Introducing: Flynn Johnson & Bleeding Heart Pigeons

Flynn Johnson
It seems as though, when writing about hiphop, the same words are recycled all the time; gritty, powerful, confrontational, confessional. It’s rare that you come across something, well, positive. Enter Flynn Johnson.
“In hip hop, positivity is definitely lacking,” says the 19-year-old from Blanchardstown. “Everyone is against each other and there’s no love there anymore. Even in Ireland, everything coming out lately seems dark and dull. I wanted to pick a generation back up and put a smile on people’s faces.”
His debut single ‘Feel Alright’ is capable of doing just that. A summery and upbeat number, produced by Bitter Rocc and crying out to be played at BBQs and beach parties, it marks the start of the AFKA Evan Flynn’s solo exploits. It’s a start which has not gone unnoticed, with the tune already picked up for promotion by MTV.
“I didn’t expect something like that at all,” he grins. “It’s great publicity. When I wrote the track I knew it had potential, but I didn’t see circumstances like this.”
Changing circumstances are nothing new for him. Still in his teens, the country’s scene has nevertheless shifted since he started recording aged 13. “It’s picking up, for sure. Not so long ago Irish hip hop would have been laughed at. I want a distinctive sound, one where people hear something and immediately know ‘Oh, that’s Flynn Johnson.’”
With his In The Meantime EP due before 2015 is out, and a full-length debut also in the pipeline, it might not be long until we’re all familiar with that sound.

HEAR: the single ‘Feel Alright’ on Spotify
SEE: Flynn play after the Strength & Honour kickboxing show in Blanchardstown on August 8

Bleeding Heart Pigeons
“We’ve been busy writing and making things better. We haven’t been slacking off, that’s for sure!”
You can hardly blame Mícheál Keating for getting on the defensive, because Hot Press has a bone to pick. When Bleeding Heart Pigeons emerged from the wilds of west Limerick, we tipped them as Hot For 2013, only to see them duck back beneath the radar for a long period.
“We were a bit premature back then,” frontman Mícheál reflects. “The time away was well needed and well worth it too. We’re definitely patient about it.”
And while they’ve tested our patience, the pay-off is just around the corner. A Hallucination, the second EP from the trio, arrives on August 21 to suitable amounts of hand-rubbing and anticipation. The four-track effort is the first new material released by the group in 18 months, and Mícheál admits that those familiar with their previous work might be in for a surprise.
“It’s hard for me to say exactly what might be different,” he admits. “But I’m sure it’s changed, simply because we change all the time. There’s a track on the EP, for instance, that’s a demo from 2012; on our album, it will sound very different.”
One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the band’s ambition. Perhaps subscribers to the ‘can’t have too much of a good thing’ theory, the EP’s title track is more than eight minutes long. Not ones for the quick and easy route?
“It’s just how it happens. We’d never regret making any song the length it is, but in hindsight it might change how you approach the next one. It would follow that you might try a shorter one!”

HEAR: A Hallucination at soundcloud. com/ bleedingheartpigeons
SEE: The trio do their thing at Electric Picnic