A cliché has it that you have to beware of the quiet ones, because most of the time their voices speak sharper and with more range than the loudmouths. Every cliché, however, has a grain of truth in it, and so it’s fair to say that while County Cork singer-songwriter Mick Flannery is outwardly reserved, his songs are fluent in expressing layered aspects of the human condition, its flaws, triumphs, and general uncertainty. An award-winning, double-platinum selling artist, Mick Flannery is on the brink of releasing not only his self-titled sixth album, but also overseeing the worldwide premiere of the stage musical, Evening Train (so named after his 2007 debut album). He began to write songs as a teenager in his home of Blarney, County Cork. As musical influences from albums by the likes of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits seeped into his creative DNA, Mick absorbed, learned and honed the craft that would send him on his way into the world. The path was smoothed somewhat when, at the age of 19, he became the first Irish songwriter to win the Nashville-based International Songwriting Competition. By the time he turned 21, he had signed to a major label and released his debut album. “When I mess about with songs, with choruses,” explains Mick, “I try to write the best ones. It’s like a kid kicking around a football on the street – he wants to be Lionel Messi, not a player in a lower division. It’s hard to kill off that level of ambition – I just want to be good at the craft.” Beware of the quiet ones? You have been duly advised.

Tianna Esperanza is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller who embodies a depth of talent and heart well beyond her 22 years. With a sultry voice and flair for fashion, Esperanza creates compelling music inspired by legendary artists such as Nina Simone, Public Enemy, and Gil Scott-Heron. Esperanza also happens to be the granddaughter of punk legend Paloma (“Palmolive”) McLardy, who founded the London-based 1970s all-girl punk band The Slits and later played with The Raincoats. Growing up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Tianna was hardly surrounded by diversity. As a multiracial child in an affluent, predominantly white beach town, she navigated as best as she could, knowing that she was wired differently for a myriad of reasons. Tianna sought to forge her own path, though her life’s journey wasn’t smooth. Experiencing othering and colorism was felt on both a micro and macro level for Tianna as she grew up, but she also suffered the loss of her younger brother, while later surviving sexual assault. Her survivor’s instinct and therapeutic creativity fuel her debut album Terror, a project that is not only a composite of all she has endured, but also a means to find herself within the music. As the rising star unveils her debut masterpiece Terror, set for release on February 17th, 2023 and produced by Chin Injeti (P!nk, Eminem, Aloe Blacc), Tianna is geared to create a movement powered by honest and authentic music that will stand the test of time.