Katie Laffan has never been an artist to stand still. From a debut EP of lo-fi bedroom funk pop to last year's subtle, affecting 'Trophy', the Dubliner delights in taking influence from a wealth of genres. Along the way, she and her band played a series of prestigious shows across Ireland - including Cork Jazz, Electric Picnic, K Fest, Canalaphonic, Body & Soul and Townlands Carnival, before finishing the year with two gigs at Other Voices, the acclaimed music gathering that takes place in Kerry every December.

New single 'Tastemaker' sees her take another left turn, this time into the world of disco and pop. Produced by Liam Caffery of Music for 18 Machines and mastered by John Flynn, who worked with Björk on her 2015 album Vulnicura, the song is her most polished release to date - while never losing her uncanny skill for a sharp lyric and a memorable melody.

Having been invited by Other Voices producer Aoife Woodlock to play Dublin's National Concert Hall in Dublin as part of the St Patrick's Festival Young Blood event (alongside Hare Squead, Rusangano Family, Kojey Radical and a number of Ireland's most acclaimed spoken word artists), Katie has recorded recent sessions for RTE 2FM and Today FM ahead of the 'Tastemaker' release. The track will also see her first ever video, directed by Sean Clancy and starring her 82 year old grandfather.

Swans’ remastered edition of their ninth studio album, The Great Annihilator is out on 5 May 2017 on Mute / Young God Records (N America). Their exhaustive tour continues in May and sees the band return to the UK for series of dates, ending with their final London performance in the band’s current incarnation, at the Roundhouse with very special guest Thurston Moore on 27 May, and in Manchester the following evening headlining Transformer festival on a bill that includes The Fall, Royal Trux’s first UK show in over 15 years, This Is Not This Heat, Sex Swing, Little Annie and Loop.

The Great Annihilator, originally released in 1995 and described at the time as “…a majestic symphony of haunting melodies and shifting moods” [SF Bay Guardian], will be released on double vinyl – the album’s first release on vinyl for decades - and as a 2CD set. Both the vinyl (in the form of a download code) and CD will feature Drainland, Michael Gira’s debut solo album recorded at the same time as The Great Annihilator.

The album was entirely remastered by Doug Henderson, but only after Bill Rieflin (“honorary Swan forever”) recently tracked down DATs and cassettes containing unmastered mixes from the sessions. Michael Gira describes the discovery as “a revelation of great sonic effect”. Talking about the recording, Gira said “I lived in a tent in a mosquito infested studio right next to Cabrini Green in Chicago for something like 3 months, rarely leaving. Band members and Jarboe and Bill Rieflin etc came and went, and somehow we crafted this thing into what it became.”

The Great Annihilator line up features: Michael Gira, Jarboe, Bill Rieflin, Algis Kizys, Norman Westberg, Clinton Steele and Ted Parsons.

Swans Tour Dates With Little Annie

18 May - UK Glasgow, Oran Mor

19 May - UK Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree

20 May - UK Leeds, Stylus - Leeds University Union

21 May - UK Sheffield – The Plug

24 May - UK Birmingham – The Asylum

25 May - BE, Zottegam, Drunk Festival

26 May - UK Bristol – Trinity Community Arts

27 May - UK London, Roundhouse

28 May - UK Manchester, Victoria Warehouse