(MC Joe Lindsay plus spoken word)

Today’s show is the launch of The Sailortown Sessions ‘In the Round’ on the 1st Sunday of every month. 

Ferna
On a mission to amplify quiet sentiments and shift focus to background characters, ferna delivers a remarkable sound that merges the organic and the electronic, filled with mixed emotions, fragile beauty and powerful hooks.

The musical alias of composer & singer-songwriter Hannah McPhillimy, ferna took home the NI Music Prize for Single of the year 2022 for her first official release Wasting and has already performed alongside Saint Sister, JC Stewart and Foy Vance.

Her debut album understudy was released in May 2023 to a packed-out Belfast Empire Music Hall and has received multiple rave reviews including four stars in The Irish Times.

‘10 songs that blend indie sensibilities, confident pop music and tender folksiness.’ – THE IRISH TIMES *****

‘Understudy is nothing less than a hugely impressive debut album…as Ferna, Hannah McPhillimy is now displaying the confidence & poise of a bona fide star.’ – THE IRISH NEWS

Ciaran Lavery 
Ciaran Lavery is an Irish award winning & multi-nominated singer-songwriter and musician that has released four albums with over 150 million streams to date.  He is currently signed to Nettwerk Music Group and has previously released music with All Points Records (formally Believe Records) and Kartel Music Group.

Lavery’s music has been nominated four times at the NI Music Prize, winning album of the year in 2016, as well as being nominated for the Hot Press Magazine ‘album of the year’ and ‘single of the year’.  Previously, he has been named as the Hot Press magazine ‘One to Watch’.

He has toured extensively worldwide, with performances at festivals such as Glastonbury, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Zermatt Unplugged, SXSW, M for Montreal, with a particular highlight of being handpicked to play Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion Festival in Texas.

‘Super talented’ – CLIVE ANDERSON

‘The sound of a songwriter that is very comfortable in his own skin.’ – ZANE LOWE

‘Remarkable’ – THE INDEPENDENT

King Cedar
The project of Irish songwriter Stephen Macartney, King Cedar was formed in 2015 with the release of his debut, the Hard Luck Anodyne EP which received commercial and critical acclaim.

Having played, written and recorded across the United States and written for other artists from Tennessee to Texas, these are the songs written through the lens of a life spent collecting stories through misadventure.

Macartney flew out to LA to start work on his first full length album in 2018, which was recorded and produced with Nick Rosen, Leo Costa and Grammy Award winner Andre De Santanna.

Through poetic lyricism and wry humour, King Cedar combines the musical charm of Ireland with the road weary storytelling of alternative American folk.