Category: CQAF22 Thurs 28

We’re delighted to introduce Winnie Ama as this year’s Artist in Residence.  Winnie is part of a new breed of electronic artists blending conscious lyrics, soulful alternative RnB vocals with dance, house and pop rhythms.

Winnie will be playing the closing night of the festival (8th May) at the Black Box:
Book here:https://cqaf.ticketsolve.com/shows/873634004

You can also catch Winnie in support of Altered Images, Sarah McQuaid, Michael Janisch and Dani Larkin.

The Belfast-born-and-raised Northern-Irish-Ghanaian artist has had success with multiple MusicWeek UK Club Chart top 10’s and support from BBC Introducing and BBC Radio Ulster referencing her fresh writing style and distinctive voice.

Winnie Ama’s writing style is inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse. She switched from writing poetry and stories to writing music.

Winnie studied jazz vocals before making her commercial music debut in 2019 writing 3 songs in collaboration with Francis Groove that made the top 10 in MusicWeek’s UK Urban/Black Club Chart – Can’t Wait #1, I Swear #7 and Born to Win #6.

She also appeared in Photo Vogue in 2019. Her solo debut What Are We was in MusicWeek’s Black Club Chart for 6 weeks, peaking at number 11.

Winnie Ama is also a lead data analyst for the Why Not Her? movement which campaigns for gender equality in the music industry and mentors other artists.

In 2022 she has a series of singles starting with electronic pop track Here I Go produced with Simon Le Saint on 25 February and a pop house collaborative track with two New York Producers Genpop and Pommy – Awe of You out on 25 March.

Winnie’s full schedule of CQAF shows will be released in the coming weeks.

 

Winnie Ama – Here I Go (exclusive new track!)

Arthur Jeffes much loved collective – Penguin Cafe – are back in 2022 performing their eclectic array of genre-defying evocative pieces mixing Arthur’s beautiful compositions with some iconic PCO classics.

Originally brought together by Arthur to keep alive the music of his late father, Simon Jeffes of the iconic Penguin Cafe Orchestra,

Penguin Cafe have gone on to release four original and critically acclaimed albums; A Matter of Life… in 2011, The Red Book in 2014, The Imperfect Sea 2017 and Handfuls of Night in 2019, the latter two on Erased Tapes Records.

This year sees the Penguins touring extensively in the UK, beginning with a much-awaited show at London’s Barbican, and the special anniversary re-release of their first Penguin Cafe album, A Matter of Life….

We’re delighted that Erased Tapes labelmate Peter Broderick will join Penguin Cafe for this special Festival show.

Doors 7.30pm | Unreserved Seating

We are grateful to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for the loan of the Steinway D Piano, for the purpose of this event.

 

Jesse Dayton’s Beaumonster is filled with song interpretations that are part-greaser, a whole lotta twang, and quintessentially outlaw country badass. Beaumonster encapsulates a life filled with adventure and lore featuring some of the greatest musicians this world has ever known.

Now a successful independent act, in the last handful of years Dayton has played guitar on Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan’s latest solo album, launched his own weekly radio show, Dayton’s Badass Country Show, on Gimme Country and licensed more than 50 songs for film and television…not to mention playing over 150 live dates per year throughout Europe and North America while also releasing five albums for Blue Élan Records.

After sneaking into nightclubs to play gigs in his youth, 18-year-old Dayton and his trio began packing clubs and theaters across Houston, Dallas, and Austin. His first solo record—featuring great luminaries like Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez, and Johnny Gimble—hit #1 on the Americana Radio Charts, and then he was off to the races, touring the world as an opener for punk legends Social Distortion, The Supersuckers, and X.

While doing press in Nashville, he caught the attention of Waylon Jennings and was whisked off to Woodland Studios, where he was greeted by none other than Johnny Cash, who tells Dayton: “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Beaumonster finds Dayton performing songs written by the many talented musicians and songwriters featured throughout his memoir of the same name. The album zigs and zags from Waylon Jennings to Social Distortion and Townes Van Zandt to Willie Nelson — all who shared a connection with the storied Beaumont guitar slinger.

While on tour with the Supersuckers in 1994 Dayton found himself “…prayin’ the Devil didn’t steal [his] soul, and that [his] mama wouldn’t find out about [his] evil ways.” On his cover of “Born with a Tail,” Dayton starts off with a driving intro then adds a Spaghetti Western flair and somehow even more slide guitar that does justice to the Supersuckers own, the late Rontrose Heathman.

Story of My Life, a classic Social Distortion song was an easy pick for Dayton, “This song pretty much explains why [Mike Ness’] working class fans love him so much… he’s one of them.” Dayton’s punkabilly drawl cuts through a mix of organ and background vocals to give an entirely new feel to the group’s most iconic song.

Working with Waylon Jennings was a dream come true for Dayton, “[Waylon] put a dangerous cool factor into country music when it really needed it, and playing with him was mind blowin’.” Dayton’s cover of Just to Satisfy You is a tender interpretation of the heartbreak song and showcases a softer side to Dayton’s vocal abilities.

Doors 7:45pm | Unreserved Seating/Standing

Rescheduled from OTL ’22

Myles McCormack is a multi-instrumentalist from Belfast who writes powerful songs with a delicate touch. In 2019 he released his debut solo album with a sold-out show in Belfast’s Duncairn Arts Centre.

It’s a sublime and carefully crafted debut from an artist who effortlessly bridges the gap between ruminative and blissful.

This past year has seen Myles work on a batch of new songs at home. By Demons, the first of this new material to be released, is a great example of his unique song-writing style and atmospheric sound and has been receiving praise across Irish and UK radio.

Myles will be supporting artist for a host of shows across the Out to Lunch festival, details of which will be released in the coming weeks.

“It’s a gossamer and quietly emphatic first gambit from an artist who continues to set himself apart” – THE THIN AIR

“You couldn’t bring yourself to turn away even if you wanted to” – CHORDBLOSSUM

“He carries within his work an effervescent tenure to unravel mysteries and turmoil” – FOLK&LORE