This Side Up – Irish Band Of The Week

Hailing from the west of Ireland, This Side Up are all about Hip Hop music – all of the goodness and madness you’d expect from the genre but without any of the messing. Beyond subverting the norms of what we’d expect of a trio from the west of the country, the lads have pushed the boundary of the style, focusing on producing music that is both authentic, colourful, and lively. The band formed back in 2008 in McGarrigles, what started out as a few turntables and some pints quickly became a music adventure.

Since the release of their 3075 EP earlier last year, the band began to take this acclaim by the horns and keep pushing to subvert musical clichés, focusing on creating a sound that not only pays homage to vintage rock sounds but also that imbues elements of the west coast Ireland. Their follow-up work, Full Fat, was born but not after the band putting in some serious hours in the Cítog Studios in Dublin. Full Fat is a testament to the sheer quality of music found within Ireland, the verses flow incredibly smoothly, the wordplay is unapologetically cool with the colloquial turn of phrase thrown in sporadically. As an album, it does what it says on the tin, filled with absolute bangers – it’s clear that this album was a long time coming due to the focus on song-crafting and fine tuning of vocals. If ever one needed a lesson in how far music has come, then look no further than This Side Up. These are three men that are not only about subverting things but producing music with substance in the process, their track ‘Snappin’ being a perfect example of a late night banger that’s filled with charm and charisma.

So expect lots from This Side Up, they’ve been doing quite a bit of international touring as of late but will be back in The Academy with King Kong Company on 8 April.

Until then, check out the wonderful ‘Snappin’.