Leila Jane Speaks About Hennessy Lost Fridays

After kicking off 2016 with a star-studded, sold-out event in January, Hennessy Lost Fridays returns to the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) on Friday, May 13. The arts inspired showcase fuses the most talented artists from all over Ireland, blending together a collage of creativity, colour and cocktails. The second in the series of Hennessy Lost Fridays will begin at 7pm.

The event will be produced by LPM Bohemia duo, Charles Preston and Hugo Jellet, best known for their infamous Salty Dog stage, which is an annual must see show at Electric Picnic. For this instalment of Hennessy Lost Fridays, LPM Bohemia will style a majestic Rajasthani tent which will pop up in the car park of the RHA. The setting will whisk guests away to an enchanting oasis of lavish desert festivity.

The Donegal-based singer draws on musical influences from the delta blues and American folk. Her main influences include Karen Dalton, Robert Johnson and Elvis Presley. She began singing and writing songs at the age of fifteen, and for the last 5 years has been gigging across the UK and Ireland.

Leila told Hot Press how the opportunity arose to play Hennessy Lost Fridays. "Recently, I've been gigging with my band Leila Jane and the Healers, playing a couple of gigs in Boyles in Slane. They decided to have us back to play a longer set, and at that time, I met Charles who's involved with the Salty Dog Stage at Electric Picnic. He got in touch with me, and we talked about at the Hennessy Lost Fridays gig. We're just really excited to play."

"I am really looking forward to seeing the other bands," enthuses Leila. "It sounds like it will be a really good gig. Charles told me that there well be a lot of good people there and I can't wait a see what it is like." Live performances on the night will be provided by King Kong Company, Pete PAMF Sextette (with special guests) and Leila Jane, along with a DJ set from Rory Montane. "It sounds like it'll be so good. A lot of people we be coming from all over Europe to attend it. It sounds pretty big. I think he [Charles] said there will be teams of people involved."

Will St. Ledger will host interactive art sessions and revellers can also sate their appetite with Italian street food supplied by Coppa. "They are hosting a cocktail masterclass," she muses. Hennessy mixologists will create delicious bespoke Hennessy cocktails, as well as hosting cocktail masterclasses, which will take place throughout the evening.

This is your chance to experience an exhilarating event at one of the most original venues in the city. The RHA’s main galleries and the 186th Annual Exhibition will be open for exploration, with talks and tours by artists and curators. Each space in the gallery will be carefully curated, offering experimental art, music, literature, performance and food.

To secure your Hennessy Lost Fridays ticket for Friday, May 13 visit www.rhagallery.ie/shop, and then join the conversation at #HennessyLost. Limited tickets will also be available on the door. Two more Hennessy Lost Fridays will follow later this year in September and November, all set amidst the RHA’s beautiful galleries and exhibitions.

For further information on Hennessy, please visit click here. Like Hennessy on Facebook, follow Hennessy on Twitter @HennessyIRL or follow on Instagram @HennessyIRL.