Live Report: Jackie Beverly on the Hot Press Y&E Series

The moment we've been waiting for the last thirty five nights of this Y&E Series finally happened – we had a dog on the live stream. Jackie Beverly's four legged special guest was one of many excellent moments during her chilled out performance on the Hot Press Y&E Series last night.

Since late 2018, the electro-folk artist has been steadily carving out a space for herself in the Irish music scene, sparking people’s attention with her refreshing pop-infused writing, and refined vocals. Having appeared on Other Voices, First Fortnight festival, Whelan’s Ones To Watch and The Ruby Sessions over the course of 2019 and 2020 – plus stellar opening sets for established artists such as Kelsey Lu, Sorcha Richardson, and Nnic – Beverly is well on her way to solo stardom. Her 2021 single 'Headlights' followed on from brilliant 2020 offerings 'Sea Glass' and 'Sweet Goodbye'.

You wouldn't believe that last night had been her first solo Instagram live stream show. Her performance was wonderfully conversational and laid back, as she played from her sitting room with two guitars, a big mug of tea, and her new rescue dog, a monstrously fluffy husky named Casper.

In between the songs and introducing us to Casper, Beverly chatted away with ease towards her unseen audience, about the inspirations behind each song, the impact of the pandemic, and working on new music, as well as her upcoming show at the Grand Social on November 27th.

Three of the four songs Beverly played will feature on a new forthcoming EP, her first ever. The acclaimed indie-folk artist plans to release opener 'Temporary State', a delicately acoustic track on "the quietness of winter", as the lead single.

She followed that up with 'Analogue Radio', recorded with Darragh Nolan at Asta Kalapa Studios in Gorey, and 'Dendrites', the minimal electric guitar  on both of these serving as the perfect accompaniment to Beverly's ice clear vocals. Her sound is full of delicate intricacies, with a natural storytellers spirit shining through the lyrics. She finished her set up with her devastating atmospheric 2020 single 'Sea Glass'.

Revisit Jackie's performance below.

The Hot Press Y&E Series is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Watch the performances every night on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressmagazine) at 7.30pm. Take a look at our dazzling selection of upcoming acts below:

Thursday, September 16: AONAIR

Aonair – the solo project of Brendan McGlynn – is fast becoming one of Ireland's most exciting up-and-coming pop acts. With bold, '80s-inspired production, his latest single 'Bad Decisions' heralds a stunning new sound. The Donegal-born producer and singer-songwriter will release his forthcoming EP, Loveheart Birthmark, later this year.

Friday, September 17: JAYNE

Hailing from Limerick, JaYne has a proven track record as a remarkable artist and songwriter – with a sound that spans several genres and styles. In addition to her work with her band, Eve's Record Box, JaYne worked in London for 10 years as a session singer and writer. Earlier this year, she continued to establish herself as a serious solo talent with a stunning cover of Tears For Fears' 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World'.

Saturday, September 18: KELLIE LEWIS

Irish singer-songwriter and musician Kellie Lewis first rose to prominence after placing Runner Up on The Voice of Ireland in 2014 – during which she mentored by her idol, Dolores O' Riordan. After releasing her debut original EP, Behind the Moon, Kellie moved to Los Angeles to further pursue music. To mark Dolores O'Riordan's 50th birthday, Kellie appeared on The Late Late Show and sang 'Dreams' accompanied by the RTÉ Orchestra. Kellie is also a featured Irish Artist on the upcoming album, Salvation - Inspired by the Cranberries. Her second EP is set to be released in the coming months.

Sunday, September 19: TROPHY WIFE

Fresh out of college, Trophy Wife, aka Ruby Smyth, released her debut EP, Art, last year.
 Despite drawing influence from a wide range of musical influences – including jazz, pop and classic rock – her sound fits convincingly alongside her popular contemporaries, like King Princess, Clairo and Lizzo. Following the release of her acclaimed EP last year, Trophy Wife returned earlier this summer with her latest single, 'Good Love'.

Monday, September 20: FLYNN

Hailing from Mullingar, singer-songwriter Flynn has rapidly established himself as a popstar-on-the rise. With a sound driven by pulsating electronic undercurrents, he teamed up with Belgian act Lost Frequencies on their tropical house single 'Recognise' in 2019 – a track that has since clocked up over 48 million streams on Spotify alone. Last year, Flynn released his lauded solo EP, One Of Us.