Rising Acts: Introducing Dublin born three-piece: Divan

If you want to know who is responsible for Dublin three-piece Divan's recent musical evolution, look no further than American producer Brent Knopf. He, according to Divan's Jamie Clark, set the band on a new path. "He ripped up everything. He'd say this bit needs a chorus or this bit needs a verse. He made everything a lot more melodic and taught me so much about composition and song writing. The sound became very different." The arrival of a new guitarist Conor Deasy also heralded a new direction for Divan. "He brought a different musical outlook," admits Jaime. "His music is quite positive and melodic."

Jamie says the trio - Marc Gallagher is the third member - are influenced by the likes of Death Cab For Cutie, Wilco, and Radiohead, as well as a host of other performers. "With 'Darken Room', I'll try and make the guitar sound like Richard Hawley or with 'Preserving Light', I wanted to see if I could do a Two Door Cinema type song, but obviously it sounds nothing like them," laughs Clarke.

The Dublin-based band draw on the contrasts of city versus country. "The city is where the sound comes from, it's the antidote to the peace and tranquility going on in our music," he acknowledges. Jaime confides that the album's title 'Modern Knowledge' is what you "learn as a twenty-something in a modern city and whether your thoughts are relevant. Living in the country, you're not as consumed by these issues as you're in the city surrounded by creativity and artists. It has definitely bled into the music 100%."