Soaking It All Up

She may be only 16, but chances are you’ll have heard of Bridie Monds-Watson before long...

Colin Carberry, 11 Sep 2012

Bridie Monds-Watson isn’t a name you’d ever imagine encountering outside the pages of a novel by Dodie Smith or Somerville & Ross. This year, however, by sheer force of recommendation, it’s one that’s not only become familiar – it’s started to sound commonplace.

The Derry-born songwriter prefers to be known as Soak, and since the release of her second EP Sea Creatures, the hum of excitement initially generated by her debut four-track Trains has developed into a roar.

We talk of talent being ‘nurtured’, as if it’s something sea-shell fragile that needs to be kept in a pillowed box and placed on a shelf. And in some cases, indeed many, that’s the correct approach. Especially when, as it is here, you’re talking about a 16-year-old.

But Soak really isn’t going to help the ‘softly softly’ approach if she continues to produce music of such startling quality.

Lots of the recent singer-songwriter brood seem round-shouldered and aspire no higher than a slot on a mobile phone commercial. But with Soak – while the noise is subtle, and the mood low-key – all the evidence points to the presence of a confident and brave aesthetic. ‘Numb’ exhibits a mastery of mood not unlike a certain Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power), while ‘Sea Creatures’ manages to float like a Janie Ian tune, while all the time bearing a mournful and expertly delivered lyrical weight.

Caution is the watchword – for everyone’s sake. But Soak has laid some incredible foundations, and with clear heads in the background, we could be looking at something very special.

Another performer garnering attention of late is Katharine Philippa. And like Soak, her latest EP Fallen, is only going to spread the word further.

Again, any initial ‘wounded-wing’ scepticism is shooed off on a first listen. Like Soak too, these are quiet and measured songs, and as is the case with her near contemporary, Philippa seems in full command of the material.

For far too long, the Northern music scene gave every impression of being a boys’ club. Add these two to a list that now includes the likes of Silhouette and Allie Bradley, and you’ll see that’s clearly no longer the case.

Page 1/2     <Previous 1 2 Next> 

Colin Carberry

With his Le Carousel project, Belfast dance maverick Phil Kieran raises the bar yet again...

2013-03-11 - Interview

Noise rockers Axis Of have written a rollicking concept album about time, place and our relationship with both.

2013-02-28 - Interview

With newcomers such as Soak leading the charge, 2013 is shaping up to be a big year for the Northern music scene

2013-01-24 - Interview

One of their first gigs was supporting the much-missed Oppenheimer. Now The Wonder Villains are taking up that band’s synth-pop mantle. words Colin Carberry

2012-10-23 - Interview

As frontman of Littleboy, Neal Hughes is at last growing into his husky vocals. He talks about life, his struggles and the true meaning of art

2012-10-05 - Interview

Talk about taking your music to the people. Northerners Axis Of have announced they are to play a gig in every county in Ireland. Even the ones nobody has ever been to.

2012-10-02 - Interview

They spent a year in a ‘bunker’ before playing their first gigs. But all the preparation proved worthwhile as Before Machine’s eclectic gigs have demonstrated.

2012-09-04 - Interview

She scored a job at a time of record youth unemployment. So what persuaded Allie Bradley to give it all up for a life of rock and roll?

2012-08-23 - Interview

Who better to give you a guided tour of Tom McShane‘s new album The Ural Winter than the musician himself. He takes us through the album track by track.

2012-07-05 - Interview

The great and the good of the Northern music scene were out for a very special movie premiere, in a very special setting.

2012-06-21 - Reports

Elspeth’s Gerard Sands explains how you get noticed in the ultra competitive world of indie rock.

2012-06-07 - Interview

They’re as understated as the name suggests. Still, there’s nothing yawn inducing about Rainy Boy Sleep.

2012-05-29 - Interview

He used to play with wigged-out noiseniks And So I Watch You From Afar. Now Tony Wright has a new project, the sublime VerseChorusVerse.

2012-05-24 - Interview

The only rules when it comes to Deadman’s Ghost is that there are no rules.

2012-04-12 - Interview

The producer of choice for a growing number of Northern Irish acts, Peter McVeigh is also one of the finest songwriters operating anywhere on this island.

2012-03-21 - Interview

The Jane Bradfords’ Deci Gallen on the inspiration behind his remarkable new album.

2012-03-01 - Interview

Having survived a brush with major labeldom, whisky-gargling Derryman Chris McConaghy is now making wonderfully weather-beaten music as Our Krypton Son.

2012-02-16 - Interview

After years of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Stevie Scullion, AKA Malojian, is about to take his rightful place at Northern Irish rock’s top table.

2012-02-02 - Interview

The Northern Ireland music scene has never been in ruder health. As another year stretches ahead, your humble correspondent makes his predictions as to who is going to make it to the top in 2012.

2012-01-19 - Interview

After several frustrated attempts, Hit the North finally sits down for a chat with the excellent General Fiasco.

2011-12-08 - Interview

Good and bad tidings this forthnight. On the positive side, General Fiasco have stopped pandering to the playlisters and released a scrumptious new single. Less positively, the wonderful Cat Malojian are no more. Pass the Kleenex.

2011-11-24 - Interview

One of the architects of Belfast’s legendary ‘70s punk scene, Brian Young is now giving it maximum sockage with rockabilly outfit The Sabrejets.

2011-11-11 - Interview

You don’t need me to introduce you to Carrie Davenport. If you’ve picked up this mag at any point over the last few years, or logged on to any number of local band blogs or music sites – the chances are that it’s one of Carrie’s photos that’s snagged your attention.

2011-10-28 - Interview

We’ve dug out the party hats and streamers round this manor to celebrate the tenth birthday of Smalltown America Records. Their durability offers an inspirational example for anyone interested in plotting a musical career away from the corporate mothership.

2011-10-14 - Interview

Rapidly emerging as one of the most inventive and intriguing artists in the land, genre-hopper David Lyttle discusses jazz, hip-hop and his new soul direction.

2011-10-03 - Interview

Our friend in the North gets an unexpected treat while waiting for the number 10 bus.

2011-09-14 - Interview

In a break from normal transmissions LaFaro lead us on a highly unconventional guided tour of their new album.

2011-08-30 - Interview

If you think you know Belfast, tour-guide-with-a-difference Arthur Magee has a newsflash. There’s more to the city than the Titanic, bombs and bigotry, he explains.

2011-08-25 - Interview

Belfast-based musician Katie Richardson tells Colin Carberry about treading the boards, finding her sound and releasing the EP The Places We Go; The Darkest Depths.

2011-06-23 - Interview

Northern Irish acts are overcoming the tough economic times to produce some killer music.

2011-06-09 - Interview

They’ve been on the go for several years now, but as they start to plan that much-anticipated debut album, A Plastic Rose ponder what it would be like to hit the big time.

2011-06-01 - Interview

Songwriter Robyn G. Shiels on double fractures, thieving fans and his adventures in soundtracking.

2011-05-11 - Interview

Lisburn trio Mojo Fury present an exclusive guide to their spanking debut album. Pull up a chair and read on...

2011-04-27 - Interview

Northern rockers ASIWYFA are likely to win plenty of new fans courtesy of their excellent second album.

2011-04-14 - Interview

Great things were expected of his last band but events conspired to derail the enterprise. Now Paul McIver is back and better than ever with new project Morning Claws. He talks about rebirth, renewal and his hopes for the future.

2011-03-31 - Interview

Whatever they’re putting in the water up there it’s working – the north has become a wellspring of innovative electronica.

2011-03-16 - Interview

With nods towards The Small Faces, Syd Barrett and early seventies Macca, the debut album from Pat Dam Smyth lives up to the hype.

2011-02-17 - Interview

Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody is doing his bit for the north of the border music scene with his Third Bar project.

2011-02-03 - Interview

One of Ireland’s most eclectic labels, Smalltown America, celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2011. No small achievement given the dire state of the industry

2011-01-20 - Interview

Most us would rather forgot 2010 – and the quicker the better. For fresh-faced rockers MORE THAN CONQUERORS, however, it has been 12 months to remember

2010-12-09 - Interview

Named after the colours you see when you close your eyes, Eigengrau's music is a portal to another dimension

2010-11-29 - Interview

One of the north’s most iconic labels is back – and it couldn’t have picked a better release to kick start its return

2010-11-15 - Interview

One of the north’s top electro acts are hitting the road – and coming to a venue near you in the not too distant future

2010-11-02 - Interview

The Jane Bradfords could already be your favourite band – you just haven’t realised it yet.

2010-11-01 - Interview

They’ve been knocking around the Belfast scene for yonks. But ESCAPE ACT are only hitting their stride now.

2010-10-13 - Interview

They don't much like the internet but that hasn't stopped acoustic trio ALBRECHT'S PENCIL going down a storm in cyberspace – and further afield

2010-07-29 - Reports

From a soggy corner of Derry with a track record in producing great artists, say hello to newcomers Silhouette

2010-06-14 - Interview

The second Burning Codes album is imminent, and it’s been worth the wait!

2010-05-18 - Interview

The rock and roll side of post-Troubles Belfast is celebrated in a blistering new movie. But what's the ginger kid from Harry Potter doing in it?

2010-04-29 - Interview

In praise of Burning Codes, the northern band that really should be on your radar.

2010-04-15 - Interview

They’ve insired a Duke Special song, shared a stage with The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon and supported Snow Patrol. So how come Lowly Knights aren’t better known?

2010-04-01 - Interview

Classically-trained Ruby Colley talks about making the transition from the orchestra pit to the rock club.

2010-03-19 - Interview

J.D. Salinger nut Aaron Shanley ran away from home to join the rock ‘n’ roll circus, and is now reaping the rewards.

2010-03-04 - Interview

How the sickness and tragic death of a sibling helped Geoff Gatt find his voice as an artist

2010-02-10 - Interview

If anything unites the crop of new bands emerging in the North it’s their sheer, eye-popping diversity...

2010-01-27 - Interview

Say hello to Nakatomi Towers, one of the more singular duos to have emerged from the north in recent years

2009-10-01 - Interview

With 2009 entering its final months, it’s time to take stock of the quality of northern releases thus far. If this year’s batch of stand-out records have anything in common, it is their determination to break boundaries and confound expectations

2009-09-18 - Interview

He’s been the artist to watch for years in Belfast, with a critically acclaimed David Holmes collaboration one of his many achievements. Now Phil Kieran is finally getting around to releasing an album. He talks to Colin Carberry about the long journey from drawing board to completion.

2009-09-04 - Interview

Get ready for a whole new kind of weird as avant-gardists THE SUMMER EXPERIMENT prepare to hit the live circuit, touting a unique mix of folk, indie and classical.

2009-08-24 - Interview

We’ve been banging on for months about the utter fabulousness of CAT MALOJIAN - now, with the release of their latest album, the rest of the world is set to get a taste of their genius too.

2009-08-10 - Interview

Their music may incorporate snatches of jazz, folk and classical music. But whatever you do, make sure you don’t call Albrecht's Pencil a ‘fusion’ act.

2009-07-10 - Interview

For most bands, a gritty rehearsal room or their parents’ garage must suffice. But Belfast indie popsters Heliopause have opted for a rather more individualistic practice space – their drummer’s kitchen.

2009-06-25 - Interview

He’s one of the most modest figures on the Northern Ireland music scene. But with David Holmes and Duke Special among his cheerleaders, it’s clear that Robyn G. Shiels is a special talent indeed.

2009-06-09 - Interview

They’re the hottest thing to have come out of Belfast in years. Ahead of the release of their hugely anticipated long-play debut, guitar-abusing noiseniks and so I watched you from afar, give us a track-by-track lowdown on the album.

2009-04-24 - Interview

We all think we know what Belfast stands for, but beneath the headlines is a city with a very specific industrial sensibility – something constantly reflected in the bands it produces.

2009-03-31 - Reports

Snow Patrol are hometown heroes in Belfast, but they’re also giving something back to the local music scene.

2009-03-16 - Reports

Bounding between genres, Derry rocker Andrew Ferris would seem to suffer from the best sort of attention-deficit disorder. And he also has his own label.

2009-03-06 - Interview

One of Belfast’s best-loved indie clubs has undergone a radical reinvention – but is still going strong after more than ten years at the front line of alternative culture in the city.

2009-02-24 - Interview

Get ready for the first great Northern Irish record of 2009 – PANDA KOPANDA’s fantastic This Hope Will Kill Us. The band give us a blow-by-blow account.

2009-02-03 - Reports

In her new collection award-winning Northern poet Leontia Flynn invites the reader on a metaphorical journey by car, plane and modes of conveyance more obscure.

2008-12-11 - Interview

Ex-Desert Hearts drummer Chris Heaney has taken the front seat in his new buzz-saw noise-pop trio Escape Act. Parenthood, he says makes you work at double-speed.

2008-11-26 - Interview

There's another Belfast, an alternate dimension populated by C.S. Lewis, Van and your host and spirit guide, Duke Special, who's just released his latest album.

2008-11-10 - Interview

Mike Mormecha, frontman of Mojo Fury, is now making a stab at singer-songwriter glory with his debut solo EP as Clown Parlour, wherein he references his Eastern European roots.

2008-11-04 - Interview

There's life after a career as a frustrated singer-songwriter, as Sligo transplants A Plastic Rose are about to prove.

2008-10-21 - Interview

I Never Thought This Day Would Come is a confident, big-hearted and ebullient record, which sees Peter Wilson tell his truths from behind the mask of Duke Special.

2008-10-13 - REVIEW

There’s quite a supporting cast on Jenny Lewis’s second LP. Elvis Costello makes an appearance, Zooey Deschanel, Jonathan Rice and M Ward all pop by.

2008-09-19 - REVIEW

They were one of the great hopes of the early '90s Northern scene. Now The Minnows have patched up their differences and started making music together again.

2008-09-18 - Interview

“I’m from the country,” David Lyttle informs us. “Jazz is an urban music. I probably shouldn’t have anything to do with it.”

2008-09-08 - Interview

Seven years after his last solo LP, David Holmes lost his father. That trauma, and working on the Bobby Sands-era drama Hunger, seem to have brought a new humanity to his work.

2008-08-26 - Interview

They recently played the glass roof of Belfast's prime shopping centre. But there's more to The Lowly Knights than attention-grabbing antics.

2008-08-26 - Interview

A sweet but insubstantial, kitschy collection of wet acoustic ballads, from France’s first lady.

2008-08-05 - REVIEW

Emo hopefuls fail to see beyond their fringes

2008-07-14 - REVIEW

The big time looms for Ed Zealous, but they're not fazed by the prospect of playing one of the world's most prestigious rock festivals. In fact, they can't wait to crash the mainstream.

2008-07-11 - Interview

Cat Malojian may be one of the most promising acts to have emerged from the north in recent times, but why are they obsessed with food? It is, they say, a metaphor for loneliness. Wow.

2008-06-26 - Interview

Soul legend delivers old-school grooves

2008-06-13 - REVIEW

Young guns Kowalski are declaring war on generic guitar music, armed with horn sections, percussionists and a vocal choir.

2008-06-12 - Interview

Dazzling sophomore effort from New York singer-songwriter

2008-06-12 - REVIEW

Whether cribbing lines from prize-winning poets, or exploring the humdrum realities of small-town life, Three Tales always come up trumps.

2008-05-29 - Interview

Indie Tunesters deliver more of the same third time out.

2008-05-26 - REVIEW

Belfast boys General Fiasco may be one of the standout acts on the Oh Yeah showcase CD, but when HP catches up with the band, they're feeling a little, um, overexposed.

2008-05-17 - Interview

He's long been one of the North's most singular songwriting talents. Now ANDY WHITE is returning to Belfast to perform a show that sees him bringing together some of his earliest and most current compositions.

2008-05-02 - Interview

Overdue second album from the Trip-Hop chanteuse delivers the goods

2008-05-01 - REVIEW

Mixed Up Confusion

2008-04-23 - REVIEW

He's got a young family and a demanding day job, but that hasn't prevented Davy Matchett, supremo of Only Gone Records, from fighting the good fight on behalf of the Belfast music scene.

2008-04-17 - Interview

Opium is a credible, perfectly timed return from underrated singer-songwriter

2008-04-16 - REVIEW

hotpress.com

• News
• Music
• Free Music Friday
• Features
• Politics
• Movies
• Comedy
• Lifestyle & Sex
• Audio & Video
• Photo Galleries
• What's On
• Hot Press Books
• Shop
• Competitions
• Hot Press Covers Collection
• Messageboard
• Industry Listings
• Archive
• Caught In The Net
• Buy Hot Press Back Issues
• Activate Hot Press Gift/Hot Box

Blogs on hotpress.com

• Celina Murphy: The C Word
• Anne Sexton: Sexed Up
• Roe McDermott: Screen Lover
• Rob Smith: Footbal El Mundo

Additional Sites on hotpress.com

• The Music Show
• The Jagermeister Freezer Sessions
• Hot Press Rock Photo
• The Philip Lynott Exhibition
• The INEC Homegrown Sessions
• HTC One Hotpress Photojournalist
• Genre Free Compilation
• MIX 13: Music Industry Xplained
• Shoot To Thrill: Make a Hot Press Cinema Ad
• Other Voices
• Best of Ireland
• The Big Break
• Hot for 2013
• Josh Ritter
• Eoin Glackin
• Bitter Rocc

Contact Us

Hot Press,
13 Trinity Street,
Dublin 2.
Rep. Of Ireland
Tel: +353 (1) 241 1500

Email:info@hotpress.ie

Click here for more contact information.

Click here to find out more about Hot Press

Hot Press always welcomes feed back so if you've got something to tell us click here.

Advertise With Us

For more detail on how to advertise with Hot Press click here or call us on +353 (1) 241 1540