Ceol Anocht - The Podcast - with Martin Bridgeman

What started as a chat and some tunes with Dara and Emmet turned in to a lovely afternoon of music and a longer and more interesting chat about the making of the album, busking nd friendship and the importance of 'scene' to support music.

I had the great pleasure of chatting with Carlow native Mary Ann Hickey, aka MaryAnn on the show, live in studio. It was a quick hour, but we covered a lot, chatting about the making on her EP, her time as student in the University of Limerick, and her process of songwriting. We almost missed out on mentioning out where people can engage with this multi-talented artist. you can make contact here:https://linktr.ee/maryannhickeyHer own bio sums her up perfectly:MARYANN is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter from Carlow, Ireland. An artist who uses her voice to express her love of storytelling, she has spent time performing in both Ireland and Lanzarote; blending powerful vocals with thoughtful lyricism. Blending the bold story-telling of her musical theatre background with pop and folk influences like Maisie Peters and Nina Nesbitt, her writing is like a compilation of musical diary entries, from someone who is hyper aware of her own coming-of-age. She is set to release her debut EP in September 2024.

I've known Brian Palm as a musician of note, steeped the blues with the Mary Stokes Band, but his original reason to come to Ireland was for a degree in Visual Art. He has told the stories of what he saw around him and has spent many years bringing these images to life in a variety of styles.We sat down to talk about his visual art, his history of the city he's called home for decades and the stories he's told in his work.As you might imagine, we (well, mostly me) rambled about his own story and I got to see the other side of the artist, who has used his striking images to reflect his view of his adopted city. He has a new exhibition too!VERNACULAR, an exhibition of new work by Brian Palm, opens in the Duke Street Gallery, Dublin, on September 20th. It will be Palm’s sixth solo exhibition in the gallery since 2014. This exhibition is composed of mixed media works created in Brian Palm’s distinctive collage and paint technique. Using photos the artist made in Dublin as a young art student, insignificant moments in the life of a city on the verge of massive disruption and change are depicted with affection, humour and empathy. The City's inhabitants continue with their lives amidst the upheaval around them; they play, they work, they continue doing mundane chores. Brian Palm’s original black and white photographs have attained an archival significance simply by the passage of time. These photos have provided the artist with a depth of visual information to use throughout his career. Many of the images of people and places Palm photographed in his wanderings have become a form of highly personal vocabulary for him as an artist. He has created a body of uniquely original photos which have become a vernacular archive in itself.Several characters populate the artist’s work repeatedly in this exhibition, moving through the work like a cast of actors on a stage. A girl running with crisps appears then reappears, in a different location, at a different time of day, or in a different season. She remains frozen in time, but the World around her continues to evolve as time inevitably moves forward. Clutching her precious cargo, she hurriedly runs past derelict houses or along deserted streets, trying to escape a sudden shower, or perhaps a coming storm. Elsewhere, a solitary old man walks the streets in silence, he is in the far distance then suddenly he is closer, always lost in thought. He is oblivious to those he shares the streets with, he is a prisoner of his own persistent memories.A variety of children play in the streets, addressing the viewer directly and with trust; joy is clearly visible on their faces as they are photographed. Women pause in their work to be photographed, amused by the unusual relief punctuating their routine.These are bittersweet memories from a bygone era, richly coloured with oil paint and varnish to create evocative, atmospheric pictures. They evoke the smells, feeling and sounds of the streets in Dublin many years ago on a Summer evening or as Autumn closes in.The repetition of certain architectural motifs echoes the repetitive use of significant figures. It reiterates the message, and refers to the repetitive nature of the building process itself. The same non-descript spot is intentionally depicted repeatedly, at different times of day, or with different characters doing different things. This work is about the inhabitants of the quiet, innocuous places hidden away from the mainstream, where people took shortcuts and kids played outdoors until late in the evening.

It's been a while since John and I spoke about his music. In our many chats, I have come to regard him as someone who cares deeply about all aspects of his music: taking time, listening, working along with some fine musicians, learning and letting the music show this. We could have done another hour and we may just do that on another occasion. In the meantime, please buy this fantastic album "Dreaming", available from Rollercoaster Records!

I last spoke to Muireann via Zoom in 2021 and we met briefly, face to face, after her triumphant performance at the 2022 Kilkenny Arts Festival when she and the Irish Chamber Orchestra brought "Róisín ReImagined" to life in the wonderful St. Canice's Cathedral.We tried to make another Zoom call work, but the fates intervened and we ended up chatting on a WhatsApp call. While the line quality is not as good as I would have liked and there are some moments of talking over each other, we ended up chatting in and around her upcoming performance at Ionad Dar, in Goresbridge, and I really enjoyed catching up.

I was joined by Mick Foley and David Tuohy who are part of the hard working Kilkenny Pipers Club, which was set up to further the art and craft if Uileann Piping. We spoke about the great work that the club has done and the challenges they face and, as you 'll hear, their passion and commitment to piping. They spoke about some upcoming events, including their fundraiser, which features piper (and TG4 Gradam Ceol winner), Mick O'Brien, his daughter Ciara Ní Bhriain and Ciarán Ó'Gealbháinhttps://cleeres.com/events-guide/an-evening-of-traditional-irish-music-song-with-mick-o-brien-ciara-ni-bhriain-and-ciaran-o-gealbhain/

I caught up with Niamh on her album launch tour in June, 2024. She played a lovely (and an all too brief) gig in Rollercoaster Records. We chatted for a few minutes after, about the work involved in the production of "Come As You Are".

I caught up with Oram Grace, AKA Organic Produce who has produced his third album "Rush", due for release on August 3rd. Born and raised in Kilkenny, Organic Produce is a young up and coming producer/DJ. He first learned how to make beats when he was only 14 years old and within a few months he had released his first album "Hazy Instrumentals" in 2022, consisting of soulful sample based hip-hop. In early 2023 he released two more albums in the same genre expanding his skillset and only getting better, and in the same time releasing his first project exploring house music genres. With three official house music releases and a few remixes under his belt he is confidently making his way into the dance/rave scene. We chatted about his coming to this style of music, and what started out as a brief chat about the upcoming album, soon moved into (me mostly) asking questions about his own form of music and the similarities to other forms of music, his preparation and approach to producing. I learned a lot, and I would highly recommend this artist. The album will be on all the usual platforms and you'll be able to see Organic Produce on stage in Cleere's as part of the "You Bloom - The Future Sound Of Kilkenny", a series of gigs organised through the Arts Office Of Kilkenny County Council, on September 1st, 2024.