OUR TENEMENT TRAIL SPOTLIGHT series is back for 2025, which means we’ll be bringing you interviews with some of the most exciting names on this year’s lineup before we hit up the East End of Glasgow on 11th October.
First up is Dirty Faces from Derry, a compelling duo comprised of Josh O’Kane and Lorcan Hamilton who have made themselves known to the Glasgow live scene with a series of formidable gigs at King Tuts, McChuills and, of course, at the O2 Academy supporting Kneecap. Their song “80%” was even featured in the soundtrack to the hip hop group’s BAFTA nominated biopic.
However, while the pair are closely aligned, Dirty Faces are sonically more aggressive than their fellow countrymen – taking influence from post-punk, gothic, new wave, hip hop, boom bap and plenty more. But more importantly, they have a real fire and drive that’s imbued in every track, driven by commanding vocals, brutish beats and raw lyrics.
So, ahead of their TENEMENT TRAIL debut, we caught up with the pair to find out more about their influences, their year so far and what we can expect from their set.
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What can we expect from your TENEMENT TRAIL set?
Josh: “So for our set of Trail, you can expect something different. Different from what you’re used to, I think. But barring our oddities, I’d expect a fast-paced set, not long-lived, but long-remembered, or so I’ve been told.”
What makes Glasgow crowds so special?
Josh: “What makes a Glasgow crowd special is the power that they have. They know a good thing and they know an important thing. And if they like you, if they trust you, they’ll hand that power over to you. The inmates are running the asylum here. I’m just happy that I’ve been sectioned with them.”
Who are your biggest influences? How has your sound evolved since starting?
Lorcan: “The influence at the start was mainly post-punk, new wave, gothy, angry vocals, no happiness whatsoever, but there’s a sense of joy as well. Then we progress to the hip hop scene.The ’90s, boom bap was the route we were going.”
Josh: “I mean, my biggest influences when I’m writing isn’t other bands. It’s the people from where I’m from. It’s Bernadette Devlin. It’s Eamonn McCann, Sean Harkin. It’s the people that’s done things for us. There’s a reason my dad could get a job. There’s a reason I could get a job from where I’m from. It’s because of the civil rights movement that happened there. They’re the people look up to. They’re the people that remind us where we’re from and how they act.
What has been the highlight of your year so far?
Josh: “This year has been class so far, from supporting Kneecap at the O2 Academy, to headlining King Tuts. But the highlight for me has to be selling out McChuills back in February for Vicar Street Social. There’s no better place than McChuills, and there is no better energy than a VSS crowd.”
