The Cork/Kerry band have just released new single 'Sweet Spot'

Avant-garde Dingle/Cork-based band Pinhole are comprised of Ciara O’Flynn, Mark McLoughlin and other transitory musicians.

The band waves the alternative flag but deliberately skates over genre boundaries - they have been likened by some to a reinvented Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, Bat for Lashes and Portishead.

The duo have just announced their upcoming shows in Cork and Dublin with their haunting, kaleidoscopic new single ‘Sweet Spot’.

We caught up with Ciara to learn more.

1. What’s the music that you listened to growing up, that you still listen to today?
The Band. Through all phases I've gone through - from grunge, punk, art-rock etc. - I've always listened to The Band. The songwriting is excellent and the harmonies and musicianship are just so... comfortable!  So many other bands and genres have fallen by the wayside, but not these guys. That, and Jeff Buckley's 'Grace' - I've never tired of it, I love the production and the skill in it. And anything by Portishead.

2. In three words, describe the minute before you walk on stage.
Imposter vs. Confident

3. How do you wind down after a gig?
After packing up and a little drink, I love the drive home after: no tunes, just silence and letting the brain unwind.

4. What’s the one song (by another artist) you wish you’d written or recorded first?
I think anything on the first Portishead album - it must have been so exciting to be in that studio way back then, creating a sound that in my opinion, hasn't aged that much at all.

5. What is your pet peeve?
It's more than a peeve but... greed.  A 'pet' peeve is mansplaining by a man or woman!

6. Name one record, one book and one film that everyone should hear / read / see.
The Pixies - ‘Debaser’. It was just so unique in approach, sound, production - really blew open the doors for me

The Tao de Ching. Leave it in the loo and dip into it, it will change your life - or Dineen's Irish/ English dictionary. It's fascinating.

There are so many movies I'd recommend but I'm drawing a bit of a blank... ‘Amelie’ is just so mischievous and clever and unique.

7. Pick the director and lead actor(s) for a biopic about your life.
Wes Anderson and Jean-Paul Jeunet as co-directors, and Tilda Swinton as me (!!!)

8. You’re ordering take-away, what do you get?
A really good Mexican.

9. Describe your perfect day off.
Warm, dry weather, starts with birdsong, undisturbed hour or two in bed to read, really good breakfast (fruit salad with yogurt and really hip sourdough toast with Earl Grey tea), something on the sea (I bought a paddleboard lately and I love it), picnic lunch with my family, massage, evening dinner followed by music session with pals.

10. Tell us, in one sentence, why we should come to your next gig (whenever it may be.)
Pinhole are trying to make unique but listenable tunes and I think we've achieved that; we're slightly different to the norm and our songs address current issues and I think that's interesting.

BONUS QUESTION: Recommend a podcast and tell us why we should subscribe to it.  
Song Exploder - I LOVE it. The podcast features interviews with songwriters from all over on how their songs came to them, how they wrote them, and surprises during recording.

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'Sweet Spot' is out now. Pinhole play Crane Lane on 27th June and Whelan's Upstairs on 30th June.