SLAY TO THE RHYTHM Irish music is moving beyond tradition. We profile the artists embodying new sounds and voices, who are tipped to take their place on the global stage. WORDS NIALL BYRNE PHOTOGRAPHS TRISTAN HUTCHINSON
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omentum has been building around Irish music in recent years. There’s a fresh energy in the air, a new outlook. New generations of Irish musicians are changing the reputation of Ireland globally as a place of tradition. Success stories such as Hozier, Lisa Hannigan, Gavin James, James Vincent McMorrow, Girl Band, Picture This, Rejjie Snow, Imelda May and Hare Squead are not only altering perceptions of Irish music abroad but they are also influencing the artists that follow them at home. With the changing of the guard comes a new confidence, new voices and new
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sounds. Physical borders aren’t an issue when the world is at your fingertips. A more diverse population leads to an array of voices, with different perspectives, from Togo to Clare, from Louth to Sierra Leone. Size is a strength. “Ireland is small enough for us to feel connected yet imaginative enough to house this simmering pool of unbounded creativity,” is how Sallay Matu Garnett puts it. As Loah, Garnett is one of our pick of Irish artists who will be next to make an imprint on the world stage, if they’ve not already made their first steps there.