Hailing from Navan, Le Boom are two brothers making high energy dance music - their sound has been described as "4am chats with your mates", and they've been selling out shows across the land.
Later this month, they're bringing the ruckus to the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival...
We asked Christy Leech from Le Boom for his choice cultural picks...
FILM
Aftersun - I watched this in the Lighthouse cinema when it first came out and it floored me. I genuinely wasn't myself for a day or two afterwards. I think all of the performances are perfect and the hyper-realism of it makes it so feel raw. I think as Irish people we all find Paul Mescal so relatable and familiar and maybe that’s part of what makes this film extra hard hitting. I also love the music in the last scenes. Have had many conversations over pints with mates trying to understand why some of us were torn up by it and others just weren’t into it at all. It really divided people down lines, I still don’t fully understand. Despite being shook for a few days after watching it, I think it must be one of my favourite films.
MUSIC
John Spillane - I think Passage West is my most listened to song of all time on Spotify. A lot of it is tied to my childhood and the feeling of nostalgia I get when I hear it. When I was in secondary school, I got a songwriting scholarship to go to An Cheathrú Rua in Connemara for a weekend to attend a songwriting workshop with John Spillane. It was my first time in Connemara and my first time hearing his music. I fell in love with his tunes, the melodies and his, at times, mythical lyrics, I found the imagery in such simple songs so transportive and still do. I associate his tunes with a very formative few days. I"m obviously around dance music a lot now but I still turn to John Spillane every time I get sick of kick drums.
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BOOK
I’m late to it but midway through reading Beautiful World, Where Are You and love the world Sally Rooney creates. I find her stuff really soothing and addictive.
PLAY
Deirdre Kinahan’s Moment was another one that knocked me years ago when I saw it. I adore all of her work but Moment was my introduction to her. It’s a play about a family dinner that takes place on the homecoming of one of the sons. We learn the son has been released from prison having done time for the murder of a neighbour and the play just centres around the dinner table conversations. It’s excellent.
TV
I think it’s a good time to go back and rewatch Listen to the Land Speak: A Journey of Return by the incredible Manchán Magan.
GIG
Fontaines DC at All Together Now. It was such a homecoming gig. There was an undeniable sense of pride and love in the crowd for the band. And they were just amazing as always.
ART
I’ve been pretty poor on this front recently. I think the last exhibition I was at was the Andy Warhol one in the Hugh Lane months ago.
We're working with an amazing artist called Glen Ryan who does a lot of street art - mostly around the streets of Dublin - if you've been in town recently you've seen his striking Palestine flag-inspired painted on electrical boxes on various streets. He's working with us on some pieces ahead of our Ireland tour dates.
RADIO/PODCAST
Blindboy is a go-to for me. His recent where he reminisces on his old schoolmates is gas. I love the RTE Doc on One stuff too but have fallen out of podcasts in general a bit lately.
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TECH
I spend a lot of my days using Logic Pro for music production so I guess this is one app/program I’d be lost without but I wouldn’t consider myself majorly techy.
THE NEXT BIG THING...
A fully bilingual society. Ta sí ar an mbealach! Feel like everyday we get closer. Tá Gaeilge le cloisteáil thart orainn taobh amuigh de na Gaeltachtai i bhfad níos mó anois ná mar a bhí . Sí mo thuairimse go bhfeicfidh muid i bhfad i bhfad níos mó ceol, dramai, scannain agus a leithéad ag teacht ar an bhfód.
Le Boom play the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival on October 25th - find out more here
