WWE legend Kurt Angle might have recently done a spoken-word show at Cyprus Avenue, but the Olympic Hero hasn’t been the only talent getting ready to rumble at the venue: four of Cork music’s upcoming young acts face off in tag-team action on Friday May 20th. Mike McGrath-Bryan rings the opening bell on the Red vs. Blue showcase. 

After the end of prog-R&B outfit Shookrah, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Emmet O’Riabhaigh had an itch to scratch. With new solo project Mamety, he brings years of divergent influences together with social commentary and his trademark humour. Mike McGrath-Bryan gets a chat in after the release of debut album ‘Gudge’.

With his first solo album in years having come in for critical acclaim, Leeside post-punk legend Cathal Coughlan moved straight to the next challenge - Telefís, a collaborative project with producer Jackknife Lee, that looks at society of the last 60 or so years through its cultural signifiers. Mike McGrath-Bryan investigates.

It’s a strange time for any band to be putting on gigs at present - so a Sunday evening showcase at Cyprus Avenue for two of the city’s upcoming young bands presents challenges and upsides. Mike McGrath-Bryan talks to members of The Flavours and Mossy ahead of this weekend’s gig.

Hard times continued in the second year of the Covid-19 crisis - but the songwriters, bands, and producers of Cork has shown us their resilience and perseverance, making things work and realising the vision in the toughest of times. Here we pick seven records to get into.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but 2021 has been an incredibly difficult year for music, as much so in Cork as anywhere else. But despite it all, the scene has kept going, with artists and facilitators rising mightily to the challenges of the Covid crisis. Here are 10 reasons to be cheerful.

While the Covid crisis has continued to change the face of music in numerous ways, this parish has sought to reach out to artists of all genres and keep telling their stories through the tough times. Here are a few select quotes from interviews that appeared in Downtown in 2021.

Cork indie band were due to play Live at St Luke's in December, but it's been rescheduled to March 4 after new restrictions on live events. Joe Philpott of Rubyhorse talks about the current circumstances, and their upcoming LP.

For Dali’s Hope Alo, the Covid-19 crisis represented a time of deep personal and professional change - from the closure of her and partner Stephen Byrne’s city-centre nightclub, to dealing with a stroke. On the eve of their ‘Stay Home’ weekender in a mystery West Cork location, she talks about recovery - and a new beginning in the post-pandemic picture.

Here we highlight free outdoor performances as part of the Cork CoCo Pops underway across the county of Cork throughout August  

The Great Beyond, in Ballinacurra House, in Kinsale, is a welcome first return to live performance in 18 months for its musicians and comedians. Read Ronan Leonard's report in Downtown

Formed out of friendship and a shared love of a disparate variety of metal bands and subgenres, Hashmaker’s very beginnings were cut off by the pandemic - but their debut EP stands as a testament to their love for their craft - and a nod to B-movie disaster flicks. Mike McGrath-Bryan speaks with guitarist Jim Spillane.

With new EP 'Loud Demure', Sarah-Beth O'Mullane flips the switch from alternative pop to piano-driven ruminations and flights of fantasy. The Cork singer-songwriter speaks with Mike McGrath-Bryan about how it's come together, and collaborating over the course of the Covid crisis.

As the city slowly re-emerges from the depths of the Covid-19 crisis, the city’s venues are beginning to make plans for the post-pandemic picture. Cyprus Avenue on Caroline Street is among the handful of Cork venues selling tickets for gigs this autumn - we speak with owner Ger Kiely and booker Eoin Aher about what lies ahead.

Cork singer-songwriter Jack O’Rourke on his latest work, ‘Opera on the Top Floor’, in conversation with Downtown

Heaven is a place on earth for Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson as they emerge from lockdown with some locked grooves. The pair enjoy a staff outing to discuss their new album with Don O’Mahony

Written at the outset of the first lockdown, East Cork singer-songwriter Julia-Maria’s new single Morning Light points to the change of pace that many of us experienced over the Covid crisis’ quieter moments. Mike McGrath-Bryan finds out more.

Ian “Mini” O’Callaghan has put in the hard yards over the years, as part of numerous Leeside hardcore and metal outfits. Now, under the Auld Blue Eyes moniker, he’s exploring a mix of sonic territory, old and new. Mike McGrath-Bryan joins him right after he emerges from the woods while on a Downtown-exclusive photoshoot.

After spending lockdown writing and recording, Cork psych/punk trio The Love Buzz are ready to resume their pre-pandemic momentum. Downtown caught up with members of the band on a Saturday afternoon - right as they were being played on US indie radio institution KEXP...

Downtown catches up with Rebecca Houlihan about her new single ‘Voices’, life performing on the road in Australia, and adapting to lockdown

Prior to Covid-19, pop singer-songwriter Emmet Crotty was going between Cork and Berlin to make a go of matters. Just off a BBC appearance and the release of his new single under the Emmo moniker, he talks to Downtown about how it’s all come together.

From crowd-funding his new album, to keeping his long-running residency at DeBarra’s of Clonakilty alive via the magic of live streaming, it’s been a hectic lockdown for Cork’s songwriter, John Spillane. Downtown gets a chat in via Zoom, while the singer sorts another round of records and CDs for the post-office in his native Passage West.

Having come through life on a major label and experienced its ups and downs, Stephanie Rainey is striking out on her own in 2021. Mike McGrath-Bryan talks with the Glanmire singer-songwriter about the next steps, and upcoming single ‘Ross and Rachel’.

From launching her EP in lockdown and playing the Cork Opera House, to signing with FIFA Records and readying a tune about the changing times in Irish radio, it’s been a busy lockdown for singer-songwriter Lorraine Nash. Downtown finds out more.

While Patrick Hatchett has spent a lifetime in music, gigging in various genres in London, it took a move to West Cork, and the world heading into lockdown, for him to consider his experiences and distill it into his debut solo album. Mike McGrath-Bryan talks to Hatchett about Kʒːlu (pronounced ‘curlew’).

While the second album of Shane O’Leary’s lockdown project Harlow Lake veers toward more familiar territory for fans of his other outfits, Jezery and Lamp, it draws on a mix of lingering musical ideas and observations from within the stasis of the current moment. Downtown catches up on the latest.

Between a quietly-gathering body of solo work taking further shape, and new tracks from Cork sound/performance outfit Magdalena, lockdown has been a busy time for former Elastic Sleep vocalist Muireann Levis, including a move to Glasgow. She chats to Downtown about writing and improvising, collaborating, and getting on with things amid the circumstances.

While her ‘Shifting Gears’ EP addressed distance and relationships in a world before the pandemic, Míde Houlihan’s ‘Without Me’ has taken on even more resonance in its wake. The Clonakilty singer-songwriter talks to Downtown about writing the song, and the parallels between lockdown and the circumstances that inspired it.

With live music coming to a sudden stop with the onset of the pandemic, Cork-based rock trio The Last Vinci have taken to crowdfunding site GoFundMe to rally support and raise funds for their second album. Mike McGrath-Bryan takes to Zoom to speak with guitarist and singer Alex Vinci about the endeavour and the post-Covid shape of Leeside music.

Having released ‘the fourth in a trilogy’ of singles that have been years in the making, Cork post-punk veterans Ricky Dineen and Liam Heffernan of Big Boy Foolish have been spending their lockdown bringing a legacy of wilfully strange sounds into the present. Downtown finds out more.

It’s been an odd Covid time for Mayfield post-punks Pretty Happy, being apart for much of it, playing one of the last gigs to happen at the Kino inbetween lockdowns, and working together in other media outside of the band. Mike McGrath-Bryan catches up with the three-piece via Zoom, right before they release new single ‘Salami’.

Ronan Leonard catches up with drummer Niall Dennehy and discusses a new single which looks at how mental health is often overlooked

Comprised of Bantum producer Ruairí Lynch and Ealadha guitarist/vocalist Dom Murphy, The Gauze brings its members’ sonic worlds together into dark, textured electronica. Mike McGrath-Bryan talks with the duo just after the release of second single Uphold.

Comprised of Bantum producer Ruairí Lynch and Ealadha guitarist/vocalist Dom Murphy, The Gauze brings its members’ sonic worlds together into dark, textured electronica. Mike McGrath-Bryan talks with the duo just after the release of second single Uphold.

Ronan Leonard catches up with Cork based DJ and producer Ian Ring, whose latest EP project, in the guise of Boku, is an exploration of his own personal tastes and roots, unlike many of his other collaborative titles

Having worked through two lockdowns and come out on the other side with a new single and video, Cork post-hardcore four-piece Red Sun Alert are approaching 2021 with optimism. Mike McGrath-Bryan talks to frontwoman Julia Pawlak.

More good news for Emperor of Ice Cream fans this weekend as the Cork indie outfit have released a new video in conjunction with the fourth single from their album.

In the final part of our five-part series, our correspondents, Eddie Kiely (FIFA Records) and Eddie Butt (bass player with Emperor of Ice Cream), profile Laurie Shaw.   

In the final part of our five-part series, our correspondents, Eddie Kiely (FIFA Records) and Eddie Butt (bass player with Emperor of Ice Cream), profile Laurie Shaw.   

In the final part of our five-part Cork And The Riff series, our correspondents, Eddie Kiely (FIFA Records) and Eddie Butt (bass player with Emperor of Ice Cream), profile Fred.

Over the decades, Cork has consistently produced not just great acts, but acts that had in their possession a swagger, an edge, and an ability to write and create great music. Here we profile Boa Morte.

Over the decades Cork has continually had a plethora of bands, labels, venues and promoters. There were even times the Cork music scene seemed ready to explode. The rebel county has consistently produced not just great acts but acts that had in their possession, a swagger, an edge and an ability to write and create music that would lead you to believe there’s some special ingredient in the water of the people’s republic. Echo 'Downtown' correspondents Eddie Kiely (FIFA Records) and Eddie Butt (bass player with Emperor of Ice Cream) take a closer look at some of the Leeside acts, both past and present, that have helped to illuminate the Cork music scene. Here we focus on Hope Is Noise. 

Over the decades Cork has consistently produced acts that have a swagger, an edge, and an ability to write and create great music. The Echo 'Downtown' correspondents Eddie Kiely (FIFA Records) and Eddie Butt (Emperor of Ice Cream) profile Cypress Mine!

Over the decades Cork has consistently produced acts that have a swagger, an edge, and an ability to write and create great music. The Echo 'Downtown' correspondents Eddie Kiely (FIFA Records) and Eddie Butt (bass player with Emperor of Ice Cream) profile The Shanks.

Over the decades Cork has consistently produced acts that have a swagger, an edge, and an ability to write and create great music. The Echo 'Downtown' correspondents Eddie Kiely (FIFA Records) and Eddie Butt (bass player with Emperor of Ice Cream) profile Altered Hours.

Cork band Emperor of Ice Cream are back up and running, 25 years after their breakup, to finally put out their debut album, in one of the musical stories of Cork’s period of lockdown. 

After over 25 years since their breakup, and the unceremonious shelving by major-label bosses of their debut long-player, Cork indie outfit Emperor of Ice Cream are saddling up for a return.