Latest news with #TheAnswer
Sunday World
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
The Irish singer leading the rebellion against the rise of AI
'Music is about soul, it is the most human thing in the world.' Ireland's busiest musician has gone back to basics with the launch of his latest project. Best known as lead singer of rock giants The Answer, he has made a move in a different direction – not for the first time in a long and varied career. California Irish is a new seven piece who have just launched their debut album The Mountains Are My Friends , the culmination of a dream and an homage to legendary Laurel Canyon sound of the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Joni Mitchell. 'When I was young there was a cassette (tape) that sat on top of the fridge, on one side there was Ladies of the Canyon by Joni Mitchell and the on the other Tea For The Tillerman (Cat Stevens),' he said. 'It was always on, it became engrained in me, the songs are stories and they created pictures in my mind.' Cormac Neeson. Laurel Canyon is valley outside Los Angeles which became a magnet for musicians such as Mitchell and Bands like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was a particular sound and now half a century later it has inspired Neeson and his newly formed band California Irish. The band came together after a production on the life of rock legend Neil Young staged at the MAC in Belfast. 'I had a collection of songs and I knew that was the kind of sound I wanted to for them,' he told the Sunday World this week. The plan was for the songs to make up his second solo album but after getting his backing musicians together he realised it had to be presented as a joint project. 'We recorded the album at Middle Farm in Devon where we made the last album for The Answer, I waited until the very last day of recording before I told the rest that I wanted to make this a band project, I already had the name in my head which is an obvious reference to Laurel Canyon. 'Thankfully they were all happy with it.' In keeping with the tradition of Laurel Canyon, the album was recorded without all the technical bells and whistles that go with the modern process, including AI. The Answer:Downpatrick Band News in 90 Seconds - July 26th 'It drives me mad when I hear kids listening to music that has so obviously been created by AI, music is about soul, it is the most human thing in the world,' Cormac says. 'I know AI is here to stay but I wasn't going to let those influences in on this album – what you hear is what WE did, not a machine. 'This album is the opposite of boring AI-generated, no-soul perfection. We recorded this album in a room together over four days allowing the music to breathe when it needed to, looking at each other for our cues and feeding off each other's energy. 'It felt like a dream... but it's the most real thing I've ever done in music. That Laurel Canyon sound of the late 60s, epitomised by the early Crosby, Stills, Nash &Young stuff and the first few Joni Mitchell records, has always felt otherworldly and magical. On our album we've tried to access some of that beauty and create our own magic by combining brand new music with an old-school recording process.' Festival-goers at Stendahl earlier this month got a taste of what California Irish is all about. 'We did a couple of secret warm-up gigs before Stendahl including one in Castlewellan. I was so nervous, I was hoping we might get about 80 people but 350 turned up, it was amazing.' Read more He admits to still getting butterflies before taking the stage even though he has played in front tens of thousands of fans when The Answer supported rock legends AC/DC, The Answer have just completed a hugely successful European tour and you can find Cormac on stage at the Black Box on Sunday afternoons with his other band Unholy Gospel. 'I have to have something on the go, I just need it. There's a down when you come to the end of a tour or record an album all of a sudden it's about emptying the dishwasher or putting the kids to bed.' And fans of The Answer have nothing to worry about. 'All is great with The Answer, we all live in different countries now but we regularly get together on Zoom, we have plans and hopefully we'll have something to announce in the not too distant future.' He said they were aiming for a single and album release in 2026. For now the focus is on California Irish with an appearance at the Eats and Beats Festival in his native Newcastle at the end of the summer, and the output festival in Belfast, with a view to scheduling gigs across Ireland the UK. 'I love the sound on the album, I think its very faithful to Laurel Canyon which is exactly what we wanted,' he said. 'I don't see it as a huge departure from what I'm known for, Neil Young's music has always had a rock element, but you know it's music no matter what label you put on it.'
Belfast Telegraph
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
California Irish hit the heights with debut album
Loaded with hippy vibes and hooks the size of the Mournes, the all-star band — the brainchild of The Answer's Cormac Neeson — have created a record to be proud of.
Belfast Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
‘After a very difficult time in my life, I needed something different from The Answer'
Singer Neeson opens up on family life and his new musical project When it comes to juggling a rock star life and being a doting dad of three young children, Belfast-based singer Cormac Neeson has The Answer. Today sees the release of the debut album for his new band project California Irish, a seven-piece group he describes as a 'happy accident'.
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
Shaq and Iverson team up to revive Reebok from obscurity in the Netflix docuseries 'Power Moves'
LOS ANGELES -- LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson once clashed on the court in the 2001 NBA Finals, but now the basketball legends are joining forces to revive the Reebok brand they helped make iconic. In the Netflix docuseries, 'Power Moves,' which premiered this week, the Hall of Famers swap jerseys for executive titles, with O'Neal stepping in as president of Reebok Basketball while Iverson takes on the role as vice president. The six-episode series offers a behind-the-scenes look at their mission to spark a cultural resurgence for the classic sneaker company. O'Neal, standing 7-foot-1, sees himself as a voice for today's big men. But when it comes to reaching the quick, gritty guards of this generation, he knows there's no better ambassador than the 6-foot Iverson, whose '90s signature shoes are still a staple in sneakerhead circles. 'I didn't build Reebok all by myself,' said O'Neal, who won three straight NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and another with the Miami Heat. He signed with Reebok in 1992 and made the brand popular with his first signature shoe, called the Shaq Attaq. Iverson's signature shoes, The Question and The Answer, were some of the top sellers in the industry. He signed a lifetime endorsement and marketing contract with Reebok in 2001. 'I needed A.I. to be vice president because if you're a guard, you want to see a legendary guard,' he said. "I wanted to do a show that's not scripted. Not polished. I wanted it to be real work.' Iverson called documenting his role in helping revitalize Reebok a 'full circle moment" while working alongside O'Neal, who he calls 'big bro.' 'I get the honor of doing this with (Shaq), having a relationship with him,' said Iverson, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard, who was an 11-time All-Star and won the league's MVP in 2001 — the same year O'Neal and Iverson faced off in the NBA Finals. Iverson was known for being an undersized guard who played with a supersized heart. 'The type of things I learn from him — on and off the court. He's just a beautiful guy," Iverson said about O'Neal. "He stands up to his faults. The things that he felt he did wrong in life. The way he treats his mom. All that resembles who I am. That makes this special.' Reebok, founded in 1895, became a household name in the early 1990s, thanks to Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown and his iconic Pump sneakers. The brand took off from there inking major deals with O'Neal and Iverson, partnering with the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, and even stepping into hip-hop with signature lines for Jay-Z and 50 Cent's G-Unit. But Reebok's cultural momentum began to fade after Nike doubled down on star power with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Adidas bought the company for $3.8 billion in 2006, aiming to better compete with Nike on a global scale. Instead, Reebok struggled to find its footing, gradually losing its identity in both sports and style. 'Now it's time for us to get Reebok back to prominence," said O'Neal, who played a key role in Reebok's acquisition in 2021 by Authentic Brands Group, where he is a shareholder. 'There's all these competitive brands, which is fine. It makes the job harder. But for me, it's all about motivation and trying to build." 'Power Moves' dives into Reebok's strategy for staying relevant, including signing rising stars like WNBA phenom Angel Reese to the brand's first name, image and likeness (NIL) deal. The series also shows how O'Neal leans on a surprising source for insight into today's athletes through his son, Shareef. Shaq was initially set on creating high-top sneakers, until a visit to a massive Amateur Athletic Union tournament — with nearly 70 courts — sparked a shift. Shareef pulled his dad aside and explained that low tops are the go-to for this generation. It was a lightbulb moment that helped Shaq better understand and connect with modern players. 'I had to realize that my way is not always the right way,' Shaq said. 'Sometimes, the best way to be an effective leader is listening to the ones who are really in the trenches.' Iverson believes he and Shaq can help Reebok bounce back by paying forward the same support and opportunity the brand once gave them. 'We're going to show our love to the brand that showed us love,' he said. 'We're putting our efforts into what they did in my life. Reebok took care of my family, my friends, me. It was a power move. We're here to bring it back.'
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shaq and Iverson team up to revive Reebok from obscurity in the Netflix docuseries 'Power Moves'
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson once clashed on the court in the 2001 NBA Finals, but now the basketball legends are joining forces to revive the Reebok brand they helped make iconic. In the Netflix docuseries, 'Power Moves,' which premiered this week, the Hall of Famers swap jerseys for executive titles, with O'Neal stepping in as president of Reebok Basketball while Iverson takes on the role as vice president. The six-episode series offers a behind-the-scenes look at their mission to spark a cultural resurgence for the classic sneaker company. O'Neal, standing 7-foot-1, sees himself as a voice for today's big men. But when it comes to reaching the quick, gritty guards of this generation, he knows there's no better ambassador than the 6-foot Iverson, whose '90s signature shoes are still a staple in sneakerhead circles. 'I didn't build Reebok all by myself,' said O'Neal, who won three straight NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and another with the Miami Heat. He signed with Reebok in 1992 and made the brand popular with his first signature shoe, called the Shaq Attaq. Iverson's signature shoes, The Question and The Answer, were some of the top sellers in the industry. He signed a lifetime endorsement and marketing contract with Reebok in 2001. 'I needed A.I. to be vice president because if you're a guard, you want to see a legendary guard,' he said. "I wanted to do a show that's not scripted. Not polished. I wanted it to be real work.' Iverson called documenting his role in helping revitalize Reebok a 'full circle moment" while working alongside O'Neal, who he calls 'big bro.' 'I get the honor of doing this with (Shaq), having a relationship with him,' said Iverson, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard, who was an 11-time All-Star and won the league's MVP in 2001 — the same year O'Neal and Iverson faced off in the NBA Finals. Iverson was known for being an undersized guard who played with a supersized heart. 'The type of things I learn from him — on and off the court. He's just a beautiful guy," Iverson said about O'Neal. "He stands up to his faults. The things that he felt he did wrong in life. The way he treats his mom. All that resembles who I am. That makes this special.' Reebok, founded in 1895, became a household name in the early 1990s, thanks to Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown and his iconic Pump sneakers. The brand took off from there inking major deals with O'Neal and Iverson, partnering with the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, and even stepping into hip-hop with signature lines for Jay-Z and 50 Cent's G-Unit. But Reebok's cultural momentum began to fade after Nike doubled down on star power with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Adidas bought the company for $3.8 billion in 2006, aiming to better compete with Nike on a global scale. Instead, Reebok struggled to find its footing, gradually losing its identity in both sports and style. 'Now it's time for us to get Reebok back to prominence," said O'Neal, who played a key role in Reebok's acquisition in 2021 by Authentic Brands Group, where he is a shareholder. 'There's all these competitive brands, which is fine. It makes the job harder. But for me, it's all about motivation and trying to build." 'Power Moves' dives into Reebok's strategy for staying relevant, including signing rising stars like WNBA phenom Angel Reese to the brand's first name, image and likeness (NIL) deal. The series also shows how O'Neal leans on a surprising source for insight into today's athletes through his son, Shareef. Shaq was initially set on creating high-top sneakers, until a visit to a massive Amateur Athletic Union tournament — with nearly 70 courts — sparked a shift. Shareef pulled his dad aside and explained that low tops are the go-to for this generation. It was a lightbulb moment that helped Shaq better understand and connect with modern players. 'I had to realize that my way is not always the right way,' Shaq said. 'Sometimes, the best way to be an effective leader is listening to the ones who are really in the trenches.' Iverson believes he and Shaq can help Reebok bounce back by paying forward the same support and opportunity the brand once gave them. 'We're going to show our love to the brand that showed us love,' he said. 'We're putting our efforts into what they did in my life. Reebok took care of my family, my friends, me. It was a power move. We're here to bring it back.'
