For Episode 21 of the Shnug podcast I was delighted to be invited to the Hedge School festival down in Doolin to interview some of the line-up. Hedge School is an artist run, not for profit festival for those who need to create. A place for unique collaborations and intimate encounters. The festival hosts innovators and creators preforming, sharing and collaborating over 3 days. With music and literary workshops during the day and live performances at night.

Held at Hotel Doolin every January, the festival is run by Doolin arts and Simon O’Reily who were very Kind to invite me down. Below is a selection of some of the wonderful artists who appeared over the weekend that I was lucky enough to chat to, with many more to come in Part 2, which will be released next week.

ELAINE MAI

Electronic powerhouse, Elaine Mai, has captivated fans and critics alike with her mesmerizing performances and unique blend of emotive dance music. Her critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Home,’ garnered her two RTE Choice Music Prize nominations, while a recent exclusive publishing deal with dance music industry icon Nick Halkes and his joint venture with Sentric only amplifies her unstoppable ascent.  Currently crafting her eagerly awaited follow-up album.

DAITHÍ

Daithí is an Irish multi-instrumentalist producer that has long had a fascination with capturing organic sounds and samples. His name has become synonymous with raising the bar for the live dance experience, mixing in unique elements like his signature fiddle – a symbol of his traditional Irish upbringing – alongside a chorus of talented musicians who elevate songs that have been purpose-built for a widescreen arena. Bedded in electronica, Daithí’s sound has moved beyond a fusion of Ireland’s past and a contemporary present to a world of rich texture, veering from deep house music to ambient arrangements, in the form of instrumental narratives, stunning visuals and vocally-charged supporting characters.

DR. ROSALEEN MCDONAGH

DR. Rosaleen McDonagh is a Traveller woman with a disability, originally from Sligo. She has a BA in Biblical & Theological Studies, (TCD) an MPhil in Ethnic & Racial Studies (TCD) & an MPhil in Creative Writing (TCD). She holds a PhD from Northumbria University and is a member of Aosdána. Her award-winning plays include Mainstream, The Baby Doll Project, Stuck, She’s Not Mine, Walls & Windows, and Rings. Skein Press published her first collection of essays titled ‘Unsettled’ in September 2021.

ENDA GALLERY

Enda Gallery offers up his truest realisations and experiences in his songs and accompanies poetic lyrics with deeply moving piano playing. For 8 years he lived and performed in Berlin, a city which is itself a character within his songs and has inspired feelings of challenge and liberation in all of its forms. Now based in County Clare, he most recently released his collaboration with the two time Grammy-nominated producer duo Christian Rich called ‘So Easy, Pt. II’ Enda released his debut album ‘The Journey to Zero’ in 2021. It was named RTÉ Radio 1 ‘Album of the Week’ with the ballad ‘Don’t Let Me Win’ winning favour from Cerys Matthews on BBC6 and his follow up ‘It’s Alright’ featuring on the ‘BBC Introducing mixtape’ and the break-out series ‘Normal People’. His history of producing and developing unconventional artists such as Tolü Makay, Strange Boy and Kid Simius. His label is called ‘Welcome to the New World’.

EMMA LOHAN

“Beautiful ghostly swirls and elegant, sweet harmonies” -The Irish Times Emma Lohan, songwriter and performer, is reputed for entertaining her audiences with her wicked sense of humour and evocative melodies. Her one woman show with loop stations, and synths is reminiscent of LAURIE ANDERSON and ROZI PLAIN. Lohan (of NEW POPE and RIVERS & CROWS), moved to London in 2015 to record her debut solo album BLACK ATLANTIC. The album was an international success, receiving rave reviews from Irish RTE Radio 1 to KCRW Radio in the US. Following a busy year producing and touring the UK and Ireland in 2017, Emma moved to Mallorca to write her next album THE FISH AND BIRD SYMPHONY.

The Curly Organ

The Curley organ (AKA "Donal McConon") is a singer-songwriter/performance artist based in Galway and a long-standing member of the cities artistic community. Donal has made significant contributions to the Galway music scene through various projects, including Community, The Bastard Ghost, and My Fellow Sponges, a highly successful band in the region. Under the moniker of The Curly Organ. His performances are characterized by improvisation and spontaneity, and he stands out as a genuine artist.  He is driven in all his endeavours by, what he calls, a burning need to reach out into his direct environment and inspire a sense of play with whoever is there. His Microphonlandia is permission to play. Randomly throughout Hedge School attendees were offered a pair of headphones. If they chose to accept, they would have entered into an intimate performance shared only by them and the artist. What happened next entirely depended on the guest and what the artist perceives as their erred means to engage.

Aidan Duffy

Aidan is the youngest of ten home-educated children from an alternative household in rural Ireland. The sound that Aidan is crafting is alternative and flexible, treading a tightrope between fresh and nostalgic. With 3 EP’s under his belt 2023’s ‘Listen’ and ‘Look’, 2021’s ‘The Optimist’. Aidan uses lyrical themes that touch on such topics as loneliness, fear and guilt but also hope, love and levity. Aidan is a firm believer that music is meant to be, above all, felt.