorkFebruary 16 - A4 Sounds, DublinFebruary 17 - Spirit Store, DundalkFebruary 18 - Queen's Film Theatre, BelfastFebruary 25 - The Model, Sligo54.45: New music to end the show comes from:David Kitt - Wishing WellSoft on Crime - Telex EyesMontauk Hotel - Dive (Come Afloat)
Trad duo Ispíní na hEireann are the hardest working band on the island of Ireland and have just released their debut album called.... The Hard Working Men. On a wet Wednesday afternoon in the back of the Cobblestone bar in Smithfield, Dublin, we talk about the protests last year to save the pub and Ispíní's role in it. We also discuss how they got together and why the seisúin is so important. Then we talk through some of the tracks on the album, from Spancil Hill being set to the tune of Animals' House of the Rising Sun to Liveline ode Talk to Joe
10.11: Kate Ellis, artistic director of Crash Ensemble, talks through their 25th anniversary celebrations, involving a new album, [REACTIONS], an installation, and a couple of shows at the NCH (more info below). Plus we talk about Kate's journey to this point, how a tap on the shoulder as she was walking down Grafton Street changed everything for her. We hear three Crash tracks from [REACTIONS]: One Day, This is the Space Between Your Hand and Mine, and Stone or Rot.New music section53.29: Moesha - Draghttps://youtu.be/FbdfnLpV8aI58.27: Sarah Buckley - Dream Catchinghttps://sarahbuckleymusic.bandcamp.com/More information on Crash Ensemble's 25th anniversary celebrations:[REACTIONS] limited edition double album release and film screeningsAmidst the onset of the global pandemic, Crash Ensemble commissioned 17 Irish and international composers from a range of musical backgrounds to write new works for duos within the group. Building on existing collaborative partnerships and cultivating and nurturing new relationships, composers were invited to create a musical response to their experiences, the current state and their thoughts for the future.The [REACTIONS] composers are: Amy Rooney, Anna Mieke, Anna Murray, Anselm McDonnell, Bébhinn McDonnell, Bekah Simms, David Fennessy, Deirdre Gribbin, Diamanda Dramm, Éna Brennan, Jonathan Nangle, Rachael Lavelle, Rose Connolly, Seán Ó'Dálaigh, Sebastian Adams, Siobhán Cleary, and Stephen Shannon.Each composer documented their creative process with text and imagery, offering a fly on the wall view of the composers’ studio spaces, visual imagery and text journaling during the creative process. The duos were recorded and will now be presented in a limited-edition double album release [REACTIONS], coming November 25th.Audio visual material was combined with these recordings to make an accompanying film by Crash’s resident filmmaker, Laura Sheeran, which will be screened at The Irish Film Institute, Wednesday 30th November 2022.Performances at The National Concert Hall The 25th year anniversary programme culminates with two special concerts and a cutting-edge installation at the National Concert Hall (NCH).The first celebratory concert, Crash 25! Charged Disruption, on Saturday 3rd December (The Studio) sees the acclaimed ensemble, with conductor Ryan McAdams, perform Donnacha Dennehy’s magnetic, soulful and influential work Grá agas Bás with vocalist Iarla Ó Lionáird. In the second part of the concert Artist in Residence Diamanda La Berge Dramm and writer Neva Elliot present Crashed, drawing on the unique energy of the players of the group, through the use of their voices and instruments. For the second birthday concert, Crash 25! Living Perspectives, on Sunday 4th December (The Studio) the ensemble’s programme comprises Australian composer Liza Lim’s Extinction Events and Dawn Chorus and Barry O’Halpin’s experimental work Wingform, which takes advantage of Crash’s unique ability to cover a breadth of musical ground: winding melodies, mechanical rhythms, rapid lines and hypnotic drones. The previous week, from Thursday 24th November to Sunday 27th November, The Studio space in the National Concert Hall hosts Crash 25! Wingform Installation. The installation is the work of video artist and filmmaker Jack Phelan who created a work responding to the visual themes of Irish composer, Barry O’Halpin’s Wingform - a four movement work for solo guitar and ensemble. Using a simple set of shapes, materials and layout, the installation aims to evoke the essence of the ensemble. Tickets for Crash 25! Charged Disruption (3rd December) and Crash 25! Living Perspectives (4th December): €18 are available from nch.ie
3.55: Andrew from the Mary Wallopers on 'ooh ahh up the Ra', politics, Irish unity - oh yeah, and music. We talk about their brilliant self-titled debut album and why it took so long to release it (and why they said no to the music labels)https://marywallopers.bandcamp.com/album/the-mary-wallopers-2New Irish music37.39: Alain McFadden aka All The Brave Hunters on his debut single Risinghttps://allthebravehunters.bandcamp.com/track/rising44.26: Molly O'Mahony on single Bittersweet, from her debut album The House of Davidhttps://mollyomahony.bandcamp.com/album/the-house-of-david56.25: Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin on his debut solo album the Deepest Breath. We talk about his journey in music, from sean nós as a youngster to winning best folk album at the 2021 Folk Awards for Solas an Lae, a collaboration with Ultan O'Brien. https://eoghanoceannabhain.bandcamp.com/album/the-deepest-breath
5.32: Belfast-based artist Clara Tracey on her brilliant debut album Black Forest, recorded with Daniel Fox (Gilla Band) and released on Pizza Pizza Records. Clara talks about her album launch, cakes, how her homeopath forced her to contact Daniel Fox, influences and moreNew music section:35.49: Ways of Seeing - Every Nighthttps://waysofseeing.bandcamp.com/album/end-comes-to-light39.56: Dashoda - Looking For Youhttps://dashodamusic.bandcamp.com/track/looking-for-you46.13: Kez - How Can You Not See?https://www.instagram.com/k.e.z/?hl=en54.08: Part 2 of our interview with Clara Tracey as we go through most of the songs on Black Forest. She talks about her journey from Enniskillen to Paris, via London, and back to Belfast, the amazing album artwork by Salvatore of Lucan, Harry Clarke, cheese, and lots more.Buy Clara Tracey - Black Forest at https://claratracey.bandcamp.com/album/black-forest
3.56: Dublin singer-songwriter Rosa Nutty on her debut album World Still Blue, taking a four-year break to make it, almost getting stuck in Utah at the start of the pandemic, space, living away from Dublin (she's currently in Cavan) and lots morehttps://rosanutty.bandcamp.com/album/world-still-blue52.53: Cork producer ActualAcid aka Jack Corrigan on his debut album Boredoms 400, Hausu Records, living in London, sampling, his cousin and rapper Stuntt Mane and plans for Boredoms 300...https://actualacid.bandcamp.com/1.34.02: Dublin five-piece art-rock band Akrobat on new single Eskimo off their debut album Jammed Space Movement, out Friday, November 4. They play Bello Bar on November 5https://akrobat-band.bandcamp.com/album/jammed-space-movement
5.00: Cork five-piece God Alone on their brilliant second album ETC, released on Prosthetic Records. We talk about influences, from Talking Heads to Foals, and melding their various sounds with metal, how the band started, Cork (!), and their goals with ETChttps://godalone.bandcamp.com/album/etc47.36: Sligo artist Brídín chats about her self-titled debut album, her job as a funeral director and embalmer, the art of playing the harp, the grafter Clare Sands, and her collaborators on the album, who include Murli, Stephen Rea and Sharon Shannonhttps://bridin.bandcamp.com/1.22.31: Luke Reilly aka Blood Donor (and formerly of Otherkin) on his new single Lonely Street and his debut live show this Saturday, October 29, at the Workman's Cellar. We then hear Lonely Street in full to close the showhttps://blooddonor.bandcamp.com
3.55: Cork pop star Lyra talks about her new single '29 Box' and her upcoming tour - plus supporting Westlife on their UK arena tour. Lyra coined the term ‘29 Box’ herself - it references the most common size dimension of Snapshots used to create the perfect aesthetic on social platform sites. She says: "While social media is an invaluable tool and networking system, it can consume you and a small percentage of people can make it a dark place. I feel like we live in a world with two lives, our glossy online self, when in reality we all have our own pressures. I wanted the record to resonate with my fans, we need to celebrate our individuality.”https://lyra.ie/36.10: Neil Dexter returns to talk about his debut solo album I'll Be Ready. We wrap up any lingering thoughts about his former band Spies, talk influences such as Robert Wyatt, former scenes in Dublin, post-recession, and lots more. Neil plays the Workman's Cellar, Dublin, on October 20.https://neildextermusic.bandcamp.com/1.29.28: Sile Ní Dhubhghaill talks about her new project This Throat and introduces 'Ghosting', the first single off debut EP I Sent it Away to Diehttps://thisthroat.bandcamp.com/album/i-sent-it-away-to-die
2.12: Gilla Band singer Dara Kiely and guitarist Alan Duggan talk about their criticially acclaimed third album Most Normal. Gilla Band play the National Stadium in Dublin on December 9 and Belfast's Empire Music Hall on December 15.https://gillaband.bandcamp.com/album/most-normal48.41: Bantum aka Ruairi Lynch is back on the show to talk about his new single 'On The Double', his new project The Gauze, and producing Listowel rapper Súil Amháinhttps://bantum.bandcamp.comhttps://thegauze.bandcamp.comhttps://suilamhain.bandcamp.com1.14.52: Kerry singer-songwriter on her new track 'Invest', which we play in full to close the showhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/2s7JrceaCyj0KEfIQ8CjmS
6.19: Sixth-generation Cork fiddle player Clare Sands talks about her self-titled debut album and how it was inspired by the west coast of Ireland. We also talk martial arts, getting punched in the face in the middle of the night, and the white Russian cocktails...https://claresands.bandcamp.com/album/clare-sands1.11.35: Farah Elle chats ahead of the release of her debut album Fatima, released on Friday, October 7. It's named after her mother, who returned from Ireland to Libya in 2011 to become health minister in the Libyan transitional government after the fall of Gaddafi. The album has also been seven years in the making.https://www.farahelle.com/New Irish music this week, with introductions by the artists:1.40.55: Kairiko - Tevfik Fikrethttps://open.spotify.com/album/4MXPCfvF0mBpecD0hhl5FG?si=UKZ6f7yKS4SYozf-zG9xRg1.46.01: Staff Party - Solohttps://staffparty.bandcamp.com/releases
5.33: Sorcha Richardson gives us a track-by-track breakdown of her brilliant second album Smiling Like an Idiot https://sorcharichardson.bandcamp.com/album/smiling-like-an-idiot
1.06.22: R Kitt talks about the Give Us The Night campaign, what they expected and were hoping for in the budget, and what to look forward to at Haunted Dance Hall at the National Concert Hall this weekend. shorturl.at/dgMOU
1.46.52: Dublin-based singer-songwriter Patrick Stefan on debut album Wayfare, travelling and finding music from around the world, swimming in Dublin, and more https://patrickstefan.bandcamp.com/
2.35.09: Weekly new music section - new tunes from new artists in full, with introductions by the acts themselves. This week: Banríon - Fooling https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/banron/fooling-2
Ebben Phlo - All Nighter https://ebbenphlo.bandcamp.com/track/all-nighter
Barefoot Gypsies - Be Free https://linktr.ee/barefoot.gypsies?utm_source=qr_code
4.40: Derry artist Roe talks about her debut album That's When The Panic Sets In, which is released on Friday, September 23. She talks about releasing it in two parts, deciding to dump her debut album while in a Reykjavík supermarket late one night, recording with Tommy McLaughlin at Attica Audio, and takes us through some of the tracks on the record. https://roemusicofficial.bandcamp.com/
32.56: Waterford singer-songwriter Moncrieff put on one of the standout performances at Electric Picnic 2022, and to cap off a superb week, released new EP Warm and announced, and quickly sold out, a date at the Olympia in December. We talk about his journey, finding his sound and voice, his favourite sandwiches, and lots more. https://open.spotify.com/album/5eed330fRyfporIAak7ZmH?si=vFrqfL6dQuOLafiXkPgwzA
New Music Weekly: Voicenotes and full songs from - 1.05.00: Tony Fitz - Denial https://tonyfitz.bandcamp.com/
1.09.53: Chris Kabs - No Joke (ft JYellowL) https://open.spotify.com/track/5ajvHGjVBSZ753UFk9Gxi4?si=bb7d85fa06534045
1.15.18: Video Blue - First Snow (ft Aoife Power(Whenyoung)) https://open.spotify.com/track/7bWnW938Vk8Yz049FyQ8Ui?si=5490284782254f59
1.22.43: Ispíní na Éireann - Talk To Joe https://ispini.bandcamp.com/album/talk-to-joe
5.24: Daithí returns to the show to chat about his third album I'm Here Now, released on September 9 on Galway's Strange Brew records and featuring collaborators Ailbhe Reddy and Sinéad White (‘Sunset’), David Tapley of Tandem Felix (‘Polypoly’), Uly (‘Like The Water’), and Neil Dexter (‘Keep It For The Next One’). We discuss his running of artists' hideaway the Beekeepers, recording samples of gates, learning from Paul Noonan in Houseplants, and trying to break the UK. Buy the album: https://daithi.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/daithimusic1/
1.00.19: Rising Dublin artist Kynsy chats about her busy summer of festivals, which culminated in Electric Picnic, headlined by Arctic Monkeys. We discuss her journey, songwriting and new EP Something to Do With Love, which is released today, September 14. https://kynsy.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kynsy___/
1.48.19: New music this week comes courtesy of Ballina, Co Mayo two-piece Yop, who introduce 'Beyond Being' for us before we hear it in full https://yopballina.bandcamp.com/releases https://www.instagram.com/yop_the_band/
4.45: Junior Brother chats about his brilliant second album The Great Irish Famine https://juniorbrother.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-irish-famine
1.08.25: Katie Kim releases fifth album Hour of the Ox on Friday, September 9, the final one under the moniker. We talk about why she's ending it and how the album came together. Katie Kim plays the Button Factory on September 10. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/katie-kim-hour-of-the-ox-album-launch-with-support-from-tra-phaidin-tickets-352492684107?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb Buy Hour of the Ox: https://katiekim.bandcamp.com/
1.51.45: Galway artist John Dog on his new single 'Under the Bed', which is released today and we get to hear in full https://johndog.bandcamp.com/music
5.05: Galway composer and singer Anna Mullarkey talks about her debut album Falling, which has just come out on Strange Brew records. We chat about her journey from Inishturk as a five-year-old to get sung at on the streets of Sweden to her first foray with a band in the Fellow Sponges and composing for film and theatre. Features lots of talk about synths. https://annamullarkey.bandcamp.com/
56.02: Dublin singer-songwriter Jackie Beverly releases her debut EP Temporary State on September 8, and plays Whelan's the same night, supported by Laytha and Galia Arad. After indulging me in some pop and Primavera chat, we discuss the making of the album, being inspired by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus and developing her sound. https://jackiebeverly.bandcamp.com/ Tickets to Whelan's gig: https://mcd.ie/artists/jackie-beverly/
New tunes and introductions from: 1.39.55: Last Survivor - Midnight Run https://lastsurvivorofficial.bandcamp.com/
1.47.07: Constant Supply - Duvet Upon Landing https://constantsupply.bandcamp.com/
1.53.33: Joey Gavin - I Want You To Stay https://joeygavin.bandcamp.com/
1.01: Some thoughts on Another Love Story festival, which returned to Killyon Manor at the weekend.
6.32: Marketa Irglova on Lila, her first album in eight years and the third in a trilogy. She talks about her journey from Once to entering Iceland's Eurovision song contest, and some of the stories behind the tracks on Lila, and influences such as Bridgerton and other TV shows. https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SklVMGMsWTq7cJd9MixUx?si=ZDMqGoDKRUiJQAwAEmgTpw
41.06: Christy from Le Boom on supporting Denise Chaila at St John's Castle, Limerick, on Saturday, August 20.
44.14: Simon Roche, one-third of the Lumo Club night, talks about their boat party in Dublin Bay on Saturday, August 20. How it came about, what songs went down best, and was there any seasickness. We also chat about Oasis and their best songs, as Be Here Now turns 25. https://www.instagram.com/lumoclub/?hl=en
NEW MUSIC!!! 1.01.24: Alice Kiernan introduces her single 'Golden', which is out this Friday, August 26. https://twitter.com/Alice_Kiernan https://smarturl.it/cxe9bt
1.06.38: Patrick Stefan introduces 'Just Another Love Song', taken from debut album Wayfare, which is released on September 23. twitter.com/patrick_stefan_ https://t.co/3xtlhlIuOA
1.12.19: Cabin aka Adam McCabe chats about 'The Parasocialite (Alternative Version)' off the just-released You’re On My Mind EP twitter.com/cabin_music https://linktr.ee/cabin44
A mid-west special of the TPOE podcast this week....
4.15: God Knows on his new EP We Move the Needle, out on Narolane Records, and the Denise Chaila show taking place at St John's Castle in Limerick City on Saturday, August 20 https://narolanerecords.bandcamp.com/artists
32.33: Elaine Howley discusses her debut solo album The Distance Between Heart and Mouth, released via Belfast's Touch Sensitive Records https://touchsensitiverecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-distance-between-heart-and-mouth
1.02.18: Diarmuid O'Shea, chairperson of Féile na Gréine, discusses the festival that's taking over the streets of Limerick this weekend, August 19-21, featuring the likes of Junior Brother, Boyfrens and Girlfriend and a special bespoke beer crafted by sponsors Crew Brewing Company and Treaty City Brewery.
1.14.57: Niall Jackson tells us about a new single from his London-based band Sweat Threats before we give it a full play. It's called 'Questions?' https://sweatthreats.bandcamp.com/
We're fully recovered from All Together Now (just about), have listened to some episodes of WTF with Marc Maron and ready to go again. Coming up on episode 230 of the TPOE Podcast:
5:52 An interview with Thumper frontman Oisin Leahy Furlong about their debut album Delusions of Grandeur, which came out in March. We talk about touring, being a six-piece (and having two drummers), overcoming writer's block, the state of Dublin, and lots more. Buy Delusions of Grandeur: https://thumpermusic.bandcamp.com/album/d-e-l-u-s-i-o-n-s-o-f-g-r-a-n-d-e-u-r Thumper tour dates: https://www.hellothumper.com/#live
48:03 An interview with Joe Furlong, one half of the musical and visual project The Cope, with David Anthony Curley. They've just put out their debut single True Romance and Joe has just moved to Berlin. We talk about how the idea for The Cope formed at an impromptu karaoke party with Sorcha Richardson and what their plans are going forward. We also get to hear True Romance in full. See the-cope.com, instagram.com/thecope636, and twitter.com/TheCope636
1:08:18 Naoise is a queer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from North Dublin who released their debut EP I’m Not a Woman in July. Naoise tells us about the EP and introduces the track 'Normal Freak', which you'll hear in full. See facebook.com/naoisemusic9 and instagram.com/naoisemusic/
We've just about recovered from a great bank holiday weekend in Waterford for All Together Now, returning for the first time since 2019. Nick Cave was the main attraction, delivering possibly the best performance ever seen at an Irish music festival. While reviewing ATN with a little help from some friends such as punters Tara Robinson and Niall Mac Suain, artist Ailbhe Reddy, and Grub Circus curator Joe McNamee, we talk about the contenders for best ever performances at an Irish music festival. But first, it's the return of Zara Hedderman, who talks about hosting the IMRO Podcast. Later, artist Muireann Levis on a great new event, including pedal boats, that she's involved with in West Cork next week, while Chris Power talks to us about a new collective in Cork. Then, there's new music from Maija Sofia ('O Theramin') and Neil Dexter ('I'll Be Ready'), who both discuss the tracks as well.
02.16 Zara Hedderman returns to talk about hosting the IMRO Podcast, writing about music for a living, the new Angel Olsen album and reviewing for Pitchfork. 19:25 All Together Now reviewed ft Joe McNamee, Tara Robinson, Niall Mac Suain, and Ailbhe Reddy 25:09 Joe McNamee on curating Grub Circus food tent at All Together Now 44:11 1:02:07 CMAT's speech at All Together Now 1:14:02 Muireann Levis on her sound installation ‘Inbhear’ an exploration and a celebration of the soundscape and identity of Ballydehob, which takes place August 11-15. Tickets - https://ballydehobjazzfestival.org/ballydehob-jazz-festival-presents-muireann-levis-inbhear/ 1:22:49 Chris Power on Dose, a Cork-based multi-disciplinary platform creating spaces & events for local talent, the diaspora and artists based in Ireland 1:30:!5 Maija Sofia on her new single 'O Theramin'. Buy it at https://maijasofia.bandcamp.com/album/o-theremin 1:36:33 Neil Dexter on his new single and album 'I'll Be Ready'. Preorder - https://www.neildextermusic.com/shop/p/ill-be-ready-album-180g-vinyl-pre-order
On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we go through some more underrated Irish albums before we chat with Aidan Hanratty who runs the Bandcloud newsletter. Bandcloud is a weekly roundup of releases on Bandcamp and Soundcloud selected and delivered by Aidan. Mostly house/techno/ambient/drone. Then it's an interview with Myles O'Reilly about his journey from making film as Arbutus Yarns back into music - he recently released the brilliant album Cocooning Heart, following two ambient releases and a collaboration with Rónán Ó Snodaigh. And finally there's new music from Sligo harpist Brídín - 'Hideaway' and Carlow-based producer Tr One aka Eddie Reynolds - 'Stay Offline', taken off his new album, From the Studio Of.
Sign up to Bandcloud: https://bandcloud.substack.com/
Myles O'Reilly - Cocooning Heart: https://mylesoreilly.bandcamp.com/
Brídín - Hideaway: https://bridin.bandcamp.com/track/hideaway
Tr One - Stay Offline, taken from the album From the Studio Of: https://trone1.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-studio-of
If you want to get in contact with the show, email thepointofeverything@gmail.com or tweet @tpoeblog
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Journalist Lauren Murphy joins to discuss the list she put together of 10 21st-century Irish albums that have been overlooked and underappreciated. Read the list at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/irish-albums-that-deserve-a-repeat-play-752n850zc
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Ronan Leonard saw Arab Strap four times in the past week. He explains why he thinks they're the best band in the world. Follow Ronan on social media at @Ronanfromcork. Now That's What I Call Arab Strap Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/20rjXxlyn0R0idPDQekDUw?si=ce63b2aaf3cd4fe5
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My old friend Pádie joins to discuss our favourite topic, music from the noughties, and in particular a Twitter thread about the worst bands of the noughties. Features fashion faux pas, baby talk, and hair. Follow @ThePadie on Twitter
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Brand new music from Jack Dory, Chósta and Dog Day Afternoon Jack Dora - Take What You've Been Given Chósta - Vox Dog Day Afternoon - Lust
The Choice Music Prize for best Irish album released in 2021 takes place this Thursday, March 3. The nominees are: Bicep – Isles (Ninja Tune) Mick Flannery & Susan O'Neill - In the Game (Rosaleen Records / Rosa Productions) For Those I Love - For Those I Love (September Recordings) Orla Gartland - Woman on the Internet (New Friends Music) HousePlants - Dry Goods (Bone China Records) Kojaque - Town’s Dead (Soft Boy Records) Elaine Mai – Home (Elaine Mai) Saint Sister - Where I Should End (Saint Sister) Soda Blonde - Small Talk (Velveteen Records) Villagers - Fever Dreams (Domino)
As is our annual tradition, John Barker, formerly of Totally Irish drops by to run through the shortlist and try and decide who will, or should, or indeed won't, win the Choice Prize.
Music used during the show: Bicep - Apricots Mick Flannery and Susan O'Neill - Baby Talk For Those I Love - Birthday/The Pain Orla Gartland - More Like You HousePlants - Window Pane Kojaque - No Hands Elaine Mai - Mother Saint Sister - Any Dreams? Soda Blonde - Terrible Hands Villagers - The First Day
Note: There's a little bit of technical hiss during the second half of the pod. V annoying but it doesn't last too long so hopefully it's OK? Sorry....
Cormac Begley is a renowned concertina player from west Kerry. He played It Takes a Village festival in Trabolgan earlier this year - this interview was recorded by the beach the following afternoon from his raucous/informative set. We chat about touring in his van Beauty, trad music in general, the magic of the session, the effort of playing concertinas, and lots more.
Happy new year! Intro music: Cormac Begley - 'O'Neill's March (live at Other Voices Courage 2020)
It's the TPOE best of 2021 podcast! Featuring lots of music, we run through our favourite tracks and albums of a strange year. The podcast features a whole cast of people who sent in audio recordings: Shane Dunne, Yenkee, CMAT, Le Boom, Emma Langford, Kestine, Jackie Beverly, John Barker, Niall 'Swimmers' Jackson and Fears
Galway singer-songwriter Eoin Dolan released his fourth original album, Mirror Liver, recently. It's a concept album, which is something he's done previously. Of second track 'Amulet of Love', he says it "tells the story of a community of early farmers who lived off the land approximately 3,000 years ago. It is a message celebrating our timeless and important relationship with the natural world."
We talk about being a DIY artist and how exactly a tour gets booked, the state of the arts in Galway (and yes, the traffic), his meditation practice and spending time at a silent retreat, and go in depth on creating Mirror Liver. eoindolan.bandcamp.com
Outro music: 'Amulet of Love'
Steve Ryan, singer and guitarist with Windings, joins to discuss their fifth album, Focus on the Past 5, released via Out on a Limb records on Friday, November 12. We talk about songwriting, his plans for a PhD, and how Windings developed over the past 18 or so years, having started as a solo venture before taking a Giveamanakick-shaped detour and swelling to a five-piece, completed by Liam Marley, Patrick O'Brien, Mike Gavin, and Brian Meaney. Focus on the Past 5 was recorded with Girl Band's Daniel Fox, producer extraordinaire - Steve talks about how it was delayed by the pandemic, how it changed, and why it's their most direct album yet. And yes, of course we also talk about Limerick.
Edel Doherty is one half of Art for Blind, a record label that's been running since 2004 and has released some great music over the years, including Altered Hours' debut album In Heat Not Sorry. Art for Blind are the organisers of Spilt Milk festival which takes place in Sligo on November 19-21. We talk about Sligo being a possible new hub for artists, what to expect from the festival, the stress of Government Covid restrictions on gigs and the acts on over the weekend. We then talk about Art for Blind, what it's like running a label in 2021, the spiralling costs of vinyl and now, apparently, cassettes. A great chat. http://spiltmilkfestival.com/
Music on this episode: Alannah Thornburgh - 'The Front' Messyng and Post Punk Podge - 'Still At the Music' Silverbacks - 'Archive Material'
Cork singer-songwriter Jack O'Rourke returns to the TPOE podcast ahead of the release of his second album, Wild Place, on November 5. It's a more stripped back affair than his 2016 debut Dreamcatcher and 2019 EP Ivory Towers, O'Rourke's songwriting standing front and centre, with a little orchestration behind. It was all done at the old piano at Cork's Triskel Christchurch over the past year and a bit.
"Wild Place has songs of love and loss, beautiful misfits, nature and wilderness," says Jack in the press release. "There's freedom and rage in there too, alongside questions on race, friendship, a still-Covid world, my dreams and sea swimming. The piano and vocal are centre, but there are elements of folk, roots, blues, Americana and chamber music."
There's also a song, 'Strange Bird' written about the last year and a half - a drone recording a town during lockdown and all we’ve lost and gained. It’s influenced hugely by John Prine - "When John Prine died during Covid, it was a Bowie or Cohen or Prince moment - I was heartbroken without knowing him personally - his lyrics and his style meant so much, and his songwriting always floored me. There’s a Steinbeck or Mark Twain quality - he says so much without being flowery."
Jack O'Rourke tour dates: October 16 - Spirit Store - Dundalk October 28 - The Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo November 5 - Glengarra Mountain Lodge, Co. Tipperary November 12 - Dolans Limerick November 13 - The Courthouse Arts Theatre, Co Wicklow November 27 - Triskel Christchurch, Cork
Outro music: Jack O'Rouke - 'Sea Swimming'
Mayo singer-songwriter Maria Kelly released her brilliant debut album The Sum of the In-Between last Friday on Veta Records. With voicenotes from and with friends spread throughout, the record is a personal reveal and revelation from Maria, who's been releasing music for about five years. We talk about voicenotes and the ideal length, how the album developed and how she evolved as a writer, musician and person. Maria Kelly launches The Sum of the In-Between at the Workman's Club on November 12.
Outro music: Maria Kelly - 'The Sum of the In-Between'
West Cork artist Rushes released his debut album, Glowchild, in September. A lush, skittery project, its hooks are irresistible as Sean Walsh leaves it all on display, On the podcast, he talks about growing up in Skibbereen, rowing, injuries, finding music, Kanye West, and "fierce ambition". Rushes play The Soundhouse in Dublin on November 20.
Outro music: Rushes - 'Lost in Therapy'
HousePlants aka Daithi and Paul Noonan released their debut album Dry Goods in September. Made in lockdown, it offered respite, hope, and fun to the pair, as they created a record that works on a Saturday night or during your midweek downtime. This interview was recorded at It Takes a Village festival in Trabolgan, where HousePlants were playing their third ever gig together. They killed it, obviously. We discuss childhood memories of Trabolgan, how the collaboration started and developed, artist retreats, writing, and what's next for HousePlants
Limerick act Hey Rusty released their debut album Anorak on September 3. Reminiscent of Elliot Smith and influenced by the early efforts of Camera Obscura and Richard Hawley, it's a lush solo effort by Sean Ahern that's aided by a whole host of friends - it was produced by Bleeding Heart Pigeons’ Mícheál Keating and features contributions from Brendan McInerney (Bleeding Heart Pigeons), Dan Walsh (Fixity), David Tapley (Tandem Felix) and Pádraig O’Donoghue (Post Punk Podge & The Technohippies). Sean talks about moving to Belfast, friends in the Limerick scene, finding his voice with Hey Rusty, and some of the themes of Anorak.
Outro music: Hey Rusty - 'What a Shame'
Dublin-based trio Havvk are Julie Hough (vocal, bass), Matt Harris (guitar) and Sam Campbell (drums) and they've just released their second record Levelling, which they say is an album about growing up and how our perceptions change over time, Levelling follows a chronology of life moments, whether that’s forming friendships, navigating societal expectations, managing your mental health, realising your identity and values, accepting loss, or letting go of regret.
Julie talks about recent anniversaries of System of a Down, Metallica and Spice Girls, before discussing relocations to London, Berlin and finally Dublin, and how the band has changed over the years. There's a sprinkling of nihilism and Rick & Morty in there for good measure too.
Havvk play the Workman's Club, Dublin, on September 29.
Outro music: Havvk: 'Halfway Out'
Following their collaboration on the single 'Baby Talk' in 2020, Mick Flannery and Susan O'Neill return with a full album together, In The Game. They talk about how it came to be, working remotely in lockdown together, touring the US, inspirations, and lots more
Outro Music: Mick Flannery and Susan O'Neill - 'Are We Free?'
Dublin singer-songwriter and producer Orla Gartland released her long-awaited debut album Woman on the Internet in mid-August. She says it was a long time coming: "Announcing my debut album feels like a moment I've been waiting for for years. Something clicked into place last year - I grew into my role as a producer and lyrically I knew what I wanted to say. Although this album was made in 2020 it isn't laced with lockdown blues - it feels more like the soundtrack of new time to me; a sunnier time, a more hopeful time. I'm so proud of this record and beyond excited for everyone to hear it!” On the TPOE podcast, Orla talks about social media, the work that's involved as a solo independent artist, making a 'positive' record, family, Phoebe Bridgers and more.
Outro music: Orla Gartland - 'More Like You'
Singer, guitarist, and flautist John Francis Flynn has just released his debut solo album, I Would Not Live Always, on River Lea Recordings. He talks about it was created with a whole host of great collaborators, the art of the session - and not burning yourself out on them - his musical journey, Lankum, and lots more.
Outro music: John Francis Flynn - 'My Son Tim'
Cosha has just released her debut album Mt Pleasant. She talks about leaving Dublin for London to make it in the music industry when she was 17, touring with Mura Masa, moving from Bonzai (RIP) to Cosha, the relationship required with producers in the studio, and lots more.
Outro music: Cosha - 'Do You Wanna Dance'
Gemma and Morgan aka Saint Sister return to the TPOE podcast to talk about their superb second album Where I Should End. They discuss the impact of lockdown on the record, what's different to their debut Shape of Silence, why they've chosen to put themselves all over the album, the recording process, songwriting and lots more.
Outro music: Saint Sister - 'Any Dreams?'
Ahead of the release of his fifth album Grapefruit Season in September, James Vincent McMorrow joins the show to talk about a new project he's been working on called Co-Living Culture with David Anthony Curley (Otherkin - RIP) and Cody Lee. Recorded at David's studio The Clinic, their first song 'Renegador' is an ode to the venues in Dublin, many of which are now gone, where you might hear a record like this. They say: "This song is meant as a love letter to that idea. It's a love letter to the pure unbridled joy that only music can bring, to dance culture, to 90's house music, to flicking through stations in the car as a kid until an absolute banger comes on, and then turning it all the way up so everyone on the street could hear what you were playing, could hear what the music said about you." So James discusses these ideas, how the song was conceived around the same time as it was announced that Jigsaw was to close, the resilience of musicians, hopes/fears for the city centre, and what might be next for the Co-Living Culture project. We also chat about his pilot gig at Iveagh Gardens recently, his forthcoming album, and the NBA Finals.
Outro music: Co-Living Culture - 'Renegador'
Denise Chaila had a wild 2020, from playing the National Gallery as part of the Other Voices Courage series to releasing 'Chaila' and then the mixtape GO Bravely, which subsequently won the Choice Prize. In her first interview since the Choice win, she talks about new single '061', reflects on the past 12 months and looks forward to what's next.
Outro music: Denise Chaila - '061'
Royal Yellow is Dublin electronic producer Mark O'Brien, formerly of the much louder band Enemies. He's crafted and honed a chilled, jazz-flecked sound since starting the project a few years ago and has recently released his debut EP, Still: Until, which you can order at royalyellow.bandcamp.com. We talk about the label he's co-founded, collaboration, the state of Dublin venues and clubbing, the workload facing new artists in 2021, and lots more.
Outro music: 'Until' (radio edit)
Following the release of 'No Forever' with MayKay earlier in 2021, Elaine Mai returns with another taste of her forthcoming, long-awaited debut album. 'Still Feel' features Ailbhe Reddy and sounds ready-made for longer summer days. Elaine Mai talks about how it was created over lockdown, why she wanted to work with Ailbhe and what we can expect from her album.
Two guests on this week's episode of the TPOE podcast, both of whom are releasing solo work after playing roles in acclaimed bands.
First up is Neil Dexter, whose band Spies played their final show in Whelan's in February 2020. He's just put out debut single 'Loving You'. He talks about the end of Spies, how they knew it was coming to a close but just didn't know when, when he started thinking about going solo, and how U2's Zoo Station influenced the track.
Then Louise Gaffney talks about spending multiple weekends cooped up trying to finish off her brilliant debut EP Not Even Here, how she hasn't quite put a bow on Come On Live Long, and how her work in visual media provides a similar creative outlet to music.
Music in this episode Neil Dexter - 'Loving You' Louise Gaffney - 'Until'
https://neildexter.bandcamp.com/ louisegaffney.bandcamp.com
Cork-born fiddler, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Clare Sands has recently released the second of her four-part series Tírdreacha agus Fuaimdreacha (Landscapes and Soundscapes). The song itself is called ‘Abair Liom do Rúin (Tell Me Your Secrets)’ and features Steve Cooney and Tommy Sands. The first part was 'Carry My Song', featuring Susan O'Neill. Clare talks about the origins of the project, the making of ‘Abair Liom do Rúin' in particular, including the video which was filmed in freezing conditions up a mountain in Donegal, her musical journey and lots more.
Outro music: Clare Sands - '‘Abair Liom do Rúin'
RnB artist Erica Cody is part of Extraterrestial: A Black Irish Celebration of Identity. It is a free livestream event curated by the National Concert Hall and District taking place this Thursday, May 20 at 8pm, and you can watch on the NCH YouTube/Facebook pages. Other performers include FeliSpeaks, Alicia Raye, Celaviedmai, JyellowL, Reggie and Tebi Rex. On this chat with Erica Cody, we talk about how the event came about, what we can expect from her (new music!), whether it's an event that could have happened even five years ago, Erica's music journey, a little bit of basketball (!) and lots more.
Constance Keane aka Fears released her debut album Oiche last Friday, May 7. It's the first full-length release on her own TULLE label, a women-led independent record label focused on working with and for underrepresented voices in music. We talk about starting a label in a pandemic, the five-year-plus journey of creating Oiche, its 'concept' through growing from challenges, instability, and relationship changes, and writing and presenting such a personal piece of music. We begin by discussing Jigsaw, a venue in Dublin that sadly announced recently that it was closing its doors.
Outro music: Fears - 'Dents'
https://fearsrecords.bandcamp.com/
It's been 10 years since Plugd Records and Gulpd cafe opened their doors at Cork's Triskel Arts Centre - Record Store Day 2011, April 16, to be precise. It was a special time for Cork, and those venues meant a lot to people. To celebrate a glorious six years, a special episode of the TPOE podcast featuring 13 contributors recalling some of their favourite memories at the venue: people who worked there, played there, formed ideas there, danced there, bought records there, nurtured their hangovers there... As well as that, an interview with Jim Horgan, the brains behind it all.
Contributors: Ciaran 'Doxy' Meade Mary Kelleher Francesca De Buyl-pisco Damien 'Not How When' Dan Walsh Senita Aoife Barry Jack Collins Caoilian Sherlock Darren Keane Laurie Shaw Lisa Lemur Ray Wingnut Jim Horgan
You can read all the contributions at Thepointofeverything.com
Promoter Leagues O'Toole joins for the 200th episode of the TPOE podcast, talking about the MusicTown programme they've put together, which includes collaborations between David Kitt and Kevin Barry, and Bob Gallagher and Junior Brother, and special events from the likes of Fears, who'll be showcasing her debut album. We talk about how the past year has been for Leagues, from being let go from Aiken after nearly 10 years to starting his own company, Foggy Notions, and some of the big plans he has for that. There's stories about Daniel Johnston, what the future of gigs looks like, and lots more.
A year without gigs... March 2020 marked a year since our last 'proper' shows. My last one was Girl Band at Cyprus Avenue, Cork, on March 7, 2020. Eoin Aher, who has been booking shows at the venue since 2003 joins to talk about how Covid hit his livelihood, how they've been dealing with it since and whether we can expect gigs later in 2021 (spoiler: hopefully). We then talk about the archive project he's put together for cyprusavenue.ie, listing all of the shows that have been staged there since 2003. We feature early gigs by the likes of Snow Patrol, Gavin James, the Blizzards, Mumford (and no Sons at that time) and lots more, as well as some of our favourite and most memorable - the likes of any Fight Like Apes gig of five in 2007, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and Villagers. Eoin also discusses the venue's refurbishment, the changing tastes of audiences, the importance of the support band and slot, and why they don't book shows based on streaming numbers.
https://www.cyprusavenue.ie/archive
Melbourne-based singer, songwriter and producer Liza Flume goes back a long way with Ireland. When she lived here around 2012-2015, she became involved with small indie label Toast Office Records which put out her first EP Full Steam Ahead in 2013. We talk about those times and the journey around the world, releasing the Spain EP in 2017 before now gearing up for The Right Time EP, coming out next month. Over a cross-continental Zoom call, we discuss the difficulties in just finding your sound as a musician, how Australia has handled Covid and lockdown, the return of gigs (!) and lots more.
Outro music: Liza Flume - 'The Right Time'
https://lizaflume.bandcamp.com/
It's the annual Choice Prize preview show as Eoghan and John Barker (98fm's Totally Irish) go through all 10 nominees for the Irish album of the year and predict who is going to take home the award.
Albums discussed in this order Bitch Falcon – Staring At Clocks Denise Chaila – Go Bravely Fontaines DC – A Hero’s Death JyellowL – 2020 DIvision Róisín Murphy – Róisín Machine Nealo – All The Leaves Are Falling Pillow Queens – In Waiting Ailbhe Reddy – Personal History Niamh Regan – Hemet Silverbacks – Fad
One of the best live bands in the country, Bitch Falcon released their long-awaited debut album Staring at Clocks in November, and have since seen it nominated for the Choice Prize. Lizzie Fitzpatrick, singer and guitarist in the band, joins to talk about how they're a different band now than when they started, both sound wise and following lineup changes, how Staring at Clocks was recorded in just a week, finding her confidence as a lyricist, her work as a nurse during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and just who she wants to see win the Choice Prize next week.
Outro music: Bitch Falcon - 'Gaslight'
It's Choice Prize season - my favourite time of the year! With the Irish album of the year set to be announced on 2fm on March 4, JYellowL, who is nominated for 2020 Division, his debut album which came out in November, joins the podcast to talk about his journey, how the album is just the first step for him, how a Choice Prize ceremony a couple years ago helped inspire him, how he's helping to lift up the rap/hip hop scene in Ireland, returning home to Nigeria earlier this year and his role in the Black Lives Matter movement. He's also a Manchester United fan so we managed to slip a little bit of chat about Ole's boys in too.
JYellowL tour dates: Saturday, October 9: Limelight 2, Belfast Thursday, October 14: Roisin Dubh, Galway Saturday, October 16: Opium, Dublin
Outro music: JYellowL - 'Call it What You Want'
Irish singer-songwriter Nina Hynes has been based in Berlin for over a decade now. Speaking to the TPOE podcast from her German apartment, she discusses her fifth album Zap! which is due for release on February 26 and the difficult story that inspired it. We also talk about how Germany is dealing with Covid-19, being creative in lockdown, how making and releasing music in 2021 compares and contrasts with her first release over 20 years ago, the pressure of releasing music regularly for her Bandcamp subscribers, and turning the sound of a broken fridge into something beautiful.
Outro music: Nina Hynes - 'Holiday'
Elaine Howley (Altered Hours) and Eoin French (Talos) are working together, along with Katie Ellis (Crash Ensemble) on music for Eriu's Threshold, a new multidisciplinary project from the team behind Body & Soul. Featuring an outstanding cast of renowned Irish female talent from the worlds of theatre, dance, film, literature, fashion design, and music, the project interprets the past in response to the current global pandemic. The film features a re-interpretation of Henry Purcell’s aria Dido’s Lament, which is considered, in classical music, one of the most heart-wrenching portrayals of the passing into death. 'Eriu's Threshold', however, reimagines this aria through the Irish mythological goddess, Eriu. The lament was selected as one of the most powerful and timeless expressions of death and loss. It appeals to us to 'Remember' to remember people, remember where we come from, who we are...
It sounds like a fascinating project - you can register for free to watch the film, which premieres on Saturday, February 13 on Bodyandsoul.ie.
Kean Kavanagh released my favourite album of 2020 with Dog Person, a superb melding of genres resulting in something fun, touching and effective. We talk about his journey to the release of his debut album, from co-founding Soft Boy Records to the rise of Kojaque to Kavanagh finding his own voice, as well as how the lockdown has affected his creative process and what's next for both him and the artists on Soft Boy.
Outro music: Kean Kavangh - 'Wake Up'
Listen to/purchase Dog Person: https://keankavanagh.bandcamp.com/album/dog-person
PX Music rapper Citrus Fresh released his debut album Operating System just before Christmas 2020. We talk about its creation over the past year, the formation and development of the PX Music collective in Limerick, the East Coast and South-West All Stars' performance on the Tommy Tiernan Show, and lots more besides.
Outro music: Citrus Fresh - 'Sodacake'
Buy the album: https://witnessthecitrus.bandcamp.com/album/operating-system
Sligo artist Myles Manley released his second (maybe, depending) album, Cometh the Softies, in November 2020. He says the album aims to "navigate the likes of nationalism, capitalism and sexuality via the language of playground bullying". With esoteric titles like 'I Heard Your Mum Call, Michael', 'Shiteshow' and 'Billy Drag vs Ed Sheercunt', it's a more direct hit, over just 26 minutes, than Myles Manley's previous work. Speaking from his temporary home in Delaware, Myles discusses the creation of the album before going back to the start of the 'Myles Manley' project, taking in open mic nights, discovering his voice and figuring out the creative process. We talk about all that plus sexuality, his Aaa video series from 2020 and missing gigs.
Outro music: Myles Manley - 'Were We Under Attack From England?'
It's the annual TPOE Christmas party with Caoilian Sherlock and Aisling O'Riordan. We talk about out year in music, from how it helped us in lockdown to doing and enjoying livestreams throughout 2020. Then we go through our top five albums of the year and then some of our favourite songs and other bits and pieces.
Music featured: Denise Chaila - Chaila Rising Damp - Recognise Fascism Niamh Regan - Save The Day Silverbacks - Dunkirk Ailbhe Reddy - Self-improvement Kean Kavanagh - Roll Over Aoife Nessa Frances - Blow Up Junk Drawer - Year of the Sofa Gemma Dunleavy - Up De Flats CMAT - Rodney
Ian Lynch discusses Lankum's year, from playing sold-out shows at Vicar Street to winning the Choice Prize to touring the US... and then having to use a big chunk of the €10,000 Choice winnings to get back to Ireland when Covid-19 hit. The lockdown helped him delve deeper into his Fire Draw Near podcast, which explored the world of folk and trad music. He's in the midst of a three-part podcast on The Wild Rover. We talk about all this and more in this interview.
You can support Ian and Fire Draw Near at patreon.com/firedrawnear
Ten Past Seven are gearing up to release their third album Long Live the Bogwalrus on November 27 - Rory O'Brien discusses their history, from the US to Kerry to Cork and beyond, finding their sound, the Redneck Manifestor and being part of the instrumental rock scene in Ireland during the latter part of the noughties and everything they've been up to since, leading to recording the new album with John 'Spud' Murphy at Guerrilla Studios in 2019.
Outro Music: Ten Past Seven - 'King Leer'
Irish singer songwriter Seamus Fogarty released his third album A Bag Of Eyes on Domino Records on November 6. We talked just before its release about how it was created, having been borne of the London-based artist "growing weary" of the guitar. We discuss his journey over the past ten-plus years, with detours along the way courtesy of the late Willie Meighan of Rollercoaster Records and King Creosote's Fence Records.
A little from the press release: A Bag Of Eyes is a wholly different sonic prospect to 2017’s much-lauded The Curious Hand. Weary of the guitar, and seeking something darker than its predecessor, he chose to lean more heavily on synths and drum machines, and additionally, to self-produce. “It was about creating and exploring new sound worlds,” Fogarty says. “Experimenting with new ways of incorporating electronics into the songwriting process, and in some cases dispensing with conventional songwriting processes altogether.”
There is industrial judder, slacker-fuzz guitar, a cacophony of saxophones. On one track, ring-modulated drums kick in with oscillating fury. Another moves from 90s’ shit-hole grunge venue to sleazy jazz joint in four minutes. Whilst on a third, a synth is deployed with the express purpose of sawing the listeners’ ears in half, Fogarty attests. However, beneath them lie fragments of melody, image, drone; a flicker of banjo, an electronic pulse. “I like to purposely make music that clashes with the more traditional stuff that I do,” he says.
Donegal pop singer Eve Belle released her debut album In Between Moments at the end of October on Rubyworks. We talked about how she was feeling facing into lockdown 2, not feeling guilty about pop music anymore, the influence of Lorde and Taylor Swift on the album, how Rubyworks helped Eve on her journey, supporting Hozier, and lots more.
Outro music: Eve Belle - 'Bluff' In Between Moments on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5B096MV4IlL4IU3IMPYSo1?si=fA6cE2M-QJaShtkeoyIQoQ
Dundalk singer songwriter Jinx Lennon played (the virtual) Clonakilty International Guitar Festival this year and I was delighted to chat with him for the festival too. We discuss his work in Louth hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, his latest album Border Schizo FFFolk Songs For The Fucd, which was released at the start of the first song, how he's developed over the years, the surge of new music coming from the town via Mary Wallopers, David Keenan et al, plus lots more.
Dublin artist Ailbhe Reddy has just released her brilliant, long-awaited debut album Personal History and talks us through its creation. From touring the UK with Will Varley to her wonderfully brilliant tea ratings, learning the songwriting craft and befriending Pillow Queens and Bitch Falcon along the way, she discusses how she's developed as an artist and why she feels part of a particularly exciting scene in Dublin at the moment.
Dublin artist Caimin Gilmore's chamber folk group Sun Collective released their latest EP on his 32nd birthday over the summer. He talks about how the collective works and we try to delve into the rest of his prolific music career, from playing with various orchestras including Crash Ensemble, to touring with Lisa Hannigan and making music with Damon Albarn at his gaff in Iceland. We also discuss the world of orchestras and trying to get into the audition room, as well as his holidays in Cork.
Outro music: Sun Collective - Swallow
Pillow Queens release their long-awaited debut album on September 25. Guitarist/vocalist Sarah Corcoran talks about how the album was created, the burgeoning music scene in Dublin, how Covid affected the band's plans for 2020, touring with Soak, and lots more.
Ireland / UK tour 2021 19.02 Listowel Mike the Pies 26.02 Dublin Button Factory 27.02 Dublin Button Factory 04.03 Kilkenny Set Theatre 05.03 Galway Roisin Dubh 06.03 Limerick Dolans 11.03 Belfast Ulster Sports Club 12.03 Dundalk Spirit Store 13.03 Derry Sandinos 25.04 Glasgow Stereo 26.04 Manchester Yes 28.04 London The Lexington 29.04 Brighton Green Door Store 30.04 Liverpool Arts Club Loft 04.05 Birmingham Sunflower Lounge 06.05 Bristol Crofters Rights
Outro music: Pillow Queens - 'Handsome Wife'
Clonakilty International Guitar Festival is going ahead virtually in 2020 - co-organisers Ray Blackwell of De Barra's and Kev McNally talk about how it came about, how it was all recorded, what they're looking forward to and how great it was to see musicians doing what they do best again.
Galway singer-songwriter Niamh Regan has just released her debut album Hemet on new Galway label Black Gate Records. She talks about how it came to be, how she tried to write a radio-friendly song for the first time, the influence of her first band Juhn Echo, writing with her husband, the grief that informs Hemet, and lots more.
Outro music: Niamh Regan - Save The Day.
But Hemet at https://niamhregan.bandcamp.com/
Northern Irish singer songwriter Joshua Burnside releases his second album Into the Depths of Hell on Friday, September 4. Ahead of its release he talks about the expectations for the album, how his granny is his harshest critic, the tragic loss of Lyndon Stephens, who was a big influence on Burnside as well as the Belfast music scene, his fear of flying, and lots more
Buy/preorder the album: https://joshuaburnside.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-depths-of-hell
Outro music: 'And You Evade Him/Born in the Blood'
Emperor of Ice Cream are one of those Cork bands who always get mentioned after the likes of Frank & Walters and Sultans of Ping - but whatever happened to them? A feature in the Irish Examiner earlier this year rekindled the relationship between the members and, after releasing two singles in the past couple of months, they're gearing up to finally put that debut album out into the world, almost 30 years on. I talked to singer John 'Haggis' Hegarty about how they got back together, what it's like working on this 'new' old music, how things were back in the day, Sir Henry's and Nirvana and lots more.
Outro music: Emperor of Ice Cream - 'Everyone Looks So Fine'
Dublin-based five piece Silverbacks release their debut album Fad on Friday, July 17. Frontman Daniel O'Kelly discusses the creation of the album, made with Girl Band's Daniel Fox on production duty; finding confidence as a singer/lyricist and as a band as a whole; Simpsons and John Hughes films; the Dublin guitar rock scene; and the story behind 'Just in the Band', one of the best Irish singles of the past five/ten years.
Buy Fad at https://silverbacks.bandcamp.com/album/fad
Outro music: Silverbacks - 'Muted Gold'
Zara Hedderman returns to the TPOE podcast to talk about some of our favourite albums from the past three months. We discuss Fiona Apple, Charli XCX, Phoebe Bridgers, Laura Marling, Perfume Genius, Bob Dylan, Blake Mills and more. Then we turn our focus to Ireland, from albums by Bleeding Heart Pigeons and Brigid Mae Power to singles from the likes of Ailbhe Reddy and CMAT, finishing up with a little bit on Fontaines DC.
Limerick rapper Murli released a powerful new track recently off an EP off the same name, Till The Wheels Fall Off, that drops July 4. He talks about how the track was created, how it was born out of a racist incident at a football match and how now, with protests swelling around the world due to the murder of George Floyd in the US, was the right time to release it. We also talk about his journey from Rusangano Family to producer and back to rap as well as the rapport and support he, Denise Chaila and God Knows give each other.
Limerick trio Bleeding Heart Pigeons have released one of the best albums of the year so far with their second album Stir. Singer Mícheál Keating explains their journey to date, from major label to going independent, feeling part of the thriving Limerick scene and their sound.
Outro music: Bleeding Heart Pigeons - 'All For The Best'
Order Stir: https://bleedingheartpigeons.bandcamp.com/album/stir
Berlin-based act Evvol released their second album The Power earlier this month. Comprised of Dublin artist Julie Chance and Australian producer Jane Arnison, they say the album is a meditation on love, the intimate and personal offering is a product of turning their thoughts inward after time spent considering the state of the world and politics over the last year. Julie is the guest on the TPOE podcast to talk about their suffering from coronavirus, how it affected the album's release, the misogynistic music industry, DJing, Berlin nightlife v Dublin (take me to Radiant Love!!!), and more.
Outro music: Evvol - 'It's OK'
Fresh from releasing Murmuration, his debut album under the guise of Swimmers Jackson, Niall Jackson joins from his London home to discuss its creation, as well as Weezer's influence, how it differs from his other bands Bouts and Sweat Threats, how it helped "catalogue my 30s", getting through lockdown with help from Tim Burgess' Twitter listening parties, Irish music, and Normal People. Buy the album: https://swimmersjackson.bandcamp.com/album/murmuration
Outro music: Swimmers Jackson - 'Summer's Here'
Brian McNamara and Viva Dean aka Brave Young Soldier released their debut EP I Live Here on May 1. Brian talks about how the project started in New York while they were living there together and how the sound developed. Then he explains how he helped co-found Dublin Digital Radio (DDR) a few years ago while driving back from Open Ear Festival, how the station has grown in the interim and how the lockdown has actually galvanised the station. We also discuss Galway, clubbing, the Give Us The Night campaign and more.
Dublin-based artist Naoise Roo has just released the Sick Girlfriend EP, her first new collection of music since debut album Lility in 2015. We talk about her taking a break from music, the mental health impact of being an artist nowadays, Fiona Apple, working with Rian Trench and Daniel Fox on the new EP and, of course, the Covid-19 lockdown.
Outro music: Naoise Roo - Black Hole
Buy the Sick Girlfriend EP at https://naoiseroo.bandcamp.com/
Belfast four piece Junk Drawer release their debut album Ready for the House on Friday, April 24. Singer/guitarist Stevie Lennox joins to discuss how the band developed, the influence of Pavement, how epilepsy has affected him and how he's tackled it and channelled it in the lyrics, why record labels like Art for Blind are still important, and plenty more besides. You can buy the album at https://junkdrawerbelfast.bandcamp.com/
Dublin four piece The Scratch released their debut album Couldn't Give a Rats at the end of March, having moved it up by three months. It followed a YouTube livestream on St Patrick's Day which got over 10,000 views. Conor Dockery talks about how the band fomed out of metal group Red Enemy, how busking was key to their development, along with realising certain things about being in a band don't matter as much as you think, the rise of trad music, plus moving the album release date forward and THAT album cover, as well as the impact of Covid-19.
After the release of her brilliant new album Future Nostalgia, has that elevated Dua Lipa into the upper echelons of the pop world? Journalist and music critic Louise Bruton joins to run through the world of pop through not one but five lists - Eternal top pop female idols - Personal faves - Hottest acts in the world right now - Arthouse pop (entities unto themselves) - One and done - but more to come
Louise knows all their is to know about pop so expect chat about her interview with Little Mix from the Irish Times, Beyonce, Rihanna, songwriters and teams behind the stars, should-be-stars like Victoria Monet and Teyana Taylor, Charli XCX, Roisin Murphy ("our greatest export"), Christine and the Queens, and lots more.
The first quarter of 2020 is in the books - music critic Zara Hedderman returns to the TPOE podcast to talk coping in the time of coronavirus, livestreaming gigs, albums of the year (Destroyer, Stephen Malkmus, Dua Lipa, Waxahatchee, Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Tame Impala and more) and the best of Irish music so far.
This week's guest on the TPOE podcast is the Dublin rapper Paul Alwright aka Lethal Dialect, who's recently released the final part of his LD50 trilogy, which began in 2011. He's got two other albums under his belt as well, including one under his own name, Hungry, which came out in 2018. Over Skype, Alwright discusses why he went back to the Lethal Dialect moniker, life under coronavirus, life in a changing Dublin, being a 'social issues' rapper, and lots more.
Cork artist Ruairi Lynch celebrated 10 years of making music as Bantum by dropping a new track 'Gully' .We talk about how he's developed over the decade, collaborating with the likes of God Knows and Denise Chaila, supporting Jon Hopkins and Janus Rasmussen(Kiasmos), the burgeoning Limerick scene, dealing with stress, as well as discussing the effect of the coronavirus. We were both at the Girl Band gig in Cyprus Avenue on March 7 so finish by talking about how great they are.
Outro music: Bantum - 'Gully'
Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson aka CMAT and Rachael Lavelle were the guests on a live recording of the TPOE podcast at Plugd over the Quarter Block Party weekend earlier this year. Relatively new artists, they talk about the art of songwriting, retreats/workshops, stanning each other's music, support from the Irish music industry and what to expect from both of them over 2020 and beyond.
It's the annual TPOE-Totally Irish Choice Prize preview show! Eoghan and John Barker go through each of the 10 nominees for Irish album of the year before predicting who we think is going home with the award. The show takes place at Vicar Street on Thursday, March 5.
The nominees Daithi - L.O.S.S. Mick Flannery - Mick Flannery Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel Girl Band - The Talkies Jafaris – Stride Junior Brother - Pull The Right Rope Lankum - The Livelong Day Soak - Grim Town Maija Sofia - Bath Time Sorcha Richardson - First Prize Bravery
Dublin-based band Autre Monde release their debut album The Imaginary Museum on Strange Brew Records this Friday, February 28. After playing together and with each other in various bands under the Popical Island collective, the foursome - Paddy Hanna (vocals), Padraig Cooney (bass, synth, vocals), Mark Chester (guitar) and Eoghan O’Brien (drums, synth, backing vocals) - got together and had their first rehearsal on the last day of the Popical Island space, the Pop Inn. After a couple of singles and EPs since 2017, they finally release this brilliant debut album, recorded with Daniel Fox (Girl Band) and which was done with the organising principle of making a record “by a band who were playing esoteric post-punk in 1979 but who are now transplanted to 1986 where a hit is demanded”.
Over a 50-minute chat in their hostel room at Kinlay House after a show at Quarter Block Party early in February, Autre Monde talk about band injuries, how they got together, Popical Island, 'bockety' music, Strange Brew, and lots more.
Press release: Autre Monde emerged from the ashes of the Popical Island collective as its headquarters fell victim to the city’s relentless purge of cultural spaces in 2017. Indeed, the first Autre Monde rehearsal was on the last day of the Pop Inn’s existence as a venue/rehearsal/recording space on Little Britain Street. They quickly gained attention for their early singles and stirring live performances, with The Thin Air insisting they were “one of the very best bands in the country”. The Irish Times noted that Autre Monde were “mining Television, ESG, Suicide and the The Slits”, and that’s about right. A murky, exploratory self-titled EP followed (with 8-minute Can via Pentangle-channelling highlight 'Your Name' still a favourite in live sets) before the band set out to make "The Imaginary Museum" in summer 2018. They signed to Strange Brew in 2019 in time to release the first fruits of those sessions. The first single from The Imaginary Museum, Fever in May, was used in an Audi ad in late 2019. They have been invited to play at the 2020 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
Matt Corrigan aka Ghostking Is Dead is a young artist from Cork City who releases his third EP, Fever Dreaming, via the Hausu Collective on February 28. He talks about how an older track featuring on the Needle Drop drove him to work harder on his music to reach this current phase. We chat about the vibrant Cork scene, his playing with Alex Gough, writing lyrics, Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood, Hausu, and lots more.
Ghostking Is Dead play Plugd Records on February 13 with support from Damsel and Arthur Valentine.
Music Featured: Ghostking Is Dead: 'Palm Tree'
Galway-born, Dublin-based artist Maija Sofia released her debut album Bath Time at the tail end of 2019 and began 2020 with a Choice Music Prize nomination for Irish album of the year, to be decided on March 5. It's a brilliantly immersive listen, one that continues to reward return listens. On the podcast, Maija discusses writing, songwriting, how the album came together, genre and defining her sound (not indie pop!), the Choice Prize nomination and who she'd like to see win, and her show at Cork's Quarter Block Party this Saturday, February 8, with Lemoncello in Coughlan's.
A live TPOE podcast also takes place at Quarter Block Party: Plugd (upstairs at the Roundy), 4pm-5pm, Saturday, February 8 - and it's free!
Bath Time press release Sofia took inspiration from story-driven traditional folk ballads and shone them through the lens of a punk DIY ethos. The album name comes from the ritual of daily bathing, a whimsical place where most of the lyrics were written. Tracks on the album shine a light on the voices and stories of women through history, from Edie Sedgwick to Bridget Cleary, and the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church. The album was recorded by Chris Barry at Ailfionn Studio and features performances by Ronan Kealy (Junior Brother) and Niall Murphy (Oh Boland).
‘The Gold Shoes’, opens the album tentatively, it’s an ethereal opening before the melancholic and dark ‘Hail Mary’, which starts soft, but the music grows in power alongside the protagonist, as the harp feeds into it more, building on the haunting sound with the complexity and depth of Thom Yorke. ‘Edie Sedgwick’, named after the muse of Andy Warhol has alt-country elements from lap steel player Niall Murphy (Oh Boland) and cellist Laura McCabe (Molly Sterling). ‘The Wife of Michael Cleary’ is an ode to Bridget Cleary, killed by her husband in 1895. Michael Cleary believed his wife had been abducted by fairies with a changeling left in her place. The male vocal is provided by off kilter alt-folk Junior Brother, with singing in the round building tension.
‘The Glitter’ is disturbingly beautiful, an ode to Jean Rhys, a troubled novelist from the Carribean who came to England aged 16 and dealt with issues of displacement and unbelonging. As is ‘Cobweb’ with Sofia’s rich contralto “I didn’t know I was on my own. I’m only as wise as you.” ‘Morning’ mourns lost relationship and the failure of trying to fix a flawed lover. ‘Elizabeth’ is brighter too, but still poignant. ‘The Trees They Do Grow High’ is sung the point of view of a woman forced into marriage too young, watching her children grow and speaking to them. The album wraps around the listener like a velvet cloak, time is irrelevant, and the pain and segregation of female life has been sharply observed by Sofia.
'Bath Time' is a collection of songs written between Dublin, London and rural Galway, it was recorded slowly over several months by Chris Barry in Ailfionn Studio in Dublin. The guitar and vocals tracks were recorded all in one take and then others we brought in to finish the piece - Niall Murphy from Oh Boland plays lap steel and synths, Christophe Capewell who plays with Lisa O'Neill played fiddle, harp by Meabh McKenna, synths by Clara Tracey, and Cello by Laura McCabe, and some guest vocals by Ronan Kealy (Junior Brother).
Journalist Mike McGrath-Bryan (Red on Red podcast, The Echo, Nialler9.com) joins to look back at the decade in Cork music, from venues that have come and gone and come again to bands who burned brightly and briefly and ones who continue to put out great music. From the rap scene to the experimental/improve scene, there's loads that we could have talked about - this is but a mere snapshot of how Cork music looked and sounded in the 2010s.
Music featured Altered Hours - Hey No Way Saint Yorda - Disco Elastic Sleep - Anywhere O Emperor - Make It Rain Young Wonder - To You Shookrah - Big Bitch Energy Fred - Skyscrapers Yenkee - Are You Alright?
The rise of rap music in Ireland was one of the themes of the 2010s - journalist/critic Dean Van Nguyen joins the pod to run down some of the defining artists of the decade, from Lecs Luther/Rejjie Snow to Kojaque, Rusangano Family to Mango, and new acts such as Denise Chaila, Reggie and Boy W1DR. We also tackle Versatile, Kanye West's gospel album, and Ciara and crunk'n'B
Buy Iron Age: The Art of Ghostface Killah by Dean Van Nguyen at https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1094740004/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_aCzhEbVBNVWP3
Music played: Lecs Luther - Dia Dhuit Kojaque - Last Pint Mango x Mathman - Said & Done Rusangano Family - Lights On Nealo - Angel on my Shoulder Denise Chaila - Man Like Me (Sim Simma Soundsystem) Boy W1DR - TTMN
Junior Brother released my favourite album of 2019 in Pull The Right Rope so I was delighted to chat with him for the TPOE podcast as part of the Quiet Lights festival in the Kino in late November - thanks to Jon Pearson and the whole team for having me. I talked to Junior about his stellar 2019, supporting the likes of Glen Hansard and the Proclaimers, the backing - at just the right time - from Galway's Strange Brew Records, what's next, and lots more. You're going to hear two live tracks from JB recorded at a TPOE podcast earlier in 2019 - 'Coping' and 'No Country for Young Men' - and there's also a clip of 'Purple Circle' in there too as we go deep on my favourite track on the album
Caoilian Sherlock and Aisling O'Riordan join the podcast as we round off our lookback on 2019. They share their top albums of the year as we deviate into talking points about venues in Cork (they work at the reopened Kino), mental health, Girl Band, Irish music in general, Lizzo, Beyonce and Solange, festivals such as Glastonbury and Primavera, Caoilian's own burgeoning music career, and then we go through our favourite gigs of the year, from End of the Road shows to Fontaines DC to Other Voices.
Journalist and music critic Zara Hedderman returns to run through our international albums of the year in part two of our best of 2019 podcast roundup, following the Irish songs and albums of the year show last week. From Weyes Blood to Ariana Grande and Vampire Weekend, we discuss our favourites records from a brilliant 12 months of music.
Any thoughts or comments on the show, email thepointofeverything@gmail.com
Journalist and music critic Zara Hedderman returns for our best of 2019 podcast running through the Irish singles and albums of the year (international run-through to come). There are some tracks featured throughout the episode but check out thepointofeverything.com to hear all the songs and search TPOE on Spotify. It's been a great year for Irish music and this is just a taster.
Ashley Keating talks us through 30 years of the Frank & Walters in a live interview done in the Kino as part of the inaugural Cork Podcast Festival. From the very first gig on October 14, 1989 in De Barras through to Top of the Pops, Trains, Boats and Planes and Grand Parade, Setanta Records and much more, he's an open book on the long exalting journey of the Cork band.
Frank & Walters live dates: December 7: Whelan's, Dublin December 14: Connolly's of Leap December 20: Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Dublin rap/hip-hop duo Mango x Mathman released their long-awaited debut album Casual Work in early November, preceded by lead single 'Deep Blue', featuring Lisa Hannigan. Having started out together as part of the Animators, Mango and Mathman got together in the mid-2010s and have really honed their craft - and live show - over the intervening years. We talk about how that happened, how Casual Work changed and mutated and how Hannigan became involved in the project, plus railing against the changing face of Dublin and its hotelification, while chatting in a Dublin city centre hotel
Dublin's Soda Blonde released their debut EP Terrible Hands on November 8 and ahead of an Ireland/UK tour, singer Faye O'Rourke talks about how they grew out of Little Green Cars, where these songs came from, what they hope to achieve with Soda Blonde and lots more.
Soda Blonde tour dates: November 16: The Kino, Cork November 23: Roisin Dubh, Galway November 26: Paper Dress Vintage, London November 27: Soup Kitchen, Manchester November 29: Dolan's, Limerick December 6: The Black Box, Belfast December 15-16: Whelan's, Dublin
Press release: Soda Blonde are fronted by singer-songstress Faye O’Rourke, Adam O’Regan (keys and guitar), Donagh Seaver O’Leary (bass) and Dylan Lynch (drums), who all emerged from the ashes of internationally acclaimed band Little Green Cars. The transformation is led by a distinctive new sound which seamlessly weaves together influences from Fleetwood Mac, Little Dragon, Bat for Lashes and Kate Bush whilst still keeping the integrity and unique charm that sky-rocketed Little Green Cars’ success. The result… enticing, dreamy alternative-pop music. This new collection of songs titled as the Terrible Hands EP (self-produced by the band themselves at their Dublin HQ) were all written by lead singer Faye O’Rourke throughout her early 20s where she honed in on her unique lyrical style that has been called gritty kitchen-sink realism, evoking the tragic beauty of Karen Carpenter and the pop sensibilities of Annie Lennox
”In light of the times we live in 'Terrible Hands' was chosen as the title track for our EP. It touches on failed relationships, personal short comings and self-discovery. It was written over a hugely transitional period for all of us and was nothing but joy to create. We’ve been busy preparing the new material for the last few months and are so excited to get to share them to a live audience.” – Faye O’Rourke
Dublin artist Sorcha Richardson releases her long-awaited debut album First Prize Bravery via Faction Records on November 8. Ahead of its release, and while on tour supporting Honeyblood in the UK, Sorcha talks about her journey from Dublin to New York to Los Angeles and back again, how the creative scene in Dublin helped her find her voice, why she left her drumming days behind, and how the road-trip and positive vibes shine through on her debut album.
Sorcha Richardson tour dates: November 20: Whelan's, Dublin November 21: Winthrop Avenue, Cork November 22: Roisin Dubh, Galway
Cork band Shookrah have released their long-awaited, self-titled debut album, which you can buy at https://shookrah.bandcamp.com/. Emmet and Senita talk about the creation process of the album, finding their groove, the fraught nature of band votes, Spotify playlists, collaborating with God Knows and more.
Shookrah are playing two album launch shows: November 15: The Kino, Cork November 17: Bello Bar, Dublin
Dundalk artists Andrew and Charles Hendy aka rappes TPM and trad band The Mary Wallopers (where they're joined by Sean McKenna)were the guests on a live episode of the TPOE podcast recorded at O'Donovan's Hotel as part of Clonakilty International Guitar Festival 2019. We talked about how they started each act, their audiences, DIY, Richie Kavanagh, Dundalk, curry and lots more. Thanks to Ray, Kevin and everybody involved at the Guitar Festival for having us.
TPM Heaven is a Harp Pint tour" November 8: Spirit Store, Dundalk November 15: Bennigans, Derry November 19: Workman's Club, Dublin November 29: The Kino, Cork November 30: Pharmacia, Limerick
The Mary Wallopers live dates: December 6: De Barra's, Clonakilty, Co Cork December 12: Whelan's, Dublin, supporting Junior Brother
Tandem Felix have released one of the best albums of the year with their long-awaited debut, Rom-Com. Frontman David Tapley talks about how it was created, the journey of the band, country music, how 'playing the game' isn't for him, the greatest job he ever had, the Irish music non-industry and lots more.
Tandem Felix tour dates: November 14: The Kino, Cork November 16: Ulster Sports Club, Belfast w/ Arborist November 21: Bello Bar, Dublin
David Geraghty aka Join Me In The Pines, and one part of Bell X1, recently released Monomania, his fourth solo album and second under the Pines moniker. It's brilliant, flowing with 80s synths and Prince references. In our interview, we chat about his upcoming tour dates, how the new sound and album came about, how he fell out of, and back in, love with music, Prince, what to expect from new Bell X1, and lots more.
Join Me In The Pines tour dates: Friday, October 11: The Commercial, Limerick Saturday, October 12: The Black Gate Theatre, Galway Friday, October 18: Coughlan’s, Cork Saturday, October 19: Lost Lane, Dublin
A Lazarus Soul have made one of the Irish albums of the year in The D They Put Between The R And L. Ahead of a show at Whelan's on October 30, Brian Brannigan talks about the recording process behind it, how album highlight 'Long Balconies' came right near the end, why it's the happiest he's ever been with an album after 20 years or so of being a band, the changing Dublin music scene, their stellar set at All Together Now, and lots more.
Brian Brannigan was nicknamed Lazarus by his mother. She was told he wouldn’t survive at birth & when he did, he was diagnosed with a form of Spina bifida. He pulled through major surgery early in life, only to be diagnosed with cancer in his teens. A mixture of good fortune & surgery saved him again. However this trauma had a huge effect on a young mind & songwriting became his coping mechanism, his way of figuring out the world. His songs became those of A Lazarus Soul & Brannigan has gone on to build a reputation as one of Ireland’s finest lyrical commentators.
The first 3 ALS albums, ALSRecord (2001), Graveyard of Burnt Out Cars (2007), Through a Window in the Sunshine Room had revolving cast of musicians from other Irish bands including 10 Speed Racer, Mexican Pets, Future Kings of Spain, Sunbear & Rollerskate Skinny. However they all heavily featured the music of & were produced/ arranged by one of Ireland's finest producers/ musicians, Joe Chester.
After becoming a father, Brannigan all but quit playing live until he was asked (at 2 years olds birthday party) to play a tribute gig to his hero, Mark E Smith. He asked Joe, Julie Bienvenu (Lines drawing Circles) & Anton Hegarty (Future Kings & ALS stalwart since “Graveyard” days) to accompany him. With only an hour’s rehearsal, something very special happened in Stoneybatter that night, the line-up of ALS solidified.
Together they released “Last of the Analogue Age” in late 2014. It was made album of the week by John Meagher (Newstalk), Alan Jacques (Limerick Live 95) & Dan Hegarty (2FM). It was included in many end of year top ten including the Irish Independent & Newstalk. It was album of the year for Tom Dunne (Newstalk), Alan Jacques (Limerick 95) & Paul Page (Between the Bars blog/ Whipping Boy).
Ahead of the release of their third album in two decades, Before There Was Air, Boa Morte sat down to chat about their creative process, influences such as Sigur Ros, the changing Cork scene over the last 20 years, Spotify and lots more. Before There Was Air is released on Gare Du Nord Records on September 27, 2019.
Press release: Before There Was Air is only the band’s third album in two decades, but that mirrors the stately pace of their music. Set for release this September, Before There Was Air sees Boa Morte infuse their brand of slow-burning, alternative folk with elements of electronic, ambient and new-classical music. The album was recorded last year at Herbert Place Studios, with James Darkin at the desk. To fully capture the subtleties of the band’s quiet dynamic, Darkin installed them in the same room with the mics opened wide. The basic tracks were then layered with analogue synths, drones, piano, wind, strings and effects. This distinctive compositional and textural mix prompted both London’s Gare Du Nord Records and Tremolo Publishing to sign the band this year.
Boa Morte formed in Cork, Ireland in 1998, rising from the dust of a couple of ragged but respected indie bands. By the end of that year, the band released their Passenger, Measure Your Time debut EP, produced by Mark Carolan. That record sparked significant record label interest, culminating in the band signing to US label Moodfood Records, home of Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown.
The debut album was produced by Daniel Presley, well respected for his work with Spain and The Breeders. But just before the scheduled release date, Moodfood went bankrupt. It took the band (and their lawyers) until 2002 to recover the tapes.
In stepped Shoeshine Records, the Glasgow imprint run by Teenage Fanclub drummer Francis MacDonald. In July 2002, Soon It Will Come Time To Face The World Outside, Boa Morte’s debut album, was released to widespread critical acclaim. Those impressed by the record included Uncut, Mojo, Q Magazine and John Peel. The band toured throughout Ireland and the UK with the likes of Teenage Fanclub and Calexico.
Boa Morte’s second album, The Dial Waltz (2009) followed a similar aesthetic and was equally well-received, Q magazine hailing the record as a “supremely elegant sound-track for staring into your half-empty pint.”
But now the glass is full again. You can hear a decade of listening on Before There Was Air, a record that distils broad musical influences to enhance their singular, tuneful avant-folk, while remaining distinctly Boa Morte.
Live Dates: Saturday October 19 - The Roundy, Cork Thursday October 24 - Barbello, Dublin
Rosie Carney discusses her stellar year so far, which began with the release of her superb debut album Bare and continues this weekend at Sounds From A Safe Harbour in Cork city - she plays Coughlan's at 7pm on Sunday, September 15. She talks about her journey to date, from being dropped by Polydor to recording with Lisa Hannigan, the pressure of Spotify streams in the millions of plays, and what's next.
Ahead of released a new self-titled collaboration album with fellow Gloaming member Thomas Bartlett, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh joins the TPOE podcast to talk about how it was recorded, his journey in music, his own bespoke instrument the hardanger d'amore, improvising, and not having a phone. Caoimhín and Thomas play Live at St Luke's on Saturday, September 14, as part of Sounds From A Safe Harbour Festival
Mary Hickson is the director of Sounds From A Safe Harbour festival, which returns to Cork city for its third edition from September 10-15, 2019, featuring the likes of Feist, Damien Rice, Efterklang, Thomas Bartlett and Caoimhin O Raghallaigh, and lots more. It's curated by Mary, alongside the Dessner brothers Aaron and Bryce, Enda Walsh and Cillian Murphy. I talked to Mary about the new Bon Iver album (she's worked with him on festivals and he appeared at Sounds From A Safe Harbour 2017), Cillian Murphy's musical potential, 37d03d festival in Berlin and beyond, and what to expect at Safe Harbour this year.
This week on the TPOE podcast is a live recording, from O'Mahony's of Watergrasshill during the Mystery Bus Tour of Crosstown Drift litfest, where I got to interview Emilie Pine (Notes to Self) and Ian Maleney (Minor Monuments) about writing their non-fiction books; Tramp Press, which published both of them; and what's next for both of them.
Knockanstockan returns to Blessington, Co Wicklow on July 19-21, 2019 with another stellar lineup, from Mango, TPM and Powpig to Junior Brother, Soda Blonde and about 100 more. It's going to be an amazing weekend - and my first time going to Knockanstockan. So I thought I better get the down-low from music director Graham Sharpe about what to expect, how the festival survived, thrived, took a break in 2017 and came back better than ever in 2018. We also discuss Graham's tinnitus. See you in Wicklow. Knockanstockan.ie
A House are playing as A House Is Dead to perform I Am Still The Greatest this Saturday, June 29, at the National Concert Hall as they receive the NCH/Imro Trailblazer Award that was first awarded to Microdisney in 2018. Dave Couse and Fergal Bunbury are the sole remaining members and ahead of the show I talked to Couse, over his landline in Cavan, about why they're getting together for their first show since February 1997, how rehearsals are going, how he feels the songs have help up, music in Ireland and Dublin in the 80s and 90s, why they never (well, only once) sold out, his stint as a radio DJ on Today FM, and lots more.
Gemma and Morgan aka Saint Sister talk about their recent US tour, playing NPR's Tiny Desk, the special moment when they first met each other in college, my song of 2018 'Twin Peaks', new music, knitting and what's next.
Saint Sister tour dates: September 12: Connollys of Leap, Cork September 13: Set Theatre, Kilkenny September 14: Dolan’s, Limerick September 19: Empire Music Hall, Belfast September 20: The Glassworks, Derry September 26: Crescent Concert Hall, Drogheda September 27 & 28: Pepper Canister Church, Dublin
Mick Flannery is a busy boy at the moment - he's releasing his self-titled sixth studio album on July 5 and has collaborated to turn his 2007 album Evening Train into a musical of the same name for Cork Midsummer. It runs at the Everyman June 14-23.
Synopsis: West Cork: Grace dreams of a new life far away from here as she waits for Luther; he's late. Again. Elsewhere in town, bartender Frank surrenders yet another paycheck to cover his reckless brother's gambling debts, while Luther promises Grace that by Christmas, he'll have made enough money to get them out of here. Before long, a high stakes game is underway in which everyone is a player, whether they like it or not.
He talks to Zara Hedderman about how Evening Train (the musical) came about, making music with other songwriters, his journey in music, keeping things challenging and more.
Vicky Langan is a Cork-based artist and is also involved in putting together the fourth edition of Open Ear Festival, which takes place on Sherkin Island, West Cork, this weekend, May 30 to June 2. It's a bit different to the music festival norm, which gives a platform to Irish artists involved in the experimental and electronic music scene. Tickets might still be available on openear.ie. I talked to Vicky about some of the acts playing this year's edition, what we can expect from her own set with Aaron Dilloway, how she got involved in Open Ear and what's involved in putting something like this together, her own music, It Takes a Village, Junior Brother and more.
The Point Of Everything podcast returned to It Takes A Village festival in Trabolgan for a panel on The State Of Cork. Ellie O'Byrne (journalist), Greg Dowling (Fish Go Deep) and Lisa O'Flynn (DJ, Plugd) discuss some of the issues facing the arts in Cork, from artist spaces - or the lackthereof - to the events centre, drawing a crowd, later closing times and more.
Pillow Queens (Cathy, Pamela, Rachel and Sarah) are one of my favourite bands of recent years so I was delighted to talk to them on the eve of their UK/EU tour supporting Soak. They talk about tour prep, not forming on a basketball court, how 'Gay Girls', one of the songs of the decade, came about, and what's next for the four piece.
Pillow Queens Irish tour dates: May 28 - Live at St Luke’s, Cork May 29 - Dolan’s, Limerick May 30 - Button Factory, Dublin May 31 - The Glassworks Derry June 1 - Vantastival, Drogheda June 2 - K-Fest, Kerry June 3 - Forbidden Fruit, Dublin June 21-23 - Body & Soul Festival, Westmeath June 29 - Mother Pride Block Party, Dublin August 1-3 - All Together Now Festival, Waterford
- supporting Soak
Cian Ó Cíobháin marks 20 years of An Taobh Tuathail this week. Broadcast on Raidio na Gaeltachta, Monday to Friday, 10pm to midnight, the show runs the gamut of genres, from ambient, folk and soundscape, to indie, techno and dance. It's a voyage of discovery. Over a 45-minute interview, Cian discusses how he got involved in radio, how his love of music developed, what listeners can expect from his show this week to mark the anniversary, and lots more.
Anna Mieke releases her debut album, Idle Mind, on Friday, April 26. It's been honed and crafted over the past number of years as the singer-songwriter toured the country and travelled the world, from Wicklow to Granada, Cork to New Zealand. We talk about how her tracks have developed over the years, where inspiration comes from and what - and where - is next for one of the best new artists in the country.
Anna Mieke tour dates: April 24: The Spirit Store, Dundalk (presented by Homebeat) April 25: : Plugd Records, Upstairs at The Roundy, Cork (presented by Homebeat) April 26: Unitarian Church, Dublin (presented by Homebeat) April 27: Róisín Dubh, Galway (presented by Homebeat) May 12: Trabolgan, Cork - It Takes A Village Festival
Ian Maleney released his debut collection of essays, Minor Monuments, on Tramp Press at the end of March. He writes intimately about the family homestead in the midlands, his role in it, and how Alzheimer's took hold as his grandfather suffered from the disease. We talk about how the collection developed, how Tramp got involved and life in 2019 Ireland
Ahead of releasing their second album No Man Can Tell on Penske Records on April 12, Cork artist Dan Walsh returns to the TPOE podcast to discuss how it was recorded and the ideas and musicians behind it. Dan appeared on TPOE 37 if you want a more general overview/interview of Fixity - this chat goes in deep on No Man Can Tell.
Fixity tour dates: 12/04 - Cork | Plugd 13/04 - Waterford | The Rogue Gallery & Studios 20/04 - Letterkenny | Disturbance [No.58] 25/04 - Galway | The Black Gate Cultural Centre 26/04 - Limerick | The Commercial 27/04 - Clifden | Mullarkeys Bar Clifden 02/05 - Dublin | Anseo Camden Street 04/05 - Ballydehob | Levis' Bar 05/05 - London | New River Studios
Bob Gallagher has directed some of my favourite music videos of recent years for some of my favourite bands, including Pillow Queens, Villagers and Girl Band. He recently held his first solo photography exhibition at the Darkroom on North Brunswick Street in Dublin City. Entitled Forced Perspective, it was an experiment with an analogue photographic process and 3D stills. Acts featured included Wastefellow, Loah, TPM, Naoise Roo, Villagers, The Claque and Junior Brother. On April 18 at Dublin's Button Factory, Gallagher takes part in Under My Garage, a late-night 'talk show' featuring discussion, music and live visuals. "Now, for one night only, Gallagher invites you on a journey through his subconscious, transforming the Button Factory into the set of a fictional late night talk show to meet some of his closest collaborators, dissect his work, watch some never-before-seen footage and find out where the bodies are buried. Warning: it will be weird." It features Conor O’Brien (Villagers), Pillow Queens, Myles Manley, Cal Folger Day and Bryan Quinn, with more to be announced - and music from the Under My Garage House Band.
Brid O'Donovan talked to Bob about his photography process for the Forced Perspective exhibition, how it came about, collaboration and what's next.
Eithne Ni Chathain aka Inni-K released her second album, The Hare and the Line, at the start of March. On release day, I went to Eithne's house to talk about the excitement of a new release, the work that's involved, the process that led to the creation of the follow-up to debut album The King has Two Horse’s Ears.
"If it's your goal to be an artist and to write music and to play music, it's an ongoing process, you keep at it"
Inni-K tour dates: April 5: Coughlan’s, Cork April 6: Levis’, Ballydehob, Co. Cork April 11: Whelan’s, Dublin April 12: Black Gate Cultural Centre, Galway April 26: Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare May 9: Verein 08, Vienna, Austria May 16: Bettstadt Bar, Lucerne, Switzerland June 6: Green Note, Camden, London June 26: Black Box, Belfast
Ahead of Lankum's headline show at Live at St Luke's in Cork, supported by Jimmy Crowley, on St Patrick's Day, Daragh Lynch joined the podcast to discuss their journey to date, from touring the world with his brother Ian in their late teens and early twenties to finding Cormac Mac Diarmada and Radie Peat and getting a slot on Later With Jools Holland. They're released two albums in the past few years, Cold Old Fire and Between The Earth and Sky. We talked two days before they were heading back into the studio so listen closely for some recording secrets.
Live at St Luke's St Patrick's Weekend: March 15: Interference and Elaine Malone March 16: Scullion and Anna Mieke March 17: Lankum and Jimmy Crowley
Lankum live dates: March 17: Live at St Luke's, Cork April 26: The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh May 19: Komedia, Bath Festival May 26: USOPOP Festival, Sare, Labourd, Basque May 28, 29: Cafe Oto, London
It's the annual TPOE-Totally Irish Choice Prize preview. John Barker from 98fm's Totally Irish is back to run through the 10 albums nominated for album of the year 2018. We discuss some of the albums that sadly didn't make the shortlist before running through each of the albums and then picking a winner. The Choice Prize will be decided at a live show in Vicar Street next Thursday, March 7.
Choice Prize shortlist: The Academic – Tales From The Backseat Delorentos – True Surrender Just Mustard – Wednesday Kojaque – Deli Daydreams Lisa O’Neill – Heard A Long Gone Song O Emperor – Jason Rejjie Snow – Dear Annie Saint Sister – Shape Of Silence Villagers – The Art Of Pretending To Swim Wyvern Lingo – Wyvern Lingo
The TPOE podcast was back at Quarter Block Party for a live recording with authors Caroline O'Donoghue and Roisin Kelly, and music from Junior Brother. Caroline released a brilliant debut novel called Promising Young Women, writes for the Times Ireland edition and podcasts at School For Dumb Women and Sentimental Garbage. Roisin has won a plethora of awards for her poetry which has featured in Hennessy New Irish Writing, the Stinging Fly and lots more and is currently writing her debut novel. We talked about their relationship with Cork, the London scene vs Ireland, the creative process and and poetry vs novel writing. Junior Brother is one of the hottest artists in Ireland at the moment - he played two tracks for us and there's a brief chat with the Kerry singer at the end too.
Cork singer songwriter Jack O'Rourke releases his new collection of songs, Ivory Towers at the start of March and made his first appearance on the TPOE podcast to take about his journey to date, from his debut album Dreamcatcher to performing it with an orchestra at Cork Opera House, the good, bad and ugly of songwriting and how the new EP came together. Stay tuned to the end of the podcast to hear the final collection of the collection, a piano version of the title track
Dublin/London/Amsterdam band Bouts released their brilliant second album Flow at the end of January 2019, and, right in the middle of an Irish tour called in to Eoghan's gaff to talk their show in Cork later that night, their well curated supporting cast of acts, being an independent band, how they make it all work despite the air miles between them and layering up all those guitars. A really fun chat with a really fun band.
God Knows is one of the most exciting artists in Ireland at the moment. One third of the Choice Prize-winning Rusangano Family, he talks about the music he has brewing at the moment, why he's so eager to collaborate with anyone and everyone, honesty in his music and his time at People festival in Berlin last year where the Family were interviewed by Macauley Culkin for his podcast and played improv sets with a whole host of big-name artists.
Hilary Woods released one of the beguiling releases of 2018 with Colt, out on the acclaimed Sacred Bones label. It's a lovely record, one that slowly furls itself around you. Ahead of playing Quarter Block Party in Cork City, which runs February 8-10, 2019, Hilary talked to Eoghan about how the album was recorded, turning from bedroom recordings to being mixed by James Kelly (Wife) to their challenging subject matters and why the time felt right to release it. She also discusses her journey, going from playing bass in JJ72 to finding her voice as a solo artist and how a support slot across Europe with Low came about.
Belfast writer Wendy Erskine released one of the best collections of short stories in 2018 with her debut, Sweet Home, out on Stinging Fly. Comprising ten stories, it's a book that excites at every turn, always keeping you on your toes. Irish Times new fiction critic Sarah Gilmartin said Sweet Home is "a thought-provoking collection of stories that sparkled with dry wit and prose precision".
I talked to Wendy on the same day that the TLS longlisted Sweet Home on its Republic of Consciousness Prize 2019, an award for the best book from a small press of five full-time employees or fewer with the criteria of “hard-core literary fiction, and gorgeous prose”. There are 13 books on the longlist and the shortlist will be announced on March 2.
On the podcast, Wendy talks about how she found her literary voice after burying it decades before, Belfast, Ireland's thriving literary scene, some of the stories in Sweet Home and lots more.
Filmmaker Myles O'Reilly, with Islander, made the documentary Backwards To Go Forwards, which they released for free on Vimeo on Christmas Day. They said they made it to take a little snapshot of a very small portion of what special things are happening in Irish folk and traditional music right now. Artists featured include This Is How We Fly, Cormac Begley, Radie Peat, Ye Vagabonds, Slow Moving Clouds, and more. I got to chat with Myles in his studio in Dublin at the end of November while the edition of Backwards To Go Forwards was ongoing. We chatted about why he made the documentary, how his love of traditional music developed, how he transitioned from a musician to a filmmaker, how This Ain't No Disco came about - and whether we can expect more of it - and lots of other things.
If you enjoy the show, it'd be really appreciated if you gave the podcast a like and share and maybe rate and review on iTunes. Thank you!
Music photographer Ruth Medjber returns to the TPOE podcast to discuss her new exhibition Ruthless: A Decade Of Live Music, going on tour with Arcade Fire, her equipment and lots more - and she tells all to fellow photographer Brid O'Donovan
We round up 2018 with Quarter Block Party's Aisling and Caoilian, who talk about the lineup for the 2019 festival, which takes place in Cork City in February. We then talk through our gigs, albums and songs of the year, plus various themes and ideas that cropped up in the year in music. It's a Christmas party so expect crackers and jokes, too.
Listmas 2018 rolls on with the TPOE Books of the Year roundup. I'm joined by novelist Ruth Gilligan, author of Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan and who teaches creative writing at the University of Birmingham, as we discuss what's on each other's top 10 list. It was a really fun, in-depth discussion about our favourite books. I won't spoil it all, but expect discussion on Sally Rooney, Emilie Pine, Rachel Kushner and Anna Burns' Milkman. Plus was how did Irish writing fare in 2018 and we also discuss what we're looking forward to in 2019,
Zara Hedderman returns to the TPOE podcast to discuss the year in music. We discuss our favourite albums of 2018, including Sun Kil Moon, Parquet Courts, Stephen Malkmus and First Aid Kit as well as Irish acts like Paddy Hanna, Saint Sister, Kojaque, Wyvern Lingo and O Emperor, plus the other big releases of the year that we enjoyed, the ones that disappointed, our gigs of the year and lots more.
The Redneck Manifesto are celebrating their 20th anniversary by playing a show at Vicar Street on Friday, November 30, supported by David Kitt's New Jackson and the Dublin Guitar Quartet. On the same day they also release their fifth album, The How. It's nine tracks long and it's so great. I talked to guitarists Niall Byrne and Matthew Bolger about what it's been like with the latter and Richie Egan - one third of the band - living in Sweden and how they make TRM work. We also discuss touring, the early years, recording the new album, how a Rednecks song comes together, and lots more.
Dublin band Spies release their long-awaited debut album Constancy on Friday, November 23, with a launch show at the Button Factory on December 14, supported by Royal Yellow. We talked to three-fifths of the band, Michael Broderick, Neil Dexter and Hugh O'Dwyer, about why it's taken so long to release a debut album, how they've changed over the past decade and came close to breaking up, living and playing music in Dublin and lots more.
Dublin Subplots have just released their excellent third album A Silent Phase. A three piece comprising Philip Boughton, Daryl Chaney, Ross Chaney, they've been going for over a decade. Philip discusses recording the new album at a studio residency in Rotterdam, tries to explain synths to me, how they've dealt with one member now residing in Canada and lots more.
Pale Rivers are a five piece based in Cork who have just released their debut self-titled EP. Singer Eoin Hally talks about how Pale Rivers formed out of previous guises Maslow and Superblondes, the influence - or not - of David Byrne and LCD Soundsystem on their music, the music scene in Cork and what's next for the band.
O Emperor release their third and final album, Jason, on Big Skin Records on November 2, 2018. We talked to Alan Comerford and Brendan Fennessy about why the band is finishing up, their journey from major label to their most complete work to date, Abrakebabra highs, worst gigs ever and everything in between. A fun chat - the first and last time having O Emperor on the TPOE podcast.
November 3: Grand Social, Dublin (with Junior Brother) November 16: Dali, Cork (with Laurie Shaw & the Swamp People) November 23: Project, Waterford (with Laurie Shaw & the Swamp People)
Ahead of a show at Cork Opera House on the Jazz Weekend Saturday, All Tvvins aka Lar Kaye and Conor Adams were in town to talk about their new track 'Hell of a Party', made with effective third members James Vincent McMorrow - producer and co-writer. We discuss their rapid ascent with IIVV, their creative process and doubts, how JVM helped them find their new sound and what's next for All Tvvins. A relatively short but fun chat.
Landless (Lily Power, Meabh Meir, Ruth Clinton and Sinead Lynch) are a traditional Irish vocal group from Dublin and Belfast who sing unaccompanied traditional songs from Ireland, Scotland, England & America in four-part harmony. They released their debut album, Bleaching Bones, on Humble Serpent records - its first release - earlier this year. Ahead of a couple of live dates around the country, Ruth talked to Eoghan about how the band started, the key role of Sacred Harp singing in their growth, how the label came onboard, and their part in the folk scene in Ireland.
Landless tour dates: October 18: Connolly’s of Leap, West Cork (with Caoimhín O’Raghallaigh)
October 20: The Duncairn, Belfast (with Caoimhín O’Raghallaigh)
October 23 Tradition Now National Concert Hall (with Rosie Carney and Anna Mieke)
Wicklow three piece Wyvern Lingo have released one of the best albums of the year with their self-titled debut. Ahead of their final two shows of the year, Karen Cowley talks about the band's development over the past few years, battling illness on the road, and playing their biggest headline show of the year a few weeks previous. Wyvern Lingo play Dolan's in Limerick on October 25 and Live at St Luke's in Cork on October 27 - don't miss them!
Delorentos have released one of the albums of the year - again - in True Surrender. Ahead of an Irish tour, we talked to Nial from the band about the positivity that exudes through the record, why it's important to change things up, the 10th anniversary of the Delosplit (tm), the music scene in Ireland and lots more. A really fun, interesting and engaging chat.
Delorentos tour dates: Saturday October 13th - Kavanagh's, Portlaoise, Ireland Sunday October 14th - SET Theatre, Kilkenny Wednesday October 17th - Monarch, Berlin, Germany Thursday October 18th - Prinzenbar, Hamburg, Germany Friday October 19th - Roxy’s, Witten, Germany Saturday October 20th - Cord Club, Munich, Germany Friday October 26th - DeBarra's, Clonakilty, Ireland Saturday October 27th - Speigeltent, Wexford, Ireland Sunday October 28th - Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland Thursday November 1st- Mike The Pies, Listowel, Ireland Friday November 2nd - Roisin Dubh, Galway, Ireland Thursday November 8th - McHugh's, Belfast, United Kingdom Friday November 9th - Spirit Store, Dundalk, Ireland Saturday November 10th - Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland Saturday November 17th - Oslo Hackney. London, United Kingdom
Slow Moving Clouds have just released one of the most interesting albums of the year, Starfall. Mixing Nordic and Irish traditional elements, there's touches of the Gloaming but, overall, it sounds like nothing else I've heard in 2018. It's their second album, and follows their soundtracking Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, a production that's toured the world. They've played and collaborated with the National and various other esteemed acts, and have released Starfall on the People streaming platform.
I talked to one third of the band, Kevin Murphy (cello/vocals) about the creation of Starfall, how the band came together and the sound developed, and their journey through music over the past couple of years.
Fight Like Apes released their debut album, Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion, ten years ago, on September 26, 2008. Frontwoman Mary-Kate Geraghty aka MayKay looks back on the early years of FLApes, how the album marked a very special time in Irish music and discusses her favourite memories of a seminal album.
Check out thepointofeverything.com for a longpost on the release of Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion
Cork DJ Stevie G has seen and done it all over the years, from the Donkey's Ears and Sir Henry's in Cork back in the day to still pushing things forward with his dance show with Andrea Williams which blew festivals away this summer. He's one of the most enthusiastic, positive and get-on-with-it people I know in music - so I thought he'd be the perfect guest for TPOE 100. We talk about his journey, venues in Cork, the Pav, and what's next, as well as the music at home and abroad that he's enjoying at the moment.
Thanks to everyone who's listened to the TPOE podcast over three years. I've really enjoyed doing it - and happy to reach this (arbitrary) milestone. If you want to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, that would be great - it all helps.
And thanks to Steve Tuuun for producing and making it sound so good.
Limerick act Anna's Anchor aka Marty Ryan and friends have just released second album Everybody's Welcome. It's a masterclass in what's proving to be a burgeoning Irish pop punk scene. Released on the UK independent label Failure By Design Records, the album was written in isolation in a cottage which Ryan rented for ten days over Christmas 2016/17 at Tragumna Beach in Cork. It deals with a plethora of heavy themes but it's also super catchy and will leave you wanting more.
We talked about the journey of Anna's Anchor, from how it started in the US to his first gigs - in eastern Europe as well as his hometown - the Limerick scene and lots more.
Concluding a discussion begun in TPOE 96 with Orla Gartland and TPOE 97 with Conor and Ben, we delve into David Kitt's comments about feeling forced to move away from Dublin and what's next for artists as the housing crisis continues. We talk to Sean aka Kobina, an electronic artist living in Amsterdam about why he moved, if he misses Dublin, the differences in renting there, and if he's coming back anytime soon. Then Maija Sofia, an amazing singer songwriter from Galway who's lived in London before going to Dublin, discusses what life is like amid the reality of the housing crisis and what's next.
Continuing our discussion from TPOE 96, about 'The David Kitt Story', we talk to two Irish artists living in Berlin, Ben Connolly from All The Luck In The World and Conor Cusack, a member of Spies and manager of Tandem Felix and Saint Sister. Why did they feel like they had to leave Ireland, why did they choose Berlin, how does the rent differ over in Germany, and do they see themselves coming back to Dublin anytime soon...
David Kitt caused quite a stir when he revealed he feels he's being forced out of Dublin due to the high rents and escalating cost of the city. I thought it's something that's worthy of delving into further, so for the next couple of podcasts I'll be talking to artists in Dublin and who have left, discussing why they left, how they feel Dublin is at the moment, and if where they're living now is better.
First up is Orla Gartland, a brilliant young Dublin musician now based in London. She left the city a couple of years ago and has never looked back. She discusses how she made the move work, why she left Dublin and how Patreon is helping her make a living. She recently released 'I Go Crazy' which spoiler alert is one of my songs of the year.
If you like the episode go rate it on iTunes and leave a review - and tell your friends!
Fresh from releasing two new tunes in 'Take The Wheel' (featuring Paul Noonan from Bell X1) and 'In My Darkest Moments' (feat. The Sei aka Stace Gill), Dublin-based producer Daithi talks about making his most personal music to date, the creative process behind it, the art of collaboration and what's next.
Ena Brennan is very in demand at the moment, both with her own solo stuff as Dowry, playing with Tandem Felix and composing music for the likes of Paddy Hanna, among others. We talked about how the looped violin sounds of Dowry came about, improvisation, her increasingly busy schedule and what's next.
Rate and subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-point-of-everything/id1032886343?mt=2
Danny Carroll, one third of the band Shrug Life, is also one of the minds behine A Litany Of Failures: Volume II, an ambitious 18-track compilation of new music by independent bands from across the country. Aimed at providing a diverse document of often overlooked music from around the country, the compilation features new tracks from indie-pop acts such as No Monster Club and Dott as well as rising acts Hot Cops, Any Joy and Postcard Versions, plus lots more. I talked to Danny about how the compilation came together, the logistics behind it and why he wanted to gather these acts on vinyl.
End music: Postcard Versions - 'Sunday Mornings With Nate'
During Cork Midsummer, I moderated a panel with Joe Kelly, Live at St Lukes / It Takes A Village Ashley Keating, The Frank and Walters / Cork Opera House Angela Dorgan, First Music Contact / Cork Loves Music
We talked about the Cork scene in general, some of the issues facing it (venues! Audiences (or lack thereof)!) and other bits and pieces affecting the industry in Ireland. It was a really fun talk - here it is in full, sans the Q&A at the end due to poor audio.
"This is the most personally involved I've been in a thing. It's taken over my life more than anything I've ever done before."
Ahead of In Clouds, a new immersive, collaborative piece of music theatre, premiering at Cork Midsummer, I talked to director and co-composer Peter Power and author Sara Baume about the work and what they're hoping to achieve with it.
Specially commissioned by Triskel Arts Centre and Cork Midsummer Festival to celebrate 40 years of Triskel, In Clouds blends original composition by Power and co-composer Michael Gallen, text by novelist Sara Baume, choral experimentation by the contemporary ensemble Tonnta led by Robbie Blake, choreography/dance by Stephanie Dufresne, and an audio visual installation by Sarah Jane Shiels and David Mathúna.
Paddy Hanna has released one of the albums of the year in Frankly, I Mutate, out on Strange Brew. He sits down to chat about his recent trip to Primavera, the changes mentally, physically and musically that have led to his stellar second solo album, how Daniel Fox (Girl Band) and Ena Brennan (Dowry) were key to its creation and wall of sound, and what's next for Hanna.
Having just released Live at Unitarian Church, recorded, pressed and released in about a month for Record Store Day 2018, Cathy Davey discusses how the show went, why she wanted to do a live recording, her creative process, looking back at her career thus far and why she needs to keep writing and making music, and what's next
Karen Sheridan aka Slow Skies has just released her debut album, Realign. It's a really great, immersive listen. We talked about her journey since the first Slow Skies music was released in 2013, writer's block, and the difficulties of creativity.
It's the annual TPOE festivals preview. Zara Hedderman is back to talk about past experiences, the best festivals at home and abroad, and we run through the lineups for the good, bad and ugly acts. There's also an Oxegen story or two in there...
Burning questions discussed: Is Primavera the best festival around? Is the August bank holiday weekend - with All Together Now, Indiependence and Castlepalooza - too busy? Should we go to Electric Picnic just to hear Sigrid's Don't Kill My Vibe? Are Irish acts fairly represented on festival lineups.
Super Extra Bonus Party returned after a few years hiatus at the end of 2017 with the brilliant new track 'Switzerland'. Think of it as SEBP 2.0 - Gavin Elsted (Adultrock) is singing on the track, a first for them. I sat down with Gav and Cormac for a chat ahead of their first Dublin headline show at Bello Bar on May 12. We discussed why the time was right to get back together, how their tracks are made, the music scene, their influence and lots more - but we only mention the infamous Choice Prize only briefly, you'll be pleased to hear (that's been discussed ad nauseum at this stage).
Shane Dunne has turned Indiependence from a very small town affair in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, into one of the best and most consistent festivals in the country. He talks about how it was done and the constant struggle of staging such an event and how it's changed, and continues to change over the year. He also discusses Music Cork, an industry showcase that takes place April 25-27, why it's important and why Cork is such a good location for it. We also chat about Sigrid, the rise of Irish rap... and whether Jose Mourinho is the right man for Manchester United
Limerick band Zombia Picnic have released one of the best rock albums of the year in Rise of a New Ideology. I talk to drummer Brendan Miller about creating a second album, prog rock, the Limerick scene, and politics.
"Six related tracks of progressive instrumental experimentation, Rise of a New Ideology aims to bring you on a journey, accompanied by the thoughts and ideas of Issac Asimov, Bill Moyers, Sherry Wolf, Paul R. Ehrlich, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the strange Number Stations of shortwave radio, but to when?"
Twitter: @zombiepicnicire Facebook: ZombiePicnic
Zara Hedderman, former reviews editor at State.ie, joins to talk about the demise of State and NME, how tricky live reviews can be, negative reviews, if podcasts are the new in-depth features and critiques, and the general health of the Irish music writing landscape in 2018. You can follow Zara on Twitter @zara_hedderman
Joe Kelly has been involved in plenty of projects down the years in Cork, from Sir Henry's to the Bodega to the Pavilion and currently Live at St Luke's. With Ed O'Leary and their promo company The Good Room, they're behind the inaugural It Takes a Village festival, which is on in Trabolgan, east Cork, from April 13-15. Headlined by Young Fathers and Andrew Weatherall, the weekend features Altered Hours, Brian Deady, Lankum, Talos, the Blindboy Podcast, Bitch Falcon and about 70 more. It's going to be an amazing weekend.
Joe talks about how he's wanted to do a festival at Trabolgan for 20 years, putting together the festival lineup and lots more.
Tickets and info: http://ittakesavillage.fm/
Galway-based musician Brigid Mae Power released her second album, The Two Worlds, on Tompkins Square at the start of February - it's safe to say it's one of the albums of the year. A powerful listen, Power's stunning voice and delivery stand out. We talked ahead of a UK/Ireland tour in March and April, discussing whether her son thinks what she does is cool, tips to stave off sickness, her (not) 'sparse' music, and lots more.
If you like the podcast, why not tell a friend or tweet/Facebook about it, and like/review it on Apple Podcast (it all matters, apparently?)
It's the second annual Choice Music Prize Preview pod with 98FM's Totally Irish presenter John Barker. We go in depth on the 10 nominees for the best Irish album of the year, try to pick our favourite and predict who will win.
The shortlist: Come On Live Long - In The Still (self released) Marlene Enright - Placemats and Second Cuts (self released) Fangclub – Fangclub (Universal) Lankum - Between the Earth and Sky (Rough Trade) James Vincent McMorrow - True Care (Faction Records) New Jackson - From Night to Night (All City) Otherkin – OK (Rubyworks) Fionn Regan - The Meetings of the Waters (Abbey Records) Ships – Precession (Ships Music)
Ahead of the release of his new album Yous and the Choice Prize ceremony where his other project New Jackson is up for album of the year 2017, and a day after his performance at Quarter Block Party, David Kitt sat down for a chat about making the new record, why it was released for a week and then taken back, how New Jackson has changed his ways of thinking and recording, and lots more. Including why he doesn't really like interviews.
Yous is out March 9 on All City Records.
David Kitt tour dates: March 9th - Kilkenny, Cleere’s Theatre March 10th - Cork City, AMP venue March 11th - Clonakilty, West Cork, De Barras March 23rd - Galway, Róisín Dubh March 31st - Limerick, Dolans, Upstairs April 6th - Dublin, Button Factory April 8th - Dundalk, Spirit Store April 18th - London, UK, Borderline April 19th - Manchester, UK, Eagle Inn
Emma Langford self-released her debut album, Quiet Giant, in October 2017, subsequently embarking on a month-long trek of Germany and Switzerland. She talks about how she recorded the album, how the tour went, fitting it all in with writing a thesis, the importance of shining a light on women in music and the arts, her (extensive) plans for 2018 - and being named Limerick Person of the Month for January.
Danny Denton, a Cork writer, has just released his debut novel, The Earlie King and the Kid in Yellow, via Granta Books. We chat about social media strategies, the Earlie King, rain, dystopia, writing itself and lots more.
Note: We only briefly go deep into the book/plot itself so don't think of this as a spoiler interview - you can listen without having read the book. And hopefully you'll want to read it as soon as the pod is over.
Molly King (head of development at Other Voices) and Sam McNicholl (Connolly's of Leap) were the guests at a live recording of the TPOE podcast Upstairs at the Roundy for Quarter Block Party on Saturday, February 3. It was a really fun chat about their work, what it was like being around Other Voices and Connollly's when you're growing up, how they view their legacies and continuing on with what their parents have achieved and what's next. And lots more. Thanks for listening
Robert John Ardiff, the frontman of Come On Live Long, chats about their recent Choice Prize nomination for Irish album of 2017, his debut solo album, Between The Bed And Room, his creative process and what's next for the band and the solo act.
You can buy The Bed And Room here: https://robertjohnardiff.bandcamp.com/
The prolific Wirral-born, Cork-based musician Laurie Shaw joins for the first TPOE podcast of 2018. He has a new album out on January 19, Weird Weekends, that takes a nostalgic look back at his teenage years in Kenmare. We talk what it was like growing up, how he records and writes and decides on what his next project is, as well as a deep dive on Oasis, Britpop and... S Club 7.
Check out Laurie Shaw's music at https://laurieshawofficial.bandcamp.com/
Promoter Emma Kelly (Merakindie/The Roundy), musician Darren Keane (MuseuM/Not Earth/Hags) and Jus Me and Ross from Cuttin' Heads Collective join Eoghan to talk about their favourite Irish and international releases of the year as well as gigs of the year and lots more. Get a pen and paper ready - you'll want to take notes
End of year means looking back and compiling lists. In part one of the TPOE roundup of 2017, promoter Emma Kelly (Merakindie/The Roundy), musician Darren Keane (MuseuM/Not Earth/Hags) and Jus Me and Ross from Cuttin' Heads Collective look back on their various endeavours over the past 12 months, how Cork is doing musically, and what's next for them.
Keep an eye out for part two where we go through our favourite releases and gigs of the year.
Ahead of an Irish tour and a date at Other Voices, Sally Garnett aka Loah talks about her busy year to date, including shows in the US and releasing her debut EP. Sally also discusses how she developed her sound in her own time, how it's a family affair, and lots more
Caoilian Sherlock returns to the podcast to talk about his solo venture as Saint Caoilian, how recording of new Shaker Hymn is going, the music scene in Cork that seems to be on the up again, and the first lot of announcements for Quarter Block Party, an arts festival which takes place in Cork city centre in February
Ger Devine is the singer/guitarist in Limerick band Cruiser, who released their self-titled debut album in October. He talks about how Cruiser got together, how DIY LK started and why Limerick music is feeling rejuvenated at the moment.
The Bonk have just released their debut album, The Bonk Seems To Be A Verb. Phil Christie (also in O Emperor) talks about how it was created, improvisation and Fixity, the 1960s, how the Bonk came together, and lots more.
https://thebonk.bandcamp.com/
Ahead of her final Irish/UK tour of 2017, Ailbhe Reddy discusses her hectic year to date, which included a slot at Glastonbury in a busy summer of festivals. She talks how she got into music, overcoming her shyness to start playing, new song 'The Tube' and what's next
Ahead of the release of their self-titled debut album, one half of Ye Vagabonds, Brían Mac Gloinn, chats about how the LP came together, how the pair write and workshop songs, how key videographer Myles O'Reilly has been in their journey, their tours with Glen Hansard and Villagers, busking and more.
Dublin two-piece Carriages aka Harry Bookless and Aaron Page have just released their new EP, Movement, on the Homebeat label. They join to talk about their journey to date, including playing barns in Donegal, their friendship with Homebeat's Emmet Condon, the EP launch in Dublin's Fumbally Stables, and LCD Soundsystem.
You can buy the Movement EP at https://homebeatpresents.bandcamp.com/album/hb001-carriages-movement-ep
Cormac Daly aka Cosmonaut Music Cork is the music programmer for IndieCork, a film festival that runs in the city from October 8-15. He talks about what's on the programme and what's involved in such a role. We talk about how Cosmonaut started, DIY LK, Cork venues and plenty more, including what he's learned putting on gigs and any tips he has to offer. Before all that, me and photographer Brid O'Donovan chat about the opening night of Grizzly Bear's European tour in Vicar Street on October 4.
Hard Working Class Heroes 2017 took place over the weekend. Since I couldn't go this year I said I'd get the scoop on the festival from two acts playing each day. Swimmers Jackson aka Niall Jackson played the Workman's Club on Friday night, while Aoife from Ae Mak played the same venue the next day. They talk about their experiences from the speed sessions through the shows themselves and who was the best new Irish act they saw over the weekend
Cork/Sheffield pop-punk/mathrock trio Ganglions have just released their second EP, Thirsty, and as they prepare for their first Irish tour, they sat down to talk about how they got together, the recording process, the differences and similarities between Cork and Sheffield, and Irish vs British crisps. Then we talk to Mary Hickson, director of Sounds From A Safe Harbour, about how the Cork festival went (spoiler: it was amazing)
Ganglions Irish tour dates: 27/9 - Dublin - The Bowery 28/9 - Cork - The Poor Relation 29/9 - Limerick - Pharmacia 30/9 - Galway - Roisin Dubh
Meet Me In The Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York CIty 2001-2011 is the music book of the year, an oral history that breaks down, with unbelievable honesty from the protagonists of the scene, everything about the rise of the likes of the Strokes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem, and so many more. It's myself and Pádie discussing its various aspects and why we enjoyed it so much
The fourth edition of Another Love Story takes place in Co Meath next week and to whet the appetite for one of the best little festivals around, we talk to Emmet Condon, one of its organisers and one part of Homebeat.
Homebeat is an Independent, alternative-space-loving music promoter and heart-driven event production.
Another Love Story is a weekend adventure in music, discussion, food and friends brought to you by Homebeat & Happenings.
We talk about how Homebeat and ALS started, creative spaces and Dublin, and lots more.
Simon Cullen and Sorca McGrath aka Ships have released a long-awaited and brilliant debut album in Precession. They talk about their creative process, doing it DIY (they have a studio in their house, they're posting out all the albums themselves - hence Simon's absence for the first part of the podcast), mining the 80s for their sound, and lots more. Make sure you catch them at a festival or several over the summer.
As Forbidden Fruit and Primavera kick off this week, Eoghan and Darren Keane (Thin Air and State.ie critic) preview the busy festival summer ahead, talk about some of their best memories at festivals past, best bands they've seen, the changing face of Irish festivals and what acts they're looking forward to seeing this year.
Eoin French aka Talos has released one of the best albums of the year in his debut, Wild Alee. He sat down to talk about his journey from Hush War Cry to developing the sound and vision of Talos, with a little help from Connolly's of Leap along the way. We also discuss Feel Good Lost, Iceland and lots more.
Senita, lead singer of the funk/RnB band Shookrah and hip-hop duo Lakerama, also features on music by the likes of Daithi, Bantum (with Rusangano Family, and Le Galaxie. As Shookrah release their second EP Clickes, she talks on the TPOE podcast about developing as a songwriter, writing for others, the Cork scene and how music tastes have developed, and lots more.
The premier music writer in Ireland Nialler9 sat down for a chat about his upcoming showcases and events as well as a general chat about music discovery, Spotify and its stats, keeping things exciting and lots more.
A month on from winning the Choice Prize for Irish album of the year, and 12 months to the day that Let The Dead Bury The Dead was released, and an hour before they took the stage at De Barras, I got to sit down with John, Murli and God Knows aka Rusangano Family to talk about their journey so far - and what's next.
Cork singer-songwriter Marlene Enright sat down on the day before the release of her debut album, Placemats and Second Cuts, to chat about the recording process, going solo and why it suited the Hard Ground to take a break, the Cork scene and how supportive it is, gin, the Bee Gees, Mister Soft ads, and Netflix shows. A pretty wide-ranging interview, then. You can listen to the album on iTunes, Spotify etc.
Jess Kavanagh, the lead singer of the Dublin 'agrosoul' band Barq, sat down for a chat ahead of their first national tour. She talks about the first year of the band, how they decided to make 'music to dance dangerously to', touring the world with Hozier, Repeal the 8th, and lots more.
Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither and the new novel A Line Made By Walking, and the Cork-based bilingual poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of the new collection Oighear and Clasp, were reading in Waterstone's Cork for World Book Day, and I had the privilege to interview them both afterwards. We talked about Cork, the lineage of writers who have come before them, and lots more
The Choice Prize for Irish album of 2016 will be revealed this Thursday, March 9. John Barker, the host of 98FM's Totally Irish show, joined me to run through the nominees - consider this your crash course in the Choice Prize. We've both been judges in the past, and considering our thoughts on this shortlist, it seems like we wouldn't agree if we were back in the judging room this year.
The nominees: All Tvvins - IIVV (Warner Music) Bantum - Move (Self Released) Wallis Bird - Home (Mount Silver / Caroline International) The Divine Comedy - Foreverland (Divine Comedy Records) Lisa Hannigan - At Swim (Play It Again Sam) Katie Kim - Salt (Art For Blind Records) James Vincent McMorrow - We Move (Faction Records) Overhead, The Albatross - Learning to Growl (Self Released) Rusangano Family - Let The Dead Bury The Dead (Self Released) We Cut Corners - The Cadences Of Others (Delphi)
Thanks to Steve McEvoy as ever for the production
Just nominated for the Choice Prize, for Irish album of the 2016, John Duignan and Conall Ó Breacháin aka We Cut Corners sat down to chat about their third LP The Cadences of Others, the state of the Irish music industry, the best albums of 2016 (plenty Bon Iver love) and lots more. Listen on Soundcloud and iTunes. Thanks to Steve McEvoy for production.
It's the first TPOE show of 2017! Dubbed the best new writer in the country by the Irish Times, Oisin Fagan talks about his apocalyptic story collection Hostages (released by New Island), hot soup in the school canteen, love stories vs short stories, his creative process and what exactly it feels like to be the hottest new writer around. Thanks for listening, liking, sharing and subscribing - and thanks to Steve McEvoy as always for producing the show.
Ruairi Lynch aka Bantum released his second album Move in October. We talk about his finding the inspiration to get going on album #2, the sometimes difficult recording of it, how great Rusangano Family are and what his plans are. Also about going to a wedding where some of Dirty Dancing was filmed. So a wide-ranging chat, I think it's fair to say. It's also the last TPOE podcast of 2016. Come back on January 9 for more arts and books and music talk
After 20 years, Loserdom is still flying the flag for zines in Ireland. They haven't gone away, you know (and you might remember one that we did a couple years ago cough We Play Here ahem). I talked to Anto about keeping the zine going for so long, how it comes together, DIY, what zines inspired him and lots more. We also talk about putting a zine together so if you're interested in making your own one, this is well worth a listen.
Graham Tugwell is the creator of Down Below The Reservoir, the first horror fiction podcast to come out of Ireland. We talk about how the podcast idea came about, performing with long-term friends and fellow authors Deirdre Sullivan, Sarah Griffin and Dave Rudden, writer's block and much more.
Kerrie O'Brien recently published her debut collection of poetry, Illuminate, out now on Salmon Poetry. Around the same time she released Looking at the Stars, an anthology of Irish writing in aid of Dublin Simon Community. We talk about her busiest year of writing to date, why she's so angry about the homeless crisis, Paris, and lots more. Kerrie is reading at O Bheal's winter warmer festival in Cork this weekend
Having recently released his fourth album, Nocturnes' The Soft Animal, on Bluestack Records during the summer, singer-songwriter Pearse McGloughlin sits down at Hard Working Class Heroes for a chat. And then sits down a couple weeks later for the rest of the chat. We talk Leonard Cohen (RIP), Pearse's musical journey, solo vs Idiot Songs (with Justin Grounds) and Nocturnes, Sligo, the state of the music industry following Fight Like Apes's farewell message, and much more.
As he gears up to release his second album Cash Crop, some eight years after his debut record Lucky Caller No.9, Ian Whitty chats about his musical journey, how he settled in Cork and ingrained himself in the music scene, the influence of peers such as Stanley Super 800 and Fred, and the recording of his new album (much of it done in his parents' living room). Cash Crop is self-released on November 11.
After releasing their fourth album, Demons, recently, Cork band Hope is Noise are gearing up to play Lodgefest with Ten Past Seven, Horse and Onkalo. Before that, I sat down with singer/guitarist Dan Breen to talk about how regular practice is key to staying together, the music scene in Cork, the Quad's impact and lots more.
Ahead of Hard Working Class Heroes 2016 this weekend, I chatted to four (or some 100 acts) performing at the new Irish music showcase, Bitch Falcon, Shaker Hymn, Naoise Roo, and Galants. They talk about how they got started, what HWCH means for them, how they've found it in previous years and any tips they have this time round for the festival's 14th (!) edition.
Eileen Hogan is a lecturer in social policy in the School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork, and she's literally written a thesis on music in Cork. We talk about what she learned interviewing some 53 music-makers and writers and general music people in the city, the changing landscape, Cillian Murphy's band, her recent TEDx Cork Salon lecture, and lots more.
If you've been to many gigs around Cork, chances are you've seen Dan Walsh on stage. He's the drummer for Great Balloon Race and has recently started up a new, very interesting and exciting project in Fixity. He's also responsible for regular jazz and improvised music shows. We talk about getting things done, jazz, the Cork scene and much more. A really interesting chat with one of the most interesting and thoughtful musicians in Ireland
On today's podcast, Jon Pearson joins to talk about working with Crash Ensemble, the two shows he's involved with at the Dublin Fringe Festival, touring Europe as tour manager for the Icelandic band Samaris, the differences and similarities between Iceland and Cork, and a lot more besides.
It's been a while since Cork band Exit: Pursued By a Bear released their debut album (five years, to be precise). Eoin and Paul from the band discuss what they've been up to in the meantime, how Cork has changed since the band began in the early noughties, dance music and DJs, Kid A, Body & Soul and even more besides.
Joe Panama from Overhead, The Albatross talks about his band's stunning debut album, Learning To Growl, recording in Czech Republic, gig anxiety, and their big headline show at Vicar Street in December.
After the release of second album Resolute, Carried By Waves aka Ronan McCann sits down to chat about creating that 'difficult' second album, how ideas can develop, playing live, and, since this is the first TPOE podcast since Prince has died, we talk about the influence that the Purple One has had on Ronan.
We've been talking a lot on the podcast about artists' spaces and how they're getting squeezed out of them as the 'economic recovery' continues. So who better to talk to about all this than Sample Studios artistic director Aideen Quirke, who tells us about its fifth birthday, why they'll be gone within the next 12 months and why she's cautiously optimistic about the whole endevour. A really interesting talk and far more upbeat than I would have imagined. Have a listen and don't forget you can subscribe on iTunes.
Chris Somers returns to the TPOE pod to discuss the good and bad aspects of Record Store Day, what it's like to work with Albert and Jim in Plugd (which is celebrating its fifth birthday in the Triskel on RSD) and preview some of the releases for the big day. Features Justin Bieber and Mac DeMarco.
With the release of their second album Do You Think You're Clever? Caoilian and Robbie from the Shaker Hymn talk about how it was created, their time travelling across the US, cashflows in the Irish music industry - and we try to teach Robbie about hip-hop.
Thanks as ever to Steve McEvoy of Torann Audio for doing a great job mastering the episode.
Bobby Aherne has just released his latest album under the No Monster Club moniker, I Feel Magic. He talks about how being prolific is all he knows, how the band, and himself as a musician, has evolved over the years, the Dublin scene, touring the world, and lots more.
Ruth Medjber has been a photographer in the Irish music scene for the past 12 years. As a new exhibition, entitled Women of Notes, in collaboration with Louise Bruton (interviewed on TPOE 18), continues at Dublin café Thirty-Four, Ruth talked to fellow photographer Bríd O'Donovan about why it was important to focus on women in the music industry and the future plans for Women of Notes. She also discusses how she started out with music photography (cursing helps) and why it's important to say no to working for free. Mastered by Steven McEvoy of Torann Audio
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I'm joined by producer and erstwhile Elastic Sleep guitarist Chris Somers to run the rule over the shortlist for the Choice Prize Irish album of 2015, which takes place on Thursday, March 3. Who will win? We don't know but we do have opinions on all the nominees.
Podcast mastered by Steve McEvoy of Torann Audio
Ahead of the Choice Prize announcement, for which Le Club is nominated, Le Galaxie frontman Michael Pope chats about the band's formative years, the impact of big and small shows on his creative outlook, Block T and artists' spaces in Dublin, The People v OJ Simpson, and Oscar picks.
On the latest show, Altered Hours discuss the making of their long-awaited debut album In Heat Not Sorry. Recorded in Berlin with Fabian Leseure, it was released on Friday, January 30 on Art for Blind/Penske Recordings. Singers Cathal and Elaine, and guitarist Kevin sat down with me ahead of its release and launch gig at the Kino in Cork City.
Podcast mastered by Steve McEvoy of Torann Audio - https://torannaudio.com/
As one third of Cork band Morning Veils, Ros Steer talks about her creative process and finding herself as an artist, Saint Yorda, Morning Veils' debut album 'Her Kind', cassettes and much more.
Just before Christmas, I had a chance to sit down and chat with one of the most influential writers of recent years - and one of my favourites - Kevin Barry. He was in Cork to watch Little Green Cars play St Luke's Church. We met up the following day as he reminisced about his time in Cork in the 1990s, writing for the Irish Examiner, finding his feet - and teeth - in fiction, bringing acid house to Limerick, running dodgy nightclub promotions, the Beatles, 'Beatlebone', new Irish writers and more.
After talking about some of our personal favourite albums and shows of 2015, Eoghan, Chris (Elastic Sleep), Darren (Hags), and Niamh (Across The Line) turn to some of the other big albums of the year, including Blur, Sleater-Kinney, Villagers and Bjork, look ahead to some of the albums of 2016 (Altered Hours!) and discuss favourite Christmas songs
Eoghan is joined by Niamh Hegarty (Across The Line), Darren Keane (Hags), and Chris Somers (Elastic Sleep) to look back on the year in music, their favourite music, including Girl Band and Kendrick Lamar. First, Chris and Niamh discuss Other Voices, which they attended at the weekend. Part 2, with us taking a more general look at albums of the year, is coming next week
Out On A Limb have just released 'Dramamine', the third album from Dublin-based artist Owensie, who chatted to Eoghan about the recording of the LP, living in Brazil, how punk has informed his career - from playing in Puget Sounds to now doing what he says is "punk as fuck" - and the state of Ireland as we reach the end of 2015.
Eoghan chats to Patrick Freeman, somewhat of a troubadour who is currently residing in Stoneybatter, Dublin. There's talk about Dylan and Freeman's love of the Beatles, an influence evident on his debut album, the recently released Cherry Blossom Fall, available on PatrickFreeman.Bandcamp.com. There's also talk about the art of songwriting, personal vs stories and assuming characters, plus music sessions and much more.
Patrick Freeman tour dates: November 20 - Bello Bar, Dublin November 22 - The Sunflower, Belfast December 11 - Phil Grimes, Waterford December 12 - Triskel Project Space, Cork
This week on the show I was joined by Louise Bruton, owner of LeglessinDublin.com to discuss accessibility at gigs and venues and much more besides. Plus, a short essay on three days of the Web Summit last week.
Giveamanakick are one of the seminal Irish bands of the noughties, releasing two albums on Out On A Limb. They recently completed a brief Irish tour to mark the 10th anniversary of the still insanely good We Are The Way Forward, promising that this would be their last ever tour. Their final date was at De Barra's, Clonakilty, on Friday, October 23. The following day, Eoghan sat down with guitarist and vocalist Steve Ryan to chat about their career and legacy, recording We Are The Way Forward with Tommy McLaughlin (Berkeley, Villagers, Soak), motoring tips and the excellent story of where the title 'Suffer the Gowls' came from.
Ahead of their official launch on Saturday, Eoghan chats with three members of the newly formed Cuttin' Heads Collective - Justin O'Donnel, Caimin Walsh, and Ross Herlihy - about the music scene in Cork, the influence of Galway's Skratch Games and just how good mynameisj0hn and Naive Ted are (very).
Eoghan is joined by filmmaker, playwright, writer and We Play Here contributor Emmet O'Brien to chat about the creative process, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Dylan and more.
Eoghan is joined by Chris Somers of Elastic Sleep to discuss Pitchfork's sale to Conde Nast, music websites in general like NME, and new versions like Genius. Also talk about Dublin band Lynched being on Jools Holland, and the music show The Parlour. Later, Pádie tries to make sense of Ryan Adams covering Taylor Swift, asking: what's the point?
Ahead of their sold-out show at the Pav in Cork last Saturday, Adam and Dan of Girl Band sat down with Eoghan and Aisling to chat about touring, their 'sideproject' the Whiskey Guns, THAT NME interview, Gaviscon bottles, and more. Later in the show, Eoghan talks to photographer Bríd O'Donovan about the Pav gig - whisper it, gig of the year....
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Ahead of Hard Working Class Heroes, Chris Somers from Elastic Sleep (playing the Mercantile on Friday at 10.40pm as part of HWCH) joins Eoghan to talk about the festival, the Hozierification of Irish music, and make their picks of what to see. Then, as Girl Band's Irish tour kicks off in Galway, they discuss Holding Hands With Jamie, their debut album, what makes it special and how a cover was crucial to their development.
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As Coughlans Live Festival begins in the Douglas Street venue, Eoghan, Caoilian and Aisling sit down with Brian Hassett, one of the music bookers, to talk about the venue's early days and how it has taken the mantle of the Lobby, why it's special playing in a small venue anywhere in Ireland, and where the festival sits in Cork's music calendar.
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As Sounds From a Safe Harbour takes over Cork city for the weekend, Aisling chats to Niall Byrne aka Nialler9 about the free music trail he's curated around the city. Then, Eoghan and Caoilian join Aisling to talk about what they're looking forward to in Cork Opera House and elsewhere, then discuss Culture Night on Friday.
Tweet us: @tpoeblog, @caoilianjsure and @aisooooo, or email thepointofeverything@gmail.com
Eoghan talks to Ray Blackwell and Kevin McNally of Clonakilty International Guitar Festival about Straight Outta Compton, the idea of community in music, special discounts for the unwaged, encouraging young people to pick up an instrument and, of course, what they're excited to see as part of the 11th annual festival, which runs from September 17-20.
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On the latest episode, Eoghan and Aisling chat to Paul of O Emperor, Senita of Shookrah, Chris of Elastic Sleep, Luke O'Neill of Damsel and DJ Stevie G about how they all got on at Electric Picnic at the weekend, who they enjoyed, what they made of the expanded capacity, and more. Then Aisling and Caoilian chat about the experiences of a weekend that saw Aisling revel in End of the Road and Caoilian a little disappointed by Electric Picnic.
Twitter: @tpoeblog, @aisooooo, @caoilianjsure
Eoghan, Aisling and Caoilian are joined by Gary 'The G Man' Meyler for a festivals special. First, Gary reviews Another Love Story (August 21-23) and Caoilian reviews last weekend's Sídúbí event in Glengarriff. Then, the guys preview Electric Picnic and End of the Road festival in Dorset and pick the bands they're looking forward to catching.
Get in contact with us on Twitter: @tpoeblog, @caoilianjsure, @aisooooo and @thegmanworld or email thepointofeverything@gmail.com
In the latest episode of the Point of Everything, Caoilian, Aisling and Eoghan talk about the Brilliant Irish Bands hashtag that trended on Twitter last week and whether it did much good.
Then, Aisling and Caoilian talk through a stellar week of gigs in Cork that culminated in Peanut Butter Wolf and Breakbeat Lou's set in Cyprus Avenue.
Finally they return to Tyler, the Creator and discuss the latest in a neverending list of controversies as the rapper is banned from the UK.
You can tweet the guys @tpoeblog, @caoilianjsure, and @aisooooo
On the latest episode of the Point of Everything, Eoghan and Caoilian are joined by Brendan Canty of Feel Good Lost to chat about their two MTV VMA nominations on Sunday for Hozier's 'Take Me To Church'.
Caoilian and Aisling sit down with Panti Bliss/Rory O'Neill before her show at St Luke's last week to discuss how Ireland has changed in the last few years and Panti's role in it all.
Contact us on Twitter @tpoeblog, @caoilianjsure, and @aisooooo.
Eoghan, Aisling, and Caoilian are back to talk about the news that Twisted Pepper is going to close as a music venue. They talk why it's closing, whether it's part of a larger trend - and what's causing the trend - and they reminisce about their favourite (hazy, can-filled) memories. Then Caoilian and Aisling chat to Brigid Power-Ryce about playing music, gigging with Peter Broderick, and the influence of jazz on her music.
You can contact us on Twitter @tpoeblog, @caoilisnjsure, and @aisooooo
Eoghan and Caoilian meet Joe Kelly, the director of the new Cork festival Live at St Luke's, which kicks off on Friday August 7, and runs throughout the month. They talk about Joe's time in charge of the Pavilion, the idea of gentrification, looking for something a little bit different and outside the norm, and the culture of TMI. Later, Joe Leogue reviews Indiependence festival at the weekend: did the site hold up in the rain? Did Kodaline draw the biggest crowd of the weekend? Did Joe wear an Indian headdress throughout the festival? You'll have to listen to find out.
You can tweet us @tpoeblog, @caoilianjsure, and @aisooooo
Aisling, Caoilian, and Eoghan talk about music streaming and Neil Young's decision to pull (nearly) all his music from streaming sites. Also on the agenda is a big weekend of music festivals, with Castlepalooza, the Beatyard and Indiependence all taking place over the coming days. Then Eoghan tests Aisling and Caoilian's knowledge of 'Take Me To Church', before they discuss the situation around Tyler, the Creator vs Collective Shout