LATEST NEWS

9pm // DeBarra’s Folk Club // September 17

Pretty Happy are an Art-Punk three-piece from Cork. Drawing on a rebellious tradition of Cork Post-Punk, the band has sculpted their own theatre influenced, all-consuming noise rock sound.

Using a combination of spoken word, raw emotion and a demented punk style the band’s latest releases have garnered attention from the likes of KEXP, BBC 6, BBC Introducing, BBC Ulster (Stephen McCauley’s ‘Street Knowledge’), 2FM (Track of the Week), Newstalk as well as The Irish Examiner, The Sunday Business Post, Hot Press Magazine (A+R Department), Nameless Faceless, Nialler9, Golden Plec, The Last Mixed Tape and Entertainment.ie.

​The members of Pretty Happy, (Abbey Blake, Arann Blake and Andy Killian), are passionate about their local arts scene. Abbey is founder of Angry Mom Collective, a movement set up to battle the gender divide in Irish arts. All members are also keenly involved in drama and film which bleeds through to their eccentric live performances.

With Abbey’s defined pedal driven guitar sound she was announced as an Earthquaker Devices Artist in 2020.

Pretty Happy kick off their Summer with a set recorded in St. Lukes Church (Live at St Luke’s) as part of Cork’s Midsummer Festival. In a special emerging artist event, Abbey is showcasing her work as a film-maker, activist and musician.

6pm // DeBarra’s Folk Club // September 17 (CULTURE NIGHT PERFORMANCE – Free, ticketed, ALSO LIVE-STREAMED)

Hailing from the Armagh-Monaghan border, Dani Larkin is a singer-songwriter and folk musician who is being heralded as one of Ireland’s finest songwriters.

Dani will perform at the CIGF this year as part of Culture Night on September 17, marking another jewel in Dani’s breakthrough year. In 2021 Dani added to line-ups at Folk Alliance International and The Great Escape. June 2021 saw the release of her eagerly awaited debut album, with Hot Press quoting it as “promising to be one of the most exciting contemporary folk albums this year” and The Last Mixed Tape giving it a whopping 9 out of 10!

She’s been artist-in-residence at Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and has shared stages with the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Lisa O’Neill and Wallis Bird. She recently appeared at Ireland Music Week, Other Voices (Belfast and Ballina), Sound of Belfast and Output. 2020 saw her signing a management contract with Jawdropper Music, a worldwide sync deal with Plutonic Group Syncs, and earlier this year signed with leading booking agent Midnight Mango, as well securing the Irish promoter Singular Artists to work on her upcoming Irish album tour.

A storyteller by nature, her music is inspired by the folktales she was raised with, intertwined with elements of traditional melodies and rhythms from around the world in a timeless tradition. 

‘A powerfully arresting sound…‘ Ruth Smith RTÉ Radio One

‘Steadily emerging as a rising star on the Irish contemporary and alt folk scene.’ The Irish Times

‘Wowing audiences with virtuoso guitar playing and highly individualistic self- penned songs’. Songlines Magazine

Windings are a 5-piece rock/alt/pop/indie/folk band from Limerick City, Ireland. Over the past few years, windings have had the pleasure of sharing stages, supporting, and touring with the likes of Daniel Johnston, Smog/Bill Callahan, Bob Mould, Okkervil River, Caribou, Iron And Wine, Villagers, Teenage Fanclub, Kurt Vile, and Modest Mouse, amongst others. They have performed at festivals such as Electric Picnic and Forbidden Fruit (Irl), CMJ (New York), CMW (Toronto).

2012 brought the band to Canada to play at Canadian Music Week, Toronto, for the second year running. After a successful run of shows at the festival, they continued north to Hotel2Tango Studios in Montreal where they recorded side One of their 3rd, and most recent, album, entitled ‘I Am Not the Crow’ with Efrim Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Silver Mt Zion). Side Two was completed on their return to Ireland, with the expertise of Tommy McLaughlin (Villagers) at Attica Audio, Donegal.

Released (on Limited Edition Picture Vinyl and Digital Download) in October 2012 on Out On A Limb Records, I Am Not The Crow has been lauded by critics both nationally and internationally as one of the top Irish albums of that year, with its lead single ‘This Is A Conversation’ achieving considerable airplay on it’s release.

However, the most exciting part was yet to come when I Am Not The Crow was nominated for the Choice Music Award, the most prestigious Musical Prize in Ireland.

Jenny McNamara grew up in Clonakilty and now resides in New Orleans where she continues to perform regularly. she is joined by her pal Jon Broniger

Ava is a 16 year old Irish artist making alternative music. Ava will perform with her band for Clonakilty International Guitar Festival. This show is presented in association with Culture Night

Winners of ‘Best Live Act’ at the 2019 NI Music Prize, Sister Ghost is the project of Co. Derry artist Shannon Delores O’Neill. Having a background playing in bands from the age of 12, the project began with Shannon writing and demoing in her attic – singing and playing everything herself – before enlisting the other ‘ghouls’ to bring Sister Ghost to completion.

Playing noisy, spectral art-rock with a pop & literary heart, O’Neill and the band marshal a diverse set of influences in a singular way – from the ‘Seattle sound’ to the likes of Sonic Youth, Veruca Salt, Patti Smith and Kate Bush.

Shannon has been recognised for mentoring and encouraging other female-identified musicians to perform in the Northern Irish scene, having also set up the Girls Rock! NI chapter in 2016.
 Sister Ghost has garnered high profile support slots with Shellac, Pussy Riot, Petrol Girls and Le Butcherettes, as well as airplay on BBC 6 Music and a Next Wave Artist slot on BBC Radio 1.

With a debut album in the works, recent singles ‘Fake Friends Run This Country’ and ‘Bruised Fruit’ have received favourable reviews in the likes of Hot Press magazine and The Guardian newspaper; equal parts emphatic and earworming, Sister Ghost’s new material is their most vital to date.

“An independent force; a defiant artist” CLASH Magazine

“One of the most gifted songwriters to come out of the North in a long, long time” Stephen McCauley, BBC Radio Ulster

“Like Joan Jett, Donita Sparks, and Joe Strummer rolled into one”
Pure M Zine

“Tense yet hook filled, Sister Ghosts sound is a breath of fresh air on the garage/punk scene. A blistering meld of Sonic Youth meets Sleater-Kinney and that’s something to be very excited about.”
The Last Mixed Tape

“With Sister Ghost you can hear echoes of Sonic Youth, early nineties discord stuff. It’s just classic indie rock with no mucking about.”
Steven Rainey, BBC Radio Ulster

https://youtu.be/7Vpp0zPcv7M

Combining a wintry longing with the warmth of a familiar folktale, Humbird stretches between experimental folk and environmental Americana to embrace the unexpected. This music invites a refreshing dissonance into the house, it leaves breadcrumbs along the path and reflects light back at the stars.

Loud, confused, instrumental and experimental duo from Dublin, Ireland.