If you’re a fan of Irish music, and we hope when reading GoldenPlec you all have at least a passing interest in some of the great Irish acts we talk about, then you might enjoy this.
The guys behind The Point Of Everything music blog started a magazine in November entitled, We Play Here. It sold out straight away and they have decided to keep it going with a second issue kick starting next week.
The below is the press release for it and we’d like to encourage anyone with an interest in the topics below to buy and support the project, as these things can only stay in print for as long as they are supported.
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After a successful launch in November, with the initial print run selling out, Irish music zine We Play Here is back for a second issue. The work of five people passionate about music in Ireland, issue 2 is 72 pages long and focuses on artists making things happen across Ireland. Issue two has interviews with up and coming acts like Cork acts the Careers (still in Leaving Cert), Ellll and Carried By Waves, as well as Meltybrains, and Croupier. There are features on the Cork band Fred, who called it a day after 15 years of making music. Frontman Joe O’Leary discusses the lifetime of the band over 10 extensive pages. There are also articles on the Limerick music scene past and present; women in music and whether there is an adequate framework in place encouraging and welcoming women; and we talk to some of the film productions companies in Cork, like Feel Good Lost, who are making big names for themselves. We also have the first, exclusive interview with new act Talos.
With exclusive photography by Bríd O’Donovan and artwork by Paul ‘Sunless’ O’Reilly, the zine stands out from few other offerings in Ireland. Limited to 300 copies, We Play Here issue 2 is only available as a physical magazine (not online) and can be preordered now at Big Cartel and costs €7 (including postage and packaging). It will also be available in a number of record stores around the country for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 19. You can find out more about We Play Here issue 2 at The Point of Everything music blog, while there is more about the content of the zine below. I’ve also attacked some images that feature in the zine, shot by Bríd O’Donovan.
– Fred retrospective: Fred were one of the most beloved bands in Cork, calling it a day in December after 15 years of playing together. Singer Joe O’Leary talks us through the history of the band, from their days as Fred the Purple-Haired Ninja and battle of the bands winners to selling out the Pavilion and crowdsurfing into the future.
– Film studios: Emmet O’Brien looks into the collaborative nature of the film production scene in Cork, from the all-encompassing outlook of Feel Good Lost to Super Ego/Egomotion, El Diablo, Epic Productions and Limbo (responsible for Former Monarchs’ latest video ‘Origins’)
– Spotlight on Limerick: Bríd O’Donovan talks to Shane Serrano, a photographer and musician, about the Limerick music scene past and present.
– On creative entrepreneurship: The multidisciplinary arts group Quarter hold a discussion on creating an alternative economy and whether it’s a realistic goal. Speakers include: Pat Kiernan (Corcadorca), Rhona Flynn (Cork Community PrintShop), Emer Ní Chíobháin (Sample Studios), Colm O’Herlihy (MDR) and Dave Calnan (The Kino).
– Women in music: Eimear O’Donovan ponders the visibility of women in rock music in Ireland. Featuring interviews with Vicky Langan and Estelle Murphy among others, it seeks to explore whether there is an adequate framework in place encouraging and welcoming women to participate in rock spheres.
– Music interviews: Meltybrains?, Carried By Waves, Ellll, The Careers, and Croupier.
– Quad retrospective: Just how important was the Cork venue? Eimear O’Donovan talks to Darragh McGrath, one of its bookers, about its legacy.
– Record store spotlight: Elastic Witch.
– There is also artwork from Paul ‘Sunless’ O’Reilly, who made the cover of We Play Here 2, and a piece of work by Ickis Mirolo. Both of which will only be available in the physical zine.