Hermitage Green

Hermitage Green became a Youtube sensation when their folk/trad cover of Florence and The Machine's Cosmic Love clocked up over 250,000 views. But the last thing these Limerick lads want is to be labelled a cover band.

“What happened was we started off as a jam session. We would play covers of songs that we liked and make an effort to make them original or make them our own. We had videos up of songs like Cosmic Love and they kind of snowballed.” Darragh Griffin tells us as we meet the band in a busy cafe.

All the lads.

Duke Special

By daring to pursue his artistic ambitions, Northern Irish singer-songwriter Duke Special eschewed the mainstream success he enjoyed on his first few records. But world domination has never been the most pressing ambition for the dreadlocked romanticist.

His more recent records, such as 2011's Under the Dark Cloth, were essentially abstract concept albums. In this case the record was inspired by the work of pioneering American photographers like Paul Strand and Alfred Stieglitz. And while the the quality of the music and lyrics never suffered, they were never likely to sit comfortably in the charts alongside Katy Perry or One Direction.

Dappy

With a number one single under his belt and his debut solo album reaching number six in the charts, controversial rapper Dappy's solo career has gotten off to a flying start.

But despite reports to the contrary the Camden born singer says his own success will not spell the end for N-Dubz, the group with which he and X-Factor judge Tulisa made their names.

“No I'd never say no to it. I just think that Tulisa and me are doing very individually well at the moment and I think if we keep on making our individual projects bigger and bigger, when it's time for the actual reunion, the reunion will be bigger itself”.

Now with 100% less Dappy hat. 

Julie Feeney

With her debut album 13 Songs, Julie Feeney was a surprising but deserving winner of the inaugural Choice Music Prize. Her follow-up, the hauntingly beautiful pages was greeted with similar critical acclaim and cemented the singers stake as an Irish indie icon.

Ahead of the release of her third album Clocks, it seems fair to assume that Feeney might be feeling a bit of pressure, but surprisingly that doesn't seem to be the case.

Rufus Wainwright

Life has never been particularly easy for Rufus Wainwright. Having overcome drug addiction and a notoriously difficult relationship with his famous father, Loudon Wainwright, the songwriter suffered another devastating setback with the loss of his beloved mother to cancer in 2010.

Fastforward two years and the purveyor of melodramatic orchestral pop suddenly seems more settled than ever. His first child, Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen was born to Lorca Cohen, the daughter of legendary songwriter Leonard. Named for Wainwright's mother Katherine McGarrigle, Rufus could only describe his newborn as “very, very beautiful”.

Just last August Wainwright also wed his long time partner, Jörn Weisbrodt, who he says will act as 'deputy dad' to baby Viva, at a ceremony in Montauk, New York. For this he thanks the recently re-elected President Obama, who oversaw the legalisation of gay marriage in New York during his first term.

Death In Vegas

Before last September's Trans-Love Energies, Death In Vegas hadn't released a record for seven
years. When Richard Fearless finally decided to bring his cult electro group back, he did so with an
entirely different approach.

The news that long time collaborator Tim Holmes, who also happened to be the only other
permanent member of the band, would not be returning shocked many Death In Vegas fans but
Richard has been quick to play down Holmes' role in the group. Having spent the majority of the
band's hiatus living in New York, the duo had drifted apart and by the time Fearless was ready to
take it up again he felt the need for a change.

Mystery Jets

The Mystery Jets have always been something of a question mark. When they first arrived in 2006,
their bohemian style and prog throwbacks coupled with the father son duo of Blaine and Henry
Harrison left audiences bemused. But the band were unconcerned about appearances, instead letting
their music do the talking.

It's a strategy that paid off. Since the irresistible twee of their debut they've undergone a number
of transformations on each record, surprising and delighting fans and critics alike and with every
step forward sounding more confident and assured. They continue this trend with their latest studio
effort Radlands, which they recorded in a three month period in Austin Texas.