'Drop Everything was the gig of a lifetime'

POP LIVES: KATHY SCOTT: What are you reading?I am juggling a few books right now, Proust Was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer, as I am researching "decisive moments" for The Trailblazery [a series of public talks and discussions] and am obsessing with the idea of art influencing scientific discovery. I am intrigued by patterns, codes and memory.

The other bible is Annie Leibovitz’s Pilgrimage, which is a sublime photographic tribute to the lives of iconic artistic figures that have inspired her.

She visited the homes of Thomas Jefferson, Emily Dickinson, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pete Seeger, and Elvis Presley, as well as places such as Niagara Falls, Walden Pond, Old Faithful, and the Yosemite Valley.

It’s what I reach for when I want to escape and connect with stillness and it is feeding about 10 creative projects in my head. Art publications and catalogues are my weakness – this is reflected on my credit card and tend to cost me at airport check-ins as they are exceptionally heavy as well as beautiful.

What's the last film you saw and your verdict?The last film I saw was a special screening of Submarine last week at the IFI. It's a coming-of-age comedy drama directed by Richard Ayoade and its aesthetic style is hugely influenced by the French New Wave cinema. I adored its quirky, offbeat feel and Paddy Considine's character Graham T Purvis is beyond hilarious.

Joe Dunthorne, who wrote the book on which the film was based, was present for the screening which gave the audience an insight into the making of the film and its adaptation from page to screen.

The soundtrack is the debut EP by Alex Turner and adds to the teenage-angst vibe and nostalgic quality of the film. It has stayed with me all week and I’m still a little lost in it. I missed it first time round and would now put it up there with some of the greats.

What magazine is first on your list?This is a hard one but I would probably say Vanity Fair for well-researched, cool and compelling features on fashion, politics and culture plus amazing photo shoots.

It usually sparks ideas and opens up my world perspective. I have a stack in my living room that are curiously earmarked and well worn.

What are your most clicked bookmarks?My bookmark folders are pretty random and probably explain how my brain tends to work and play. They are as follows: TED, Icelandic Stuff Things, Brain Pickings, YogaGlo, Artangel, Manchester International Festival, Elena Brower, Bedroom Community, Steve Reich, Brian Eno, Hay-On-Wye, The Lighthouse Collection, The Power of Myth – Joseph Campbell, Information is Beautiful, and The Iceland Weather Report.

When you fall into a YouTube hole what's the general subject matter of the videos you're watching?Music, especially Irish and Icelandic performers, bands and collectives. I tune in to Arbutus Yarns for a daily hit and bow at the altar of my favourite auteur Myles O'Reilly and then end up on a flight of randomness around the world.

I am also working on a collaborative project with an amazing musician in New York called Garth Stevenson who sends me awesome links from Outer Mongolia and the Arctic Circle. So yes, I tend to spend most of my time down the sonic rabbit hole.

What track should we listen to right now?I spent last weekend at Drop Everything on Inis Oírr curated by the one and only scary Mary Nally. It was an amazing mix of art, fashion and music events. The Saturday evening gig was hosted at sunset at Aras Éanna overlooking the Atlantic with wunderkind Daithí Ó Drónaí from Galway.

He played this amazing track at the end which mixed An Maidrín Rua samples from island sean-nós singer Mary O’Hara with synths, fiddle loops and all the rest of it. It was the perfect track for the perfect weekend. Am trying to chase him down for Wonderlust at Body Soul.

Which boxset/TV series do you have on the go at the moment?I have been immersed in The Three Colours trilogy by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Man of Aran by Robert J Flaherty as I am helping my film-maker friend Ruth Meehan on her short film The Measure of Man. We are in Roundstone, Connemara, at the moment as she shot the last sequence around Gurteen Bay at sundown last night. I am also addicted to Mad Men for complete escapism.

What was the last gig/concert you went to and your verdict?Drop Everything at Inis Oírr. The final showdown was pretty spectacular and featured Sóley Stefánsdóttir, Sigurlaug Gísladóttir (Mr Silla from Múm), Gunnai, Dóri and a bunch of other Icelandic musicians, Daithí, David Kitt , Sophie Coyle, Áras Éanna's Jack, local islanders Cormac, his sister and father.

It went on till the wee hours with plenty of spontaneous “not too sexy” input (you had to be there) from the up-for-it audience. The gig of a lifetime.

Which app do you use the most?Bjork's Biophilia for iPad, which includes 10 apps, all housed within one "mother" app. It's incredible and includes an introduction from David Attenborough.

It does what it says on the tin and completely reinvents how we receive music. You can zoom around the cosmos as it plays, or watch the score rendered graphically with a scrolling lyric sheet. The overall art direction is by her long-term cohorts M/M, responsible for the visuals on umpteen classy projects including Paris Vogue. I saw the project realised live at the Manchester International Festival with especially created instruments and Graduale Nobili, an Icelandic female choir.

And finally, if you go to one event this month, make it . . .Can I give a shameless plug for Wonderlust at Body & Soul on June 22nd and 24th? We are working day and night to make it happen. It's a stage of curiosities dedicated to the exchange of wonder and ideas. Expect inspiration, music, talks, discussions, live performance, and other eclectic experiences.

Happenings in the mix include Sonic Revelations, Trailblaze, Come Rhyme With Me, Philosophical Musings, Illuminati Salons, Scientific Discovery, Cool Collectives, Chats and Lols, Cups of Tea, Fun and Games, Bingo, Hair cuts, Ballroom Dance-offs, Bedtime Stories, a bespoke choir service and Things That Make You Go Hmmmm.

Kathy Scott is creative producer of the Ireland:Iceland project and co-founder of the Trailblazery