Culture
18 Sep 20

Live Report: Stephen James Smith and Gareth Quinn Redmond on the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions' Y&E Series

The new edition of the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions' Y&E Series continues with Stephen James Smith and Gareth Quinn Redmond – supported generously by the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht.

Stephen James Smith and Gareth Quinn Redmond graced the Hot Press Instagram with their presence last night, peforming a selection of spoken word poems.

A Dublin poet and playwright central to the rise of the thriving spoken word scene in Ireland today, Stephen James Smith's poetry videos have amassed over 3 million views online. He's joined on the Y&E Series by acclaimed artist Gareth Quinn Redmond – an ambient composer who has collaborated extensively with David Keenan.

Opening with 'Collectively Counting', their poetry collaboration with Conor O'Brien from Villagers, Smith and Redmond touched on the strangeness of living within the Coronavirus lockdown. The duo moved straight into 'Russian Fruit', before performing 'Saintly', written on St. Brigid's Day.

Watch the full performance below.

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Watch Brendan Murray tonight, September 18, as part of the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions' The Y&E Series, supported by the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht – live on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressmagazine) at 8.30pm.

Take a look at the upcoming line-up below:

Friday, September 18: BRENDAN MURRAY
Hailed by Robbie Williams as an artist with “an impossibly perfect pop voice”, Irish singer-songwriter and former Hometown member Brendan Murray's career highlights already include reaching the semi-final of The X Factor in 2018 and representing Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017. His performance on the Y&E Series coincides with the release of his new single '500 Days'.

Saturday, September 19: PAJ
Since the release of his debut single 'Friends Confused' last year, Paj has established himself as a captivating emerging artist – selected for the 'Play The Picnic' stage at Electric Picnic, and scoring a coveted spot on Spotify's 'A Breath Of Fresh Eire' playlist. He released his latest single 'Superman', featuring Uly, Rob de Boer, Zeenie Summers, Joe Furlong & Fiachra Kinder, last month.

Sunday, September 20: MEGAN BURKE
The Dublin singer-songwriter Megan Burke has built up an impressive following online – clocking up hundreds of thousands of views for her stunning covers and originals. She releases her debut single 'Where Did You Find Love', on September 18.