"We're Sun.Set.Ships and we play electro indie progressive folk.” Ryan introduces the band as we find a quiet spot at Vantastival after their killer set. “I play the laptop and drum machines. We play loops in the background and other sounds. A lot of people say there's an ‘80s sound to it.”

It’s an unusual mix of heartfelt, traditional folk songwriting and modern electronica. “I am surprised there's not more people doing similar things and there aren't more people doing it, mixing the live band and the drum machines. We're delighted that we seem to be on to something that is a bit different”, he adds. Conor (keys and vocals) chips in, “We seem to appeal to a lot of age groups. A lot of older people love our stuff but there's a lot of young people too. It encompasses a wide spectrum.” Guitarist and vocalist Ciaran reckons, “There is that bit of pop to it so everyone can enjoy it”.

The Monaghan band have just played on the Firestone stage and they’ve had an amazing reception with people dancing like crazy. Conor is impressed, “It’s our first time here as a three piece, we (indicates Ciaran) were originally Sun.Set.Ships and we played before. Ryan was meant to play with us but he'd only joined three weeks before. We underestimated how long it was going to take to programs all them drums and stuff on the computer. We used to play off a synth.”

Back when they were a duo, they played chilled acoustic music but what started out like Bon Iver or James Vincent McMorrow became more electronic. Ryan was producing dance music at the time. “It was going that way” says Conor, “It used to be shakers. Then we needed to get a proper beat going. Then the synths came in. Then Ryan came along and he was producing drums much better than our ready-made loops. It was repetitive stuff. Now we have the freedom to do pretty much whatever we want.”

“One of our friends’ dads said to us that we're not a band because we don’t have a drummer, “You’re just DJs with instruments”. It's a lot of work programming drums. It would be much easier for us to have a drummer. We leave it ‘til last. We do everything else and then look at the drums. Sometimes you change the hi-hat a tiny bit and we get really excited. It sounds class. And no one will notice. You make these tiny tweaks that you think are unreal but people are just listening to the songs.”

The songwriting is where the magic happens, according to Ryan, “The songs took so long to write and make. They took on a different look. They didn’t sound like anybody else. But they all sound like us. If anyone brings a song to the table you never know how it’s going to work out. If Ciaran brings a guitar line and we add bass, synths, and drums, you don’t know where it will go, but it seems to work.”

They finished the set with a version of Caribou’s ‘Can’t Do Without You’ that brought the house down. “It's a big festival tune from about two years ago. It's not quite old enough yet to be a classic but we still love it, and we haven't played it for that long.” They’ve been recording in the studio, with that cover amongst the tunes. “We don’t know if it will be an EP or if we'll make it into an album”, says Ciaran, “We all have full time jobs so we only get to meet on Saturday. Something always comes up on Saturday. Like today, we're playing Vantastival so that's the day gone, from a writing perspective.”

The challenge of balancing their musical ambitions with regular paying work is tricky. “We've lots of singles ready. There's one that will be out soon. We might do a few singles. We did the EP and we want to keep it moving”, says Ryan. Conor shares the sentiment, “It took us nearly a year to do a six song EP. We kept adding things and getting delayed. We want to bang out a couple of songs quickly, get a bit of interest. Maybe put up the cover of ‘Can't Do Without You’. We have it recorded already, so maybe bang it up and keep a bit of momentum going. We've been quiet of late.”

Nonetheless they are looking for more festival slots. Conor confirms, “We're playing Arcadian Fields in Bellurgan, the old Vantastival spot. We played there last year”. Ryan isn’t settling for that alone, “We're still hoping to get into Electric Picnic too. We played last year and there's just so many stages, surely we'll get in somehow. We might just turn up anyway with our gear”.

Rory Lavelle is an artist who boasts everyone from Bill Withers to Nick Drake as his influences. The diversity in the sounds that have shaped him as a music listener have also helped him to craft one of this year's most interesting DIY releases. With an air of Sufjan Stevens meeting Ned Roberts, his music is artsy indie folk with real heart at its core. We caught up with Rory to find out more.

MG: Hi Rory, for those not currently in the know, can you tell us a little about yourself...

RL: I’m a Belfast based singer-songwriter and I’ve been writing and performing music for over 15 years. I’m known locally for having fronted Northern Irish rock act Indigo Fury and my debut solo record has just come out. 

MG: We love your new single 'All These Horrors'. What inspired it?

RL: Around the time of the post 9/11 Iraq war, I shared a house in Belfast with 3 other guys one of whom was obsessed with the 24/7 news coverage. I was working a long continental shift in a horrible plastics factory and would arrive home to my friend's passionate updates on what the troops had been up to. I conveyed my fears to him regularly and joked that they’d find me surrounded by a wall stomping my grounds with a double-barrelled shot-gun. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. As we all know, things haven’t improved much since then so the images and the lyrical content built up over the years and fell out when the right riff fell into my lap.

MG: The video is brilliant. How important are visuals to your project? 

RL: My priority is the music but I totally appreciate the power of video and it's a lot easier to keep peoples attention through visuals. With regard to the video for 'All These Horrors', I was a fan of a number of videos for songs by local musicians and then found out it was the same guy producing them: Rich Davis. I love that old traditional animation that you rarely see these days. I had a brief chat with him, suggested the walls/war theme and let him get on with it. I loved seeing the final version and its thematically it really suited the track.

MG: We hear that an album is just around the corner. Is 'All These Horrors' a good example of what to expect?

RL: Absolutely! The album reflects where we are right now with the state of government, the daily media exposure of corruption, greed and violence and the general numbness and apathy in society. Lyrically, the songs delve into my darkest thoughts and the fears and insecurities we all experience, with stories of human fragility, tipping points and the pressures of modern living. Of course there’s the odd ray of sunshine to set the balance, in fact, the instrumentation is contradictory to the dark subject matter with lush strings, piano and harmonies taking centre stage. Much like life itself, the darkness is only there when you seek it out.

MG: The album is called Waves. How did the title come about?

RL: The title refers to a few things, mainly me staring at WAV files (approximately 350 in total!) while editing the album, WAV being the audio format commonly used in music production. The other connection would be the tone of the album flitting between dark and euphoric, peaks and troughs like a wave.

MG: Is there a song off the record you are most excited for people to hear? 

RL: I'm really proud of the arrangement on 'When the Crazies Come out' - lyrically it was an editorial exercise, I wanted four short stories about ordinary people cracking under extreme circumstances. The music is pretty tense and has a nice bizarre mixture of John Carpenter, Bill Withers and Massive Attack.

MG: The record is a DIY project. Do you enjoy being in control of all aspects of a recording?

RL: I've been in a few bands prior to going solo and I’ve always been very in control of the material and how it’s presented. There are pros and cons to the band and solo processes. A very talented drummer called Chris McEvoy worked with me for about two months on the feel and arrangements of the tracks. We recorded the drums, violins and cellos in approximately three days and then I was left to throw everything else down. I knew what I wanted and I’ve had good and bad experiences with producers - this way I got the recordings how I wanted them. There’s probably a little too much garage hiss at times but on the whole I’m really happy with the end result.

MG: You've built your name on the Belfast indie scene. How helpful has the intimacy of the Belfast scene been to you?

RL: The scene is lot more diverse than ever. When I started out it was Indie, Rock or Electronic or, indeed, a combination of sorts. Everybody and their dog seems to be able to play now and there are a lot more platforms for all sorts of genres which is perfect for me as the album is very eclectic, I think people are open to a lot more genres now.

MG: If you had to define your current ambitions, what would they be?

RL: I'm always trying to improve my playing, singing, writing and arranging, and this project has taught me so many lessons in all of these areas. I really want to continue with the performing and recording side of things.

MG: Lastly, if you could achieve one thing with Waves, what would it be?

RL: Hopefully this release will help me gather a few more fans and open some doors locally. I just want people to hear it, it's an honest album and I'm really proud of the end result.

** 

Rory's album, Waves, is out now. Keep up to date with his future releases and live dates via his website and check out his Bandcamp page to listen to, and purchase, Waves. 

Reverieme is the alter ego of Scottish singer/songwriter Louise Connell, who released the absolutely genius Straw Woman last year. With her quirky, refreshing and thoughtful folk with a pop twist, Reverieme is destined to be your next favourite artist. As she teases a return to the scene with the more expansive sound of 'Ten Feet Tall', we decided to catch up with her to find out what has changed in the year since we last crossed paths.

MG: Straw Woman is now a year old. What have you been up to since?

LC: No shenanigans with capybaras, that’s for sure. Oh, you meant musically! Well, I’ve been writing to stay sane, as always, and I’ve managed to compile enough tunes for one or two new releases. I’ve also been out and about all over the place singing at people and trying to work my new guitar.

MG: One thing we know you've done is record a new single. Tell us about it...

LC: My new single is called ‘Ten Feet Tall’ and it’s all about the terror of younger relatives growing up too quickly and making you feel geriatric and obsolete and scrotal. It doesn’t sound like it’s about that, it sounds like a lullaby about the wonder of children forging a path in the world as they grow older, but I promise it’s harrowing.

MG: Are whispers of more new material true?

LC: They are! You must know very coherent whisperers. Whenever someone tries to whisper to me, and it isn’t often, I usually assume they’re impersonating what they think it would sound like to boil a rattlesnake in a kettle. I realise now that wasn’t the pertinent part of the question. Let me try again. We’re currently recording and compiling all of the new songs I’ve written in order to decide on a release format that suits them best.

MG: What was the biggest lesson you learnt from the creation of 'Straw Woman'?

LC: I loved being involved with the production of ‘Straw Woman’, but I was a little timid at first. I’d like to think I won’t have any reservations when we work on the next record. That’s why there’ll be kazoo on every track!

MG: And what was the best and worst feedback you received?

LC: ‘Straw Woman’ was a mix of reasonably short pop tunes and longer atmospheric tracks, and many people had a favourite team out of the
two. It’s a fairly inoffensive album, so it didn’t attract a great deal of controversy, but there was some disagreement over which style people preferred. I mean, that’s what they spray painted on my front door when they came with the pitchforks.

MG: All artists receive comparisons to others - who do you enjoy being compared to?

LC: I don’t have particular artists to whom I like to be compared, but I’ll always have a soft spot for someone who doesn’t immediately compare me to the first female singer-songwriter that comes to mind. It would never offend me, of course (though do ignore that fist-shaped hole in the wall), and sometimes those comparisons are spot-on, but if it’s coming from a journalist then I can’t help but find it lazy.

MG: What is the strangest comparison you have ever heard?

LC: Being compared to early Genesis at a recent gig was definitely a new one. I’m not mad about it.

MG: If you could collaborate with one artist over the next 12 months, who would it be? 

LC: Peter Gabriel, of course... 

MG: Are there any other achievements you hope to tick off your list in the same time period?

LC: As well as the musical business, I’d love to complete a few more music videos. I have lots of strange (cockroaches-on-the-face strange) ideas to film.

MG: Lastly, 'Straw Woman' was Pledge funded. As an independent artist, how useful are interactive platforms for you to reach your artistic potential?

LC: Pledge, in conjunction with Help Musicians, was a huge help to us. As an independent artist, any money you make from sales is really only there to help you break even, which can be tricky when you’re at the beginning of a project. Platforms like Pledge, as well as other sites I use, like Bandcamp, are able to provide a space in which individuals who love new music can support artists and catalyse their work. It can be tricky to infer gratitude in my glib wee remarks sometimes, but I am truly thankful to anyone who’s spent real actual money on my music.

** 

Check out Reverieme's website to keep up to date with future releases and live dates. To check out Reverieme's full discography, including the new single 'Ten Feet Tall', head on over to Bandcamp. 

Based in London, Enderby's Room is the musical alter ego of Dan Mayfield, and an outfit who take delight in creating wonderfully enticing soundscapes under the bracket of "folk music" (see below). Their self-titled debut album is out now on Fika Records, and in order to help spread the word, we've decided to pick Mr Mayfield's brain. Be warned in advance that some of these questions are sensible, and some are not, but hopefully they'll give you a comprehensive view of the band regardless. So, without further delay, Enderby's Room...

1. Hello there, let's start with a very broad question, how's 2017 going for you so far?

Well so far it feels like 2017 has only just started, but as I look at the date we are almost half way through! It’s been a really good year so far. I managed to release my first single and album at the grand old age of 36; this was both a great relief and joy. In a world of turmoil, it has provided droplets of happiness to be able to share the record with others.

2. The name Enderby's Room comes from the Anthony Burgess character, but what percentage of your musical composition do you do in the toilet (and what are the percentages for everywhere else)?

Whilst the name is partly taken form the Anthony Burgess character, it is also from a number of hamlets in Lincolnshire that I remember from my childhood. Bag Enderby, Wood Enderby and the wonderfully named Mavis Enderby, which I remember passing on our way to the seaside at Skegness. Did I avoid the bit about writing music on the john?

3. The soundscapes on the record are quite lush and sophisticated, is this an intention or by-product of the writing process, and how does this process generally unfold?

I really enjoy harmonies of voices, both from instruments and people. In the songs, I aim to write simple lines and then adorn them with a few other simple lines. Nothing too complicated, most of it in the same key, but hopefully sounding interesting, and providing a few new things to hear on each listen.

4. For the album overall, are there any overarching themes which you applied, either consciously or subconsciously, and what are the reasons for these?

Life, love and loss would be the succinct and probably clichéd way of describing it, with smattered themes of nature and listening. I find lyrics to be the hardest part of song writing. A melody can simply be a nice combination of notes, nothing more, nothing less. However words carry such a baggage of meaning, and when they are put together they can make total sense or be utter gibberish. The songs I write are my escapism from work and life. I don’t really feel like writing about the challenges in social care or the political state of the world. The songs on the album (except 'Mannequins', which is about the biased rags given away each day in London) are a place I can go to away from all the shit and struggles, for about 3 minutes at a time.

5. There's been something of a rise of folk music in the mainstream over the past decade, but how would you define "folk music" and judge what falls under this definition or not?

That is a difficult question. Folk music can be lots of things. The obvious answer might be songs about historical or political events, unaccompanied or accompanied by acoustic instruments. But I just admitted the Enderby’s Room songs aren’t about politics or history, does that mean we aren’t folk? Just using acoustic instruments doesn’t make music folk either. When Alice in Chains played MTV Unplugged did that make their music folk? Possibly not. As with many forms of art, I think it is up to the person making it as to what they want to call it. Genres are subjective, so if you want to call it folk music, then it is folk music. I think Enderby’s Room play folk music.

6. Harking back to your musical beginnings, what inspired you to begin writing, and what influences keep you composing to this day?

I started writing instrumental music in my teens using loop pedals. I enjoyed exploring and experimenting with repetitive melody lines. In fact the song 'Tiptoe' on the album was one of the first pieces of music I wrote and with the exception of its middle 8, has the same chords all the way through. Looping music was fun but it had its limitations. Playing in a band with friends is far more enjoyable.

7. The line-up of Enderby's Room appears to be pretty fluid, is there a selection and interview process that goes on behind the scenes, or is very much that, fluid?

Everyone who has played with Enderby’s Room ticks three boxes. In order of importance they are: not a dick, reliable, and can play an instrument. Nobody has ever auditioned in be in, and nobody has ever been asked to leave the band.

8. Having relocated to London, how do you feel this has impacted on the formation and reception of your music, both positively and negatively?

Well Enderby’s Room started in London so it’s really a product of my time here. When I first moved down I was fortunate to quickly meet a number of amazing musicians in the band Ellis Island Sound. From there, a number of other projects developed, and I met and continue to meet a lot of fascinating and creative people here. These were really fun times and it opened doors on what London and its music scene has to offer. I find playing music with people such an enjoyable experience, and London continues to provide plenty of them.

9. As someone who plays various instruments, and on a record which features various instruments, which is your favourite and why?

I really love the pedal harmonium that we have in the band. It’s very old, fragile, tuned slightly sharp, not entirely in tune with itself, all of which makes it a wonderfully characterful piece of wood and metal. It was designed to travel around with and it would feel like a disservice just to keep it at home or have it trapped behind glass in a museum. We’ve taken it on tour abroad and all over the UK and it has still survived, and there’s no reason it can’t keep on going. It will probably outlive me. I hope it does.

10. As an exciting closing question, if you had to order a final three course meal, what would pick?

Blimey, if this was to happen would I really have an appetite? Can I opt for a liquid lunch? Okay well I won’t dwell on why this fateful occasion might be occurring. For starters I’d plump for nostalgic cocktail sausages, pineapple chunks and pickled onions on a stick. Main is easy, that’s the pie of the day. And pudding would be hot jam roly poly and custard.

Now that you know more about Dan Mayfield than his closest friends, it's probably about time to sample some music, right? Below you can find a Soundcloud sampler of that record, and if that tickles your fancy you can purchase it on iTunes now (or whichever place you like to spend your music cash). Regardless, I hope we've turned you onto something you find exciting and that makes you smile in the sun.