After years of honing their layered, proggy neo-soul craft, Leeside outfit Shookrah have finally released the debut single from their upcoming debut album.
‘Don’t Wanna Doubt You’ acts a groovy instructional guide to the art of wooing, responding to topical issues of seduction and consent, by imploring the listener to “respectfully woo me”. Vocalist Senita takes a prospective love interest steadily through the appropriate levels of enticement and self-restraint warranted to spark romance.
Capitalising on a fast-growing rep, the group appeared at an array of festivals and accompanied Billy Ocean and Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman on their Irish tours before knuckling down to write an album’s worth of new material over the winter.
Recorded and produced by Brendan Fennessy (O Emperor), the single will accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek music video directed by Jeff Doyle and Shaun Ryan of Crooked Gentlemen.
‘Don’t Wanna Doubt You’ will be available to download and stream from May 28th on all music platforms. The band plays Africa Day in Dublin on May 27th, and K-Fest in Killorglin, Co. Kerry on June 3rd, before heading for Body & Soul.
The Cork band Shookrah take their sweet music influences from soul, jazz, R&B and electronic music.
Recent single ‘Gerascophia’ mixed those sounds with power (watch below) and the six-piece live band’s follow up single ‘On Our Way’ is a platonic love song in a similar sonic vein.
‘Our Own Way is a song in acknowledgement of the growths that take place in most families. This is the part where we all grow up and at least one or many of the family move away or go on to pursue life conquests that far exceed the fond, contained experiences of the unit as was. So this song encapsulates this shift of situation but maintenance of the love within a family or group of people that take on that role for you.”
– Senita Appiakorang, lead singer.
Their new EP Clichés is out soon, this song drops on out April 28th.
APR 19 WED, Future Proof @ Bello Bar, Dublin APR 30 SUN, The Green Room, Cork Opera House, Cork MAY 11 THU, Cork Opera House, supporting Billy Ocean MAY 12 FRI, Vicar Street, supporting Billy Ocean, Dublin MAY 13 SAT, Belfast Waterfront, supporting Billy Ocean, Belfast, United Kingdom MAY 20 SAT, Dolans, supporting Booka Brass Band, Limerick JUN 24 SAT, Woodlands Stage, Body & Soul Festival, Dublin JUL 21 FRI, Townlands Festival, Macroom
Homebeat & Nialler9 in association with O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer proudly present Future Proof – a new series of events showcasing essential emerging and established acts who are weaving themselves into the present and future fabric of the Irish music scene.
After a very full Bello on a wet Wednesday night enjoyed Come On Live Long, Proper Micro NV and Buffalo Woman, we’re back in the in the warm cosy surroundings of Bello Bar on Wednesday April 19th. Future Proof #2 features three of the most vibrant acts performing on these shores at this moment.
The team behind the Coughlan’s Live venue has partnered with Cork Opera House for a new festival dedicated to Cork city’s music community.
Announced for the weekend of April 28th to the 30th, Right Here Right Now takes in a broad spectrum of local sounds, headlined by singer-songwriter Jack O’Rourke. Having gigged steadily around the country the last few years. he’ll be performing his debut album Dreamcatcher accompanied by Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra.
Says Eibhlín Gleeson of the Opera House:
“For a while now we’ve been looking into ways to really be able to celebrate the diverse, thriving music scene in Cork. The city is packed full of amazing talent, bursting with creativity, and we wanted to provide a space and a moment for the city to really take in what an incredible community of homegrown artists we have on our doorstep. We’re delighted to be working with Coughlans Live Promotions, who are doing an incredible job in helping to develop and support artists from the ground up.”
Shows take place throughout the Opera House’s spaces, taking in the main auditorium, the stage-side Right Room, and the newly-opened Green Room space, facing Half Moon Street.
Full ticket info is available here, with line-ups below.
FRIDAY APRIL 28TH:
The Right Room (Onstage) 7:30pm – Interference and Guests Tickets €20.00*
The Green Room 10:00pm – Green Room Ramble Tickets: Free Entry
Over three days and nights in Cork the Sounds From A Safe Harbour’s programme took hold in the venues of the city that saw the likes of Lisa Hannigan, Wild Beasts, The National’s Bryce and Aaron Dessner, Richard Reed Parry, Crash Ensemble and many more contemporary artists play shows in a new festival put together by Mary Hickson of the Cork Opera House and curated by Bryce Dessner.
It was a superb first year, with bonded warehouse food, cocktail bars, gigs and talks; exhibitions and screenings and an attendance that further suggested Cork was more than ready for this unique style of contemporary/classical yet alternative-leaning festival to dock in the city.
As part of the whole experience, I curated a free music trail around 5 pubs/venues in the city including Crane Lane, Bodega, The Oval, Poor Relation and BDSM which featured shows from My Brightest Diamond, I Am The Cosmos, Rusangano Family, Bantum, Shookrah, This Is The Kit, I Have A Tribe, Katharine Phillippa, Somerville, Quiet River Of Dust, Slow Skies, Loah, Conor Walsh, Deady, Adultrock, Talos and more.
If you missed out, here’s flavour of the weekend through the lens of Bríd O’Donovan. Here’s to the hope of the return of the festival next year. Thanks Mary, Bryce and Cork for having me too.
Sounds from a Safe Harbour is a new festival taking place around the city of Cork from September 17th to 20th. put together by Cork Opera House with a lineup curated by Bryce Dessner of The National.
Already set to feature the likes of The Gloaming, Julianna Barwick, My Brightest Diamond, Sam Amidon, a collaboration between Lisa Hannigan and Aaron Dessner, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Amiina and lots more as previously announced, today the festival have added Wild Beasts to their lineup. The band will headline Cork Opera House on Sunday, September 20th.
Sounds from a Safe Harbour music trail
On a personal note, I’m pleased to share the news that Nialler9 is curating a music trail around the city that weekend which will take place in various venues and pubs owned by Benny McCabe including the Rising Sons brewery, Bodega and more.
The confirmed lineup for the free music trail which will take place in the afternoons, evenings and late-night during the festival includes Slow Skies, I Am The Cosmos, Rusangano Family, Somerville, Bantum, Talos, Shookrah, Conor Walsh and Vinyl Love with more to be confirmed. Artists from the existing lineup will also be playing these music trail shows.
Other confirmations
Soundings from a Safe Harbour – Lisa Hannigan and Dylan Haskins’ podcast turned live show will welcome Bryce, Aaron and Jessica Dessner in the unique setting of a Bonded Warehouse down on the Port of Cork. The show happens in three sections – the first is stories to inspire, then stories to alarm, and finally stories to humour. Each section is bridged by a song on those themes.
Cork salad king Rocketman will host a food area at the Bonded Warehouse which will include Cork food, food trails and special dining experiences.
The Glucksman will present a week long exhibition of the mesmerising seascapes of renowned Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. The exhibition will take place in one of the interior chambers of the historic observatory on the UCC Campus, evoking the connection between tide and moon, sea and stars.
A screening of Matthew Ritchie’s ‘Monstrance’, which is scored by Bryce Dessner and features Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond).
‘Sail to Sirius’ – Saturday 19 September. A vessel will leave Port of Cork with 40 souls, bound for Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh. On board, the seafarers will be treated to a live performance by Landless before alighting at Sirius for lunch on the venue’s veranda, overlooking Cork Harbour. This will be followed with a double billed performance by Rainwear and Sirius Arts Centre’s artist in residence Nad Spiro.
Cork’s own Alex Petcu-Colan will present a percussion programme in CIT School of Music’s Curtis Auditorium with a programme entitled WoodMetalWater with the Bangers and Crash Percussion group.
Craig Carry of Fractured Air is teaming up with Filter Cafe for an exhibition of work created in response to the festival programme.
Cork Concert Orchestra and the Lords of Strut will also play over the weekend.
The Cork soulful pop eight-piece band Shookrah kick off a short series of live videos with a rendition of ‘I’ve Had A Nice Time, Thanks’ as performed at Mother Jones Flea Market in Cork.
If you’re in Cork this weekend or looking for something to do nearby, then Quarter Block Party is the one you want. Three days of music, theatre and art as presented by Makeshift Ensemble and Southern Hospitality Board is promised from Friday to Sunday this weekend in venues like Triskel Arts Centre, Cork Vision Centre, BDSM and more.
There’ll be music from O Emperor, Shookrah, Adultrock, Women’s Christmas, Brigid Power Ryce, Cian Nugent, Tandem Felix, Hags, Partisan Crowds, Elastic Sleep, Ben Bix, Roslyn Steer and Chris Power.
There’s free events, Banter discussions with Jim Carroll, Young Hearts Run Free, Stevie G presents Vinyl Love 777 and some theatre shows with names like Britney Spears Custody Battle and African Baby & Dirty Donkey.
Shookrah are a Cork-based soul/pop eight-person band who count Senita (as heard on Daithí’s tracks and Stevie G’s Deep Down South Soundsystem) in their ranks. For their debut single ‘W O M A N’, a declaration of feminine fun, the band (who also include Imelda Cormica, Lasserina Rath, Áine Delaney, Diarmait MacCarthaigh, Daniel Coughlan, Edan Ray and Emmet O’ Riabhaigh) have an equally enjoyable music video featuring Cork Miss Pride Britney Thomas Carter in a video by O’ Riabhaigh and Patrick Sheahan.
The single is on Bandcamp now and it will feature on a new EP called Implicit Content out October 13th. The artwork by John Flynn is below.
