Hit the Snake is an Irish gaming channel on Youtube, operated and hosted by Jack Ahern and Patrick Hendrick. HTS garnered attention at the end of 2017, when their video of “Awkward Lara Croft” went viral, hitting over 1,000,000 views. Their channel is made up of a number of interactive series, including Patrick’s attempt to win the Champions League with Cork City on FIFA 18, and Jack’s “What’s in the Box?” segment. In this conversation, James and the lads spoke about what it was like for them to go viral for the first time, the role that gaming has played in their friendship, and their dealings with Youtube. For more info on Hit the Snake, visit www.youtube.com/hitthesnake
Alex Manning is an Irish wedding planner and events co-ordinator. She is the founder and director of The Wedding Experience, and has worked for ten years in the entertainment industry as part of Occasions Event Management. In this conversation, James and Alex discuss body confidence, social media, moving house, her experiences of planning weddings for a wide variety of clients, and suggestions for your own wedding day. For more information on Alex, visit www.theweddingexperience.ie
Ross Frenett is a co founder of Moonshot CVE, and works in countering violent extremism. As Director of the Against Violent Extremism network, he worked with former extremists and survivors to prevent young people from commiting violence. In his work with Moonshot, Ross uses counter messaging campaigns and digital capacity building to help his clients better understand and respond to violent extremism. In this episode, James and Ross speak about what initially drew him to CVE, the differences between counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism, how to deal with extremists returning from fighting abroad, his hopes for the future and more. For more info, visit www.moonshotcve.com
Niamh Farrell is the lead singer of Irish indie favourites, Ham Sandwich. Known nationwide for her unique voice and performances, Niamh was also recently named Woman of the Year in Music by Irish Tatler. Ham Sandwich’s latest album “Stories from the Surface” reached no.1 in the Irish charts, and their new single “Bodies” is already a staple of radio playlists across Ireland. In this episode, Niamh and James talk about Michael D. Higgins, her recent Irish Tatler Award, her first gig, her approach to writing new music and more. For more info on Niamh and Ham Sandwich, visit www.hamsandwichmusic.com Cover Photo by Laura Sheeran (many thanks to her for it!)
The abNORM series is a monthly, long form opinion piece written and researched by James OR. The abNORM will be available to Patreon contributors of a certain level, but this first episode is available to all subscribers free of charge. As allegations continue to surface against an ever growing list of influential people in the entertainment industry, James discusses applying meaningful and lasting accountability to those who choose to abuse their power; starting with Harvey Weinstein. Special thanks to Alison Killilea of the UCC Department of English for her help in putting this piece together; for more information on The abNORM series, visit patreon.com/jamesor
Emma Langford is a singer songwriter from Limerick. Named as “Best Solo Female Artist” for 2017 by Pure M Zine, Emma has recently followed up the release of her debut EP with her new album, “Quiet Giant”. She is currently on tour with the Irish Folk Festival as the “featured songwriter”, and has shared the stage with internationally renowned acts such as Ham Sandwich and Ron Sexsmith. In this episode, Emma and James discuss social media, travelling, the Irish language, homelessness, nuclear war, and more. For more info on Emma and her goings on, visit emmalangfordmusic.com. Cover image by Gregor Eisenhuth. Special thanks to Chez Le Fab for their generosity! Check them out here: www.facebook.com/chezlefabcafebar.
Gemma Sugrue is an Irish vocalist, vocal coach and vocal health expert. She is the co-founder and director of Voiceworks Studio, with locations in Cork, Killarney and Dublin. She is the voice of Jenny Greene’s acclaimed shows with the RTE concert orchestra, and has also performed with acts including Bon Iver and Jack O’ Rourke. In this episode, Gemma and James speak about touring, performance anxiety, song writing, vocal health, teaching, social media and more. For more information on what Gemma’s up to, visit her website; www.gemmasugrue.com