TPOE 300 and favourite moments in Irish music
Niamh Regan, Swimmers Jackson, God Knows, Brian Coney, Ailbhe Reddy, Steve Ryan, Stevie G, Jack O'Rourke and Brian Brannigan on their favourite moments in Irish music since TPOE began in 2015
The TPOE podcast celebrated 300 episodes on March 13. It began in summer 2015 and after finding its feet developed into a straight-up interview show with a whole host of Irish acts. There have been Choice Prize winners like Jape, Delorentos, O Emperor, Ships, Denise Chaila and Super Extra Bonus Party, nostalgia episodes looking back on older bands like A House and the Frank and Walters, as well as specials on the likes of the Plugd and Gulpd heyday in Cork. There have been hundreds of interviews with all types of Irish acts, from the established ones to the up-and-comers. I still love doing the podcast and shining a spotlight on Irish music.
To celebrate the 300th episode, I asked some musicians, artists and other folk in Irish music to send me their favourite memory/memories in Irish music from the last nine or so years since the TPOE podcast began. You can listen to the episode in the player or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts - just search for ‘The Point of Everything’. And if you like the show, please like, subscribe and/or tell a friend. You can read the contributions below (edited a little for length and clarity).
Niamh Regan
I'm happy and also a little bit puzzled to pick one highlight in the Irish music scene over the past few years that really inspired myself. But I think after some mulling over I would have to say it was seeing Feist perform at Cork Opera House for Sounds from a Safe Harbour. I've been a very big fan of her music for quite some time. And seeing it in that format where it was so interactive and theatrical - it just felt so new. And after a week of seeing so many different bands in different genres across the city - that being the highlight - I felt very inspired. I feel like most musicians who were at that gig, in particular, or that tour that she did, was inspired to step it up. She opened up different realms of possibility for songwriters.
Swimmers Jackson
Going back to 2015, that was the year that I moved to London actually from Dublin. So, so much has happened in that time, I know myself. I have so many special memories from the Irish music scene, and always great interviews on this particular podcast. I've personally really enjoyed the rise and rise of Lankum from Lynched days in Cafe Oto right up to Borderline and then seeing them in huge venues like the Barbican and now they've paid at Hackney Empire this year. It's been outstanding to watch that bond just grow and grow and makes me really proud. They've released some amazing records in between as well, each record being better - marginally better - than the last. I've also loved the rise of Gilla Band from Girl Band - all these bands with name changes! I remember playing shows with Girl Band back in 2011, 2012, around Ireland, and then them just growing into this absolutely behemoth, a monster of a band who get better every time I see them, most recently in Fabric in London. And then all the amazing music coming out of Limerick, whether it's hip hop and Denise Choila or rock with Windings or many of the newer Limerick acts, and the LASA Collective doing brilliant stuff. John Hennessy has always been brilliant in Limerick but having a second collective now putting on independent gigs and watching that Limerick scene grow and grow - every time I get to play there, in Pharmacia usually, it's just a brilliant city and my dad's from there so it's always just nice to see that one keep going strong. Dundalk, of course, with the Mary Wallopers, that scene's growing and growing as well, the Spirit Store down there, I got to play that venue myself for the first time in 2023 on the release of my own second album. Yeah, I guess releasing solo records and still releasing Bouts records, although that's been a while, has been a source of personal pleasure and Eoghan always very supportive when I do release any of my music. It's all just been really nice. I did a radio show called The Irish Jam for four or five years in London. And we had Eoghan on the podcast every couple of weeks with three mentions of new music. And it's been so nice seeing those recommendations come to fruition as well, whether it was Bad Sea back in the day and then seeing CMAT growing out of that. Or all of these incredible young acts that seem to be on the rise and rise; I'm pretty sure we gave Sprints their first UK radio play years ago. Silverbacks I'll never forget them sending in 'Pink Tide' as a demo and immediately being a fan of them. Junk Drawer from Belfast, Pillow Queens of course - I booked Pillow Queens for a gig in London, I would say it must be seven years ago now, and watching them rise and rise through the Ireland and UK and American music scene has been great. Currently very proud of Kneecap and Sprints particularly now as they stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. I think the Irish music scene is in rude health. I think it always has been but it's it's great to see it get international recognition, Fontaines and Murder Capital obviously doing great things in the indie rock scene as well. And I just hope we see more and more of it.
God Knows - Narolane, Rusangano Family
One of my favorite Irish music moments, it's gonna be a little bit selfish because it involves myself, was when we started rapping together: Myself, MynameisJohn, Murli. One of the artists, or one of the groups, that we really enjoyed was Run the Jewels. And I remember we made tracks that we felt would be on par with what we feel like Killer Mike or El-P would do. And I remember at the time we heard the news that Run the Jewels was coming to Ireland - this was right after Run the Jewels' debut came out. And John thought it would be a cool idea to do a petition to see if we can do a show with them. It wasn't long until people signed their names and fast forward, we actually got to play the gig with Run the Jewels. And from then on, from that moment, the show happened, it was one of the most spectacular nights of my life. And we went on to not only do the show with them, but to genuinely spend time with them. And I just remember being backstage speaking with Killer Mike and watching him marvel at John's productions and also just saying to us at the time like, 'Yo if you guys ever need a verse, just reach out to me and then I'll get the verse done for you guys'. Not that Killer Mike wants to do a track but more so that he felt like we were that good that he's willing to work with lads from Limerick and Clare, so I thought that was really fantastic. We went on to see them again many times over. If anyone's ever met Killer Mike, he's someone that's very warm and never forgets a face so I just remember them just being really genuine with us. I feel like that for me was one of the greatest moments and with everything that Rusangano went on to be and to do, that's one of the many moments that sticks out in my brain.
Brian Coney - The Thin Air, Junk Drawer
For me, going back to 2015 when the Point of Everything began seems like a fitting place to go. And specifically for me, it will be two shows that the Thin Air hosted with Gilla Band, who were of course then called Girl Band. Name change aside, the band have evolved so much, but there's something perfectly pure-cut and searing and combustive about them that has seemingly always been there. Particularly after the Early Years EP. So going back to those shows in the Bar Sub in Belfast, which for the record is a really cavernous, now demolished unfortunately, venue, which was a real sweatbox for shows -like if you compare it to the Empire gig that Gilla Band played last week, which was phenomenal, of course - those Bar Sub shows felt really unpredictable, and sort of almost dangerous in the idea that it was heaving full of bodies. So yeah, trying to trace mentally back there is really joyous because I think about Blue Whale and Robocobra Quartet and Paddy Hanna, and all of these bands supporting Gilla Band and those shows and the idea of it leading up to this moment of them coming on stage and seeing what may or may not happen. It was that sort of level of excitement. It felt like a real encapsulation of what Irish guitar music has steadily become over the last decade, which has been nothing short of a revelation. And So I Watch You From Afar, Adebisi Shank, Bats and all these Richter Collective bonds, Cast of Cheers, etc, there was something that Gilla Band spearheaded in those years, particularly, that just felt transfixingly new. And I can't help but reflect so deeply and fondly about it. Because whilst I'm not nostalgic - because I think it's always important to look forward - it really felt like a year zero type, 'right, here we go, things are changing'. And sure enough, they have changed. So that's my reflection, and it's tricky whittling it down but the fact it was in Belfast, the fact it is with a band who's still going and thriving at that, it feels memorable for those reasons for me. Congratulations to the Point of Everything as well. I am a longtime fan of the podcast. I think it's the best music podcast going in Ireland, at least. It's wonderful Eoghan, big up yourself and here's to nine more years at the very least of the Point of Everything, Gilla Band, and everything good in between.
Ailbhe Reddy
I thought about this loads and I kept jumping around from maybe the first year of All Together Now to seeing Pillow Queens perform 'Gay Girls' for the first time in Donnybrook Stadium supporting Future Islands. There's loads of massive things, but then I just kept going back to the beginning of 2022 when James Vincent McMorrow and Joe Furlong, and Theo (Byrne) put on emo and indie nights where we all did covers of all our favourite early 2000s songs. It was just this really magical thing because we were all finally gigging again (after Covid). And it was like everyone was just in the best form ever, audience and band and guests and everything included. It was just the absolute best craic. I got to do Avril Lavigne - 'I'm with You', which I basically had never sang in public before but have always wanted to (laughs). It was so great and a conscious reminder of what we were all in it for, which is just the joy of being in a room with other people and sharing this language of music that we all share. It was really, really beautiful and such a reminder of how joyous gigs can be. The feeling in the room was absolutely incredible. It was just those first gigs when things started coming back, I did my own gig and I had done a gig with Elaine Mai and I'd done a few other things, but then doing that was just this other thing where it was like we were all back together again and things are starting to feel very normal. That was one of my favourite moments of the last nine years. There's been plenty of them though, and I'm sure there's more going to keep going and no doubt when you reach your 10th or 18th anniversary of the show, there'll be even more to go on but congrats and thank you for having me.
Steve Ryan - Windings
Hey, this is Steve from Windings and Giveamanakick and also Limerick. And I think rather than select a single album or song or live event that's happened over the past nine years - because there's been many and I've been lucky to witness so much amazing stuff coming out of this country in that timeframe. So I guess I'm going to speak specifically, as someone from Limerick, who has lived here and worked from here my entire life. In the past nine years, the scene in Limerick has just thrived. And it's down to the next generation of musicians and artists and creative types who are doing stuff like bringing the biggest metal bands to town, working out of Dolan's. The hip hop scene here has never been healthier. We've got people like Hazey Haze and Citrus Fresh and Strange Boy and others. And upcoming bands like Small Church, Laura Duff, Dylan Flynn - loads! I know by mentioning them I'm omitting so much and I'm sorry for that. But likeyou've venues like Treaty City Brewery, Pharmacia, Record Room in the Commercial, Dolan's of course; it's just an amazing place to be currently. It's inspiring to see the people who are working here and what they're doing in terms of artistry and creativity. So to watch that over the past nine years, it's been a high point for me as someone who's from Limerick, and it's been a high point for people of Ireland who are noticing Limerick. Feile na Greine - what about that!? Come on, amazing!
Stevie G
It's been an amazing nine years for music in Ireland. In that time, hip hop has gone on the radar, even the modern RnB that's coming out of the country. It was always happening, but it was never getting media coverage. So shoutouts to everyone who put it on the map regarding the last years really. Now people talk about Denise (Chaila), Erica Cody - whoever! There's just loads of stuff up there. Jafaris!, A lot of the stuff is still not really getting the media attention that really made waves in that time, especially the drill stuff. So big shout outs to the whole crew, A92, TraviS and Elzzz, they're actually just making some of the best music in the country. So if I had to pick a moment or anything like that, it would be very hard, there's so many great festivals, so many great moments and releases and blah, blah, blah. I'm probably going to go for Jazzy, because there's so many artists staying true to their own path and she really blew up organically. I remember during the lockdown, playing her track with Powerful Creative Minds, it's just another Irish hip hop track really I remember just going 'who the hell is this singer!?' They did a version of 'Do for Love' by Tupac. It's still there with probably like about a thousands listens on Spotify. I couldn't have imagined that she would be a massive star not only in Ireland but worldwide within a year or two. But that's what's going to happen with her. The music is amazing. Her singing and her personality is amazing. With the whole Belters Only crew, they've all done it organically. They've been knocking around for years, the lads, but Jazzy is really, really - the songs are just really, really strong. It's more a garage sound, more a house sound, but I love all that sound anyway. I'm really impressed with her. It's not as if she's the only person doing that sound, there's some brilliant artists doing it. And we've got really good examples: Gemma Dunleavy has done a lot of garage stuff as well, another brilliant success story, who was around long before that nine years doing her stuff. She's also blown up. But I'm gonna just pick Jazzy today because I think this is going into another stratosphere.
On a personal level, there's been many (highlights) as well. I put on a really good lineup for the Jazz Festival last year in the Everyman. I had Projective, who are areally up and coming neo soul group from Cork, Qbanaa, Negro Impacto - again, I mean, is there a better group in Ireland? Diamond was also on stage with them and she's an amazing talent from Cork. She's also in Projective. And I had Sam Healy; again. I mean, the talent coming out of Cork and Ireland at the moment is incredible. So that was a big personal highlight. And also, we did a big exhibition at the same time in St Peter's tying the knots really between jazz and hip hop. So there's loads, there's loads of stuff, we could talk forever, but today, I'm just gonna pick Jazzy but I still managed to namecheck loads of other stuff in there. So happy 300 and keep up the good work.
Jack O’Rourke
Congratulations Eoghan and the Point of Everything on the 300th episode of your podcast and nine years of music, opinions and amazing journalism. I'd like to personally thank you for reviewing my first single 'Naivety' on the Point of Everything. I think you compared me to Bowie, which made the rest of my life! And I've always enjoyed incredible writeups and thoughts and incredible perceptions on music. Personal highlights for me of the last nine years is playing St James's Church in Dingle headlining Other Voices in 2020. On a less narcissistic level, I have really loved the music of Big Thief and Adrianne Lenker recently, I think she's an amazing songwriter. I love that she's rooted in folk music and traditional music, and yet she's as innovative as Radiohead and her lyrics are sublime. Enjoy the celebrations and I'll catch you down the line with album number… four, I think. Yeah, four.
Brian Brannigan - A Lazarus Soul
[During covid] Joe Chester was learning how to play classical guitar, and to read and write music and score for strings. The first time I heard what he was up to, we were playing an ALS gig in the Drogheda Arts Centre. I was in the jacks and I heard this amazing piece coming from outside. I came out to investigate. And Joe told me that he was working on a new album called Lucia, about James Joyce's daughter, Lucia Joyce. It was a suite for guitar and strings. He was taking 10 significant moments from her life and he was going to write a piece of music around them. He told me a little bit about the story, how she was an incredible dancer, probably would've become a world-renowned dancer; how her intellect was maybe equal to her da; how she fell in love with Beckett and he broke her heart. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and she was committed to an institution in Northampton, where she spent most of her adult life and would eventually die there. A little while later, Joe sent me the album and I put it on - I instantly knew I was listening to some really, really, really special It might sound biased - Joe is my great mate of 20 odd years - but I really think it's one of the greatest achievements of any Irish artist of the last decade or so. It's really that special.
It was launched in the Axis in Ballymun. And it was great to see it in all its glory with the quartet and Joe the maestro in the middle of it all. And I laughed afterwards when he told me, 'I've wrote this thing, now I have to learn to play it'. And it was a joy to watch him over the next couple of gigs, really trying to raise his level of playing to be able to master this piece.
The next time I'd seen him was at All Together Now festival and I was really fucking hungover. We'd played on the Friday night. And this was like Saturday morning in a tent. It was the All Curious Minds stage curated by Dave and Raymond Bell. Eamon Sweeney (Swench) was interviewing him and did a great job of interviewing him. It was fascinating to watch Joe talk about Lucia, it was almost scholarly. I think there's a temptation to maybe make a subject sound salacious or to hype up a subject but Joe really stuck to the facts, of which little was known, He told us the story that her brother apparently destroyed all her writings, so there was very little known of her. It was like he (Joe) was breathing life into her story and bringing it back to life and talking about her mental health. It was great to hear him talk about it in that forum and then elevate the subject with such extraordinary, beautiful music. I think he mastered it when I seen him play in Smock Alley Theatre. Before he came out on stage, he played a piece of music over the intercom, and I was just sitting there going, 'What is that music, it's incredible?' And it turned out it was 'Asylum' from the Lucia album. And it was then I realised that, Jesus, this is as good as Gorecki's third symphony or Tan Dun's 'Heaven, Earth, Mankind' or Avro Part - it's that special. Some albums catch you straight away and some albums are hip and of their time, and this album is gloriously out of time. It's one of those records that reward ya with repeated listens, it really starts to get under your skin and you realise how great it was, or how great it is. I think he mastered the playing that night. It was just him on his own. It's a really intense piece, and it's phrases of guitar repeated over and over again. Some of it is just so, so intense. And I was thinking to meself, as he was playing it, 'How does he even know where he is in that piece?' He was telling me afterwards that you almost have to surrender, you almost have to stop thinking and surrender to the piece to be able to play it.
The most recent time I'd seen him was the Bloomsday festival, it was in the Martello Tower in Sandycove where James Joyce lived and apparently the first chapter Ulysses is set. Me and Joe were after having a row and I didn't know whether I should go but I said 'Fuck it and I drove from Maynooth down to Sandycove. It was a gorgeous summer's evening and the place was thronged. I couldn't find a parking space. I eventually found a place, dumped the car and legged it up to the Martello Tower. I was afraid I was gonna miss the gig. Anyway, thankfully when I got there, Joe was happy to see me. We went up the little narrow steps up to the second floor and it was quite tight. There's a hammock there, there's a bed, there's room for about 20 people. It was just Joe and his guitar, we were almost sitting on top of him which made it even more intense. Anyway he started playing and it was just one of those amazing evenings, music started swirling around the tower, you could hear the din of the Dubliners outside playing in the sea on a rare warm summer's evening. We were surrounded by Joyce's ephemera and history on a significant date. And it was just one moment where the birds in the tower started singing in harmony and in time with 'The Little Match Girl'. It was sublime, one of those perfect moments. Afterwards, we hugged and he showed me Joyce's guitar in the case and I said to him, 'Was he any good?' He said 'No, he was brutal.' And I walked off into the summer's evening smiling to meself: 'Finally I've found something that I have in common with Joyce'.