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2 weeks ago | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
A harp on your passport and a fluent grasp of the language have never been prerequisites for forging meaningful connections with traditional Irish music.
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1 month ago | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
As Self Esteem releases A Complicated Woman – her powerful follow-up to the Mercury Prize-nominated Prioritise Pleasure – the artist also known as Rebecca Lucy Taylor reflects on success, self-doubt, and the current pop landscape… From the stark statements about autonomy and desire that punctuate her songs, to the warts-and-all reflections she throws out in conversation, there’s always been a rare, overriding sense of honesty to everything Self Esteem approaches.
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1 month ago | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
His approach may be more ‘backgarden-country’ than ‘bedroom-pop’, but Gareth Hamilton – known professionally as simply Gareth – has, within the space of a year, clocked up the kind of online following that most aspiring musicians on social media can only dream of.
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2 months ago | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
Embarking on a 32-track album project would typically, Cathy Jordan admits, be considered “a form of madness.”But the Roscommon-reared singer and multi-instrumentalist – who rose to prominence in the early ’90s with the world-renowned traditional group Dervish – has never been short of energy, or inspiration.
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Mar 5, 2025 | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
Music 05 Mar 25 The Murder Capital: "This is music I’ve wanted to make with this band for a long time" The Murder Capital. Credit: Hugo Comte As they unleash their powerful third album Blindness – and gear up for their headline show at the Iveagh Gardens this summer – The Murder Capital sit down to discuss indulgence, Shane MacGowan, misguided patriotism, Palestine, and touring with Pearl Jam and Nick Cave.
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Feb 27, 2025 | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
A quarter-of-a-century ago, Bren Berry “literally hung up” his guitars, he tells me – with no real intention of ever picking them up again. The Dublin native had spent the previous decade immersed full-time in music – “and full-time on the dole,” he adds. He first put in the hard graft in the late ‘80s, as a member of The Coletranes, who scored a No.5 single with ‘I Wake Up’, released via the U2-founded Mother Records imprint Son Records.
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Feb 25, 2025 | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
“Initially, I didn’t really think I was making a record,” reflects Biig Piig. “I just thought I was making music, really.”The Irish-born, London-based artist is recalling the early days of the creation of her long-awaited debut album, 11:11 – which finally arrived this month, following a remarkable run of EPs, stretching back to 2018’s Big Fan of the Sesh Vol.1, and a lauded 2023 mixtape, Bubblegum.
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Feb 24, 2025 | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
Appointed Dublin’s first-ever Night-Time Economy Advisor in April 2024, Ray O’Donoghue is hoping to bring real, positive change to the city and its nightlife, for residents and visitors alike. He discusses his progress so far, and the key challenges that still remain. For Ray O’Donoghue, stepping into the role of Dublin City Council’s Night-Time Economy Advisor – or Night Mayor, as it’s sometimes called – was “a little bit of a culture shock” at first.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
Lifestyle & Sports 14 Jan 25 Best of Dublin - The Rachel Capes - Rachel Galvo Following sold-out shows on both sides of the Irish Sea, Rachel Galvo is gearing up for a major four-night run at Dublin’s Ambassador Theatre, with her hugely successful show, The Shite Feminist.
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Jan 11, 2025 | 
hotpress.com | Lucy O'Toole
Culture 11 Jan 25 Best of Dublin - Bringing Sexy Back - SexyTadgh Hotly tipped songwriter and cabaret performer SexyTadhg talks community, confidence, and some of their favourite Dublin spots… For multi-hyphenate artist SexyTadhg, defying expectations is a daily exercise.
