Musicians take on a supporting role
WEXFORD Arts Centre has announced a new musical support act programme in association with PwC Ireland.
The PwC Spotlight programme for emerging musicians invited Wexford musicians to apply to join a panel of support artists who will appear with established touring acts during the year and receive a profile on the Wexford Arts Centre website along with mentoring from music representatives on the Arts Centre’s performance committee panel.
Mentors on the performance committee include Mick D’Arcy of Cornerboy, Kevin Lawlor, Jazz musician and teacher, and the author, journalist and reviewer Jackie Hayden, former General Manager of Hot Press. A dedicated gig promoting the Spotlight artists will take place during the year.
The artists were chosen following a competitive application process and include Megan Kate Doolan, Karen Alice Dunbar, Alice Lynsky and Stone Blind State.
Megan Kate Doolan is a Wexford singer-songwriter and a frequent busker on the Main Street. She has opened for acts such as Hudson Taylor, Mundy and Aine Cahill. Last summer, she released her debut single Falling, produced by Ryan O’Shaughnessy. A four-track EP ‘Wait Another Day’ was released on December 1 and is available to stream on Spotify, Deezer and to buy on iTunes. The EP was recorded in Orchard Recording Studio in Enniscorthy.
Karen Alice Dunbar is also a Wexford singer-songwriter whose debut EP Marionette was recorded last Spring at Silverwood Studios, Newtownmountkennedy in County Wicklow by producer Gavin Ralston. Her love of music began with classical piano when she was nine years old and she spent her teenage tears immersed in musical theatre. It wasn’t until she began her studies in Music and Theatre at University College Cork at the age 19 that she took up guitar and began to write poetry.
In 2013, the same year she completed an Advanced Diploma in Professional Songwriting at BIMM Dublin, one of her songs was chosen for consideration by Mundy on RTE Songwriting Competition ‘ The Hit’.
She is currently travelling and performing around Europe, having completed a tour on the Greek Islands during the summer. She has also taken a couple of trips to Nashville,Tennessee.
Originally from Dublin, Alice Lynskey is a singer/songwriter now based in Enniscorthy. Alice was humming along to songs before she could even talk. Her first performance was in a singing and dancing role in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin at the age of seven. She describes her style as pop with a hint of folk and a shake of country.
Alice’s writing began in primary school with her love of poetry. She entered school talent shows and when she was in college, she submitted a song ‘Run and Hide’ to the ‘ The Hit’.
It reached the final and was chosen by accliamed band The Stunning, reaching Number 6 in the Irish charts. She has sung in the Olympia, the Helix and the National Opera House. She now works in the science industry as a laboratory analyst.
Stone Blind State is a fivepiece rock band from Wexford comprising Bryan Murphy, lead vocalist; Michael McDonagh, songwriting, guitar, vocals; Gary Davitt, lead guitar; Cathal Fitzpatrick, bass and Ryan Cox, drums. Formed in 2017, Stone Blind State have spent a year creating material for their debut EP which they hope to release in early 2018
‘We are delighted with the acts chosen for our first panel and we are delighted to have the support of PwC for this initiative’, said Arts Centre Executive Director Elizabeth Whyte. ‘We look forward to promoting the acts alongside touring acts within our music programme during the year’.