Busy time for Cat Malojian

The gig follows hot on the heels of the band's nomination for top songwriting award.

Also on the horizon for local lads Stevie Scullion and Jonny Toman is a trip to Canada to play the NXNE festival.

Cat Malojian recently became a three-piece with the permanent addition of multi-instrumentalist Rachel Toman, who also happens to be Jonny's sister.

She's appeared on all the band's records to date and has been playing at their live shows for over a year.

Stevie said: "We're heading to Canada in June to showcase at the NXNE festival. It's one of the biggest music showcases in the world. We're hopefully going to be playing a few gigs about the town to try and raise some funds for the Canada trip. The gig in the Railway is the first of them."

Now in its 15th year, The North by Northeast Music and Film Festival and Conference (NXNE) is Canada's number one showcase for the best new music and music-related films.

For five days and nights every June, NXNE takes over Toronto with the hottest bands, the coolest films, and the freshest music-related ideas — all within a few kilometres of each other. Last year, 70,000 fans, artists, and industry pros flooded Toronto's famous club district for the festival.

Meanwhile Cat Malojian's song 'The Dawn Chorus' was a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition with people like Kings Of Leon, Tom Waits & Gary Lightbody on the judging panel.

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual song contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels and promote excellence in the art of songwriting. Amateur and professional songwriters and musicians are invited to participate.