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“There seemed to be a really strong sense of comm
unity around the festival itself. A lot of like-minded people, in terms of styles and tastes, but enough music to push to one side or another, so I think that’s really great. “I think, for international acts, it’s an amazing opportunity to play in front of an attentive Irish audience, and, for local acts, I think it’s just a sick bill to be a part of. There are just so many great bands playing, whether it’s local or international. “When I was thinking about which shows I’d like to do over the year, that was a real target. I was like, ‘I’d love to be able to play Borderline. I feel like that would be a really good fit for this project.’ So, I was really delighted when the offer came in.” While Simon is optimistic about Borderline’s future, he does wrap by reminding people, “Borderline is in our third year. We want to really keep doing this, and it just comes down to the audience. I’m confident that some of the acts that we have on this year are so, so cool, and so exciting. People are really going to enjoy it. I know it for a fact. Even as a fan, I’m really excited.” Simon goes on to highlight Mary in the Junkyard, Boko Yout, Adult DVD, Art School Girlfriend, LIONSTORM, BROOKI, and Bleech 9:3 as acts that he’s particularly excited to see, before continuing, “There’s so much cool shit on the bill, and I’m genuinely excited about it. I love doing this. “I’m booking it as a fan, as well. There’s no better thing to do than to be able to book a festival of artists you love, get to go around the world, find new stuff, bring it back to Dublin, and put it on a silver platter for Irish audiences to lap it up!” Borderline Festival takes place at The Workman’s Club and The Project Arts Centre, Dublin, from the 19th to the 21st of February. You can see the full line-up and purchase tickets at borderlinefestival. com. This year’s Borderline Festival will see some brilliant domestic talent, like The Null Club, Prima Queen, BROOKI, and Bleech 9:3, share the stage with a smorgasbord of select international acts who, otherwise, may not have had the opportunity to arrive on our shores. With so much to see over the weekend, we have curated ten artists from this year’s line-up that we’re most geeked to see! 1. mary in the junkyard The London experimental art trio mary in the junkyard are the act I’m most excited to see. They supported The Murder Capital and Soft Play at the Iveagh Gardens in July, but if you missed them then, now is your opportunity. Their soft but foreboding and asymmetric instrumentation creates a misty and jagged foundation, which is then paved over by Clari Freeman-Taylor’s beautifully erratic and breathy vocals (think Björk, Kate Bush, or Tori Amos for comparisons). Their ability to find the euphonious in the disquieting has resonated with artists like Wet Leg, who invited them to open for them on their recent North American tour. Recommended Taster: “ghost” 2. Boko Yout The Stockholm-based “afro-grunge” project Boko Yout, seen on p4, have gained a lot of attention across the continent, as they’ve been the go-to openers for their fellow sötnos Swedes, Viagra Boys, on their last few tours. Their addictive, genre-defying music (which can sound like Nick Cave having a go on a mbalax beat in one song, to angels adding a chorus to a Dodie instrumental on another) is just as captivating as their energetic live shows. Recommended Taster: “GUSTO” mary in the junkyard 3. Pollyfromthedirt Spare and minimalistic to the point of just marginally hitting the criteria of existing, the music of the enigmatic Durham boy, Pollyfromthedirt, somehow makes Wire sound like AC/DC in comparison. “Electro-folk,” I guess you could label it; Pollyfromthedirt’s lyrics are straight-up cerebral working-class social critique of the institutions his nation claims he should be proud of, à la Billy Bragg. One of the most interesting acts on the bill, and, fortunately, his entire discography thus far has been condensed into a single EP, titled The dirt pt. 1, for convenient listening. Recommended Taster: “theres no such thing as England” 4. Art School Girlfriend With her third studio album, Lean In, expected to be released in March via Fiction (the current label of Tame Impala and Death From Above 1979), Borderline will see the Welsh electronic musician Art School Girlfriend returning to Dublin for the first time since 2018. The dampened verdant pastures illustrated on the album’s cover and paratext (which, to me, is reminiscent of Death Stranding of all things) hint at a record immersed in earthy ambience. Really happy that she’s finally coming back! Recommended Taster: “The Peaks” Polly From the Dirt Art School Girlfriend 16