The final event of Dumfries Music Conference 2021, the Annual Showcase, featuring Enola Gay, Bemz, Jen Mac and Ra.
Enola Gay
Belfast-based Irish post-punk/noise rock 4-piece formed in late 2019. With socially aware vocals and a bed of reverb-soaked buzzsaw guitar layered on top of a driving rhythm that draws as much inspiration from left-field electronica as it does from post-punk heroes of the late 70s. Enola Gay's unique sound has drawn widespread acclaim, culminating with them being chosen to perform at Ireland Music Week, Eurosonic, and SXSW for their 6th, 7th and 8th performances ever. Enola wasted no time in establishing themselves as one of the next unique punk voices with their confrontational tracks, having lined up festival headlining slots post-pandemic. 4 singles dropping this year, recorded with Chris W Ryan (SORBET) who also recorded Just Mustard's NME acclaimed album Wednesday and NewDad's Waves EP before embarking on a 2021 Winter Irish Tour and a Spring Tour across the UK in 2022.
Ra
Jen Mac
A DMC Exclusive! With a background in traditional music, covid-19 restrictions forced Dumfries born guitarist Jenna Macrory (Jen Mac) to adapt to a completely new music industry. Finding a new focus as an electronic music producer, Jen Mac uses sampling to obtain gritty textures and while drawing attention to social and cultural issues such as environmental and LGBTQ+ issues. Jen Mac’s unique approach to manipulating sampled materials contributes to her unique genre subverting tone.
Bemz
Ra’s lyric based, genre-spanning music takes influence from many segments of the musical sphere. Influences include The Smiths, Talking Heads, St Vincent and Arctic Monkeys. Ra has years of experience performing in intimate venues as well as larger festivals (including Eden, Electric Fields, Ukulele Festival of Scotland), both with Dumfries rock band What About Wolves and as a solo artist.
Bemz is a Glasgow based rapper, who is one of a number of artists helping to further establish Scotland as a bona fide hotbed for Black music, while also proving that rap’s cultural reach stretches way beyond London and the English borders. Having first fallen in love with music through the usual childhood influences and inspirations, Bemz began experimenting with making his own sounds, primarily as a medium of self expression. Art and poetry were the precursors to his introduction to rap, be fore blossoming into a lifelong dedication with the artform itself. Bemz’ strengths lie in the honesty within his music. He delivers a very raw, emotionally charged view of life, which never falls into the clichéd trappings that often come with that territory; truth is his asset.