Last Apollo, Gzi Wisdom. Hotgirl

LAST APOLLO (Dublin/London)

Tipped by the Irish Times as ‘one to watch’ for 2023, genre-bending Dublin artist Lucy Rice began Last Apollo in the depths of lockdown and has gone from an aspiring artist to an established one. Her influences include PJ Harvey, Indigo De Souza and Patti Smith.

With her debut indie-rock EP: “Ordinary Matter” earning acclaim from sources such as Hotpress, Nialler 9 and The Irish Times, Last Apollo has gained momentum across streaming services but it is ultimately her energetic live shows that make her and her band stand out.

Her new songs indicate a clear step away from her earlier indie-pop hits as Rice continues to carve out and explore a unique style of songwriting darker and more emotive than ever before.

“The unwavering drive and resilience so associated with Last Apollo can be heard throughout this EP and it's that same drive that is indicative of Last Apollo’s unavoidable rise in the Irish Music Scene.” - Hotpress Magazine

GZI WISDOM (London) - fresh new band with a spaghetti western meets pop vibe!

hotgirl (Dublin)

‘hotgirl’ is a band based in Dublin/Drogheda. Beginning as a bedroom project by lead singer/songwriter Ashley Abbedeen, the music transformed from its humble lo-fi trip hop inspired origins into the noise-infused melodic dissonance that has come to define the band’s sound. This progression can be attributed to the additions of her band members; guitarist Sophie Boxwell adding angular lead lines, Jake Hurley (aka Local Boy) on bass bringing chromatic crunchiness, and Nick Stanley holding it all together with impressive punchy backbeats.

These additions to the band came from a myriad of directions, with Boxwell entering the mix from an Instagram advert, while Stanley and Hurley stumbled across hotgirl’s demo version of ‘Jam’ when scouting for their monthly ‘Burner Records’ showcase gig. Eager to book the band, they reached out and were informed the band were drummer and bass-less. They happily filled in and due to their chronic unemployment, found themselves with enough free time to stick around.

Since then, the band have played a string of shows across the city and beyond in 2022, alongside acts such as Cruel Sister and Search Results. They are currently working on an EP filled with songs featured regularly in their set.

Their debut EP Sick Sad World is out December 1st 2023.