Timberwolves

David McConnell (no relation by the way) is from Belfast and plays music by the name Timberwolves. He initially sent me some demos last year and I just loved what I heard – his music is haunting and with the depth and maturity of someone three times his age. David also admitted to me that he is good friends with several members of another Belfast band and host of one of the earliest bandwidth sessions, Maguire & I. Again, proof that in Belfast these musical prodigies just hang out together every day – this truly is an exciting time to be here..

Here David plays two tracks in the beautifully desolate Belfast docklands, on a day of drapery related activity which provides quite the surreal backdrop to it all.

posted by Will McConnell / 0 Comments

Katharine Philippa

For the first proper Bandwidth session of 2013, I wanted to start off big. For me this is one of the most powerful performances I have yet to capture on camera from, in my opinion, the greatest new artist from Northern Ireland.

Katharine Philippa first appeared on my radar screen thanks to the Oh Yeah Music Centre’s Contenders Programme, which mentors new talent from this part of the world. Ever since then, Katharine has been going from strength to strength, appearing with the Ulster Orchestra last year at the Ulster Hall courtesy of the BBC.

For this session, the setting is no less austere – the simply awe inspiring setting of the St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast city centre. Such a backdrop could be overwhelming to some, but to an artist such as Katharine, she makes it her own. The track that she performs, ‘Broken To Be Rebuilt’ is personal to her, the space becomes personal, she makes the space respond to the music. This is what these Bandwidth Sessions are all about.

This session was filmed as part of the ni2012 sessions, which you can see here.

posted by Will McConnell / 0 Comments

Amidships

Back in October of 2012 I got together with Belfast’s wonderful Amidships to film an installment of the acoustic ‘In Stores now’ series, something I’d been meaning to do for quite a while ever since I first heard my favourote track of theirs ‘The One’. After bashing around a few ideas the ever inventive frontman JP McCorley hit on idea: the band will play an invite-only acoustic session in McHugh’s, Belfast’s oldest pub in Belfast. The audience will be a select group of super fans and friends and family, we’ll film the entire thing and release the tracks as a concert video called ’1711 Sessions’(1711 being the date McHughs was founded you see).

So this series was made, in collaboration with my friend Sean Duncan of Red Cap Productions. The band have been releasing the tracks over the past few weeks leading up to last Christmas but now, for the first time you can see them all together here. Standout tracks for me are the aforementioned ‘The One’ but also ‘Dover; which has been re-imagined as an Amidships track from whence it once was a track by JP’s old band Push Borders, and which sounds all the lovelier in this new acoustic setting.

posted by Will McConnell / 0 Comments

Merry Christmas from Seven Summits

Bandwidth Sessions would like to wish all of you on the good Earth a Merry Christmas and peaceful 2013.

Oh and here’s Seven Summits playing ‘Christmas Wrapping’ by The Waitresses

posted by Will McConnell / 0 Comments

PrettyChildBackfire

I’ve been waiting to work with Mark McAllister’s project PrettyChildBackfire for quite a while now, and furthermore I’ve been itching to get into the fabulous new MAC arts centre in Belfast to make a racket. So why not make it a trip of a lifetime and combine the two.

Mark’s subtle and mature songwriting really comes through in these acoustic versions, and what’s more we found a big reverby gallery to play in for the opening of the epic sounding ‘Stubborn Hearts’. Also, check out Lauren Scott‘s wonderfully creepy animal creations throughout ‘If We Can Last The Summer’.

What a talented wee place we live in.

If We Can Last The Summer

Stubborn Hearts

Our History

I Wish I Knew You Better

This session was filmed as part of the ni2012 sessions, which you can see here.

posted by Will McConnell / 0 Comments

SOAK

It’s Belfast Music week, and to celebrate, I’m very happy to present a session with one of my favourite artists, not just from Ireland but from anywhere, the Derry musician Bridie Monds-Watson, aslo known as SOAK.

SOAK is still only young, but sings with the weight of years behind her. Fans here have compared her to Cat Power or Nico – and I think, in our hyberbolic times, that’s actually about right.

Sea Creatures

Explosion

Trains

SOAK plays McHughs in Belfast on Wednesday 7th November at 8pm, with Rachel Austin and Conor White.

This session was filmed as part of the ni2012 sessions, which you can see here.

posted by Will McConnell / 0 Comments