​One of my claims to fame is that as an 11 year old girl, David Balfe (real name of the artist known as For Those I Love) and I trained together in Karate and once he kicked me so hard in the chest and winded me that I had to be carried out like a rag doll.  

Sometimes, the best musical discoveries happen by accident—and this month’s pick is exactly that. While I’m definitely late to the Wunderhorse party, their song Teal has been on constant repeat since I stumbled across it during Glastonbury coverage at the end of June.

Like many of us, I was glued to the BBC broadcast, soaking up every ounce of the festival’s atmosphere from my living room. That’s when I first heard Wunderhorse—a band I’d never encountered before—deliver a blistering live version of Teal that hit me like an emotional sucker punch. I wasn’t prepared for it, but I couldn’t look away.

In May 2015, Ireland made history by becoming the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote. 
On that day, 62% of the Irish electorate voted “Yes” in a national referendum, amending the Constitution to state that “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” Ten years on, the Marriage Referendum stands as a landmark moment in the ongoing journey toward equality and human rights in Ireland.
As a young queer person who was involved in campaigning for a yes vote in the referendum, I saw the good and the bad of the campaign. 

There were incredibly moving acts of humanity, like when thousands came home from every part of the world in order to lend their hand to the yes vote. 
Unfortunately there were also acts of ignorance and hatred which cause a lot of hurt to the LGBTQ+ community. 10 years on from that historic vote, Ireland remains a two sided coin, we continue to change our laws to be more compassionate and embody humanity, but we also have a rising problem with discrimination towards minorities such as immigrants and refugees. 
This juxtaposition reminds us that there is still work to be done to ensure an equal and kind country for all of our citizens. 

As Italians go to the polls to vote on Key civil rights issue, these historic days should be remembered. The results of these votes will live in history forever and when we look back in 10, 20 or even 100 years we should be proud of the results of those votes and how humanity triumphs over wilful ignorance and exclusion.

Dublin native KhakiKid (real name Abdu Huss, insta @khakikid) has been rapping since his early teenage years in Crumlin and has a unique voice as an Irish-Libyan artist from a working class background. He’s had a dedicated fan base at home for quite a few years now but more recently he’s taking off to new heights with his new track Pylonz featuring British singer SOFY. The song, released at the end of April, is a playful, genre-blurring track that feels like summer bottled in three minutes. Known for his off-kilter style and witty, introspective bars, KhakiKid leans into a mellow, jazzy groove on this one—layering lo-fi beats with bouncy basslines and a touch of brass that gives the whole song a cartoonish charm. His verses are delivered with a smirking confidence, tossing out surreal punchlines and self-aware observations that straddle the line between goofy and brilliant.