Other Voices, In Their Own Words - The Henry Girls

Karen McLaughlin of The Henry Girls caught up with us in advance of the Inishowen siblings' performance at this year's Other Voices event, to take place in Derry-Londonderry this weekend

It's your first performance as a trio in the Year Of Culture. How does it feel to come back to Derry at this moment in time?

It's always great to perform in Derry. The audience are terrific and we always get a very warm welcome. I'm a local at this stage, because I've lived here for ten years now!

How did you get involved in Other Voices?

We opened for Philip King's band, Scullion, last October in the Balor Theatre, Ballybofey. He told us Other Voices was going to be on in Derry. So we applied and got offered a slot in the music trail, then at Bennigans, and then Mark Patterson asked if we would perform there, which was a no brainer, really... we wouldn't play anywhere else!

What can we expect from The Henry Girls at Bennigans on Friday night?

Well, even we never know what to expect at Henry Girls gigs, especially in the unique venue that is Bennigans! But we will be joined by some musician friends this time so we think there will be a lot of craic.

What will you look forward to most about performing at Other Voices this year?

I think that there is a real buzz about this weekend, and I'm sure that with that much live music going on in one city at the same time there is bound to be a lot of positive energy and creative vibes in the air. We always enjoy playing at Bennigans too, as it is one of the most welcoming and cosy venues we've played at. Joe is a perfect host and looks after all the entertainers so well... so much so that we might not be able to leave!

Who else would you recommend to audiences at Other Voices?

There are so many good acts performing around the city this weekend, both day and night, so there will be plenty for everyone's tastes. We definitely recommend going to see Little Bear; In Their Thousands, also from Donegal; Four Men And A Dog for the after party; Best Boy Grip; and, if you're lucky enough to get tickets to the Glassworks, Little Green Cars, Neil Hannon, Soak and loads more. But a good pub crawl is the way to do it. Be sure to see as many bands as possible, and definitely check out Bennigans!

The Henry Girls will be performing at Bennigans Bar, Derry-Londonderry, around 7 pm on Friday February 8. For more information on Other Voices, check out the official site or follow Other Voices on Facebook.