This week I had the honour of presenting a paper at the Irish Screen Studies Seminar, which was held at Ulster University, Belfast campus. My paper was titled 'The Pressure to 'Speak Now': Parasocial Relationships, Fan Activism and Celebrity Silence', and I had the opportunity to answer questions on a Q&A panel afterwards, discussing our approaches to screen studies research and the findings of our papers. I was also able to catch a range of excellent panels and papers whilst I was working across the two days of the conference. I'd love to include a quote by the late Martin McLoone, who was a pioneering figure in the study of film and media across Ireland. In his keynote address, Professor John Hill reminded us of McLoone's notion of 'a critical project', one that can have "it's own creative dynamic, pushing and suggesting, making connections and offering readings that ultimately adhere to no other agenda than the educational in the broadest sense" (Irish National Cinema: What Have We Wrought?). I thought it was a particularly apt quote that certainly summarises the importance and value of screen studies research.
Thank you to Dr Jennie Carlsten and Dr Giuliana Monteverde for organising the event and allowing me to participate in my first conference as a PhD researcher at Ulster University. I look forward to attending and presenting at many more!
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I was asked by the lovely folk at Dig With It to contribute to their Playlisted feature. It was a pleasure putting together a playlist of tracks that have soundtracked my life and inspired our new album Grandstand. Click here to read my musings about Stevie Nicks, Sufjan Stevens, Paramore, Sharon Van Etten, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more, and listen to the playlist below.
I had the pleasure of recently working on a package exploring the benefits of surf therapy for vulnerable young people, featuring the Wave Project Northern Ireland and Long Line Surf School. Produced for the Summer Social programme with David 'Rigsy' O'Reilly and Donna Legge on BBC Radio Ulster.
Issue 10 of Dig With It is here! 🖊️ 💖💥✨ It is such a privilege to contribute to this publication. A celebration of artistic expression, identity and counterculture that makes Northern Ireland so special in its own (dysfunctional?) way.
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| Photo by Carrie Davenport |
The opening line of her debut single ‘The Ghost of You’ sees Rachel Craig shedding her self-doubt, as she sings, “I’m not afraid anymore.” The haunting ballad sees the Portstewart native come to terms with the dissolution of a father-daughter relationship, seeking out strength instead of sadness. Although the track is haunted by the spectral presence of nostalgia (the single artwork contains a faded family photograph), there is something uplifting lying beneath the fragile vocal performance and layers of swirling electric guitar.
Rachel Craig is an upcoming singer-songwriter from Portstewart, and I had the pleasure of profiling her for the latest issue of Dig With It magazine, hitting stands in April. You can read the piece now on the Dig With It blog by heading here.
This week I had the pleasure of selecting three World Exclusives from the BBC Introducing Uploader for Gemma Bradley and the team at ATL Introducing! The tracks were courtesy of Tyrone rapper Yamiyo, Newry-born and Australia-based house music producer Ryan Rafferty, and blossoming popstar Roseena from Sligo.
You can listen back to the show now on BBC Sounds. Thanks to Gemma, Aine and Rory for having me!
From the release of their debut EP ‘Facedown’ in 2012, The 1975 have crafted a striking visual language to accompany their music. Whilst their glittering production and anthemic songwriting won over fans and critics from day one, it was their carefully considered aesthetic that helped them stand out in a crowd of homogenous indie bands. In 2022, the band marked 20 years together and released their fifth studio album, ‘Being Funny in a Foreign Language’, cementing their status as one of the most influential and exciting pop bands in the world.
For That Fangirl Life, I had a go at ranking their music videos. Head here to read the piece.
Have you noticed the vibes have been a bit *~off~* recently at live shows? From people screaming TikTok references during quiet acoustic songs, to fights breaking out in the crowd, things have felt a little feral lately in the pit…
So, I decided to take a look at the do’s and don’ts of gig etiquette for ATL Introducing on BBC Radio Ulster, to find out how artists, fans and venues can work together to make live music enjoyable for everyone involved.
Massive thanks to my contributors Jon Tolley of Banquet Records, Kayleigh Elise Hall and Bobbi Arlo for taking the time to chat.
You can listen back now on BBC Sounds, from 14 mins: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001hw8p
We're officially one week into February and I have decided that my new year starts now. I spent the first stretch of January in bed with the flu, combined with a sense of Sunday-night-school-in-the-morning dread—which doesn't make a lot of sense, considering the fact that I am 25 years old and now have to do adult things like filing tax returns and booking smear tests. So, I've only recently gotten around to thinking about my goals for the next twelve months.
We tend to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves around this time of year. We make lists of things that we need to change about our lives in the upcoming year and we reflect on the time that has passed by making Instagram round-ups and TikTok montages, condensing our achievements and happy memories into aesthetically pleasing content. That is not to say that I am not entirely complicit in this behaviour—I am a Gen-Z/millennial cusp with a mild social media addiction—but the self-improvement rhetoric can become exhausting.
That being said, my main goal for this year is to continue reading and writing as much as I can. Last year, I managed to get through 30 books, which I was proud of, considering the fact that TikTok has rotted my brain and decimated by attention span. So, keep reading if you'd like to hear a bit about some of my favourite reads of 2022 (in no particular order).
Favourite Reads of 2022
1. Joan Didion - Let Me Tell You What I Mean
If you are a writer of any kind, Joan Didion's work is required reading. Let Me Tell You What I Mean is a collection of essays from her "Points West" Saturday Evening Post column, containing evocative vignettes of 1960s California. It also features her landmark "Why I Write" piece from the1976 New York Times magazine. This was my first introduction to her work, and I ate it up. She writes with precision and her voice is so sharp, bright and witty. I also read Slouching Towards Bethlehem last year, and I hope to pick up some more of her work in 2023.
2. Dance Move - Wendy Erskine
Wendy Erskine is a Belfast-based author whose short stories are woven with the DNA of the capital city. Dance Move is her second collection, and it is so full of heart. One of my favourite things about her writing is her ability to capture the voice and character of Northern Ireland, avoiding the usual cliches. There is a bittersweet depth to her stories, and they are short and accessible reads, perfect for those with a battered attention span like myself.
3. Common Decency - Susannah Dickey
Susannah Dickey is also from Northern Ireland, and her writing similarly captures the eccentricities of Belfast and its people. Common Decency follows the lives of two women who live in the same block of flats, and we follow along as their lives intersect in strange ways. I loved how Dickey doesn't shy away from the weird and complex parts of her protagonists' lives and personalities. They make questionable decisions, but we root for them throughout. If you like the work of Lena Dunham and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, you'll enjoy Common Decency.
4. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - Amanda Montell
This is one for the non-fiction fans. Amanda Montell is a linguist and co-host of Sounds Like A Cult podcast, which explores the everyday 'cults' that we all follow, from veganism to the Kardashians. In this book, she delves deeper into the linguistic and discursive strategies used by conventional and unconventional cults to draw in their followers. It's a fascinating and entertaining glimpse into the power of language and how it is used by sinister religious sects like Scientology and the seemingly less insidious world of social media influencers (emphasis on seemingly...).
5. handiwork - Sara Baume
handiwork is an unusual and beautiful little book, described by the publisher Tramp Press as a "contemplative short narrative". Sara Baume is a writer and artist, and handiwork explores her creative process alongside her experience of grief. Baume's descriptions of her work and materials are almost tangible, and she shares poignant meditations on life and how weird and beautiful it can be.
6. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
As someone whose entirely personality is founded upon the fact that I am an English graduate, I try to read at least one classic novel every year. I came across a signed 40th anniversary edition of The Color Purple in my local Waterstones, and I thought that it was important that I read it. The epistolary story follows two sisters, Celie and Nettie, as they navigate growing up as African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. It's harrowing and but ultimately uplifting, and it contains one of my favourite literary quotes of all time: "The more I wonder, he say, the more I love." (I was less uplifted when I discovered that Alice Walker is an advocate of anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist David Icke, but the less said about that, the better.)
7. So, You've Been Publicly Shamed - Jon Ronson
So, You've Been Publicly Shamed was published in 2015, and it delves into the gang mentality that results in online humiliation of celebrities and ordinary people. It's an essential read in the era of what we now call 'cancel culture', and Jon Ronson is one of the most witty and engaging writers working today. My brother and I went to see a live version of his podcast 'Things Fell Apart' in Dublin last summer, and it was fantastic.
8. Voyeur - Francesca Reece
I spent some time in Paris this summer with my best friends, and I wanted to read a book set in the city. Voyeur is an addictive read about dynamics of power, gender and the literary scene. It follows a young Londoner named Leah who emigrates to Paris and finds herself working as an assistant for Michael, a washed-up author who hires her to transcribe his old diaries. A seriously underrated piece of literary fiction that I devoured in a few days.
9. Ask Again, Yes - Mary Beth Keane
I'm not great with long books, and Ask Again, Yes is a family drama of epic proportions. But it's a testament to the craft of Mary Beth Keane's writing that I was able to rip through this novel in a few weeks. The Gleeson and Stanhope families are brought together and wrenched apart by love, fate and tragedy. They live in the suburbs of New York and we follow their story over a number of decades as they grapple with a cataclysmic incident that takes place one night and affects their lives forever.
10. Tennis Lessons - Susannah Dickey
Tennis Lessons was Susannah Dickey's debut novel, and I am left eternally jealous by her ability to create such quirky and compelling narratives. This story is a meditation on girlhood and that painful part of life that occurs when we leave school and try to find our place in the world. I thought it was relatable, weird and wonderful.
The emo revival has been steadily gathering momentum over the past few years, partly thanks to TikTok trends and a sense of pandemic-fuelled nostalgia. When Paramore announced their comeback with the release of their frenetic new single ‘This is Why’, twenty-somethings like me were taken back to simpler times. But like many fans, my connection to Paramore runs deeper than a yearning for the days of checkerboard Vans and Edward Cullen posters. Growing up in a culture that constantly told young women that they weren’t good enough, Paramore gave me permission to be myself.
I wrote a new piece for That Fangirl Life exploring Paramore and the power of the teenage girl. Any excuse to write about fandom, feminism and my favourite band. You can read the full piece here! Thanks to Issy Aldridge for the commission.
Happy Friday! I've been pretty much exclusively listening to Wham and Mariah since late November, so it was a joy to put together this piece for That Fangirl Life on the ultimate festive covers to get you in the Christmas spirit. If you're sick of the overplayed classics and want to add some winter spice to your Xmas playlist, look no further!
The team have put together their own Spotify playlist of all the tunes mentioned in the article, plus some other lesser-known gems. Thanks so much to Issy and all at TFGL for having me!
In November 2021, Belfast was awarded the coveted UNESCO ‘City of Music’ title - and it’s easy to see why. Aside from Tayto crisps and Derry Girls, Northern Ireland has produced some of the UK’s finest cultural exports, and the music scene is bursting with exciting acts waiting to be discovered. With the 2022 Sound of Belfast festival coming to a close, I compiled a list of ten stellar Northern Irish artists that belong on your playlists. Thanks to Megan, Daisy and the team at Vocal Girls for commissioning this guest feature for their amazing site. Head here to read the full piece.
The annual Northern Ireland Music Prize took place at the Ulster Hall last week, celebrating the best musical talents that our country has to offer. I want to send my congratulations to all of the fantastic winners, including Hannah McPhilimy, AKA Ferna, who took home the Best Single prize for her spectral release, 'Wasting'. I had the pleasure of profiling Hannah in the latest issue of Dig With It magazine, and the piece is now available to read on the Dig With It website.
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| Photo by Kenny Baird |
Dig With It Issue 9 is here! I am so happy to be part of the team for this incredible publication. So much heart and soul and authenticity, it makes my heart burst 👏✨
I profiled some fantastic new artists, including Virgins, Ferna, Lorcan Nelson and Fraulein. 💓 Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to chat.
The media is awash with coverage of the current cost of living crisis. But one demographic appears to be left out of the conversation—young people. For this week's ATL Introducing, I decided to explore how Gen-Z and millennials are being affected by rising costs, and what can be done to help people navigate our current climate. Thanks as always to Gemma, Rory and Aine at ATL, and to my contributors - Dr. Esmond Birnie from the University of Ulster business school, Samantha Boswell from Causeway Coast Community, and my roundtable interviewees Joel, Jessica and Charlotte.
You can listen back to the piece now on BBC Sounds, around 12 mins in.
It's Book Week at BBC Northern Ireland, and to celebrate, the lovely team at ATL Introducing have asked me to share some of my favourite reads.
My little Ikea bookshelves are almost at breaking point, because I am a lowkey hoarder with a spending problem and an English literature degree. So, it was lots of fun to rifle through my library and pick out some of my favourite books. Hopefully this can provide you with some inspiration if you're looking for some reading material this Autumn! You can hear me talking about these books on last night's episode of ATL Introducing on BBC Radio Ulster, available to stream now on BBC Sounds.
What are you reading right now?
At the minute, I am making my way through Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane. It's a juicy fiction novel exploring family dynamics, pain, grief and above all else, love! It's also set in New York. (My younger sister likes to remind me that I went to NYC on holiday once and I have decided to make it my entire personality ever since.) I came across this title at a second hand bookshop, and I was immediately intrigued by the title. I'll admit that this isn't my usual style or genre, as it's a sprawling drama that spans thirty years. It took a while to warm up, but I'm now fully invested in the exploits of the Gleeson and Stanhope families—a reminder that it's good to go out of your comfort zone and take a chance on a charity shop find.
One book that you can't go on tour without?
I always pack books with me when I head out on tour with my band Brand New Friend. Short story collections are ideal, as you can dip in and out of them in between shows. I love Dance Move by Wendy Erskine, a compendium of tales that manages to take mundane situations and make them seem so poignant and powerful. Many of the stories are set in Erskine's native East Belfast, and I love the way she brings Northern Ireland to life through her dialogue. It's a total gem.
What book have you never read but would love to read?
On my trip to New York earlier this year (I'm starting to see what she means...) I stopped by the Strand, a beautiful independent bookstore in the East Village of Manhattan. One of the books that I picked up was Ulysses by James Joyce, as it has been on my bookish bucket list ever since I studied Dubliners at university. It's famously complex, and it often comes up in lists of books that people lie about having read. I'm a notoriously slow reader, so hopefully one day I will have made my way through this cardinal text in the modernist canon.
Best music book/biography?
Whilst it doesn't specifically focus on music, Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear' is a book that I recommend to all of my artist friends. It focuses on the act of creating without judgement, and it gives practical tips on how to step beyond the blocks that can inhibit production as a writer. Reading it helped me overcome a lot of anxiety and imposter syndrome around songwriting. An honourable mention must also go to 'Fangirls' by Hannah Ewens. It's a non-fiction book that explores the transformative power of fandom in the lives of young women, deconstructing the stigma that so often comes with the term 'fangirl'. I came across this whilst researching for my Master's dissertation on the representation of One Direction fans in the media, and it was such a great read.
