This Side Up bring hip-hop vibe to musical mayhem

Groove Tube with Jimi McDonnell – tribunegroove@live.ie

Musical Mayhem, a musical evening curated by Mikey & The Scallywags, celebrates its sixth anniversary in Monroe’s Live on Friday, February 5.

Acts playing on the night will include Gabriel G Band, reggae supremos The Clandestinos and Sligo hip-hop outfit This Side Up.

This Side Up released their debut EP, 3075, in October. Its title refers to the distance in miles separating Sligo, where the trio grew up, from hip-hop’s birthplace in New York. So, how did the genre find its way to Sligo?

“It found its way there a long time ago!” says rapper Shaool. “We started doing nights back in 2008. Basically, DJ Noone was running nights in a venue in Sligo called The Clarence and Myster E would get up and spit some rhymes with him. I got involved as well, and it turned into a hip-hop night called This Side Up.”

The led to the band being formed, and soon Shaool, Myster E and DJ Noone were recording and honing their live act. At the time of the interview, E and Shaool are getting stuck into some new songs.

“I have a set-up here in the house with a recording booth,” E says. “We have a load of beats made at the moment, and we’re just working out lyrics and ideas for new tracks for a new album, which we plan to release in April or May.”

How do they go about writing songs?

“One of us will kick it off and then bounce the idea around the place,” E says. “We could be sitting in the studio, then go our separate ways and start writing lyrics. When we come back with put them down in my studio and see if we’re happy with them, and then polish them off.”

One of their most impressive tracks so far is Relevant, which features a winning chorus courtesy of up-and-coming Irish singer Joni. How did the lads come across her work?

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.