Shwmae and welcome to Green Man Chinwag, where we introduce you to a bumper bunch of GM25 acts via our punchy mini-Q&A – both newer discoveries and firm favourites!
This week we’re catching up with Cruel Sister, one of Irish rock’s new leading lights. Born Faith Nico, there’s a textured, spectral edge to the Dublin visionary’s sound, which is anchored in everything from shoegaze to grunge and glimmers of thrash metal. Her widescreen songs serve her sharp writing on late-20s anxieties, while she possesses a vocal that can jump between whispered intimacy to yowling anger.
Faith started the Cruel Sister project during lockdown, soon becoming a local hero in and around her city’s live scene as soon as gigs returned in all their glory. She has since gone on to open up for Just Mustard and Two Door Cinema Club – who will also be appearing at GM25 – and is currently preparing to embark on her first-ever headline tour later this year.
Ahead of Faith’s first-ever voyage to our shores, we invited her to answer some quickfire questions. Here, she recalls her formative gig experiences as well as sharing her ‘must-see’ list for GM25…
For fans of: PJ Harvey, Wolf Alice, Geese
Where to start: ‘Window Seat’ – forgoing restraint in favour of expansive, exhilarating swagger, this recent highlight sees Faith confidently lay down and establish her own distinct path.
Who are you looking forward to seeing live at Green Man 2025?
Beth Gibbons for sure, her latest album is incredible and Portishead are a huge inspiration for me. Also Nilüfer Yanya, she has some pure bangers.
How does performing a festival set differ from one of your own headline shows?
I think it’s definitely a more relaxed vibe for sure but it can also be so much craic. People go to festivals to see good music and just have fun and so it creates a really lovely atmosphere to play in. Also once your set is done, you get to just walk off stage with your instruments and just hang out and catch some cool shows.
Any humorous experience you’ve had on stage…
It’s only humorous in hindsight, but I once played a gig where literally everything broke. I couldn’t hear my vocals or my guitar, nor could the band, we had to keep stopping to fix stuff. It got to a point that it was like one of those nightmares you have about being ill-prepared for a gig, so towards the end we just accepted our fate that this gig was a bust and started taking the piss. I started singing in a funny voice and we just started fucking around on stage!
What’s the first thing you do when you get back home from tour?
I’m actually about to go on my first ever tour in August & September! But generally whenever I come back from travelling, sleeping in my own bed in my own room is something I relish in haha.
What was the musical moment that changed the world for your teenage self?
The moment I decided I wanted to learn how to play guitar was because of this one scene in an anime called The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. At a school concert, a character called Yuki Nagato starts shredding on this white Gibson SG guitar – and I was determined to learn how to play that exact riff! (I still can’t to this day).
Which song of yours would you recommend to a new listener, and why?
Probably ‘Lenny’, I think it generally encapsulates what Cruel Sister is about: angry, screechy, a bit grim, loud guitar
And finally, what’s your favourite biscuit?
I’m a bit addicted to matcha cookies at the moment.