Kristen Sinclair

Source: Las Vegas Weekly Bruce Fielder, better known as Sigala , answers the phone from his studio in London. Having racked up two billion audio streams, six Top 10 singles and the highest-charting dance debut of 2018, the superstar DJ and producer is preparing for a mammoth tour that will take him across the globe: “I’m really looking forward to travelling to different places where I haven’t played as much. Some places on the tour I haven’t played before but there’s a fan base there, so it’s going to be amazing to perform for and meet these people.” Sigala’s mind-boggling success is almost at odds with the down-to-earth, exuberant Englishman on the other end of the line. He talks touring, the power of music and his exceptional knack for writing a hook. As a lifelong pianist with a penchant for soulful voices, EDM mightn’t have seemed like an obvious avenue for Sigala: “For me, everything starts with the song. When I write a piece of music, it will generally be with a singer at ...

Source: @snowpatrol on Instagram Getting a thirteen-piece band together to rearrange twenty-five years’ worth of songs for a two-and-a-half-hour set is no mean feat. Incorporating strings, brass, slide guitar and an intermission, this is no ordinary gig rehearsal. For founding Snow Patrol member and drummer Jonny Quinn , it’s just part of his day job. “We have about over a hundred songs to learn, but it’s good fun,” the Bangor native tells the Gown from his home in London. “It’s great to reimagine the songs for ourselves, as well as the people who really enjoy hearing them in different ways.” Following a seven-year hiatus, last year’s gold-certified Wildness was their last LP since 2011’s Fallen Empires . Now, the NI legends are back and jumping in at the deep end with a new album and tour. To mark their 25 th anniversary, the five-piece are releasing Reworked , a re-imagining of thirteen of their classic tracks, as well as three new songs. Fans were teased with two Rewo...

'The North is Next' as it appears in print (Source: my own) “The North is Next” read the sign held aloft by Sinn F é in’s Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald as the landslide victory of Ireland’s Repeal the 8 th referendum was announced at Dublin Castle earlier this year. Though for some, there was the underlying feeling that not all Irish women had reason to celebrate. Whilst the Republic’s constitutional ban on abortion would now be lifted, the six north-eastern counties of Ulster remain faced with some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world. In the last few years, the Republic has been a leading light across the world for becoming the first country to legalise same sex-marriage by popular vote and also electing an openly gay Taoiseach. A once devoutly Catholic state has become a liberal and progressive society, dwarfing its conservative and backward northern counterpart. The four small words that make up that alliterative slogan – “The North is Next...

Rat Out Records' event at The Sunflower (Source: my own) Belfast is famous for many things – ships, conflict, Van Morrison – but not quite hip-hop. Unlike the other Irish cities which have spawned the likes of Dublin duo Versatile or Limerick’s The Rubberbandits , the subculture hasn’t gained the same notoriety and recognition in the North. As a genre created by African Americans in 1970s New York, it may be fairly easy to see why the Irish brand of rap hasn’t exactly had the same level of success. Despite this, Northern Ireland is by no means lacking in musical talent; the region has produced big names like The Undertones, Snow Patrol and Two Door Cinema Club. Even on a more grassroots level, the local indie rock and folk scenes in Belfast and Derry are booming. While it may seem that we prefer our music with a catchy chorus and three chords, Belfast’s underground rap scene is alive and kicking if you’re prepared to look for it. A simple Soundcloud or Bandcamp search ...