Live Report: Tara Lee on the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions Y&E Series

Actress and singer-songwriter Tara Lee brought her unbelievable voice to last night's Hot Press Lockdown Sessions 'The Y&E series', along with her skills as a performer.

The 25 year old Dubliner opened with a gently building ballad called 'Sad Boy', and the rest of Lee's set ran the gamut from a beautiful cover of The Cranberries' 'Zombie' to her single 'Sex and Poetry', from her powerful 2019 mini-album Noir. 

Lee chatted amiably with her virtual audience, before closing her set rather hilariously – the camera followed her as she stood up from her piano, left the room, jumped into her shower fully clothed and turned on the water, before she signed off for the evening. In all, another unforgettable night on the Lockdown Sessions. 

Take a look at the brilliant acts lined up to perform on The Y&E Series over the weekend below:

Saturday, June 27: Doppler
The brainchild of Jamie Mulrooney, a former winner of the coveted Clancy Brothers Songwriter Competition, acclaimed collective Doppler returned after a hiatus with the irresistible new single 'A Memory' earlier this year.

Sunday, June 28: Anna Carmody
Born in Galway and raised in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Anna Carmody has already earned comparisons to the legendary likes of Amy Winehouse and Dolores O'Riordan, with her stunning, indie-folk-flavoured sound. Her highly anticipated debut EP is expected in early 2021.

Monday, 29 June: PowPig
Tipped as one of the Hot Press ‘Hot for 2019’ acts while they were still in school, PowPig have emerged as one of the most captivating alt-rock bands of recent memory. Following a string of acclaimed EPs, festival performances, sold-out headliners and a support slot for Girl Band, the Limerick four-piece made their highly anticipated return in 2020 with ‘Intellectual’.

Tuesday 30 June: Maria Kelly
Hailing from the West of Ireland, alt-folk artist Maria Kelly continues to gain international momentum, on the back of her lauded releases, including her stunning notes to self EP and last year’s ‘i leave early’, which she launched with a headliner at the Sound House in Dublin, as well as support slots for James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall and Villagers.

Wednesday, 1 July: Happyalone
Cork’s Happyalone have carved out a unique space between the worlds of rock, trap and alt-pop. Initially finding viral success with debut single ‘colours’, which currently boasts over one million streams on Spotify, the trio recently scored an appearance on Bring Me The Horizon’s latest album, Music To Listen To...

Thursday, 2 July: SYLK
Specialising in dark, industrial-tinged electro-pop, SYLK have built up an ever-growing following with their visually compelling live shows and DIY productions – marking the duo as one of Ireland’s most thrilling young acts.

Friday, 3 July: Áine
Embracing a soulful honesty in the tradition of Lana Del Rey and Marina, Áine’s music has resonated powerfully with her ever-growing fanbase. Following a series of ecstatically-received singles, she released her hotly anticipated Dislocated EP in September.

Sunday, 5 July: Roisin El Cherif
Irish-Palestinian singer Roisin El Cherif draws influence from Tracy Chapman, Stevie Nicks and Daughter to craft a sound that blurs the lines between folk, country and indie-pop. Following the release of her acclaimed Glass House EP in 2018, she returned this year with her moving new single ‘Cross Your Mind’.

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