The Vox Set at Mussenden Temple
The Vox Set returns for a second series of intimate concerts inside the iconic Mussenden Temple. Following a stellar launch year with Stunt Double Music, 2024 promises an eclectic mix of talented artists and curated live performances inside the Temple's 200 year old walls. With views across the Atlantic Ocean, enjoy an experience like no other as well-known and up-and-coming artists share cherished classics and new compositions.
Series Two: 2024
Episode 1: Jake Blount
Thursday 13 June 2024
Kicking off this season is rising star of the American roots music scene, Jake Blount.
Making his first appearance in Northern Ireland, the acclaimed artist will be lighting up the Temple with his unique, modern take on folk traditions.
Expect a mix of evocative songs and foot-stomping fiddle tunes, with exceptional musicianship and singing.
About Jake Blount
Jake Blount is a rising star of American roots music, a talented banjoist and fiddle player and soulful singer. The award-winning artist's work shines a light on the major yet often overlooked contributions that Black, Indigenous and LGBTQ artists have made to American folk traditions.
Jake has toured widely across the USA and Europe, taking his music and scholarship to venues including Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall and Denmark’s Roskilde Festival. His 2022 album The New Faith features inspired new arrangements of traditional songs including Black spirituals and Blues, and has received glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, The Guardian and many more.
Episode 2: Arborist
Saturday 20 July 2024
Labelled ‘one of the most literate and affecting acts in the north’, the Belfast-based alternative-folk artist’s ‘impeccable, gently Americana-flavoured’ third album ‘An Endless Sequence of Dead Zeros’ took home the prestigious Northern Ireland Music Prize 2023.
With plays from Cillian Murphy, Cerys Matthews and Frank Skinner, it culminated in a rousing BBC 6 Music Live Session on Riley & Coe.
This July, Arborist takes his poignant and beautiful music to this breathtaking cliff-side venue.
You can expect a special and unforgettable evening of ‘incredible songs that are all-at-once bleak yet upliftingly beautiful’.
About the artist:
Belfast’s Mark McCambridge has been performing as Arborist for more than ten years.
His debut single saw him duet with The Pixies’ Kim Deal – and has gone on to support James Yorkston, Low, Echo and The Bunnymen, and more.
MOJO Magazine described Arborist’s ‘mesmerising’ award-winning album ‘An Endless Sequence of Dead Zeros’ as “a brilliant exploration of just how inventive Americana can be.”
Episode 3: Muireann Bradley
Saturday 10 August 2024
Born and bred in Co Donegal, the 17-year-old started the year on a high when she stole the show at Jools Holland’s annual New Year’s Eve Hootenanny.
Since then, she's been selling out gigs across the UK and Ireland, as well as performing live on RTÉ's Late Late Show, BBC Radio 2 and Radio Ulster.
This August, Muireann takes her young and “playful take on American classics” to the 18th century cliff-edge Temple.
Her Vox Set concert promises to be an unforgettable experience in a breathtaking venue.
About the artist:
Exposed to old blues music from a young age, Muireann's influences include Blind Lemon Jefferson, Memphis Minnie and Elizabeth Cotten.
The Ballybofey guitarist and singer specialises in performing acoustic fingerpicking country, piedmont, and ragtime blues styles.
Labelled “unavoidably impressive” by The Guardian, her debut album “I Kept These Old Blues” managed to reach number one on the Amazon download chart in the UK and the top ten on the iTunes chart.
Episode 4: Joshua Burnside
Saturday 7 September 2024
Rounding out the second series of intimate performances is the phenomenal alt-folk singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside.
An experimental artist, Joshua takes influence from alternative electronica as well as Irish and Scottish folk, chopping and blending them with a mixture of found sounds, world music and unorthodox production methods.
Labelled one of the best songwriters of the modern day, Joshua brings his unique brand of folk magic to the north coast this September for a performance like no other.
The 200-year-old walls of this beautiful historic venue will be filled with a blend of euphoric and melancholic numbers, but never a dull moment in-between.
About the artist:
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Joshua Burnside’s musical style has been compared to that of Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, and Tom Waits, all of whom he has noted as personal inspirations.
Named "the best songwriter in Ireland right now, and probably beyond" by Phil Taggart, Joshua has chalked up over 10 million streams on Spotify with extensive radio play and support from BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music.
Recent live highlights including selling out his biggest headline show to date at Belfast’s Ulster Hall, as well as festivals including Cambridge Folk and Glastonbury.
Series One: 2023
Duke Special
Duke Special performs at The Vox Set in Mussenden Temple.
1 of 5
Virtual Reality Experience
One thing ticketholders might notice when they come to the gigs is something that looks a bit like an orb on stilts. That will be the Virtual Reality camera. We're working with Stunt Double Music, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Ulster University to record these concerts in this cutting edge film format.
With VR you get far more of an experience of actually sitting in Mussenden Temple for the concert than traditional video allows, and it's far more accessible than it used to be. This material will be released later on in the year for more people to get a flavour of this one-of-a-kind experiences.