CPI Archive 2008: The Speks Podcast 
In his most animated interview ever, children’s musician Quince talks to Andrew Hamilton about the launch of The Speks and the challenges of being a virtual band who want to play live.
AS the temperate plummeted on the mainland this week, somewhere on Clare’s west coast the sun continued to shine on Glasses Island. There, in a kitchen overlooking the island’s undisturbed countryside, Quince sat down for a quick tune with The Speks. Joined by Naymon, Tommo, Pete, Ed and Rafferty it wasn’t long before the group got into their stride. Passers-by might have been struck by the music, but then everyone on Glasses Island’s knows The Speks, Ireland’s first ever virtual band. Now, having conquered their own place, the time has come for The Speks to come ashore and introduce themselves to the country. “Glasses Island is located out in the middle of the ocean - we are very far off the coast of Clare. We are fairly isolated on the island to be honest with you. We still have very green fields out here and we hardly have any cars or tractors. Instead we just treasure the night life. We are very social and we like nothing better than playing music and singing songs in each others houses and we especially like singing songs for children,” said Quince.

The Speks Podcast

CPI Archive 2008: The Fred Podcast
After 10 years knocking on the door, Cork’s finest, Fred, are finally ready to join the party. Andrew Hamilton chats to front man Joe O’Leary about creating an album of pots and pans and always keeping the happy side out.
IF FRED were a newspaper they wouldn’t sell a copy. In journalism, bad news sells - while good will consistently fail to shift a single unit. This piece of vital information must have been completely overlooked when Cork band Fred were plotting out their route to success. I guess nobody told them that you can’t get a break in this world with a collection of shining-happy pop tunes. But is that true? The last ten years of prosperity have been notable, musically at least, for a succession of very successful, but undeniably whiny, singer-songwriters. Now that the Celtic Tiger has caught a bad case of feline distemper and probably, let’s face it, a urinary tract infection, is the time just right for some good old fashion cheer-up music? Could this be a time to Fred? “Personally, if it was up to me, we would be a much grumpier band. Ah no, I’m only messing. But it’s much easier to write a depressing song than an upbeat song. That’s what I think anyway," said Joe.

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CPI Archive 2008: The Mick Flannery Podcast
The Reluctant Fundamentalist: Whether as stonemason or songwriter, Mick Flannery is the real deal. The Blarney songsmith speaks candidly to Andrew Hamilton, and shares his doubts about whether the music business is the life for him.
DRIPPING with talent, Blarney singer-songwriter Mick Flannery has released one of the Irish albums of the year. Yet despite the tranché of hype and early airplay, Flannery is less than convinced in his own musical career.
It would seem that the last person to notice the potential in Mick Flannery, is Mick Flannery. “Sometimes I question whether being a singer songwriter is what I want to do, especially when I’m around buddies of mine who aren’t in the business. When I’m working on a building site or something like that - I’m one person there and when I’m on stage I’m another person. I think that I’ll have to give up one person or the other. I’m still working, but not the whole time. I haven’t been on a building site for more than a week now and I probably won’t work until the end of the month because I have a load of gigs coming up. But I’ve been working most of the time before that. It’s a Zen thing, it’s a little bit of normality," he said.

The Mick Flannery Podcast

CPI Archive 2008: A reincarnation of rock: After 15 years without picking up a guitar, John Illsley is back. Andrew Hamilton chats to the legendary Dire Straits bassist about taking chances, a possible reunion, and his newfound interest in Celtic rock.
IT’S not exactly rock and roll, but somehow, it all made sense. Fifteen long years had passed since Mark Knopfler quietly dissolved Dire Straits in favour of a solo career, but still there was some business left unfinished. As Knopfler continued on his musical odyssey, his base player - his right hand man - had turned his back on music. A successful hotelier and painter, John Illsley went a decade and a half without playing a single meaningful gig. But that all changed in March of 2005. Then, in a pub in Leicestershire, Illsley happened upon Greg Pearle and Irish Celtic rock group called Cunla. Compelled by their music, his musical heart began once more to beat, and by the night’s end he had taken to the stage to jam through a few songs with the band. And that, as they say, was that.  “I have to say that the first time that I got up and played with them was a bit shambolic. Nobody was really quite sure what we were going to play so we jammed a few things and had a bit of fun. It was only really the second time that I played with Greg and boys that I started to really concentrate on the music,” he said.

The Dire Straits Podcast

CPI Archive 2008: After weeks of public nominations, private deliberations and controversial omissions and inclusions, Andrew Hamilton can now announce the winners of the first annual Clare People Interactive, Irish Music Awards.

AS 2008 received its final curtain call, there are few who could deny that the year gone by has been anything less than a classic year for Irish music. With new bands emerging left, right and centre and vibrant scenes re-emerging in places like Limerick (not to mention the arrival of towns like Waterford, Headford and even Lahinch on the Irish music map), the year has been one to savour. Prompted by this renaissance in Irish music, Clare People Interactive (The Clare People newspaper’s militant pod-casting and entertainments wing) began its search for the best of the best of Irish music in early December.
And thus, the first annual Clare People Interactive Irish Music Awards were born. The public were asked to nominate acts in eight categories and these nominations were deliberated over by the arts journalists of The Clare People newspaper. After much fighting, back-stabbing and finally grit-teethed consensus, the winners were finally arrived at. So, without further ado, here is the results of the Clare People Interactive’s first annual Irish Music Awards.

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