“One of the most immediately captivating components to The Deadlians’ musicianship is the mesmerising combination of punk and psych rock sensibilities steering beast-like tracks like Scumbag with an Ice Pop, and A Few Cans of Minerals. Those moments conjure the sweaty clubs of 1970s New York…” [Zara Hedderman in Totally Dublin]
Experimentation is at the core of Robocobra Quartet, whether it be in the fluid line-up (six musicians tagging in and out to make up the live touring quartet) or in their unique self-produced records made in their hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
These juxtapositions are just the beginning of the complex world of Robocobra Quartet – a band serious about their music but humorous in their approach, including members with no musical training alongside members with music conservatoire pedigree. The result is a collective of musicians inspired by Stravinsky and Dead Kennedys in equal measures. On stage, the band are protons and electrons circling drummer-vocalist Chris W Ryan; meticulous arrangements and on-the-spot improvisations hang on every word spoken, sung and shouted by Ryan. These words and rhythms are what propel the music of Robocobra Quartet forward and concoct a sound that is groove-driven but cerebral too, invoking the likes of Fugazi, Talking Heads and contemporaries such as Black Midi, Squid and BadBadNotGood.
The free nature of the band’s live shows led to them being embraced early on by jazz fanatics just as much as rock fans – once finding themselves in Europe touring a jazz club one night, a house show the next and a pop festival the night after that. These unmatched live performances often channel-hop from moments of joy and playfulness to periods of intense fury, earning the band invitations to Montreux Jazz Festival, Glastonbury Festival and as far as Inversia Festival in the polar north of Russia whilst receiving acclaim from the likes of The Quietus, MOJO, BBC 6Music and KEXP.
SWEETS is an alternative rock band from Limerick, Ireland. The band’s roots are firmly entrenched in Limerick’s prolific music scene and features members of much-loved, critically acclaimed acts Tooth, Giveamanakick, Windings & Japanese Jesus. Expect powerful, guitar-driven, hook-filled songs, laden with unexpected riffs, pounding rhythms and textured vocals that flips the riffy/post-hardcore/grunge sound on it’s head.
Long-time collaborators Liam Marley (Guitar/Vox) and Lorcan Bourke (Drums) had been writ- ing songs together for over ten years before joining forces with close friends Keith Lawler (Guitar) and Bertie Kelly (Bass) to form SWEETS in 2021. “It took a pandemic to finally get us together, it’s just felt like the right time.”
When asked to describe their sound, the members said that: “We grew up together as friends, as part of an incredible music scene and because of that formed our musical tastes together. We take influences from what resonates with us individually and it just comes out very naturally as a band then. We have a lot in common but it’s our individual tastes, experi- ences and influences that make the unique SWEETS sound.”
The band plans to release a series of singles over the coming months with accompanying videos, culminating in a full length LP in 2023.
The Kates are Liz Clark, Mide Houlihan, Eve Clague, MaryBeth O Mahony and Paula K O Brien, a group of west Cork artists who celebrate the rock goddesses that have come before them, torching a trail through a man’s world.
They only perform songs written or performed by women, from Patti Smith and Courtney Love to Sharon Van Etten and Lizzo.
Viva le revolution!
Molly O’Mahony has spent much of the last decade writing and performing with art-folk group Mongoose. She returned to her home place of west Cork in March of 2020, and against the backdrop of the unfolding pandemic, began work on her first solo collection of songs.
During lockdown, she bounced many ideas off her two musician siblings Matilda and Fiachra and collaborated on arranging a number of covers with them. This period of time and these collaborations greatly informed her own songs, which were recorded over the summer of 2021, and which her siblings played a crucial role in arranging and playing on.
Molly released two of these songs over the latter half of last year, Remember To Be Brave and Brother Blue.
Her debut album is scheduled for October 2022
Les SalAmandas, Julie O’Sullivan (Ireland) and Colyne Laverriere (France) is a new singing-songwriting act in the Irish music scene.
Sister Ghost, (winner of Best Live Act at the 2019 NI Music Awards) is the project of Derry-based artist Shannon Delores O’Neill.
Sister Ghost has garnered support slots with internationally acclaimed artists such as We Are Scientists, Shellac, Petrol Girls, Fontaines DC, Pussy Riot, Ratboys and Le Butcherettes as well as airplay on KEXP Seattle, BBC Radio 1, RTE 2FM, Today FM and BBC 6 Music. Sister Ghost has also been featured in high level press such as The Guardian and Hot Press.
As of 2020, O’Neill has teamed up with Gary Lightbody’s Artist Development & Label ‘Third Bar’ to create the debut Sister Ghost album. Set for release in 2023 the album was recorded in Los Angeles, California (July/August 2022) with the world class producer Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Veruca Salt and more).
Shannon is also known for mentoring and encouraging other female and gender non-conforming musicians to perform in the Northern Irish scene, having set up the Girls Rock! NI chapter in 2016.
As well as a live performance Sister Ghost will also host ‘ZINESTER GHOST: SISTER GHOST’S ZINE WORKSHOP’
Press Quotes:
“Absolutely massive!” Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1
“Big guitar hooks! I’m obsessed!” Gemma Bradley, BBC Radio 1
“Feels authentic from the era of Pixies, Breeders and Hole; brilliant music, beautifully made” Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music
“One of the most gifted songwriters to come out of the North in a long, long time.” Stephen McCauley, BBC Radio Ulster
https://youtu.be/7Vpp0zPcv7M
John Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, recording artist, storyteller, poet and dreamer. Rooted in people, place and story, his music transports the listener and his live performances captivate audiences around the world.
After his acclaimed release of 100 Snow White Horses in 2021, in October 2022, John will release ‘In Another Light’ a career spanning album recorded live at the Right Here Right Now Festival recorded at Cork Opera House in November 2021.
Marisa Anderson channels the history of the guitar and stretches the boundaries of tradition. Her deeply original work applies elements of minimalism, electronic music, drone and 20th century classical music to compositions based on blues, jazz, gospel and country music, re-imagining the landscape of American music.
The New Yorker calls Anderson ‘one of the most distinctive guitar players of her generation’, while NPR refers to her as among ‘this era’s most powerful players’ . Her work has been featured in Billboard, Rolling Stone, NPR, SPIN, Pitchfork, the BBC and The Wire. Festival appearances include Big Ears, Pitchfork Midwinter, Le Guess Who and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.
Anderson’s discography includes five solo records and multiple collaborations. Her latest release, Lost Futures (2021), is a collaboration with guitarist William Tyler. In 2020 Anderson released The Quickening with drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Xylouris White). Anderson is sought after as a collaborator and composer, contributing to recordings by Matmos, Tara Jane O’Neil, Beth Ditto, Sharon Van Etten and Circuit Des Yeux among others, as well as creating music for short films and soundtracks.
Classically trained, she honed her skills playing in country, jazz and circus bands. and currently tours extensively throughout Europe and North America.
Cherished and admired in equal measure by listeners and fellow musicians, award-winning guitarist, singer, songwriter and prolific collaborator Kris Drever has been a leading light on the UK roots scene for well over a decade.
A highly skilled guitarist who adroitly blends traditional folk and flat picking with more contemporary influences – allied to a distinctively relaxed and poised vocal burr – Drever is an astonishingly fine interpreter of others’ songs, with an increasingly frequent knack for concocting seriously smart lyrical observations and earworm melodies of his own.
Drever has played and recorded with an extensive range of artists including Mark Knopfler, Jack Bruce, Danny Thompson, Eddi Reader, Bela Fleck, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, Sarah Jarosz, Joan As Police Woman, Tinariwen, Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis.