Hot Press Lockdown Sessions Present 'The Y&E Series' – Supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Hot Press is proud to announce a brand new series of live events – across 40 consecutive nights – that will shine a light on some of the best new and emerging talent that Ireland has to offer in 2020.

The Y&E Series will see forty young and emerging acts join Hot Press on Instagram for a special live performance to be broadcast to Ireland and the world.

Ireland is overflowing with fresh musical talent – but the Coronavirus pandemic has had a severe impact on the forward march of young and emerging musicians. The Y&E Series aims to support this remarkable new music generation by delivering 40 paid gigs to 40 acts over 40 days, thanks to the support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

“Ireland is a hotbed of great music at the moment,” Hot Press editor, Niall Stokes says, "with artists of real calibre and substance emerging across all genres. But their momentum, individually and collectively, has been stifled by the complete stop that had been put to live music due to the Coronavirus. The Lockdown Sessions, which we kicked off at the very start of the crisis have been a great success. Now 'The Y&E Series' is set to deliver a fantastic programme that will showcase artists of real talent and potential, and provide them with a platform, a voice and an opportunity to reach new audiences, all over the world, in these treacherous times."

The support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has made this series possible.

Speaking today, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan said: "My Department has been focussed on showcasing our cultural offering and showing the capacity of Irish culture to sustain personal and collective wellbeing to audiences at home and abroad. In this context, we are delighted to support this programme of work by up and coming creative workers, artist and performers through the Hot Press Lockdown Y&E Sessions.”

Take a look at what is a brilliant line-up for the first week of The Y&E Series below:

Monday, June 15: Jafaris
Percy Chamburuka aka Jafaris has muscled his way to the forefront of Irish music. A dancer, actor, poet and rapper, Jafaris – who first came to prominence in John Carney's acclaimed Sing Street – simply loves to entertain...

Tuesday, June 16: Stray Melody
Initially crafting their unique sound as buskers on the streets of Dublin, Stray Melody have expanded their approach into the world of electro-pop with their widely-praised debut single, ‘Losing It’.

Wednesday, June 17: JyellowL
One of the most authoritative voices in the Irish hip-hop boom, JyellowL is rapidly hurtling towards international stardom – clocking up 1.4 million streams in 2019, and scoring a coveted appearance on the FIFA 20 soundtrack.

Thursday, June 18: Milk.
Tipped as one of the Hot Press ‘Hot For 2020 Irish Acts’, Milk. combine feel-good indie-pop with elements of R&B and electronica – and you might also recognise lead singer Mark McKenna from John Carney’s 2016 film Sing Street…

Friday, June 19: ROE
Roe is the acclaimed twenty-year-old multi-instrumentalist making waves with her unique brand of self-styled ‘grumpy electro pop’. She recently performed the Snow Patrol album Final Straw with Gary Lightbody and Rossborough.

Saturday, June 20: Sion Hill
Since releasing his debut album, Elephant, in 2017, and clocking up support slots for the likes of A-ha and Pete Doherty, Sion Hill has emerged as one of the country’s most compelling, genre-blending artists.

Sunday, June 21: Celaviedmai
One of the brightest young rappers on the Irish scene, the Galway-based Celaviedmai has made a huge impression with her energetic, impassioned delivery – and powerful lyrics.

The Hot Press Lockdown Sessions Y&E Series supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will kick off on Monday 15 June and run for forty consecutive nights until 24 July.

Each live showcase will be broadcast live, to Ireland and the world, at 19:30 GMT from the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressmagazine).