Queer artists share insights into Irish music scene for upcoming online BIMM event

Bringing together some of the most exciting voices in the queer Irish music scene, the MA students at BIMM have curated a thrilling online event.

Top News . Written by Oisin Kenny.

Split screen image of three queer artists who will be taking part in this online queer music event by BIMM

Queer artists will be speaking on their experiences within the Irish music scene as part of a thrilling online event curated by MA students at BIMM Institute Dublin. 

On Friday, April 16 2021, Siompóisiam will be kicking off with a range of talks, performances, and workshops for industry professionals and music lovers alike. During the event, at 16:15, LGBTQ+ artists are going to be speaking during a roundtable discussion titled Queer The Future. 

This fascinating event boasts a fabulous lineup of artists, including Xona, Cat, Viscose, TADGH, Dale Malone and ELKAE. They will be share their insights into ally-ship, representation and hopes for queer Irish music going forward. 

During the online BIMM music industry event, Siompóisiam, Dublin based queer singer and songwriter Apollo Monroe will be performing his refreshing debut single ‘soda pop’. Speaking about his sugary-sweet track, he shared on its release, “Sonically, I wanted to explore experimental subgenres of electro-pop such as hyperpop and bubblegum bass. I wanted to create a song that combines sweet, bubblegum bass sounds with trap and EDM influences, where a bright bubblegum chorus contrasts with heavier verses.”

Electronic soul artist and songwriter Laura Keane, better-known to many as ELKAE, has been celebrating her own debut EP. She shared, “‘With ‘Girls Like You Like Me’, I threw away the rule book and just let myself create.”

For the ‘Girls Like You Like Me’ single, ELKAE brought together Lydia Ford, Chloe Agnew, ZaPho, Toshín, Karla Chubb (Sprints), Sinead McConville and Taylor Mas for the song’s resounding chorus. It’s a powerhouse of an EP and definitely one to keep an ear out for. 

Speaking about ‘Girls Like You Like Me’, ELKAE further shared, “As a gay girl, a lot of my experiences were with girls. Girls who were breaking my heart, girls whose hearts I’d broken, the girls who were my friends, and how some of those broken hearts also grew into friendships and how we helped each other through it all. There’s a strange kind of unity in it all that I think can be quite unique to the gay scene at times.”

Queer The Future has definitely gathered some of the most exhilarating  voices leading the queer Irish music scene today. If people are interested in hearing their thoughts on the industry and learning about their experiences navigating this landscape, the event will be free of charge. 

Sharing their excitement for Siompóisiam, music consultant Jenny Wren wrote on Twitter, “Check out the incredible students I’ve had the honour to work with over the past few months. They have pulled this event together in lockdown, I’ve never been in an actual room with them!”

Tickets for Siompóisiam can be found at this link.

© 2021 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

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