My 2019: Paul Connolly of the Wood Burning Savages

Your hero of 2019?
PJ McCartney and Eamon 'Bap' McGeehan, two musicians I look up to enormously. They work tirelessly on the streets of Derry City as part of the First Housing Night Support Service, to offer shelter and support to vulnerable people battling addictions.

Villain of 2019?
Bolsonaro, for a litany of environmental failures.

Best personal moment?
Playing Glastonbury's Left Field Stage with an incredible audience, and Billy Bragg cheering us on sidestage. Or talking about guitars with Kevin Shields at The Cure this summer in Malahide.

Best movie?
Well, it wasn't Midsommar – I fell asleep halfway through and then woke up thinking, "Why am I wasting my time watching The Wicker Man again?

Best record?
Very close call between Kitt Philippa's Human and Lankum's The Livelong Day.

Best TV programme?
Dark on Netflix – a bit like if Rammstein remade Back To The Future.

Best book?
The Big Yaroo by Patrick McCabe.

Best thing about the year?
People in NI finally being granted the right to marriage equality and free, safe, and legal abortion. People beginning to make sensible choices about single-use plastics – let's hope the message carries on hitting home.

Your hope for next year?
To have album number two ready to be poured into the ears of all humanity.

What tickled your funny bone?
We found out recently that Nicolas Cage bought a huge pyramid in a New Orleans graveyard to be his final resting place. It's become a tourist attraction before he's actually died. It kinda feels like this speaks volumes about Earth right now.

The Wood Burning Savages are just back from an extensive UL and Ireland tour and are currently working on the follow up to their debut album.

You can read the complete 'My 2019’ collection in one brilliant sweep in the Hot Press Annual – in which we distill the highlights and low-points of the year, across 132 vital, beautifully designed pages. Starring heroes of the year Fontaines D.C. on the front we cover Music, Culture, Sport, Film, Politics, the Environment and much, much more. Buy this superb publication direct from Hot Press here.