Details
Music from some of this island's most exciting acts in a spectacular setting!
Imagine a Jools Holland show set in a magical theatrical landscape of light and glitter and that's what you can expect from this upbeat night of music.
Lucent is a celebration of new beginnings, of emerging out of darker times into the start of something brighter and more hopeful.
Hex Hue will be joined by music legends Beauty Sleep, the brilliant Sasha Samara and alt-pop "one to watch" Zapho. Coming together all on the one stage, expect bespoke and never before heard collaborations across the 4 acts, in a not to be missed musical adventure.
Set in a beautiful landscape designed by Timmy White and Tracey Lindsay with lights designed by the award-winning Ciaran Bagnall, Lucent celebrates the mark of a new era musically for Hex Hue with the upcoming release of her debut EP of the same name.
The live version of Lucent is a collaborative piece of work curated, directed and performed by Hex Hue (Katie Richardson), Beauty Sleep, Sasha Samara and Zapho. The creation of the songs was generously funded by Help Musicians UK and inspired by the personal stories of artists working locally now and throughout the pandemic.
"The lucent moment is that one glimmer of light amidst a sea of murky darkness. It’s the deep inhalation after a long fight for air and it’s the sigh of relief after months of stress, panic and creative clutter. It’s that one moment when everything comes together, even just for a second, to make all the hours of anxiety and doubt seem worthwhile and meaningful. It’s elusive and mysterious and it doesn’t always arrive when it’s supposed to or stay for as long as it should but we spend months and years searching for it, trying desperately to cling on. It is why we do what we do." - Hex Hue (Katie Richardson)
Hex Hue marks a clean break for Belfast vocalist and musician Katie Richardson whose name is synonymous with eclectic creative spirit and collaboration in Northern Ireland. Between her varied work as a composer, producer and songwriter, she’s long been at the heart of the country’s forward-pushing musical community. Bearing the imprint of Scando pop and percussive electronica every bit as much as introspective indie, Hex Hue offers up harmony-driven, Technicolour alt-pop that locks its gaze on the horizon to see better, brighter days.
"Numbers' is a taut, pristine piece of alt-pop, with its vital vocal pitting HEX HUE against the world." CLASH
"Numbers’ combines the best parts of indie and electronica. It's a mesmerising affair.” Hotpress
"The single is a tour de force of emotive, hazy, and dreamy synth-pop brilliance." The Last Mixed Tape
"A luminous burst of alt-pop from an artist that we’ve long come to associate with earworming and emphatic sounds." The Thin Air
Dates & Times
Team & Cast
Cast
Katie is a musician, songwriter, composer and sound designer who currently makes her own music under the name Hex Hue. She was a touring member of Choice nominated ‘Pleasure Beach’ and has worked with musicians such as Foy Vance and Duke Special as well as supporting artists like Van Morrison, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Bell X1, All Saints and many more.
As well as being MAC resident artist in 2016, Katie has worked with many theatre companies in NI including the Lyric, Maiden Voyage Dance, and Tinderbox.
She starred in the Lyric Theatre’s production of Good Vibrations, as well as being the onstage Musical Director. She was sound designer for the MAC’s co-production with Prime Cut Productions, Father the Father.
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Radical art-pop sweethearts Beauty Sleep are producer and songwriting duo Cheylene and Ryan aka "the Irish King and Queen of Indie-Pop". The band are a boojie buffet of the most bewitching synths and bombastic guitars that are guaranteed to make you blush. These partners in crime released their debut album ‘Be Kind' in 2019 which saw them nominated for Northern Irish Album of the Year and garnered national radio support from BBC Radio One, 6Music, and RTE2fm.
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Sasha Samara is a new voice in the Northern Irish scene, bringing a fresh vision of folk-tinged indie-pop that is honest and insightful. After launching her debut single ‘Broken Vessel’ in late 2019, her vulnerable approach to songwriting has endeared her to local audiences. With candid lyrics and girl-next-door connection, she has earned a slot at the coveted Ruby Sessions in Dublin and in November 2020, she was awarded the New Contender Award at the NI Music Prize. Her debut E.P. is set for release in Summer 2022.
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Genre wise an eclectic mixed bag, Zapho draws from pop, alternative, soul, and indie influences, creating a unique sound that is truly her own. Infectious hooks, driving beats, rich electro soundscapes all wrapped up in her memorable alt-pop sound, she is an artist that has been noticeably impressing the industry since her launch in 2019. Zapho effortlessly infuses LGBT+ themes, female-focused narratives, that cross genres and push musical boundaries, with catchy melodies that feel familiar, yet totally new.