Final ReTurn
Words: Vanessa Monaghan (with thanks to www.nessymon.com) With three albums under their belts and a live show not to be missed, Turn are one of Ireland’s finest bands of the last fifteen years. After six years apart, they returned to play this year’s Electric Picnic; now Ollie Cole, Gavin Fox and Ian Melady are back...
The Great Altered Balloon Hours Race Compilation Interview
Photos: Bríd O’Donovan Ahead of The Altered Hours and The Great Balloon Race sharing a bill at The Pavilion next weekend, Conor sat down over stout with The Hours’ Cathal and The Race’s Marcus to discuss King Crimson in Mayo, recording in Berlin, pissing about and drinking, the ability to tell each other to fuck...
Top 5 – Kilian Pettit (ECHOGRAM_)
Slick Cork pop/rockers ECHOGRAM_ have been hiring, firing and perspiring in their tireless effort to crack the States. The band are back from another trip to Los Angeles where they’ve picked up some airplay in California and Arizona with tracks from the album being played at least 3 times a week on LA’s Indie 103.1,...
Grant Hart – Q&A
Grant Hart tours Ireland in December – Emmet exchanged e-mails with him to discuss Milton, solo vs band and sexy dancing… Your latest project is an ambitious song cycle based on Paradise Lost by John Milton, can you remember when you first came across this epic work? I FIRST HEARD IT ON A RECORD THAT...
Top 5 – The Shaker Hymn
The Shaker Hymn have spent the last year recording their debut album, touring the USA, and generally keeping their heads down when at home. You might know them from a previous life as Cork group Circus Cat. The name change is inspired by a move towards a more roots-based, guitar jangle Byrds-esque sound. As well...
Top 5 – Rachel Austin
Rachel Austin takes time out from her Irish tour to fill us in on her musical tastes… 1. David Bazan – Cold Beer and Cigarettes Bazan has long been my favourite songwriter-troubador type, imprinting his world weary lyrics and seemingly upset voice through beautiful pop tunes, almost always at a safe, even medium tempo. This...
Nils Frahm – Interview
Photo: Antje Taiga Ahead of two Irish dates this week, Nils Frahm spoke to Conor about breaking his thumb, the perfect Steinway sound and the Erased Tapes family… Hi Nils, can I ask you first about your new EP, Screws, which you recorded while you had a broken thumb earlier in the year. How did...
The Vincent(s) – Q&A
The Vincent(s) play a FIFA Records/Aliance Promotions lineup at the Pavilion this weekend – Marcus from the band answered some questions… Explain to someone who’s never heard of you who The Vincent(s) are. The Vincents are a band made up of other bands from Cork like Daphne In The Attic, Mersk, Hark and Circus Cat....
Honningbarna – Q&A
Ahead of their 4-date Irish tour, Honningbarna frontman Edvard Valberg gave Niall some uncompromising answers… Hi, first of all could you tell us a little about the history of the band, how you first got together? We got together at school when we where 17 and did what all 17 year old guys interested in...
Sfumato – Q&A
After releasing one of the most surprising and invigorating Irish albums of 2012, Daithí Ó hÉighnigh, aka Sfumato, stages an official album launch in Dublin in December – Stephen caught up with him to talk inspiration and spiritual awakenings A long hibernation period and the transition from drummer to songwriter resulted in ‘These Things Between’,...
September Girls – Q&A
Dubliners September Girls join a knockout Alliance Promotions/FIFA Records lineup at The Pavilion in a couple of weeks – Jessie from the band tells Conor about finding their feet, being in an all girl band and Big Star How did the band come together? I believe you had all played in various bands previously… Yeah...
Seti The First – Q&A
Seti The First play two live dates this week – STF’s Kevin Murphy talks to Conor about defenestration, soundtracking documentaries and the marginalisation of the cello You’ve just released your debut album this year. For people not familiar with Seti The First, can you give a short background to the band, and your previous musical...
