The Echo
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Honeyblood: Honeyed Tones from Scots Duo
Honeyblood vocalist/guitarist Stina Tweeddale chats with Mike McGrath-Bryan about their new album, tour footage, and what lies ahead. It’s a time of expansion for Scottish punk/pop duo Honeyblood. Sophomore effort Babes Never Die has landed on shelves, with the record’s eponymous leadoff single now doing the rounds. What follows in the coming months will be…
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Percolator: Brewing New Sounds
Brandishing a sound that resembles a Venn diagram of shoegaze, indie, Krautrock and post-punk, Percolator’s development has been slow and steady over the past number of years, with a series of singles and extended-players finding their way out as the band proceeded. This work has led to debut album SESTRA, releasing this month via Cork’s…
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Wheatus: Showing Cork a Little Respect
Wheatus’ Brendan B. Brown talks with Mike McGrath-Bryan about hit singles, backline selloffs, and sweaty Cork gigs. Much is made of the rock ‘n’ roll narrative trope that is the one-hit wonder. Made ever more salient by the firework-trajectory careers of late-stage major-label signups in the throes of corporate impatience for artist development, it’s an…
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Ryley Walker: Walking a Golden Mile
Ryley Walker has, in recent years, become a hot property the world over for his own mathy, odd leanings on the folk oeuvre. Cork in particular seems to have taken to the American troubadour, with repeat sellouts for Leeside excursions over the years. This month’s swing through Ireland is no different, with a full-band Easter…
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Fangclub: Baring Their Fangs
Mike McGrath-Bryan speaks with Fangclub’s Steven King about the band’s upcoming Cork shows. It was a busy 2016 for Dublin rock revivalists Fangclub – their Bullet Head E.P. released through Universal Music Ireland after signing a rare domestic deal with the major-label office in May, the Coma Happy E.P. following shortly in September of last…
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Tinfoil: In the Heat of the Moment
Ahead of a big night on Paddys’ Eve at Cyprus Avenue, Mike McGrath-Bryan speaks with producer Sunil Sharpe, of duo Tinfoil, and Ellen King, playing support under her ELLLL pseudonym. Great collaborations can come from the unlikeliest of places, and oftentimes, such stories can make for excellent copy. The story of Tinfoil, a collaborative project…
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Tiz McNamara: “I Haven’t Looked Back”
Ahead of dual Cork dates in Coughlan’s and Levis’ of Ballydehob, singer-songwriter Tiz McNamara speaks with Mike McGrath-Bryan about his adventures in music, sharing studios with legends, and doing things his way. A well-travelled troubadour hailing from Cork, the journey of singer-songwriter Tiz McNamara began in Togher, taking him through garages, venues, and several bands…
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Kaizoku-Con: Pirates Setting Sail for Cork’s Anime Convention
Amid a range of society and sporting events, UCC has played home in recent years to Cork’s only anime & manga convention. Mike McGrath-Bryan speaks with Kaizoku-con director Emmett Fitzharris about the growth of the event. Anime, the umbrella term for Japanese animation, is a pop-cultural force of nature, rising from cult status to become…
Mike McGrath-Bryan 