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EDITOR IN CHIEF / Michelle Costello PHOTOGRAPHER / Tarmo Tulit GRAPHIC DESIGN / Paul Geaney CONTRIBUTORS: Rebecca Egan Sophie Butler David Cuddihy Kevin Bolger Peter Guckian Cornelia O'Riordan Sharon Slater Evan Considine Laura McNamara Annette Smyth Rachel Flannagan Shauna Lindsay Yesunia Appiakorang Tarmo Tulit

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WELCOME TO ISSUE NUMBER 13 OF FUSION MAGAZINE! One of my favourite things about planning for the months ahead is the choice of picking which festivals we attend. Electric Picnic is always a favourite but there is plenty more to see and do in Ireland if you haven’t managed to get your hand on tickets. We have a diverse selection of festivals throughout Europe which we feature in the S/S 16 edition of Fusion Magazine. Speaking of festivals, they always bring together fun, friends, nostalgia and music, and we have one of my all-time favourite musicians Johnny Marr as our cover star. Marrs’ instantaneous recognisable iconic sound inspires and influences countless rock guitarists over the past 25 years. He chats to Fusion Magazine about his upcoming autobiography, his Irish roots and of course The Smiths. We take a look at the upcoming S/S 16 collection for rising fashion house ‘We Are Islanders’ who design and create contemporary womenswear, while our style team get creative with S/S 16 beauty looks with Inglot, MAC and Benefit Cosmetics. I hope you enjoy reading our current treads and human interest articles of Ireland. We always want to work with the most interesting collaborators and creatives to showcase the diverse culture Ireland has to offer. Until next time, Michelle Costello Editor in Chief

Design - design@fusionmedia.ie Fusion Magazine is published by Fusion Media 74 O’Connell Street, Limerick, Ireland www.fusionmagazine.ie info@fusionmedia.ie +353 (0) 61 - 597627

SHOWCASING CONTEMPORARY & CREATIVE IRELAND THROUGH FASHION, M U S I C , 4

CONTENTS 6 Brian Cross 12 The Dirty 30’s 14

Dear Mental Health

18 Electric Picnic Festival 20 28 30 36 44

Johnny Marr

Body & Soul Festival

Beauty

We Are Islanders

Men’s Fashion

46 Ravelóid Festival 48 1916 Joining the Dots 52 Sea Sessions 54

Silver Darlings

58 The Texas Steakout 62 Summer Cocktails 66 Travel 68 Sziget Festival 70 Peter Joyce 78 Roskilde Festival 80 Jupe

F I L M ,

ART & CULTURE, TRAVEL, FOOD, PHOTOGRAPHY AND HUMAN INTEREST. 5

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PEOPLE PROFILE

BRIAN CROSS When art students begin their venture into art college, they tend to have a very clear idea of what they want to do or at least what area they would like to work in. Generally, you wouldn’t expect someone with a degree in Fine Art from NCAD to become one of the most well-known hip-hop photographers in history but that’s exactly what happened to Brian Cross, better known as “B+”, from Limerick, Ireland. Within a few years of graduating and moving to Los Angeles, Brian Cross already had a project called ‘Its Not about a Salary: Rap Race and Resistance in Los Angeles’ released by an international publishing house and shot an album cover for none other than rapper, Eazy E.

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Since then, Cross has shot approximately one hundred more album covers for the likes of Cappadonna, Jurrassic 5, Q-Tip, RZA and Damian Marley and has also directed music videos for artists around the world such as DJ Shadow in the US, Nitro Microphone Underground in Japan and Control Machete in Mexico putting him at the forefront of music photography. So how did Limericknative Brian Cross go from studying painting in Dublin to becoming a world-renowned photographer? “Well, I grew up in Limerick. I went to Clements [Secondary School]. While I was there I played a lot of rugby, but I decided to do something a little bit different with my life so I applied to the National College of Art and Design to study Industrial Design, originally. Partially because no one in my family had gone to college and so, you know, even the notion of me going to art school was nearly too far out. I dropped out of Industrial Design after about a year to transfer over to Fine Art, which really was a wild card.” In his early life, it seemed for a while that becoming a photographer was never really an option for Cross, “I was never a great photographer to be honest with you but [photography] really interested me, or at least the notion of image making did.” After a few years of being an art-graduate working in a used-car dealership, he finally decided to apply to post-graduate courses, one of them being photography at the California Institute of the Arts. That’s when there seemed to be a sign that he was destined to live his life as a photographer in the US. “I applied and was accepted and that was around the same time I got a letter from the American Embassy and I thought it was something to do with the fact that I had applied to grad school and I was thinking, “God man these people are really on top of it” but it was me getting offered a Donnelly Visa that my mom had applied for when I was sixteen. I think everyone in Ireland applied for it, you know those ads in the paper on a Sunday that say, “send a stamped, addressed envelope to this address in [Washington] DC with a cheque for sixty bucks” and it would be like a lottery. I guess it went through the first few rounds and she applied when I was sixteen so I say that would’ve been maybe eight years in the difference. It was pretty crazy, like some kind of a sign.” Although his interest in hip hop began in Ireland, California Institute of Arts seemed to be the place where his interest in photographing hip hop artists really began.

“While I was at CalArts a professor of mine challenged me to make work around hip hop or to photograph that community out in LA. I was kind of hesitant about doing it because at that time I hadn’t even photographed people. A lot of the work I did at the end of NCAD was a photo series of the canal bank basically. That’s what I was basing my work around that time because that’s what I was comfortable doing. I just went for it, and within a year I had a book out and a contract with Verso and maybe a year after that I had shot my first album cover, which was for Eazy-E.” Everyone has their own career defining moments no matter what industry they’re in, whether it’s getting a promotion, winning an award in your field or getting published for the first time. Brian Cross has had more career defining moments than will fit in my word count but according to Cross, it all started with working with Eazy E. “I remember getting a bootleg cassette with the first NWA record on one side and the first Eazy-E record on the other side and to think that in a space of a few years I’d be photographing those guys and getting paid to do it. It was bananas.” Of course that’s not his only career highlight, as he explains, “There’s been a few holy shit moments. The first photoshoot I ever got paid for, properly, was shooting House of Pain. I remember getting $400 and thinking “wow that’s... crazy”. It would’ve taken me a week to earn that with my job at the camera store and that was cool. I thought if I could do that once a week I’d be alright.” “There were also a couple of moments where I realised that if I was going to live off of this that the real money wasn’t in doing publicity stills whether it be like head shots, video stills for video shoots, whatever I did at that time. That was the easy stuff, the real work came from doing the more conceptual stuff like figuring out what an album cover should look like, getting an artist interested in your idea and making it happen. It gave me creative freedom too. I remember the DJ Shadow record, and how spectacular it was working on a record with someone who was a friend first and then actually helping them figure out the vision for what it should look like, and then watching it blow up. Feeling engaged with the success of the record as well, being able to walk into a room of people and say “yeah, I f*cking did that photo” and everyone knew what it was and see everyone’s reactions, that was really something else.”

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For many people, especially those who work in the arts, one of the biggest career highlights is realising that you can do something that you love every day and be happy with the outcome of what you’ve created. Brian Cross can definitely agree with that. “I’d say creatively, for me, the big thing was realising somewhere around ’96 that it was much better to be doing something that I was happy about myself and finding a way to have an audience for that rather than doing traditionally what commercial photographers do which is to do what you think people want.” “As cliché as it sounds; to pull off something yourself, even if you’re not making as much as you were, it’s important to just protect your sanity. It really is a balancing act, to find that balance and just work on it. I’m not saying that as some kind of a boast, but that really is a measure of success to me. I can live, and do what I want and you earn that. I’m very lucky to have earned that.” A lot of what goes into being happy with your work is the personal style that is put into it and of course every successful photographer has their own unique style. From the outset, it is clear that his photography has a very raw

and personal style to it but much more goes into creating the perfect photograph than many may think. For Cross, there are two essential elements for him to get the image that he wants, “There’s a couple of things that [as visual artists] we always talk about, the light that’s there is the best light. Always. I’m not like a f*cking fascist about these things but generally I always start with what’s there, and I feel it’s really important to look at what’s there before everything else”. “The second thing is my stuff is all about mood, more than it is about homage. Those kind of honorific, hero worship photos aren’t really my thing. I’m much more about somebody’s vibe. A lot of people feel revealed when they see my photos of them, and sometimes that doesn’t work. Some people don’t want to feel revealed, that they feel “oh, that’s really me. I don’t like that.” As for what not to do, Brian says, “A real amateur mistake for me is thinking too much beforehand, that you don’t even see what’s there. A lot of DJ’s do that, y’know? If you show up to a gig with a set of 20 songs and are intent on playing them, you might find that those songs aren’t what people want to

hear right now. What they’re looking for is more important and you should give yourself room to improvise.” After his first book was nominated for Rolling Stone Book of The Year and was featured in the NME Critics Best Music Books of the Year and photographing almost every major hip hop artist all in the early years of his career, he continues to receive popular acclaim for his recent work as well. Having recently shot Kendrick Lamar’s Complex cover, B+ shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. He currently still resides in LA as co-founder of the production company ‘Mochilla’ with fellow music photographer Eric Coleman which has seen them work with brands like Adidas and Vans. Whether it’s his solo photography or his continued work as part of Mochilla, Brian “B+” Cross is destined to receive continued success for the rest of his career. Interview - Kevin Bolger Words - Sophie Butler Images - B+

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THE “LITTLE THINGS”

30’s

It’s the little things in life that matter the most… Well so the old saying tells us anyway. I’m certainly a firm believer that its “little things” that truly brighten up your day. Sometimes simple little gestures from others can leave you smiling from ear to ear without you even realising.

Unfortunately for us mere mortals we’re also plagued by the not so welcome “little things”. You know the ones I mean: The “little things” that annoy us, that niggle at us, and when bottled up can all of a sudden turn into a festering rage. Let’s face it, we’ve all been a position where we allow something really small and usually insignificant to get on our nerves; we try our best to ignore it but then all of a sudden you start to notice it more and more then suddenly your brain is totally consumed by this annoying “little thing” until your almost fit to burst and feel like shouting random obscenities at anyone in earshot. I’m going to put my hands up here - for me its noisy eaters, they drive me absolutely nuts! The first slurp or smack of the lips I will leave them away with, but the more I hear it the more I want to make them wear their plate of food. To avoid these sudden violent urges brought about by noisy eaters I will sometimes just leave the room, it’s safer for all involved. •

Am I just getting to that stage in life where I am getting increasingly pissed off by the smallest of things, or is it something we’re all guilty of? As I lay in bed one night trying my hardest to get some sleep, “hyper brain” kicked in and thus followed 2 full hours of random thoughts flying around my head, mainly stuff that really wound me up! Having recently been to a mindfulness workshop I decided to try out one of the tricks which they thought to help with sleeping. I picked up a pen and paper and decided to scribble down all these thoughts and minor upsets, get them out of my head and clear the way for some nicer sleepier thoughts. After half an hour of scribblings I finished my list. The thoughts were out of my head and down on paper and I felt lighter. Turns out the “little things” were really bugging me and made for some interesting reading

•

• •

•

when I returned to the list after a few days… People in long queues who wait until they reach the top and then go rooting for their purse or wallet which is always at the end of their bag! Dear sweet Jesus you have been standing in a line for the past 10 minutes looking around you, God forbid you could have used that time to take out your money and save us all a few minutes. Brolly etiquette! It’s pretty simple, it rains a lot in this country so we should all know how to use an umbrella and we should all know the unwritten rules when it comes to our faithful brollies. If two brolly users approach each other on a narrow path then said brolly users should each tilt their brolly’s politely to alternating sides which should give both brolly users ample room to pass each other without collision. It is wholly unacceptable to use said umbrellas as a form of weapon to get people out of your way. The Stop and Start Brigade! You know the ones, you’re walking through town minding your own business and there is always that one person in front of you who decides to stop, start and change direction in dramatic fashion. These kinds of erratic movement are not good for anyone’s nerves, please just keep walking in an orderly fashion and no one will get hurt. Loud eaters and slurpers. Please see above, do not get me started again. Doorway Haunts. Doorways are for walking through and not for standing having a chat in. Doorways are not the ideal place for a gossip or catch up. While on the subject of doorways, if someone is polite enough to hold a door open for you, then, a simple thank you or a friendly smile is the appropriate response. Walking past with your head in the air is not! Facebook Complainers and Keyboard Warriors! Sensationalism is the name of the game for the social media warriors of our generation whose main aim is for their latest complaint to get as many likes as possible. Favourite words include “disgrace”, “joke” and “boycott”

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which is always met by a chorus of “you ok hun?” and “go to the papers luv!” from the baying mob of fellow warriors. Get a life! Cured Hoors! My grandmother use to always say “there’s nothing worse than a cured hoor”, I always wondered what it meant whilst at the same time thinking it was hilarious because my grandmother had said the word “hoor”. For those who do not know, “a cured hoor” is a term used for someone who has overcome whatever affliction they may have been afflicted with and now proceeds to preach about their “curing” at any opportunity, whether people are listening or not. Humility is not something a “cured hoor” is familiar with in any way shape or form.

So there you have it, the list that was keeping me awake one night. All these “little things” that I should have dismissed but ultimately in hindsight were affecting me in some way because it was keeping me up at night. Getting that list out on paper was a little mini form of stress relief for me. I was getting narky at the human race, society in general and really anyone that crossed my path. Getting the “little things” off my chest meant that I didn’t have to swear at random strangers who didn’t say thanks when I held the door and more importantly it meant someone did not get a slap of an umbrella on a rainy day as I walked to the office. I’m not cured by any means; these things still really annoy me but now that I’ve gotten them out of my system, I can start to trivialise them and laugh about how small they are. I can see now they aren’t actually “real” problems, they are simple other people’s habits that piss me off! Is there a moral to my little exercise? Well in a way it shows that problems can come in all shapes and sizes but by getting the little things off our chests we can catch them before they turn into big things, and before they start to really mess up our heads. I know my “little things” may be quite eccentric but at the end of the day they are my “little things”. I now love getting them off my chest because it makes me feel better and at the end of the day it’s better out than in. Words - Dave Cuddihy

Established 1989

Tel 061 410 350 www.Texassteakout.com

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DEAR MENTAL HEALTH…

I would like to begin this open letter by telling you how much I sincerely mean it when I say – fuck you! You have had a heavy influence on my life for over a decade now, but for two years I am beginning to believe that I am nearly rid of you, for good. I was never taught about you while I was growing up, so I never expected you. In fact, I didn’t even know what or who you were for a very long time. I will be honest and say I was pretty intimidated by you at first, but not anymore. When someone is backed into a corner they only have two options: they could stand still and have you domineering their every choice or move in life. Or they can push back as much as they could and get themselves out. You affected me to the point where you meddled with my life and my everyday choices. Like when deep down I knew college or academia was not for me I still spent four years of my life trying to avoid that feeling as I was preoccupied with you. Before I am forever done with you, I just want to tell you a few reasons as to why I would never like to be within your company for the foreseeable future. Prior to your unwanted entry into my life, I had been very confident. Throughout my life, even when faced with the hardships of growing up and even being bullied at a young age, I still took them on and in my mind I was victorious! You introduced complete self-doubt into my life, without my permission. With the introduction of this unwanted trait, I was able to appear confident in myself and all my decisions without actually feeling it. I had absolutely no control over a lot of things and situations faced in my life, but more importantly I wasn’t able to be the old me who I fondly remembered. I could appear completely content and happy, while 14

on the inside I was very sad and worried about basically everything in the world. The complexity of the situation meant that it was very hard to share what I really thought about myself to anyone, my family or close friends who I thought would only be worried if they only knew. In addition to my own fears or anxiety I grew fearful of worrying anybody who was close to me and extremely anxious when it came to discussing the topic of my everyday struggle when it all came to light. I knew from day one that you wouldn’t be of the end of my existence. This didn’t necessarily mean that dark ideas did not cross my head. In my lowest hour and during my ever grey and negative thoughts or doubts about myself, I would occasionally wonder was I just a nuisance to the world and those who loved me. I am both extremely angry and worried about the people who may feel so low there is no end to the dark thoughts and the problems you bring upon them and you convince them to take their own lives - lives which appeared unfixable but could very well be fixed to everyone on the outside of these thoughts. It’s beginning to seem that you haven’t just invaded my life, as a lot of other people are beginning to speak out about all the terrible things you are capable of and rightly so. You deserve it! You have intimidated almost every person in this country to the point where it is not discussed and where ignoring it seems to be the accepted way to deal with it. You have taken hope away. We live in a world where even our own politicians never think of invading and combatting everything you stand for as their prime policy when preparing for an election. Though perhaps you have invaded and affected their lives to the point of ignoring you too, that is what we are taught after all.

I count myself very lucky. As I write this letter I can once again hear that ever present helicopter which appears to be permanently hovering above the river. I swear from this moment until I take my last gasp of air in this world I will do anything I can help tackle your presence in society, and uncover what is constantly being ignored and never addressed. You see, there was a time where you had me thinking that I had no future, that I was destined for nothing. But now, I have a great job in which I succeed daily, as well as a loving family and girlfriend who like and respect me for who I truly am. No matter how many times you have tried to take away my confidence and self-belief, you won’t be able anymore. On the other hand, I would also like to thank you for helping me realise who I was and how strong I really am. Here is to knowing I will never let you invade my life for the rest of my time on this planet. There will always be negative thoughts that try to take over you’re every move. But I have realised that by hitting back with positive thoughts, as hard as they may be to do, it succeeds. Farewell forever, Me Words - Peter Guckian Image - TarmoTulit

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ELECTRIC PICNIC

MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL Electric Picnic is one of Ireland’s biggest and liveliest music and arts festivals. It returns for its 12th year running this summer, taking place from the 2nd to the 4th of September in Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois. Since its beginning in 2004, when it was merely a one day festival, Electric Picnic has grown to become regarded as one of Ireland’s most in demand music and arts events. It is renowned for its eclectic style and vibrant atmosphere, and continues to draw in festival goers every year without fail. Electric Picnic hosts a number of stages across the location, with each of them promising unforgettable performances from a great selection of artists. The festival has never disappointed with their lineups, with headliners over the years having included the likes of Sam Smith, Outkast, Paolo Nutini, Lily Allen, Florence and the Machine and Blur just to name a few. Each act has brought something new to the table, from genres ranging from Indie Rock to R&B. This year’s headline acts include LCD Sound System, who previously played the festival in 2010. Joining them in the line-up for her first ever Irish

festival appearance is Lana Del Rey. The Chemical Brothers, who are renowned for their incredible live performances will also take to the stage, along with New Order who are no strangers to the festival, having performed at Electric Picnic a number of times over the last few years. Other acts include HAIM, Years and Years, Gavin James, Jack Garratt and Wolf Alice along with many more. Electric Picnic is much more than your average music festival. The festival incorporates a wide variety of entertainment and arts events, from its comedy tent to silent discos. If you want to take a break from the music you can check out some of the amazing activities on offer at Electric Picnic and engage with the food, crafts, theatre and social aspects it has to offer. The festival is home to a number of zones within its setup from therapeutic indulgences to lively conversations. Within the world of Body & Soul, you can indulge in relaxing seaweed baths and therapeutic massages while gazing upon exceptional art installations as you enjoy this relaxing retreat.

By entering the Mindfield area of the festival, you get to experience a diverse range of conversations, debates, food demonstrations, science experiments and theatre. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also Greencrafts which showcases the techniques of traditional crafts, along with Global Green, an eco-village made up of a unique community of culturalÂ creatives, which offers a number of workshops and classes from yoga to mindfulness sessions. What makes Electric Picnic different from the others is that it has something for everyone to enjoy. From top class performances by internationally acclaimed artists to a myriad of hidden gems offering exciting adventures, the festival is definitely not short on activities and amusements for festival goers. The diversity of Electric Picnic alone is what sets it apart from all the rest, and makes it such a unique and exciting festival. Words- Laura McNamara Images- Brendan Ryan Jamie Tanner E L E C T R I C P I C N I C M U S I C A N D A R T S F E S T I V A L T A K E S P L A C E F R O M 2 N D - 4 T H S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 AT STRADBALLY HALL, CO.L AOIS. WWW.ELECTRICPICNIC.IE

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If you have ever been to the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, you probably noticed that they have framed photos of many of the acts who have performed there: Blur, Radiohead and The Killers, just to name a few. These photos continue into the dressing rooms where I was to interview former guitarist for The Smiths, Johnny Marr, soon after the release of his first ever live album ‘Adrenaline Baby’. As he sat down I noticed that all of these photos were perfectly in-line with his head, almost making him look like one of them. He was sat next to a photo of the now late David Bowie, which I pointed out when he brought up the fact that he was one of the inspirations behind his new live album. There was only one photo that was out of line in the entire room and it was instead placed directly above Johnny, as if it was intentional. That photo was of former bandmate, Morrissey. I was too afraid to point this out. Having discovered Johnny Marr through The Smiths as a young teenager I of course wanted to ask him about his former bandmates, but it felt like a futile endeavour, as none of them have had great relationships with each other since the band broke up in 1987. However, to my surprise he brought them up more or less on his own on more than one occasion, citing their shared Irish heritage as one of the things

that established a connection between them as individuals. “Without discussing it, the Irish connection between all the band members was one of the main connections because that was just a coincidence. The band didn’t know each other. The three guys didn’t know each other. I was like the spokesperson and the centre of the wheel so I brought everybody in and it just happened that we all came from Irish families. That gave us something in common when we were learning about each other – we all had Irish mums and dads.” Johnny Marr was born on Halloween in 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester and like many other Mancunian’s he has a long line of Irish family members. Luckily for us, this means that he always tries to come to Ireland whenever he tours performing at events such as Electric Picnic in 2013 and Leopardstown in 2014. “Everyone always has a good night when they play in Dublin. In my case, anywhere in Ireland or Northern Ireland, there’s some kind of special thing. Growing up in an Irish family and an Irish household, you’ve got all of your relatives there and you can’t escape your culture. I don’t particularly want to escape from it either but I don’t really get a chance to see everybody that much. It’s a feeling of familiarity.”

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By the sounds of it, growing up in an Irish home in Manchester seems very much like growing up in an Irish home over here, “Me and my relatives all lived on the same street so every house you went into there were little harp ornaments and accordions and all of the religious Catholic stuff going on and the green, white and gold everywhere. St. Patrick’s night was always a big night”. Of course, Johnny Marr and the rest of the former members of The Smiths are not the only Manchester musicians with Irish heritage. “A lot of Irish descendants became musicians, obviously the Gallagher’s and Mani from The Stone Roses - his family lived minutes away from my family in the 1940’s and 1950’s. We didn’t know that until we got into our thirties. We’re practically related.” If you want to know more about Johnny Marr’s upbringing and the numerous bands that he has been a part of, you’ll be able to read all about it in his long-awaited autobiography. Fans have been waiting for an autobiography for years now and 2016 is finally the year, or so we hope, “I was going to say try and make sure to make the deadline but I’m not sure I’m going to make the deadline.” It’s quite reassuring to hear that even one of the greatest guitarists of our time still manages to put off doing his work just like us. “I’ve been procrastinating an awful lot and I’ve been finding all sorts of excuses to do other things.” However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel when you finally finish it, “I’m looking forward to getting it done so people can read it and stop hassling me about it and they can just read it. I’m writing it all myself and that’s quite an undertaking as you’ll know.” Many musicians that Johnny Marr has worked with over the years have also written autobiographies. Morrissey’s autobiography, appropriately titled ‘Autobiography’, was released in September 2013 and more recently, Electronic co-founder and New Order frontman, Bernard Sumner, released

his late last year. So has he had any advice from his friends? “Andrew Oldham who was the manager of The Rolling Stones in the ‘60’s, his book is great, so he’s given me a little bit of advice. Y’know mates just help each other out. Nile Rogers from Chic as well, he wrote his book a few years ago and he gave me a lot of encouragement. Their two books happen to be really good and they’re my good friends. One of my best friends for years has been Jon Savage, the journalist and writer, so I’ve seen at close quarters what it takes to write a good book. I’ve known Jon for about twenty five years now and you have to really lock yourself away and be disciplined about it.” Adding to the list of his famous friends is Hans Zimmer, with whom who he has recently completed another film soundtrack. Freeheld, starring Ellen Page and Julianne Moore, is the third film soundtrack that Marr has officially worked on with the Academy Award-winning composer. When I brought up Hans Zimmer Johnny’s admiration for him is palpable. “Hans Zimmer is a really amazing person. He has the mind of a European intellectual and the soul of a rock musician. It’s a great combination. The music he makes is very beautiful and he and I have a lot in common. When we do things we tend to understand each other very well and we look for the beauty in music.” Johnny Marr first worked with Hans Zimmer on Inception back in 2010. “When I started I thought the movie was beautiful and the music was even more beautiful. I was looking for something very simple and something that expressed the heart of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, who was searching for redemption.” So far it’s only been big Hollywood blockbusters that Johnny Marr has worked on but that might change in the future, he says.

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“A movie doesn’t have to be a big Hollywood production for me to do it. I got lucky in the fact that the first few movies I did were big films. Maybe down the line I’ll do something that’s more obscure.” Speaking of collaborations, at this stage Johnny Marr is almost known for his countless collaborations with other musicians. In the last few years alone he’s worked with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keyes, Noel Gallagher and has even been an official band member in The Cribs and Modest Mouse. “You just want to work with someone when you hit it off, it’s great. It’s just such a joyous thing. Making records together is amazing. The process of making a record can really bring you together. Pharrell and Johnny Marr are seemingly two very different worlds but when we started writing songs together you find your common ground. Music is so great. You’ll know yourself when you go to school when you’re eleven and there’s someone in the class that you don’t think you’re ever going to get along with and then before you know it they’ve got the same music as you on their iPod and wear the same kind of clothes and you become really really great friends. I love that culture does that.” By the looks of it, Marr has worked with every other musician working today, but he’s not done yet. As for future collaborations he says that he’d like to work with Yeah Yeah Yeah’s guitarist, Nick Zinner, “Nick is a very interesting musician, he’s great. If I had to pick anyone it’d be Nick.” Two of the greatest guitarists of our time working together? Now that’s something we would like to see happen. But of course, it all started for Johnny Marr with his first band, The Smiths. The Smiths formed back in 1982 in their hometown of Manchester, England and their self-titled debut album was then released two years later. While the album was met with positive reviews by critics alike, it would never match the success of the album that followed a year later, Meat is Murder. To this day, Meat is Murder is the band’s only UK number one album having stayed in that position for thirteen consecutive weeks. Back in 1985,

calling an album Meat is Murder was not a subtle statement and its effects are still being felt today. “The album being called ‘Meat is Murder’ was a statement you couldn’t ignore. If you were really committed to being a fan of the band then you were going to become a vegetarian, it was as simple as that. Then these people grew up and a couple of them were in Modest Mouse. The drummer, Jeremiah Green, one of the most interesting musicians that I’ve ever played with, was a vegetarian because he bought Meat is Murder when he was in his teens.” Jeremiah Green isn’t the only person who is now vegetarian because of that album. I constantly meet people who are vegetarian at least partially because of Meat is Murder and I can’t even imagine how many Johnny Marr himself meets. As a vegetarian, it must feel great to have co-written the song that is the reason for so many people giving up eating meat. “I was always really proud of it when the record came out but when you’re younger you kind of take those things for granted a little more because there was so much going on around the band. When you’re older you realise how significant it is to influence someone’s life choices in such a big way… As I got older I started to realise what a radical thing it was to have your album called ‘Meat is Murder’ and see it go to number one in the UK. I’m very very proud of it. I have to say that was Morrissey’s doing. I didn’t call the album ‘Meat is Murder’ but I am very proud to have co-written the song.” Meat is Murder has definitely had a lasting effect on Marr as he still doesn’t eat meat to this day. While many people may consider this a huge sacrifice, he doesn’t believe that it is. “My girlfriend back then, who is now my wife, was vegetarian and my best friend at the time, who was my song writing partner, was vegetarian so I just got on board with it. I don’t know whether the other two guys in the band stuck it out for long but it wasn’t that much of a commitment for me because, as I’ve often said, food wasn’t exactly high on my priorities. I was, what? 19? I just lived off of coffee and cigarettes and weed and hash so it wasn’t like some great sacrifice. I think people

fetishize food too much. I know it’s slightly different subject but I believe very strongly in vegetarianism as something that’s better for the world. It’s certainly better for the animals and I’m proud of it from that point of view… But I’m also someone who doesn’t believe in telling other people how to live their lives so I just do whatever I can do to make the world a better place when I’m smart enough to think about it.” Johnny Marr definitely does not live the lifestyle that many people would think a legendary guitarist would. Having been vegan now for the last ten years he is now completely teetotal as well. However, this doesn’t stem from any severe alcohol or drugs problem as many would assume. Instead, it was just “a progression in my life” and “seemed like much more of an appealing life.” Marr explains “the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle’ – smoking, drinking and taking drugs – I don’t have a moral problem with it but it’s definitely a little bit of a cliché if you do it in your thirties and forties. I think it’s in the rightful domain of the people in their youth. It has charm when it’s combined with youth but when you’re more mature and older you just fuck up and who wants to be that guy? It was more of a positive thing for me really rather than it being some negative thing. I felt that being very clear-headed and philosophical and fit and full of energy would give me the inspiration for me to do what I needed to do. It worked for Iggy Pop when he was young so why not me?” Clean living isn’t the only thing that Iggy Pop has inspired Johnny to do. He lists Iggy Pop as one of his many inspirations when it came to making his live album, Adrenalin Baby. “When I was growing up, live albums were a thing that bands did and they were often not very good, but when they were good they were great. I had The Ramones one when I was a kid. There was an Iggy Pop one which I really loved. There was a Rolling Stones one and a David Bowie one as well.” This is the moment I pointed out the David Bowie photo next to him, “Spooky. Maybe he’s listening in.”

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Adrenalin Baby was released in October of last year and is a perfect representation of what he has been getting up to during his recent solo career – creating two critically acclaimed albums while touring extensively with both them. The album was recorded at live dates in Manchester, Brixton and Glasgow and Marr modestly describes it as “a good document of the band right now.” His solo band is really the reason why the album was made in the first place, “This is going to sound very boastful but I know when you’re in a really good live band and I’ve got a great live band. I was prompted by a lot of people when we first got together because songs like ‘Getting Away With It’, that I wrote with Bernard Sumner, are very different the way we play it. That was it really – a combination of knowing that as a fan it would be a good listen and people asking me to do it. I’ve been asked so many times that I became convinced that it was a good idea.” Although live albums are generally much quicker to make, Marr stresses that this does not make Adrenalin Baby any less of a real album. “It was just a matter of recording a few shows and going in the studio and resisting the temptation to tidy it up too much. Just get a few good versions and make it a proper record because to me it’s a proper record, it’s a proper release. It’s not just some kind of ‘content’, which is a word that I really loathe when it comes to music. Music shouldn’t be content, nor should it be a project. It’s a band and it’s an album.”As you can imagine, there’s a lot that goes into making any sort of album, from writing to recording to getting the right album cover, the latter being very important for Johnny: “The covers need to be proper record covers.” His debut solo album, The Messenger, was released in early 2013. Its cover art features a black and white photo of Marr which was shot in Berlin while he was recording the album. “I wanted a slightly European vibe, even if it was just me who knew that. Me and my friend who does the art for my sleeves and shirts and things were leaving the studio really late one night. I was at the end of making the record and I walked under that bridge: he was in front of me and he just took his camera out. As I walked under the bridge the sun came up so that’s why it’s all white behind me and we just managed to get that snap. He said something like, “do something that shows how your life feels”. I did this thing that looks like walking

on a tightrope so that’s what I’m doing on that record cover. It’s just one of those things that all came together really quick. We thought we wanted a colour shot so then all day we took hundreds of pictures trying to recreate it in colour. We couldn’t get that. That’s art though – catching your inspiration at the right time.” All of Johnny Marr’s records are also available on vinyl, which is one of the reasons why his cover art is so important as it’s on a much larger scale.. “Vinyl’s are beautiful objects. Older people sometimes talk to me about vinyls like they’re a retro thing but I’m saying “no, no, no”, younger people that I know see vinyls as things that are just much better than a CD. You got CD’s that are like “meh” and then you’ve got these great things that sound really great. It’s got nothing to do with “I wish it was like the old days”. Aesthetically it’s beautiful as an object. My bedroom was always just a display of records. My house now is a little bit like that now, I leave them standing up on the floor and next to cupboards because they’re good things to look at”. It seems that Johnny Marr has gained a whole new generation of fans since beginning his solo career. His fans are no longer just people who grew up listening to The Smiths but they are instead those who discovered him though his solo work. The crowds at his gigs are getting younger and younger and I’m no longer the youngest person there, which is a first. While talking about his younger fans, Marr says, “It’s not really important to me if younger people like my stuff because I would understand if they didn’t, but when they do it just blows me away. Maybe that’s the secret – don’t try. I mean ‘Upstarts’ was written about a sixteen year old fan. She’s not sixteen now, I see her at the shows sometimes, she’s like eighteen now”. Perhaps one of the reasons why he has had such an effect on his younger fans is that he was previously a lecturer at University of Salford. His time at University of Salford included hosting a number of workshops and masterclasses to music students and he says that he would go back and do it again if he had time. “Speaking personally, it’s something I really enjoyed because it’s something that’s happened to you where you’ve made mistakes and you think “okay everybody, don’t do what

I did there”. It’s something that passes off as wisdom. You think, wow, that time I locked myself out of the studio and twenty years later I can say to someone, “make sure you have a spare set of keys” and someone writes it down like “yeah, good idea, Johnny”, that is now wisdom. It’s an overused phrase but you do feel like you’re giving something back and the young people who are interested in what I do are always very interesting people, always. I’m not completely out of touch. I don’t live in a limousine or on top of some mountain somewhere but nor do I think it’s crucial for older musicians to have their finger on the pulse of the young or anything like that, because there’s something vaguely pathetic about that - but I get to learn too.” Words - Sophie Butler Images – Tarmo Tulit

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BODY & SOUL

SUMMER SOLSTICE WEEKEND The summer solstice has always been an important part of Irish culture and Body & Soul have been keeping it prevalent in our calendars for the last few years, holding their festival on the weekend closest to the longest day of the year. Ballinlough Castle will host the annual music and arts festival from June 17th – 19th with acts like Santigold, St. Germain and Floating Points (live) set to headline over the three days. We sat down with Tom Lawlor, Head of Marketing & Sponsorship, to discuss what we can expect from this year’s Body & Soul. How did you first get involved with Body & Soul? I’ve known Avril, the director of the festival, for a number of years and we’d spoken as friends about my love of Body & Soul many times. I was coming home to Ireland after a stint abroad and the timing was perfect, so I joined the team. What can we expect from this year’s festival? A perfect mix of festival favourites and new possibilities. Our site is expanding and the woodlands are shapeshifting but we’re still the best place to indulge in decadence!

What makes your festival different from the rest? I go back every time to the unique experience that people have when they come to B&S. It’s made up of being in a stunning location with different realms to explore with like-minded people and of course a great and eclectic music, arts, spoken word, comedy, holistic and kids programmes. There is something for everyone whether it’s the masquerade ball, the hot tubs, the ethical food providers, the art trails. It’s really about all of those elements coming together. We always say it’s the little things that make a festival great. To me they are as important as the bigger more visible elements. It’s the spirit of collaboration with our artists and performers that sets it apart from any other festival in Ireland. That, along with the commitment of an exceptional team who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make it the best it can be. What can you tell us about your lineup so far? We nailed it!

What else does your festival offer outside of music? Literally everything. From gas craic community games (including sock wrestling) to hot-tubs under a canopy of stars, Body & Soul has never just been about music. It’s about igniting passion at Wonderlust, forging metal at Greencrafts or sharing cocktails at Glasshouse. Come and see. What is your favourite thing about working at a festival? It’s a very specific moment that happens a few hours after the first people walk through the gates - hearing the first huge, sustained applause for an act on the main stage after days of listening to construction noise, silence or sound checks on site. What advice would you give to first-time festival goers? Pace yourself. Lose your mates for a while and make new ones. Words - Sophie Butler Images - Body & Soul

BODY&SOUL 2016 WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 17 – 19 JUNE 2016 IN THE GROUNDS OF BALLINLOUGH CASTLE IN CO. WESTMEATH WWW. BODYANDSOUL.IE

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SPRING INTO SUMMER

Images - Tarmo Tulit Make Up Artist & Stylist - Annette Smyth Hair - Rachel Flannagan Model - Yesunia Appiakorang Assistants - Cornelia O'Riordan - Katie O'Brien Look 1 Skin: Inglot Cream Foundation #37 & #31. Cheeks: Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette Medium Brows: Mac Brow Pencil Spiked Eyes: Inglot False Lash Effect Mascara & Inglot Liner #84 Look 2 Skin: Inglot Cream Foundation #37 & #31 Cheeks: Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette Medium Brows: Mac Brow Pencil Spiked Eyes: Inglot Liner #88 Look 3 Skin: Inglot Cream Foundation #37 & #31 Cheeks: Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette Medium Brows: Mac Brow Pencil Spiked Eyes: Benefit Show Off Shimmer & Inglot Liners #75 & #76 Look 4 Skin: Inglot Cream Foundation #37 & #31 Cheeks: Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette Medium Brows: Mac Brow Pencil Spiked Eyes: Inglot Liner #76 Nail Polish: Inglot #730 Look 5 Skin: Inglot Cream Foundation #37 & #31 Cheeks: Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette Medium Brows: Mac Brow Pencil Spiked Eyes: Inglot Liner #88

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WE ARE ISLANDERS

A VISION OF OPEN HORIZONS AND MOVING LANDSCAPES

An art project and contemporary fashion house based in Dublin, Ireland, We Are Islanders designs and creates contemporary womenswear fashion and lifestyle products utilising luxury fabrics from Ireland and around the world What made you want to become a fashion designer? Realising that style is a truly independent and powerful way of expressing yourself, your aesthetic and is also a reaction to the time you are living in. We Are Islanders are said to fuse fashion and art together as one. What do you find most difficult about fusing the two creative mediums together? The craft of printing has allowed us fuse art and fashion. Through the use of free-hand painting techniques we produce fabric lengths in limited edition runs that are completely unique - inspired by the hand rather than a computer programme or digital machine. The main difficulty is positioning this model of rare one of pieces in the current fashion system. How do you create the themes for your collections? The themes develop from the research process which starts with stories or narratives collected from cultural references, art work and galleries, museums and books. What is the biggest inspiration behind We Are Islanders? We’ve always believed that a fashion house can be a project bigger than the clothing it produces and communicate beyond just style and aesthetic. Clothing is the fabric of the day to day and a powerful tool for communicating stories - this has always been the inspiration. How important is the process of creating your collections using both locally and ethically sourced fabrics and labour work? It is very important; we believe the backbone of a sustainable business model includes a commitment to better practice. For us that means supporting local production and understanding the supply chain of all materials we use.

What has been your favourite collection to date and why? S/S 16 because nearly all the pieces produced are one off and hand painted. This took hours in the print studio and is a very physical process but watching 18 mounts of white silk become an array of handmade and coloured marks over a day is hugely rewarding. What would you say separates We Are Islanders from other successful brands in the Irish fashion scene? A merging of heritage and craft with new technologies and innovative fabric use. What advice would you give to someone who would like to pursue a career in fashion design? Manage your expectations so that every challenge can be turned into opportunities. What is ahead for We Are Islanders in the future? We are just home from Paris, so we are looking to expand our stockists and entering new markets with A/W 16, we are also looking for new collaborations and new adventures. Words – Cornelia O’Riordan Image – Tarmo Tulit

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FASHION CREDITS

Photographer - Tarmo Tulit Clothing - We Are Islanders Stylist - Michelle Costello Make Up Artist - Annette Smyth Hair - Rachel Flannagan Assistants - Katie O'Brien & Cornelia O'Riordan Models - Shauna Lindsay & Yesunia Appiakorang

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MENS FASHION

Springtime arrives every year during the unwelcomed extension of winter weather here in Ireland. However, the colours and designs of S/S 2016 are here to brighten our days to the fullest. Now, I know it can be hard for us all to let go of those comforting winter colours such as burgundy, khaki and black but fear not, this season is bursting with so much freshness you'll be bursting to pop out those bright colours. Year after year, the usual florals and the pastels are re-introduced, almost as if the fashion world heavyweights use them as a security blanket - if the collection is too out there or not creative enough they chuck a few pastels in to make it more appealing. S/S16 is a whole new ball game, the stakes have been raised and the designers rose to the challenge. Step forward Astrid Andersen with he Spring collection that took the catwalks to a whole new level of cool. Astrid Andersen, a Danish-born designer based in London, wanted to take the dated print trend and turn it into a work of art - and in the making evidently created a masterpiece. Speaking at the collection launch Andersen revealed that the latest collection was inspired by a recent trip to Shanghai, a trip that would change the collection forever. While gathering all relevant information Andersen also took inspiration from her favourite 80's film Big Trouble in Little China. Anderson is no stranger to street wear; previous collections have been filled with loose fitted joggers, basketball shirts and the usual trench coats for Autumn/Winter. Although Andersen has used pastel tones in the collection it almost makes it a stronger

body of work because the tones are used to subtly that you barely even notice, the main focus on this collection is the print, a totally unique print trend that will catch your eye the minute you step outside the door. The print is very in your face, a splendid mix of both flowers (shocking) and ancient Chinese designs printed on both shiny silk and mesh materials. The idea of mesh and silk in the same sentence for a Spring collection almost screams career suicide, but off paper it works and brings a truly inspiring collection to life. Anderson has blocked these two materials and has created something so unique and different - from the bomber jackets to the silk trousers to the crew neck jumpers, the print designs on these items have created a very different S/S16, using soft pastels and electric blues and yellows with her statement logo plastered amongst the items, and the ancient Chinese symbols come into play very discreetly, making the collection a must have for any fashion follower this season. While we're all looking for the next big groundbreaking thing, Christian Pellizzarri has taking a tradition and put his own spin on things. Let’s cast our minds back to Milan Fashion Week where it was the finer details that mattered, elegant evening wear with detailed print to rock the fashion world. Christian Pellizzarri also had a similar idea of incorporating the ancient Chinese theme into his collection, however he also decided to add a soft touch of 17th century home decor. It sounds crazy but it totally works. The collection is aimed at the more sophisticated man; the immaculate tailoring on the suits is impeccable and the added detail of the print sets it all off perfectly.

It wasn't all serious suits and prints though; the collection actually has a very fun element which we can all relate to. They collection also introduced us to the very fun two piece stripe print suit. The suit’s zebra effect was a sure fire hit on the runway in Milan and was the talk of the night, funked up by replacing the typical tailored blazer with a fresh bomber jacket with a large C symbolizing Pellizzarris studio, finished off with a loose trouser and tied at the waist with a khaki coloured string belt. Although Pellizarri did technically stick to the basic floral print for spring he also brought a totally unique twist to it, turning basic florals into exquisite evening suits and making a collection that will stand the test of time. The rich tones of blue and gold he used on the final pieces of the collection were truly a testament to the designer and his team. Looking forward to S/S16, it seems the fashion world is going through a change. The designers featured have taken our expectations and completely spun them on their head, if S/S16 is anything to go by my hopes are high for 2017. It’s never easy to pin point one designer because we all have something to learn from every single designer out there, whether they're unknown or A-list. Fashion isn't just how you wear it, fashion is a state of mind. Words – Evan Considine Images - Astrid Andersen

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RAVELÓID

CELEBRATE TODAY’S IRISH L ANGUAGE CULTURE If you ever felt like there was something missing in the Irish festival scene, this was it. Ravelóid is a brand new festival taking place in Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Dublin from June 10th – 11th. Ravelóid is a music and culture festival with the Irish language and culture at the very center of it with Irish acts such as Delorentos, Ham Sandwich, Heathers and The Riptide movement set to perform. We spoke to Aoife Ní Dhubhlaoich, the festival’s Marketing and Sales Manager, to see what they have planned for the festival’s first year. What can we expect from the festival? Ravelóid is definitely shaping up to be the most exciting addition to the Irish festival scene in years and will be the biggest Irish language event of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. Ravelóid welcomes everyone to attend this electrifying event, the newest and liveliest festival in the Irish language world that will celebrate and highlight the vibrancy and diversity of today’s Gaeilge culture. Don’t worry though, there’ll be no ‘scrúdú béil’ on the gate, so come join us this summer and become a Ravelóidí!

What makes your festival different from the rest? Ravelóid will be the first ever summer festival putting the Irish language and culture at the centre of a dynamic mixture of contemporary and traditional music, comedy, dance, literature, discussions, workshops and more as well as activities for kids aged twelve and under. This two day event is a homage to what is best in the Irish language. Why did you decide to start an Irish-speaking festival? There has been a language revival in recent years amongst the younger generations with the growth of Irish language summer colleges, Gaelscoileanna and most importantly music through Irish with TG Lurgan videos now hitting over 20 million views. We have seen this growth ripple through to Third Level Colleges, Irish language events and start up projects as Gaeilge. Ravelóid wants to support this growth with a wonderful social celebration of the language through music and entertainment - when better to start an Irish language revolution than in 2016.

What can you tell us about your lineup so far? Over five stages we will have top Irish contemporary acts – Delorentos, The Riptide Movement, HamsandwicH, Heathers and Mundy, mixed in with some top performers in Irish such as Seo Linn, Kíla, Hot House Flowers and a fantastic Traditional element in the form of Altan, The Bonnymen and Gráinne Holland. There are plenty more acts to be announced along with a comedy element to the programme and a whole host of workshops, classes and entertainment for all to enjoy. What else does your festival offer outside of music? Nestled on the beautiful Irish coast which only 20 miles north of Dublin city and set on 194 acres, Ardgillan Castle will play host to this brand new unique Irish festival Ravelóid. The site will be transformed into a pop-up Gaeltacht, with signs, campsites and stages as Gaeilge. The spectacular site with views of the Mourne Mountains alongside the Irish Sea will offer the 4,500 Ravelóidí attending the choice of campsites with a special campsite for families and under 12s – a delightful retreat and sanctuary away from the rock and roll epicenter of the festival. Of course no festival would be complete without food and bars, so there’ll be plenty of opportunity to use the ‘cúpla focal’. What does it take to start a new festival from scratch? Strong coffee and excellent team work! Things are constantly chopping and changing but this only adds to the motivation and determination of the Ravelóid team to put together one of the best music festivals as Gaeilge that Ireland has ever had the pleasure of attending. There is incredible good will out there for this festival to happen. Nothing has been done like it before and everyone wants to get on board. It’s all coming together to create a really unique festival with a uniquely Irish festival atmosphere. What advice would you give to first-time festival goers? Come prepared for the fun at Ravelóid! It’s Ireland and it’s the summer, although we use that term loosely, it’s always good cover the four seasons when packing the rucksack so bring the sunscreen, the sunglasses, and the wellies and don’t forget some ‘páipéar leithris’! Obviously the most important thing to bring is yourself and your friends for two days of electrifying entertainment and fun at the Ravelóid. Words - Sophie Butler Images - Ravelóid

RAVELÓID

FESTIVAL JUNE 10TH - 11TH AT ARDGILL AN CASTLE, DUBLIN. WWW. RAVELOID.IE

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1916 - JOINING THE DOTS

FROM THE ONE CLOTH I’m not a history buff; I have no head for dates and facts. No matter how hard I try it is simply not how my brain functions. However, I carry empathy in abundance and while it may seem fruitless, I often drown myself in reading about our past. It revives my soul. Considering and contemplating days of old gives opportunity to live, feel and explore emotions and events intrinsically linked to us forevermore. We may not have lived our history, but our forefathers did for us, to guide us down what they saw as a brighter path towards a better future. For this alone I believe they are entitled to our respect and recognition for their altruistic acts in the most trying of times. From a young age, pride has been instilled within me. Pride for being Irish, for our dance, ár dteanga, our food, our literature and most definitely our history. This year, as we celebrate the centenary of the 1916 rising I seek to anchor my understanding in the who’s, the what’s and the why’s and many other questions. We have all (surely) seen The Wind that Shakes the Barley, or at least studied Irish History (however begrudgingly at the time) somewhere along the line.

Whatever we each recall from studies, tales or memoirs one thing is for sure; our past binds us together. We are all unique and individual but so much of who we are is a shared identity, a shared journey, a single history. Whether your family traces back as far as known in Ireland or abroad, you are here now or you have a link to Ireland now. You are reading this because you have a curiosity, an interest, and a passion for where we have come from or where we are bound. All of this ties us together. We are all cut from the one cloth. So much talk dallies about ‘The Rising’, much money has been spent on the commemorative celebrations, many saying it could be channeled better into our crumbling society. To break it down, I asked Sharon Slater, a historian to come on board, and Dr. Matthew Potter, who is currently working on a publication focusing on Limerick’s role and landscape in 1916. Between them they guided me through a simplified happening of events, bringing those impassioned, courageous and fearless fighters who fought so eagerly for our Republic to the fore.

THE PLANNING PROCESS: Plans for the Rising started in September 1915 but were changed a couple of times. The model from the beginning was for there to be a rising in Dublin and another out of Dublin. There was an arms shipment expected to arrive in Limerick from Germany, but that plan changed with the ship due to port in Kerry. The ship, the Aud, was captured and sank by those on board and the arms never reached the Volunteers, rendering their participation virtually impossible. HOW THE BRITISH WON THE RISING: The British had a simple plan - to surround and take down the main stronghold, the GPO, and then proceed to do the same with the other strongholds, knowing the Irish would have to surrender with the main stronghold already defeated. W H AT HAPPENED OUTSIDE DUBLIN: Nothing much happened out of Dublin; because of the ship losing the guns, and the message that was sent out by Volunteers chief Eoin MacNeill declaring the cancellation of the orders to rise. There was some minor rebellion attempts in Meath, Galway, Louth and Wexford but nothing on the scale as the Dublin Rising. WOMEN IN THE RISING: The role of women in the Rising was greatly downplayed after the event. They were in the minority of course, with it being unheard of for women to fight back then. Cumann na mBan was the main group of women fighters with about 70-80 members. There was a divide in the camp, as these women were feminists and suffragettes: some believed that independence would mean better rights for women, while others believed it would detract attention from their ambitions for better rights for women and that in seeking political independence womens’ rights would be further forgotten. As it transpired, the latter occurred. Two Limerick sisters were amongst the fighters in the GPO, having come from a staunch republican family Laura and Nora Daly played an important role but Countess Markievicz, an Anglo-Irish gentry lady from Sligo is most recognised. She also undertook in the firing of arms while the majority of women tended the ailing as nurses. Another notable female is Nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell, who was key in arranging the surrender and communicating and delivering Pearse to the British commander, in addition to delivering on the brave task of delivering message of the surrender to the Volunteers. A TIMELINE OF HOW WE BECAME A F R E E S TAT E : 1916- The Rising was in disagreement with

the idea of Home Rule, which was self-rule but not full independence. Many people thought the Rising was foolish and pointless but when the British shot the leaders who fought for freedom public opinion turned against British rule. 1918- In December a General Election held across Ireland and the UK which was won by the Sinn Féin party who were in favour of independence. 1919-1921- Not long after the General Election started the War of Independence. The IRA (formally the Volunteers) fought against the British. This brought independence about by a treaty signed in 1921 granting independence to the 26 counties. 1922-1923 Civil war broke out over the Treaty as it was signed between Britain and Ireland. Then the IRA split and the Dáíl split over whether to accept or reject the treaty. The Pro Treaty campaigners won the Civil War. It was possible then to put the Treaty into force then.

T U E S D AY 2 5 A P R I L Large numbers of British troops arrived in Dublin by train from the Curragh and Belfast. Seán Heuston's outpost in the Mendicity Institute was captured in the morning. After heavy fighting, the rebels were forced to withdraw from St Stephen's Green to the nearby College of Surgeons and from their Fairview and Annesley Bridge posts.

THE WHO’S WHO: IRB made up of the Fenians, a secret society dedicated to overthrowing British rule and establishing a republic. In existence since 1858, they had held a rebellion in 1867 and were chief organisers of the 1916 Rising. Irish Volunteers- set up in 1913 and later infiltrated by IRB who didn’t have enough manpower to lead a rebellion themselves. It was the Volunteers who came out to fight in the Easter Rising of 1916 but under the control of the IRB. Volunteers changed name in 1919 to IRA, meaning the IRA did not exist at the time of the Easter Rising of 1916. Citizens Army were a separate group headed by James Connelly, they fought alongside the volunteers in the Rising.

T H U R S D AY 2 7 A P R I L The main fighting was at the GPO where James Connolly was wounded twice, in the shoulder and the ankle. There was more heavy fighting in and around the Four Courts, but Edward Daly's rebel garrison remained in control. There was also heavy fighting at South Dublin Union, but the rebels held out. There was little fighting at Jacob's and Boland's.

M O N D AY 2 4 A P R I L At 12.30 on Easter Monday 1916, the Tricolour and a banner marked 'Irish Republic' was flown over the GPO. A short time later, Pádraig Pearse, President of the Irish Republic, emerged into O'Connell Street and read the Proclamation. The rebels occupied five other major strongholds: Four Courts, Jacobs Biscuit Factory, Bolands Mills, St Stephen's Green and the South Dublin Union. All six strongholds had outposts. The rebels failed to capture Dublin Castle, but took the nearby City Hall. The British plan was to surround all the rebels’ strongholds, concentrate on capturing the GPO first and then move ón to the other insurgent positions. Around 1.15pm, British cavalry charged down O'Connell Street but retreated after coming under fire from the GPO garrison. There was also some fighting at Ballybough Bridge, the South Dublin Union and elsewhere.

W E D N E S D AY 2 6 A P R I L The GPO and its outposts came under heavy fire all day. The British shelled Liberty Hall, not realising that it been empty since Monday. The gunboat Helga in the Liffey joined in the shelling. There was major fighting in and around the Four Courts, but Edward Daly's rebel garrison remained in control. The bloodiest fighting of the whole Rising occurred in the Battle of Mount Street Bridge. Here, 17 rebels killed or wounded 234 British soldiers who had arrived in Dún Laoghaire by boat. After nine hours, the rebels withdrew.

F R I D AY 2 8 A P R I L After very heavy fighting, the GPO was on fire and its garrison retreated to Moore Street. The Battle of Ashbourne, County Meath was the only rebel victory of the whole Rising. 48 Volunteers defeated 70 Royal Irish Constabulary. S AT U R D AY 2 9 A P R I L In Moore Street Pádraig Pearse decided to surrender, after being horrified at seeing a family carrying a white flag shot down. Some other leaders wanted to continue the fight, including Clarke, who cried bitterly when it was finally decided to surrender. Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell met General Lowe, commander of the British forces in Dublin, who asked her to bring Pearse to him. At 2.30pm Pearse and Elizabeth O'Farrell returned to General Lowe. Pearse surrendered his sword, pistol and ammunition to Lowe and then signed the document of surrender. Elizabeth O'Farrell then delivered the message of surrender to the entire rebel garrisons, none of which had been captured by the British. Words - Rebecca Egan, Sharon Slater

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This photograph dates to Dec 2015. It was most likely taken at the Volunteer's training camp in Killonan, Co. Limerick. The camp was in Laffan's field, which was owned by Batt (Bartholomew) Laffan. He was a local farmer and strong supporter of the Volunteers. It is believed he was later the Chairman of Limerick County Council. Michael Colivet is on the left, Robert Monteith in the Centre and George (Saoirse) Clancy on the right. Clancy was later the Mayor of Limerick and was killed by the Auxiliaries in 1921, during the War of Independence. Clancy Strand in Limerick is named after him. Robert Monteith was from Wicklow and had formerly been a Sergeant Major in the British army. The Volunteers gave him the role of drill instructor. He was on the Aud when it landed at Banna strand on Good Friday 1916. Roger Casement was captured but Monteith managed to escape. Michael Colivet was an Irish Sinn FĂŠin politician and Commander to the Irish Volunteers in Limerick during the 1916 Easter Rising, later to be elected to the first DĂĄil in 1918. Image and information provided by John Colivet, grandson of Michael Colivet.

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SEA SESSIONS SURF MUSIC FESTIVAL Taking place in small town of Bundoran on the shores of the northeast of Ireland, Sea Sessions is the three-day long beach party that you can’t afford to miss out on. With this year’s lineup including Primal Scream, Tinie Tempah and Gavin James, the weekend of June 24th to 26th is sure to be one of the highlights of our summer. We recently caught up with Sea Sessions’ festival director Ray O’Donoghue to grab a quick insight into what is bound to be Sea Sessions best year to date.

What makes Sea Sessions different from other festivals? We’re all about the party. Sea Sessions is also about the beach vibe. We’ve got surfing competitions, BMX demos, our very own Skate ramp and of course loads of great music.

How did you first get involved with Sea Sessions? The festival started in 2008. I became involved booking music in 2010. From there I started booking the full festival and I became a partner in 2013. My background is music and I’ve been a promoter since the late nineties.

What is the best thing about working at a music festival? I've been working in music all my working life but running a festival is intense. People ask me during the weekend, “Are you happy?”. Happiness is one of the many emotions experienced during the weekend. The pressure can be high but I thrive on that and it usually all works out for the best.

What can we expect from this year’s Sea Sessions? An amazing line-up. Our best yet and the usual fun and frolics in Fundoran.

What else does Sea Sessions offer to festival goers outside of music? Outside of surfing, beach sports and a skate ramp we have loads of really chilled friendly people.

Any advice for first time festival goers? Just enjoy yourself but don’t go too mental. It’s a marathon not a sprint! Get on to the festival site early there’s always loads of stuff happening. Words - Orla Dallman Images - Nicola Giuepie

SEA SESSION SURF MUSIC FESTIVAL BUNDORAN, CO. DONEGAL - JUNE 24-26, 2016. WWW. SEASESSIONS.COM

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S I LV E R D A R L I N G S

The Irish food market is opening up at last. People are far more adventurous in what they eat and are unafraid of experimenting with different dishes. Silver Darlings is a specialist in the Irish herring industry. Fresh to the industry, Kirsti O Kelly brings the taste of Finland to the Irish palette. She gave us insight into the background of the herring industry in Ireland, understanding the importance of fish in your diet and how to incorporate herring and seafood into your diet. How did you start? I started marinating fish back in Finland with my mother and grandmother when I was a school girl. Pickled herring were part of our food culture and a staple item every Finns fridge. My interest for food was huge so I went first to a chef college for 3 years and then for further 4 years to university of applied science to study food science, food production, marketing and international culinary art. I moved to Ireland in Valentine’s day 1999 and started working in the hospitality industry. From my visits to Finland, I often would have brought back some salted herring and then marinated it according to my family recipes for Christmas. Soon my extended Irish family and most of our friends were fans of these treats and I was encouraged to become a food producer. The idea to have my own food business started brewing in my head quite early on during my college years, 20 years later in 2012 Silver Darlings Seafood was established, and quite soon my product range was in the market. Can you give us a short introduction to the history of herring? Herring has a long history of being used as currency in the world along with gold, whiskey, fur and leather. It was salted in barrels, times before refrigeration. It travelled the world in boats and that is how it got married with exotic spices and vinegars was when all these items would have been sold in the same ports from the opposite ends of the world. Herring is famous for its hundreds of fine bones, but the salt and vinegar in the pickling

process dissolves these bones completely. The original pickled herring would’ve been very salty or very vinegary to preserve the fish. You can still find these products in the European market but nowadays with the help of refrigeration it is possible to have lightly salted and mildly pickled herring. Silver Darlings herring products are a boneless, uncooked delicacy using the finest wild Irish Atlantic herring. The meaty, generous bite size herring chunks are salt cured, then pickled and marinated with fine wine vinegars, crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and aromatic, exotic spices bursting with deep flavours. The curing process not only preserves the fish it also completely dissolves the famous herring bones. This naturally occurring reaction is one of the reasons why herring is ideal for pickling, the nasty bones are gone but the flesh of the fish is still plump and rich in omega oils, vitamin D and calcium. What is life like as a food producer? Developing a product range like marinated herring for the Irish market is a huge challenge, it is also a matter of developing the market for it and educating consumers on how to use the products. Seafood consumption in Ireland is growing and people are more adventurous to try new foods. The artisan food movement, farmer’s markets and importance of buying local food are well understood and supported in Ireland. I started as market trader and soon started supplying other market traders in Dublin and Cork, then few restaurants and hotels and last year I got into retail market and the Food Academy by Supervalu but now I’m focusing on growing mainly the food service market in Ireland with a nationwide distributor and finding a route to an export market. So far I have been producing the products myself with some part time help. Soon I learned that in order to grow my business I need to create more time for marketing and sales. To streamline my business model, I am now co-producing my range with my herring supplier in Killybegs. I have trained their staff to my processes, everything is still hand made and I still supervise the production. As the

products have a generous 11 months’ shelf life they can be made every few months rather than weekly and now I can concentrate the sales with out a worry of capacity or volume. What are the challenges and the rewards? It has been a whirlwind of four years, a mixture of impossibly hard work, imaginable hurdles, lots of new friends and supporters, constant financial instability, great experiences but most of all learning about my own capabilities. The job is never done, you can’t be perfect and you can’t do it alone –the help and support of my family, friends and neighbours is absolutely priceless. You’ve gained quite a bit of recognition since you began… Our products are superior and to prove it we have won numerous taste awards in the UK and Ireland. The latest one being very prestigious Irish Food Writers Guild award 2016, which was awarded to Silver Darlings entire range. A producer cannot enter or lobby this award, the guild is entirely the decision making body with 60 guild members, it is a complete honour to receive such a recognition. Why is herring good for us? Herring is delicious and when marinated correctly it also is boneless – the bones naturally soften and dissolve in the marinating process. The calcium from the bones stay in the flesh and the fish is ready to eat with no worry of nasty bones. Herring is one of the very best food sources of vitamin D. Our bodies make this vitamin in sunlight, but in our climate, it’s easy not to get enough. There seems to be more to vitamin D than strong teeth and bones. It’s now thought that vitamin D deficiency might be a factor in many diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Atlantic herring is very high in the long chain OMEGA-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These fatty acids help prevent heart disease and keep the brain functioning properly.

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How sustainable is it? The Irish herring stocks are broadly defined as ‘North West Herring’, ‘Irish Sea Herring’ and ‘Celtic Sea Herring’ - scientific advice is that they are all sustainable and are both carefully managed with a total allowable catch (TAC) decided on an annual basis. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has also certified these stocks as sustainable. The herring fishing season is normally from September to January with all landings to designated fishing ports. Silver Darlings products are produced with renewable energy. The production partner Island Seafoods Ltd was the overall winner at Bord Bia’s Origin Green Awards 2015. Their production facility in Killybegs co. Donegal has its own Hydropower station to supply electricity to its own consumption and to export to the national grid. Hydropower is one of the most reliable, predictable and least environmentally intrusive of all renewable energies. Can you recommend a favourite herring dish? The classic way to eat marinated herring is with boiled new potatoes, potato salad, rye sourdough bread, in various green salads or with poached eggs. They also work well with sour cream or soft cheese on a crostini or part of seafood platter. Try chicken Caesar salad with herring instead of anchovy. Words – Kevin Bolger Images – Tarmo Tulit

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THE TEXAS STEAKOUT

FROM THEN TO NOW

The Texas Steakout is without a doubt one of the most established and appreciated restaurants in Limerick. We sat down with Margret Enright and the team who established the Steakout to learn more about the restaurants history and how exactly it came to be one of Limerick’s finest eateries. The Texas Steakout Restaurant is located in the basement of 116 O’Connell Street, a gorgeous setting for a restaurant with original stone brickwork giving that warm homely feel, accompanied by an age-old fireplace. You can sense the character of the setting the second you walk through the doors. Although the inviting atmosphere and the mouthwatering menu selections is something you come to expect from the Texas Steakout a lot of work has gone into making the Texas Steakout what it is today. The Texas Steakout first opened in 1989 as a much smaller restaurant that seated just sixty customers. The team at the Steakout wanted to be sure that they were bringing something new and different to the restaurant scene in the region and with that idea in mind they decided to open a Texan themed steak house. ‘’What was really different about the Steakout was that obviously we had a theme. We were serving really hearty American style dinners, so at the time there was nothing like it.” Along with the Texan themed menu options was the great attention to theme incorporated into the décor. Once the theme was decided the hunt for memorabilia commenced and all of the charming Texan figures and ornaments that are in the restaurant today have adorned the walls since 1989. The decision to open such a unique style

of restaurant in the heart of Limerick City during a time where dining out certainly wasn’t popular was a daring move, but indeed a move that captures the essence of the Steakout; taking a good idea and making it work. ‘’We never relented on quality and service. It wasn’t a case of it can’t be done, it’s always been it will be done.’’ The team at the Texas Steakout pulled out all the stops to ensure the restaurant would become well known and loved. Staying with the Texas theme of the antique ornaments every table was covered with classic American chequered tablecloths while each waitress dressed head to toe as an American cowgirl. Limerick had no other place like it at the time and it was most definitely a drastic step away from the norm but it simply added to the already endearing nature of the restaurant and began to draw the crowds. It is safe to say that the Steakout did everything they could to build their customer numbers, ‘’We even had a float in the St. Paddy’s Day parade too just to promote ourselves and be out there. We also brought a fake life sized stuffed buffalo and planked him outside the door, it was all to get the place recognised.’’ After years of grafting to build their customer base during the harsh time of a recession all of the hardwork began to pay off and work began on the first of the Texas Steakout’s many extensions throughout the years. There will soon be an unveiling of yet another extension as they expand the underground establishment even further along O’Connell street to meet the amount of customers looking to experience the delights that the Texas Steakout has to offer. The Steakout now seats 280 people in a

gorgeous relaxed eating environment. The Steakout prides themselves on their devoted and dedicated staff as well as the food that is served each and every day. The menu at the Steakout is bursting with variety, ranging from he highest quality steaks to Mexican dishes, speciality chicken dishes and vegetarian options. When you dine at the Texas Steakout you are ensured to enjoy a substantial meal just as if it were from your own kitchen at home, with fresh produce being prepared every day. ‘’We pride ourselves in saying that we don’t even have a can opener. Every soup and every sauce is made from scratch, with the vegetables coming in the door every single day.’‘ The Texas Steakout is renowned for it’s glorious food and attention to service and detail and that is indeed all because of the loyal and dedicated staff. ‘’We’ve had changes but our core chefs are still here, they are irreplaceable. The ribs you’ll eat today are the very same ribs you would have ate in 1989, with the very same recipe. I think it’s that consistency and variety on the menu that are vital. There are dishes on the menu since we opened and we just cannot take them off. We even tried taking them away at one point and people wanted it all back.’’ The team at the Texas Steakout have an extremely high regard for every staff member working in the restaurant, both front of house and behind the scenes in the kitchen. Although the staff are vital to the Steakout it was imperative to note during our chat that the customers are what makes the Texas Steakout what a success it is today. ‘’Of course the customers are so valuable, they’re our audience and that’s what its all about. All along it has been a family restaurant. We

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would see people going out together in the restaurant who got engaged, married, would then come in with their kids, and now their kids have had kids who come in. So thankfully we’ve managed to keep each generation coming back to us for more.” There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for the Texas Steakout, it is clear that the team at the Steakout are continuously wanting to improve every aspect of the restaurant and to keep evolving as social and eating trends advance. ‘’What I love is that we have the ability to adapt. I’m so proud of the fact that we adapted to recessions, menus, eating habits. We can adapt and still be on top.’’ As a parting note we were once again brought back to discussing the restaurant’s customer base and how every single member of staff holds it in such high esteem. “I would like our customers to know of the value we have for them and the huge thanks and respect for our staff too. We’re not the Texas Steakout, we provide the wheels and everyone else drives the car.” The Texas Steakout 116 O’Connell Street, Limerick Opening Hours: Monday- Saturday 12pm – 10:30pm Sunday 12:30pm – 10:00pm Bookings available by phone at 061 414 440 Or online at www.texassteakout.com Words - Cornelia O’Riordan Images – Tarmo Tulit

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SUMMER COCKTAILS

MOJITO Depending on who you believe, the mojito either came from the Spanish word ‘mojar’, which means to wet, or the African word ‘mojo’, which means to cast a spell. Anybody who’s ever tasted one will agree that it’s thirst quenching and spellbinding in equal measures. WHAT YOU'LL NEED BACARDÍ Superior rum, lime wedges, fresh mint leaves, caster sugar, soda water/club soda INGREDIENTS: 50mls BACARDÍ Superior rum 4 lime wedges 12 fresh mint leaves 2 heaped tsp caster sugar 15mls soda water/club soda Sprig fresh mint to garnish METHOD: Gently press together the limes & sugar. Bruise the mint leaves by clapping them between your palms, rub them on the rim of the glass and drop them in. Next, half fill the glass with crushed ice, add the BACARDÍ Superior rum & stir. Top up with crushed ice, a splash of soda and a sprig of mint.

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THE TREASURY

LIMERICK’S HIDDEN GEM Nestled in the striking Georgian Quarter of Limerick, The Treasury truly is Limerick’s hidden gem. Since its opening in November 2014, The Treasury has maintained its rapturous reviews and buzzing reactions, rarely seeing a weekend that is not fully booked up. With open fires, snug corners, and soft lighting, the setting is ideal for winter dining, with plenty on offer for the summer months too, including fresh and fruity menu offerings that are light yet bursting with flavour. Creativity and attention to detail are at the heart of The Treasury from the food to the décor. The setting is one of the most captivating elements of The Treasury, from exposed brickwork, ornate lamps, Venetian masks and shining chandeliers. It is subtle yet decadent; from the exquisite interior in the dining area, to the party room adorned with a giant pair of sparkly red lips, glamour pervades the entire venue. In keeping with the inviting surroundings, the passion and

enthusiasm that each member of staff has for their work contributes to the extraordinary offerings of The Treasury. The array of appealing artisan courses complete the experience, with eclectic touches on your plate to indulge in. From Szechaun Pepper Duck to Beef Sirloin, the diversity of food does not disappoint. Sweet flavours play a big part in the selection, with caramelised plums, roast peaches and grilled pears providing an exotic edge. There is also a selection of delicious desserts with sumptuous chocolate mousse, brownie squares and honeycomb crisp. The pleasing mix of textures and flavours from the menu guarantee satisfaction. The food is not only served to perfection, but at reasonable prices. With early bird and three course set menus for €25 and the à la carte dishes starting from €8.50, these indulgences don’t have to break the bank. Along with impeccable food, The Treasury

offers an exquisite selection of wine. The wine list is varied and affordable, ranging from €22 - €49. Rest assured that every penny you spend will be well and truly worth it. Overall, The Treasury provides a generous and equal measure of style and substance, cementing itself as one of the shiniest diamonds in Limerick’s up-and-coming foodie scene. If you’re searching for an intimate location for date night, or a relaxed special occasion with a group of good friends, look no further than 74 O’Connell Street basement. The Treasury – 74 O’Connell Street, Limerick Opening hours - Tuesday-Saturday 5pm10pm www.thetreasuryrestaurant.com 061 - 590005

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TRAVEL HOTEL TUGU BALI Chosen as the most romantic place in the island and as a sampling of paradise on earth, Hotel Tugu Bali is a place where, upon entering, one is transported to the most romantic times of Bali. Nestled on the pristine, wave-sung sunset beach of Canggu, surrounded by the whispering rice fields and the adjacent BatuBolong Temple, Hotel Tugu Bali was built upon a passion for the romantic beauty of the art, history and culture of Bali specifically and Indonesia in general. A vast collection of priceless Indonesian antiques and artworks adorned the hotel, blending pure tropical luxury with an out-of-theordinary ambience. The magical Bale Agunglobby, with the views to the Indian Ocean, houses an exclusive collection of historic Balinese artworks and cultural artifacts, among which are the impressive 4.9-meter tall wooden giant Garuda carved from a whole 120-yearsold tree and Boma head (mythological giant guardians) on top of soaring columns inspired by an ancient ceremonial house in central Bali. Surrounding the Bale Agung is a world of lush tropical gardens and wild lotus ponds, where each of the resort’s 21 villas and suites hides itself from one another. The Puri Le Mayeur Villa, occupying an area of 200m2, ‘floats’ above its own 700m2 natural lotus pond. Chosen as the ‘sexiest’ suite in the island, this villa is inspired by a love story between Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpès, a famous Belgian painter who moved to the island in 1931, and Ni Polok, a renowned Legong dancer. The Puri Le Mayeur, furnished with beautiful original carved furniture of the artist, has a private plunge pool, an open-air lotus pond dining pavilion, a beautiful outdoor bath, and a verandah to witness the sun setting behind the breaking waves. Entering the Walter Spies Pavilion, the other signature suite of this hotel, one finds himself transported to the romantic art deco era of Java in the early 20th century. This suite is dedicated to the German poet and artist Walter Spies, who made Java and

Bali his home in the 1920s. The Walter Spies incorporates several original Dutch colonial architectural elements, including entrance gate, stained-glass windows, and a most beautiful private plunge pool, a private outdoor dining pavilion, a garden and the most unique outdoor sunken bath. The Dedari and Rejang Suites are far from being standard suites, each of which has been decorated with different artworks and color schemes. However, all have exotic luxuries such as oversized beds scattered with fresh petals at night, silvered local artisan’s sunken baths, private plunge pools and private inroom spa areas. All the Rejang Suites have a view to the sunset over the Indian Ocean. Dining at Tugu Bali takes on a completely different concept than in any other hotels in the island. Guests are welcomed to choose wherever they like to dine. Beautiful private candlelit tables can be arranged everywhere – in the gardens; at a private hut floating above the lotus pond, at the private candlelit beach under the star etc. Furthermore, instead restaurants, the hotel provides various most unique and authentic dining experiences. In each experience, the venue, the atmosphere, the cuisine, the rituals, the costumes, the tableware – all differ from one to another, depending to the themes chosen. In some cases, a dinner for two can be served by a parade of 12 waiters or a 14th century army of 30 people, depicting the many forgotten romantic tales of Indonesia’s history hundreds of years back. An absolute must would be to dine in what is said to be the most beautiful dining room in the country – the 300-year-old Bale Sutra temple, housed in a spectacular red room and lit with many red candles. To experience the grand, elegant dining of the royal Balinese kings in the past, opt for the Bale Puputan, Balinese 19th century royal dining room of the kings, dedicated to Balinese heroes. For a most memorable cultural dining experience, everyone’s favourite is the Waroeng Tugu, a very atmospheric, humble open-air traditional 15th century village-kitchen, lit only by oil lamps. Iboe (Mother) Soelastri, who now

more than 60 years old but has inherited her grandmother’s cooking talent since she was 4, cooks in the terracotta wood-fire kitchen in front of guests. She also invites guests to join her to the market before her cooking clases. Known as serving the best Indonesian (Balinese and Javanese) food in the island, many see Tugu Bali and the other Tugu properties as the reference in Indonesian culinary in the nation, catering to a row of presidents and ministers of Indonesia. The Waroeng Djamoe Spa, listed in the past two years as one of the world’s best spas. They practice treatments that range from pure indulgence to peace of the soul. From treatments that are based on the traditional Balinese dances; spiritual therapy combining the chanting of mantras and the application of heated exotic herbal oils. Along with yoga, pilates, and water pilates that bring the body and mind in harmony with the surrounding nature; to heavenly hot stone massages using spice-soaked volcanic stones, the Tugu spa experience is a compulsory beginning to any stay in Bali. Words – Michelle Costello Images – Tarmo Tulit

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SZIGET ISLAND OF FREEDOM Budapest’s world-famous week-long festival is set to take place again this year in from August 10th to 17th. It is widely regarded as one of Europe’s biggest festivals with over 1,000 performances taking place there each year. With a full week of performances from the likes of Rihanna, Muse, David Guetta, Sia and Noel Gallagher on an island within the city of Budapest, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t travel over to Hungary for it. Sziget’s Interational Relations Director, Andras Berta, told us more about what to expect from this year’s festival. How did you first get involved with Sziget? In the mid-90s I started out as a fan of the festival. This was basically my dream event, always loved to take part and also took many of my foreign friends to Sziget, so they could experience the same magic. Then many years later I started to work for the Hungarian music export office and we had a project at Sziget, so the professional connection was established. When they offered me my current position in 2010 I was happy to take it.

What can we expect from this year’s festival? As always, Sziget is a lot more than just a chain of concerts. Just make sure you arrive with an open mind and be prepared to have a full week of artistic holiday. You will definitely love the concerts on the main stages, but you will also discover that visiting this festival can be a very unique and important occasion, one that can change your general attitude towards the important things in life. What makes your festival different from the rest? The concept is quite independent from the usual festival concept. Yes, we have big stages (a lot of them, by the way), yes we have pubs (a lot of them), but we like to think that fans arrive to a completely different world once they cross the entry bridge that leads to the island. We put a lot of efforts into the visual experience of the event, so you feel special at every single moment. We also call Sziget the 'Island of Freedom' and this actually means the freedom of choice. A huge festival area with around sixty program venues makes sure you get new impressions all the time. So even if you have a clear idea on what

you want to see at a given time slot, there’s a big chance you will be stuck to check out something completely different at the same time simply because you have the choice to do so. Why should people travel over to Hungary for the festival? If the program of the festival in itself is not enough, there are a great number of activities provided by Budapest, so this can become a city holiday at the same time. Budapest is famous for its beautiful architecture, its spa culture, the world famous ruin pubs and a lot more. We even provide a season ticket, so festival fans can check out the city (including public transport, spa entry, etc.) for a discounted price. The weather is usually nice and warm, there are multiple travel options to and from Budapest and there’s a wide range of accommodations both in the city and at the festival. Last, but not least: this is one of the biggest international festivals in the world as last year we had participants from over ninety countries.

What else does your festival offer outside of music? Theatre, new circus, visual arts, museums, cabaret, giant campfire, beach, logical games, sports and a lot more. We take programming very seriously and it was a great feedback to receive the ‘Best Line-Up’ award at the European Festival Awards this January. What is your favourite thing about working at a festival? Creating something that makes hundreds of thousands so happy. It’s just great to walk around the festival area and realize that this huge community of people are here and have the time of their lives because we created the event. What advice would you give to first-time festival goers? Sleep a lot before you arrive. Words - Sophie Butler Images - Sandor Csudai & Balazs Mohai

ZIGET FESTIVAL AUGUST 10TH - 17TH BUDAPEST, HUNGARY. WWW. SZIGETFESTIVAL.COM

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PETER JOYCE IS THERE SPACE FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC IN CONTEMPORARY IRELAND? How much of a role does classical music play in your life? For anyone who considers music a part of their life, classical music is there. For those of you who think it isn’t, I could play you a piece that will evoke memories of school music lessons, of sporting events, of favourite films or even TV adverts. Having attended classes of the trusty tin whistle for years alongside the Royal Irish Academy piano lessons, I always cherished and respected those that could play much more effortlessly and with a greater deal of elegance than I. I fondly remember lazy summer days in Hunters Caravan Park in Galway where I holidayed with my Grandma and where Lyric FM was as central as the waves in the soundscape. After living the life of an aspiring musical 90s kid, I have always longed to be more musical, I’d give my right arm to be more so… only for the fact I may then need my right arm to play the music… So what place does classical have in our modern world? Somebody who knows all there is to know about classical music in contemporary Ireland, who has studied it, works in the field and lives through it, and who has answered this and many other questions for Fusion Magazine, is Peter Joyce. Tell us how you were introduced to music and how you became immersed in that world? I’m primarily a saxophone player but also have played the clarinet for a long time and more recently, the flute. Like almost every Irish child I learned the recorder in school - that left me fairly uninspired. I did piano lessons for about a week, which is a life long regret as I play a lot now. It was an unusual music upbringing really as I was very involved with saxophone from a young age. Being from Galway my saxophone teacher was involved with the Black Magic Band (all jazz music) and got me involved with their youth project at eleven, at an amateur level. That alone was a spectacular experience; while I was the youngest some others were in their seventies! By the time I was fifteen/sixteen I was playing with their professional band, and I still play with them. Most other children 70

would just have done their lessons and exams. Galway Contempo Quartet, a string quartet, ran a classical summer school where I played clarinet. This was another great way to mix with young musicians who had the same interests as I had, as well as developing my skills. They had fantastic guest teachers, one of who was working with the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble at the time, and asked if I would join. That became my first true introduction to good quality classical music in a performance sphere. The ensemble had a particularly good reputation and I started travelling from Galway to Dublin for lessons. After these experiences you decided to study music in college, how did your path develop once there? That’s it. I studied music in Trinity College, that’s when classical music really took over for me, in my head anyway. It is a completely different world to that of jazz. The classical world is a difficult world, but at least it has an established approach to getting funding and work in it, whereas jazz is even more topsy-turvy. Training in the jazz world is very informal and experimental, and I have played in all types of jazz and funk bands it’s the easiest way to crack (or make money in) the industry, playing in ‘The Wedding Band Scene’. I became chairperson of Trinity Orchestra - that was certainly a baptism of fire! It was my first time to conduct, compose and arrange music so I learned a lot and loved it all. Conducting certainly caught my attention and I gained a lot of administrative experience in that role too, which has helped with more recent projects I have undertaken. The Trinity Orchestra did a lot of covers of modern artists and we put great effort into the performances, in hindsight maybe too much into the performance and not enough into the quality of the music but that is something you learn as you go. After college, I was lucky to have time to reflect on what my next step would be. There was a huge lack of support and infrastructure for qualified musicians to transition into employment. I came back to Galway; I had

time to decide what to choose. When I had time I always found myself going back to conducting, not to teaching and not to wedding gigs but to conducting; that’s what I wanted to foster. I moved to Germany, as there was nothing for me here, which is shameful. I was based in Berlin for a while which was such an eye opener in regard to the audiences, the music, the funding, the age demographic and the sheer multitude of people involved on the scene in many perspectives. Bearing in mind that Berlin has the same number of people in the city as in the whole of the Irish Republic, and it has about three times as many musicians per capita as we have here. I’m back for a short while though working on different things - all music related of course. With pop culture so brazenly in our faces, some would consider classical music to have slumbered into non-existence as a contemporary art form, what is your thought on this? First of all, I’d say it is a lot more prevalent than people realise. The roots of classical music seep so deep we are very much completely surrounded in it: you can’t think of history in certain ways without considering the influences of music, classical music at that. We do misname classical music, which to be precise only existed in a short time period from about 1750 to the early 1800s. The sound of classical music is everywhere, particularly in movie scores and in computer gaming. Everybody goes crazy about film scores but they divide them from classical music. Think of the Star Wars movie score; it is spectacular. Birdman, which was nominated and won Oscars last year, uses classical music scores and not film scores. What people need to do (musicians and audience members) is to bridge the gap between that disconnect. Many orchestras however try to bridge the gap by putting on performances of movie scores and then hoping the audience will return for a full orchestral score of something alien to them.

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The RTÉ Orchestra play a movie score live with the movie a lot - it is great, but I think it is problematic. My approach would be to mix them both to show their similarities and be very explicit in presenting them as so; first perform the movie score and then perform its similar counterpart. If you know classical music well and listen to movie scores you will soon cop that many film composers are quick to steal and recycle music from classical scores to claim as their own for films; it’s often more than a similarity. It (classical music) is there it absolutely is there. How can music be made accessible to people to incorporate into their everyday life? A good question! Making orchestral music accessible is so intrinsic to its success yet is so problematic here in Ireland. To make things accessible there are three main elements… Firstly, it must be affordable - more affordable to attend and more affordable to learn at a junior level and with a structured support for graduates. Such a large influx of Irish musicians, conductors and young composers leave Ireland to achieve success and recognition, which is so ironic as Ireland prides itself so greatly on its culture. In Berlin I was exposed to a completely different scene, you can choose between at least five concerts any night for E8/E10. The audience was made up of mostly young people who were engaged with the performances. Here, it is so expensive. Secondly - education. Do you need an education to enjoy music? No. But it is an art form, standards need to be upheld and attained. It is not created passively nor consumed passively. Education, like in anything, is key to its success and the earlier the exposure the better. Thirdly - location. There is a severe lack of specifically designed venues in Ireland; we actually have far less than any other country, leading orchestras to perform in churches and Cathedrals a lot. The demand for alternative venues such as warehouses exists. Alternate venues would have a less austere welcome. There is a great misconception in Ireland

that anything linked to an orchestra requires formal dress, the image of a tux wearing man and a glass of champagne. Last year I worked on a performance, which you could call a triple threat and it was very successful. As a promotion for upcoming performances I conducted an orchestra in a free, outdoor concert of film scores. Would these three elements alone remedy accessibility and engagement to classical music? I believe so. In addition to the quality - it must be good to be engaging. Unfortunately, what people hear mostly is just badly played and badly rehearsed music, not because people are bad but because they can’t afford to put the time into it; it is done after work, or alongside other projects. The quality completely depends on the support for the musicians. For people to engage with it, it must be good, for it to be good opportunity must be provided. How would you argue that there is a place for classical music in contemporary society? This reminds me of a question I am often asked, ‘Is classical music relevant?’ What does that even mean? Of course it is relevant. Why would it not be relevant? It may not be exactly relevant to something happening right now, merely because of the time it takes to produce a new work. Pop music is quick, it is fast and can be doctored up in a very short period of time - you can tackle an issue quickly, you know? The same can be said for rock, but not theatre, literature or poetry, not orchestral music; it takes months to arrange the scores and then a lot of time to perfect the performance. In turn, it provides a chance to raise philosophical/psychological questions, but it may not be relevant now - that is not to say it is not relevant. If anybody is watching or listening to something, it is relevant to them. It just tackles different issues than music of popular culture, they are both valid.

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How can a young musician tap into the classical music scene here in Ireland, and is it more difficult here than in other countries? It is easier in a sense here in Ireland, because it is smaller. Within a very short period of going to Dublin for lessons and college, I was in the scene. It is very different in London or Berlin or anywhere more developed, it is difficult to know who to talk to or where to go. The flip side of that is that opportunities here are very limited, which is unfortunate. In other countries and indeed cities, there are established opportunities and pathways to follow. There is such a stigma attached to cultural work in Ireland. The Irish Arts Council receives an average of E3 million a year, while Germany spends over a billion. It is immediately obvious when you go there; every town has a professional performance venue. The age demographic attending performances there is much younger; it is more acceptable, there are more young people living in the country and the music is good. There are a lot more established opportunities in other countries, again returning to funding; in order to get a very high quality experience in classical, in theatre, in jazz, you have to go abroad. That is really horrific and shocking, that people find it so difficult to find opportunities living here. It makes it very difficult, they frequently need to leave and get further education and then come back to be taken seriously. That’s a big thing. There is an awful stigma across the arts fields, that if you study in Ireland it is not as good as if you study abroad. It’s mostly because the majority of educators have studied abroad - hat needs to change.

Should things change, what can be said about governmental funding for younger generations at an early school age? The Arts Council are fabulous, with such a limited budget they really do work hard to support people whenever possible. They do great work, particularly with youth music education. We’re very lucky with the Esker Festival Orchestra to be awarded funding through a young ensemble scheme. We couldn’t run the project without it but we are pushing the boundaries, as our orchestra is 18+ and the funding is for 12-23 year olds. It is there but there just isn’t governmental recognition. What’s the national symbol of Ireland? A harp. It sums up the irony of where our pride sits and what we’re willing to invest in. It is tragic when you consider Irelands’ history and how its greatest artists in cultural fields emigrate. Think of James Joyce, he wrote his major works abroad because he couldn’t get support or funding in Ireland and when he died the government wouldn’t even pay for his body to be shipped home. Now they want to name a bridge after him. Samuel Beckett, has a bridge named after him; lived his whole life in Paris. So many Irish artists/musicians have to travel abroad to simply be recognised. The Arts Council has the best intentions but the resources provided to them are lacking. There is something missing in Irish society… it’s a respect for the arts, that’s what’s missing. What’s more, Germany, per capita is still way more supportive for the arts, it doesn’t simply reflect the number of citizens and money they have. Artists themselves have a role in

reminding society that artistic culture is an important part of who we are, and it is worth something; I don’t mean to sound bitter but the situation is plain to see. There are a lot of people working very hard but it has to come from across the board and from the public, but they don’t get to see how important it is as it’s a systemic problem. They don’t know what they’re missing out on and what they’re missing out on is invaluable. How much of popular music is based on the foundations of classical music? Well it depends how far you’re willing to go back. Jazz and Blues probably have more of an influence than classical music - think R&B, any kind of Rock comes from Blues. It’s hard: in one sense the influences are so intrinsically linked that you don’t see them anymore, like the whole idea of a song was invented in the classical music word… so theoretically, with Blues, yes 100% that correlation is there but aesthetically, not any more I guess. Classical music is often noted as ‘brain music’, do you agree with its link to stimulating thought and enhancing concentration? The acclaimed ‘Mozart effect’: There is an intrinsic link in music education and intelligence that has always been prevalent; the reason behind that, is that music uses every part of the human brain and body for a musician. That is not to say having a young child listen to classical music will make them more intelligent. I also don’t believe that you will do better in exams if listening to classical music while studying. For me it just heightens whatever emotion I currently

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hold, of course the mood and tone of the piece have an influence too. If I am feeling relaxed, it may make me relax more, anxious, more anxious, excited, more excited. I don’t consider it a passive experience. If you study music yes, you will become more intelligent, same as if you read Ulysses you will become more accustomed and practiced in the vernacular of the product. Classical music has the ability to allow you to explore more than popular music would. The idea of considering classical music simply as background music certainly won’t help its development either! You have spoken at length about accessibility already, but for the average person who may find the classical music world daunting to enter considering its history and prestige, how would you encourage them to do so? The onus is on both musician and audience. As you say, it has to be accessible. If it is affordable and less imposing the age demographic will come right down. We need to show people the link between music they listen to all the time. What helps a lot is program music; produced to draw an audience, think of the William Tell overture. Leaving Cert students study the wonderful Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz every other year, this is one of the first program scores. That means that the piece was written with a story in mind, which is conveyed to the audience through title or text. We link sounds to images - again think of Star Wars. I have a lofty problem with this as audience members are over prescribed in what they should think. Music essentially affords a personal experience. What I do take issue with is classical scores that are not originally produced as program music being advertised or forced as so, where the title of the performance indicates to the audience to ‘think about birds here, or a forest’. By giving it a theme to make it accessible does not necessarily work. My ultimate goal, and that of many others, is to

make classical music accessible and engaging for everyone, without a prescribed notion or cause. Listening to a non-prescribed bit of classical music can be daunting because it means nothing. Music means nothing and therefore can mean anything or everything. When given the opportunity to engage with classical music on a personal level, it can mean everything; it heightens their own emotions, it doesn’t prescribe them. I really want to help people engage at that personal level. You have touched on your work with the Esker Festival Orchestra (EFO), supporting young musicians, what exactly is the project and how did it come about? I am currently the festival director and conductor; it is an orchestra for young professionals and advanced students over the age of eighteen. It became quite apparent for me and a lot of my friends, that after we finished college there was nothing for us to do. There was no obvious path for us to become professional orchestral musicians. The reason EFO came about was because there was formally two National Youth Orchestras, an over and under eighteens. With funding constantly being stripped, members of the 18+ had to pay a lot of money to take part. With further cutbacks it was completely disbanded by 2010 and there was no national platform for musicians. This was Irelands National flagship; we travelled around Europe to promote our country. It was a great way to connect, learn from and develop relations and music with like-minded people that simply ceased to exist. It created many problems musically and socially - the essence of a good career is knowing people and connecting with people in your field. I knew musicians from Belfast, Cork, Dublin - all over, then three years on I found I knew none of these people anymore. While some smaller, orchestras tried to fill that void, there was no national platform.

My friends and I wanted to rectify this, to provide an all-inclusive platform. We based ourselves in Galway, as it was neutral ground and everything in classical music in Ireland is in Dublin or Cork, there is no infrastructure in Galway and that’s something, being from Galway, I want to develop. We showcase original scores each year and provide about a weeks practice and then perform, and it is free to musicians. We crowd fund, which is difficult but we are eternally grateful to our supporters, and we are blessed with Arts Council funding. What are your aims with the project? The main aim is to have a National Ensemble, to enable young musicians to develop and to inspire one another and equally so, the audiences that come and listen. In the National Youth Orchestra, we were led by senior figures of the music world, which left an impression that there was no faith in us, the young musicians - additionally, it cost a lot to hire these figure heads. For that reason, Esker Festival Orchestra is peer led. It affords us the opportunity to arrange music, to conduct, to write original works and to have more input generally. By organising it ourselves we have a double benefit of being in control and of lowering costs. We aim to provide this experience for budding and newly graduated musicians for free. Ultimately, the intention is that it will become a weeklong music festival; hence the title. The orchestra will be made up of 65 musicians all 18+. In our main program we do a concerto, a solo piece performed by a budding musician, which is a very rare opportunity for young musicians to have the backing of a full orchestra. That’s an important part of our program. We have also done a premiere of a new piece, which has been written in the past few years, making it relevant. They’re the main artistic goals.

What is the plan for this year? This is our third year now and our second year to tour nationally. Growing on last year we are performing three concerts in Galway - one film music concert and one chamber music concert (in collaboration with the Galway Music Residency and the Galway Contempo Quartet - which is nice because that’s where I started in music) and then our main classical program, then to Belfast, Dublin and Cork, all over 8 days. We really want to keep going and keep growing and hope that this will act as a movement or indication for what is possible when time and support is given to the arts.

We’re learning more each year too so hope to continue to grow our audience and to inspire more people. We keep the ticket cost very low and use alternate venues to achieve that accessibility too. What parting words would you like to share with our readers or other musicians? For non-musicians, I guess… just go! Get involved in culture more and open your ears to what is around you. Be mindful of the work and effort that goes into organising cultural events. You can’t build a city in a day; these things take time, so be trustful of what is possible. The rewards are so much greater

than the costs. To musicians, you have to work all the time, you really have to perfect your art. In Ireland particularly, you also have to be entrepreneurial where established opportunities aren’t there. Finally, and importantly, don’t ever forget the quality of your work because it can be forgotten and that is not right either. Words -Rebecca Egan Images - Tarmo Tulit

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ROSKILDE FESTIVAL

NONE PROFIT SINCE 1972 Now in its 45th year, one of Europe’s biggest festivals is set to take place in Roskilde, Denmark from June 25th to July 2nd. Since 1971, Roskilde has only gotten bigger and better every year and this year is no exception with the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, MØ and New Order headlining over the four days. Head of Programme, Anders Wahrén, told us all about the upcoming music and arts festival. How did you first get involved with Roskilde? I first visited the festival as a guest when I was 13. For more than 15 years I’ve been involved on different levels, ranging from stagehand duty and production manager on one of our tent stages to working externally with the festival as an agent and now heading the music booking.

What can we expect from this year’s festival? As always, Roskilde Festival offers an experience in the name of diversity: great music from all over the world, world class art, delicious food, an international audience and so much more. What makes your festival different from the rest? In terms of music, our line-up of 175 acts covers a ton of genres from many different countries. We have everything from international superstars to the Nordic stars of tomorrow – and everything inbetween. But we’re much more than music. We’re 100% nonprofit and have been since 1972. Working with this ethos, we have workshops, seminars, art and much more related to social and cultural purposes and charities and with our guests on site for more or less a full week, we have a very active, curious and participating audience that blends in with our 30,000 volunteers to make up the 4th largest city in Denmark.

Why should people travel over to Denmark for the festival? To be part of a community that’s international, open, loyal and not least very diverse. And to experience an abundance of things you didn’t know you were going to love.

What advice would you give to first-time festival goers? Be open-minded and go with the flow. You’ll meet so many people, see so many shows with artists you never knew you’d fall in love with, and you’ll be part of a truly unique community.

What can you tell us about your lineup so far? Apart from the headliners and the already championed acts in all genres, we’re paying special attention to the Nordic talents that we want to help. Quite special this year is the prestigious opening of our iconic Orange Stage, a task we have given to the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music with Damon Albarn and Guests.

Word - Sophie Butler Images - Jens Dige & Vegard S Kristiansen

What is your favourite thing about working at a festival? Apart from simply watching the enthusiastic guests take in all the new experiences, it’s a huge privilege to be working with so many dedicated volunteers. We couldn’t be what we are without them and our guests – which oftentimes is one and the same crowd as everyone feels a great ownership of the festival.

ROSKILDE FESTIVAL 25TH JUNE - 2ND JULY 2016, WWW.ROSKILDE-FESTIVAL.DK

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JUPE Jupe are an upcoming and exciting edition to the Irish and UK music scene that are sure to take the Irish pop scene in their helms in 2016. We spoke to Jupe front man Tim Night about the bands career and musical journey…

so it then naturally progressed into forming a band. We are five best friends and we’ve known each other for many years; we are like a close family of people who share a passion and a dream.

Jupe have had a great year in 2015 that included a set at Electric Picnic, what would you say was the highlight of the year? I think the highlight of 2015 would definitely be the set at Electric Picnic. Prior to playing the EP slot we released our single Rocket in Ireland and the UK. That got us a lot of awareness in the UK and we saw that recognition and success at the Picnic. We had a very busy and successful summer working towards EP and to actually play it was amazing.

Jupe have gone through various transformations both in sound and members, was there ever a point were you thought the band wouldn’t make it through? Back when we hadn’t released anything in a little while, we brought the show to the Academy and we were told by a few people in the industry that we were out-dated. So back then it was a process of restructuring and re-evaluating who we were, what sound we had as a band and how we wrote our songs, basically the standard of everything as a band. That was a challenge; all of us were very keen on taking the challenge head on. To be honest, we’re happy that we had that challenge because we are a lot better for it now.

For someone who may be just discovering JUPE for the first time, how would you describe your sound? I would say that Jupe are everything you want. I would describe Jupe as rock, funk, jazz and I would describe Jupe as really, really good. Our shows are stadium status every single time, if you want to enjoy yourself and jump around the place and see lots of smoke and lasers come to a Jupe show. Would you have a typical song writing ritual or does it differ from song to song? Song writing is interesting as I think it is important to keep the structure of how you write a song quite fresh, to change it up so you can keep yourself and your material fresh. I would come to the guys with an idea, my specialty in the band is to write lyrics so I would present a few bars of a chorus or a few bars of a verse or a melody and because the guys are such amazing musicians and very energetic they are able to take that and make it blossom into a hit. After leaving college you began playing gigs as a solo singer - songwriter. What enticed you to become part of a band? Originally when I was doing the singer songwriter circuit I wanted to have something a bit different to what everyone else at the time had. I wanted my name to unite with a band, like artists such as John Mayer, with a full band so you weren’t on your own. That went quite well but as time went on we began to enjoy ourselves more and everyone had more input into how the songs were written

Who or what would you say would be your biggest influences? As a group we all have different influences; and music as a whole influences us to push ourselves and progress ourselves. There are people around the world right now in the music scene who are trend-setters, they are trailblazers and whenever they come out with something different it is challenging to a listener, it challenges people to accept that and once they do it’s a trend. So we like to emulate a lot of people out there that are setting trends and standards in every way: a live show, a song-writing perspective and a branding perspective, every element of the music industry. We definitely try and emulate the trend setters of the music world. You have played with Mumford and Sons in the past, how was it to share a stage alongside them and did they share any tricks of the trade with you? Playing with Mumford and Sons was a very surreal experience. We were doing a show for St. Patricks Day in the Jameson distillery and we were told that Mumford and Sons were going to be playing but the lead singer Marcus Mumford was very sick at the time and nobody knew they were going to be there. So we played our set and hoped for the best. It was a very strange experience, they showed us how to harmonise, their set was a stripped

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back acoustic and they started off with a four part harmony; straight away the audience were completely captivated. The way they command the audience without even doing or saying much is really interesting to watch, having the element of mystery about them as people was really great and it was fantastic to be a part of that show. As a band that prides themselves on their live show what would be your favourite aspect of performing live? My favourite aspect of our live show is how you can turn a song that you hear on the radio as three and a half minutes long into a rock or jazz journey. If we take a song like Rocket for example and add intros, outros, guitar solos that’s what being a musician is all about. It is all about the fun, the passion for music, that is what we love. I think during the live shows

we are able to showcase all of the ideas that we had while writing our album that might not have made the cut because they were too musician-ey and egotistical. When you write a song for a CD or radio you want to add in drum solos and such but it just wouldn’t work, so the live show gives us the opportunity to add in as much changes and creativity to our songs as possible. Words - Cornelia O’Riordan

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