Artists

For many, The Immediate were one of the very best Irish bands of recent years - passionate, experimental, unashamedly romantic and abundantly talented. Boasting several singers and songwriters, their unique, varied sound made them stand out a mile from the endless merry-go-round of identikit indie landfill, and their instrument-swapping, unpredictable live shows were a joy to behold. The band's break up in 2007 was as untimely as it was unexpected - their debut album had recently been nominated for the Choice music prize, and their career seemed to be on a steady upwards curve. However, the very qualities that made the band so beloved to many – their artiness, their unwillingness to be categorised – made life hard for them commercially, and this undoubtedly played some part in their disintegration.

Fast forward 18 months and Conor O'Brien, one of the band's chief songwriters, began confidently introducing his own band, Villagers. The band  (including various members of Dublin bands past and present, including One Day International) were instantly showered with love from all quarters. And with good reason – Villagers' music has the same gutsy, intense force of O'Brien's former band with perhaps a more direct style, and the inevitable focus which comes from a band with a central mind and voice. Debut EP Hollow Kind, released in early 2009, impressed hugely, in particular catching the ears of Domino Records who will bring out Villagers full debut in 2010.