Borderline - EFÉ, Enola Gay, Simon Merriman (Singular Artists)

On today's episode of the IMRO Podcast we meet Ahmed With Love. Releasing music since 2019, he’s quickly made a name for himself as a versatile and creative storyteller collaborating with like minded peers in Rory Sweeney, E The Artist and Bricknasty to name a few.
 
He spoke with Danny Carroll back in September, just after staging Clash At The Quays as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. A unique gathering of musicians and wrestlers, the evening featured performances from Negro Impacto, EFÉ, Julie Louise Knifefist, KhakiKid, Curtisy and the man himself.
 
Going on to win a Judges Choice award as part of the festival,  Ahmed dropped by the IMRO office the day after, reflecting on how the show came together, his creative process, developing a musical community and his hopes for the future. 

Stream Ahmed With Love's music here:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1qYmvB1zTqFQRaRL6j2ZuK?si=em7qTLHDRkasjE9EsAGk-g

Songs featured:
World Cup!
Full Plate
Pebbles
Punto
Men On A Mission

D*MP featuring Curtisy: https://open.spotify.com/track/3a4pI8KVLMpcm4w42IPXaT?si=6e157b1c344b42c0

On today's episode we're bringing you conversations from a sunnier time, August in fact, when Danny Carroll travelled to the Treaty City - Limerick, and met some of the musicians performing at Féile na Gréine festival 2023.
 
 Féile na Gréine is a free festival of emerging and experimental music, entirely volunteer led, with a DIY perspective, the festival celebrates art and community in an attempt to provoke moments of joy in spaces and places across Limerick city. This years festival takes place 23-25 August if you’d like to save the dates!
 
As well as hearing from two of the Féile na Gréine organisers, Chris Quigley and Diarmuid O'Shea, we’ll be hearing from the harpist Méabh McKenna, lo-fi singer-songwriter Robbie Stickland, synth-wave artist Coolgirl, and the indie-rock trio Search Results.

1:30 - Chris Quigley & Diarmuid O’Shea from Féile na Gréine
7:10 - Search Results
17:45 - Coolgirl
24:10 - Robbie Stickland
30:10 - Méabh McKenna

Féile na Gréine host a showcase gig in London on Thursday 14th March:
https://irishculturalcentre.co.uk/event/glor-nua-x-feile-na-greine-st-patricks-takeover/

Follow Féile na Gréine on Instagram for more on the 2024 festival:
https://www.instagram.com/feilenagreine/?hl=en

Robbie Stickland’s second album, 'Lastingness' can be streamed/purchased here:
https://robbiestickland.bandcamp.com/album/lastingness

Search Results debut album 'Information Blip' can be streamed/purchased here:
https://searchresultsdub.bandcamp.com/album/information-blip

Coolgirl's 'Failed Reboot' EP can be streamed/purchased here:
https://coolgirl4lyfe.bandcamp.com/album/failed-reboot-2

Follow Méabh McKenna on Instagram for more on her music and upcoming live dates:

On today's episode we’re focused on the Borderline Festival.
 
Borderline is a two day event supported by IMRO, held in the Workman’s Club on the 15th and 16th of February showcasing forward-facing music from Ireland and abroad
 
The inaugural event is being organised by the promoters Singular Artists, and ahead of the two day showcase Danny Carroll spoke with some of the people involved.

Coming up we have interviews with Joe McVeigh from the Belfast noise-punk quartet Enola Gay, we will be speaking with the Dublin based indie-pop artist EFÉ, and before all that we have a chat with Simon Merriman from Singular Artists.

Simon spoke about curating the bill for this event, some of the logistical challenges involved and also his excitement for the current state of Irish music
 
Since 2020, EFÉ has released two EPs of distinctive, dayglo bedroom pop, marked by a strong visual aesthetic and playful music videos. We caught up just before Christmas to reflect on 2023 and hear about plans for the year ahead including her new single Truth Truth.

Our final interview on today’s episode, is with Joe from the band Enola Gay. Formed in Belfast in 2019, Enola Gay have become known for their outspoken lyrics, and genre bending approach to punk. Joe spoke about how the band formed, their early influences and what we can expect from them in 2024.
 
Visit - https://www.borderlinefestival.com/ to find out more about the event and tickets.

You can watch the video for EFÉ's new single here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U20gpE-e4LU

You can stream/purchase Enola Gay's latest EP here - https://enolagay1.bandcamp.com/album/casement-ep

On today's episode of the IMRO Podcast, we're in the company of Julie and Fiachra from NewDad
 
NewDad are a quartet originally from Galway, now based in London, that have just released their debut album Madra to much acclaim. Just before the album dropped last week, they spoke to Danny Carroll all about it - topics include working with producer Chris W. Ryan, the influence of bands such as Broadcast and Just Mustard, the unlikely trad connection for the group and the very early days of the band, back in 2017, when they were called...Blank!

Featured songs:
1. Let Go
2. In My Head
3. Madra
4. White Ribbons

Today, we bring you the first of a two-part exploration into Ireland’s Night Time Economy; where we’ll look at what it is, who it affects, where we’ve been going wrong, and its current status as we approach 2024.

From this two part focus, presented by Zara Hedderman, you’ll see just how broad this topic is and how it extends way beyond headlines about nightclubs staying open until 6am.  There’s so much more involved in the process of positively reframing Ireland’s Nightlife - from community-focused initiatives, creating employment, utilising cultural spaces to their fullest potential, the expansion of transport systems and developing policies which endeavour to keep venues alive and thriving instead of having to close their doors, as we’ve seen all too frequently in recent years.

In many ways, this isn’t just about strengthening the economy in this realm (although that is a significant element), this is also about reinstating a strong sense of community underpinned by culture.

Part One features a conversation between Zara and Sunil Sharpe. A globally renowned DJ and Producer, Sharpe has performed in a number of cities around the world and experienced first-hand how proper infrastructures regarding nightlife culture can enhance the overall experience. He’s also the figurehead of the Give Us The Night Campaign - an independent volunteer-led organisation who have worked tirelessly to promote the importance of modernising Ireland’s archaic legislation, with some bills dating back to 1935. 

Sunil is extremely passionate about this topic, and in this conversation he gives us thorough insights into the “why” and “how” Give Us The Night have been campaigning for change with the aim of vastly improving Ireland’s Nightlife economically, socially and culturally. If, after listening to this episode you’re looking for more information on how you can help or get involved, you can visit GiveUsTheNight.com and you can also find them on social media. 

We’ll be sharing Part 2 with you soon, but until then, here’s Sunil Sharpe in conversation with The IMRO Podcast. 

We’ve already shared the first part of an exploration into Ireland’s Night Time Economy, where DJ and Give Us The Night campaigner, Sunil Sharpe gave us a comprehensive overview of the topic.

In this episode, the concluding part, Zara Hedderman interviews Mark Davies and Deputy James Lawless.

Something discussed in Part One was the importance of a Night Time Economy Advisor - also known as Night Mayers in other parts of the world. As of this year, this role is being piloted in 9 cities across Ireland: in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Sligo, Buncrana, Galway, Kilkenny, Longford and Drogheda, where Mark Davies is presently working as its first ever Night Time Economy Advisor. 

Mark spoke to Zara about his previous experiences working with Cardiff County Council and as a DIY musician and describes how they help him effectively navigate his current position. He also explains exactly what’s involved in the role of Night Time Economy Advisor - from organising community workshops, finding ways to enrich and elevate independent musicians and venues and much more. 

Zara also speaks to Deputy James Lawless of Fianna Fail. Deputy Lawless was appointed Chair of the Committee on Justice back in 2020, and a crucial component to reforming Ireland’s licensing laws centres on the Sale of Alcohol Bill. In November of 2023, The Joint Committee on Justice published their report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill, 2022. Deputy Lawless speaks about what’s involved with this bill and how it will impact Ireland’s Night Time Economy, as well as giving some indications into when we can anticipate this bill to complete its legislative journey and herald a new era of what we hope will be an even more vibrant and inviting foundation to a modernised night time culture in Ireland. 

Thanks for listening, I hope you’ve enjoyed these episodes and we’ll be back again soon. 

Singularity is a rarity in any artform, but Gavin Friday is as distinctive an artist now as he was in the late 70s to mid-80s when he was the primary focal point of the unclassifiable Virgin Prunes.  In this episode of the IMRO Podcast, Gavin Friday talks to Tony Clayton-Lea about his life in music and art, his solo work, his enduring friendship with U2 and his forthcoming album.

In this edition of the IMRO Podcast we meet David A. Tapley, the songwriter behind indie-rock outfit Tandem Felix

Last week saw the release of the second Tandem Felix album, 'There's A New Sheriff In Town'. An eclectic, sometimes dark collection of songs, the album draws upon an impressive set of guest musicians, with Tapley and producer Stephen Dunne collaborating once again on an inventive, widescreen approach to production. Over the course of this episode David talks to Danny Carroll about the origins of Tandem Felix, the evolution of the new world-weary LP and the influence of his collaborators. 

1. Finger On The Button
2. Tell Yer Loved Ones (2013)
3. Making Dinner On Valentine's Day (2019)
4. Sick
5. There's A New Sheriff In Town
6. I Don't Feel Welcome When You Bring Me To Your House
7. The Kitchen
8. The Name Of The Game
9. Message Of The Afternoon
10. The Losing Streak
11. Watching TV For The Hell Of It

All songs featured can be purchased on the Tandem Felix Bandcamp page: https://tandemfelix.bandcamp.com/album/theres-a-new-sheriff-in-town

In this edition of the IMRO Podcast we are looking at international touring - from visa requirements to customs procedures, there's a number of crucial aspects that artists need to be aware of when touring abroad.

Over the course of this episode Danny Carroll speaks to a diverse range of industry experts, discussing how artists best prepare themselves - particularly when attempting to tour the US and UK. Featured on this episode are the insights and opinions of US based legal attorneys Fiona and Ray McEntee, attorney and immigration expert Matt Covey, the music manager Maya Cullen-Petrovic and Dublin Chamber of Commerce Export Services Manager Richard Brown.

Matt Covey - https://www.tamizdat.org/ & https://www.covey.law/

McEntee Law Group - https://mcenteelaw.com/

Maya Cullen-Petrovic - https://www.jawdroppermgmt.com/

Richard Brown - https://www.dublinchamber.ie/Export-Services/ATA-Carnets

In this edition, Aoife Barry hosts a panel discussion on mental health and mindfulness in the music industry.  The podcast aims to shine a light on the mental health challenges faced by creative communities in 2023, as well highlighting the platforms and services available to those working in the industry.

Featured on the panel is Kim O'Callaghan (Director of Minding Creative Minds) and Joe Hastings (Head Of Music Minds Matter at Help Musicians UK). Both organisations do fantastic work in helping musicians with free mental health support and career mentorship.

https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/
24/7 Dedicated Phone Line:

ROI: 1800 814 244
NI/UK: 0800 0903677
International: 00353 1 518 0277
Or Text/WhatsApp “Hi” to 087 369 0010

https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/get-support/mental-health
24/7 Dedicated Phone Line:
NI/UK: 0808 802 8008
 support@​helpmusicians.​org.​uk