SOLO returns to Droichead Arts Centre in March 2022 with a brand new format and another stellar lineup of award-winning local and national artists. Curated by SJ McArdle, SOLO: Out On The Weekend will once again showcase some of the most original and incisive voices in Irish music. Taking the form of a weekend mini-festival, the event will feature performances from A Lazarus Soul, Emma Langford, Steo Wall, Theresa, Caimin hall, Josh Johnston, Sive and Shaz Oye! Now in its eighth year, SOLO has over the years seen sold out performances from world-class acts like Maria Doyle Kennedy, Mark Geary, Aoife Scott, Niamh Regan and Clare Sands.

SOLO: Out on the Weekend concludes with a very special, intimate celebration of the power of song. “Song Circle” features performances from four artists presented in the round and in a spirit of collaboration.

Sive is a songwriter and musician dubbed 'one of the most inspiring and exciting artists of our time' by Female First UK. Combining haunting vocals with delicately woven musicality and charm, she has carved a truly compelling style of alt-folk that is not afraid to differentiate from the norm. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Sadhbh released her album The Roaring Girl to critical acclaim in 2017 and proceeded to perform extensively across Ireland, Europe and New Zealand, sharing stages with the likes of Lisa Hannigan, Kila and Mick Flannery and winning a slot on RTE's Other Voices along the way. Her new album We Begin in Darkness is due for release on Veta Music on 28th April 2022.

Josh Johnston is a pianist, singer and songwriter. As a pianist, he has shared the stage and played on recordings by SJ McArdle, Roesy, Noelie McDonnell, Declan O’Rourke, Kila and Irish violinist David MacKenzie. He has also managed to find time to record a string of albums both solo and in collaboration with other musicians and artists. This year, he looks forward to releasing his 6th solo CD, Reasons To Fly (in May) and a CD of improvised reflections with poet Mark Hutchinson as MindTravels (September).

Shaz Oye is an alumnus of the very first SOLO in 2014. A songwriter of “rare eloquence and originality”, Shaz has produced a well-received body of work, released through her label ‘Radical Faeries’. Her debut album Truth according to shaz OYE garnered high praise across Irish and International media, and saw her earn top ten places in four categories of Hot Magazine Press Reader’s Poll. She has performed extensively in Ireland, and abroad, including the MAMAs (Metro Eireann Multicultural and Media Awards), the ZeBBiesAwards (Irish Playwrights & Writer Guild Awards), the Abbey Theatre and the National Convention Centre. During the pandemic Shaz took some time out to complete a Master in Education with Trinity College Dublin. Her research explores the impact of COVID-19 on embodied approaches to the arts and music in education.

SJ McArdle is a musician and curator from Drogheda. Over the past ten years he has become a true “songwriter’s songwriter”, acclaimed and respected in the industry at home and abroad. He is known for his Port project (both a live show produced in association with Droichead Arts Centre and an accompanying album song-cycle featuring Carol Keogh, Dermot Byrne and Trevor Hutchinson). He is also known for his previous work in award-winning Irish folk band Kern from 2013 to 2020 and his career as a singer-songwriter in Nashville and Germany, which produced 2014’s critically-acclaimed Blood and Bones album. SJ is also one third of Long Woman’s Grave, featuring Nuala Kennedy and Trevor Hutchinson. His songs and performances have been featured in radio, film and television and he has toured and recorded extensively in Ireland, Europe and North America, gathering a loyal following and critical accolades along the way.