I’m passionate about music and before coming in Ireland I didn’t know anything about the new Irish music scene. I only knew a bit about traditional Irish music and that music plays an important role in Irish culture.
My first experience with the new irish music scene was at the last RTE Choice Music Prize. I discovered a bunch of emerging artists such as Rusangano Family, Loah or more established ones such as Wallis Bird or Lisa Hannigan, and I was blown away. This night I met artists, known or not, and I shared and learnt a lot. At the time, I decided from then to start a series of interviews about emerging Irish artists, to get to know these talents and to help them to break through as much as I could.
That’s how I met the Dublin band Dreaming of Jupiter, who became my friends after our first meeting. The band is composed of Zoë Gough (Keyboard/Guitar/Lead Vocals), Dave Levins (Guitar/Vocals) and Sam Oye (Drums).
I was looking at the Dublin venues line ups when I found out that a band called Dreaming of Jupiter was playing at the Workman’s Club the following week. I listened to their tunes and found an original touch clearly distinctive and new. I contacted them and we had an interview shortly after that. We a had an amazing conversation, just as we were already friends, sharing about music, Ireland and everything around it.
Since then, I’m doing my best to support my friends and their work by going to most of their gigs and following their evolution. 2017 has been their year, starting to play in festivals such as Castlepalooza or Sea Sessions, releasing a new video and writing and writing new songs.
What amazed me was that, by being friends with them, I realised how busy and not so glamour the musicians life was. We can’t see each other regularly, Zoe teaches guitar, Sam teaches drums and Dave is working, in addition to their music work which means writing, composing and reahearsing A LOT.
That’s why I thought that it would be interesting for people to know the musicians real life, which is not so glamour that we think but so passionate and interesting. I think emerging artists are really interesting : they’re still learning, facing real life and its issues, and also, evolving, and that’s the best part.
I’ve decided to make a radio documentary about them, and it will be out soon on my culture blog Groovin’ Craic.
As a taster, here’s a bit of the interview we’ve done with the guys. Enjoy!
Follow Dreaming of Jupiter on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Lilia Lalaoui.
Picture: Dreaming of Jupiter Facebook Page.
