Question of Taste: Chloe Agnew on her jazz-fest faves, and meeting Obama 

Sinead O'Connor, Kacey Musgraves and Bo Burnham also get a mention 

Chloe Agnew, singer with the X Collective, who play the Everyman for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

Chloe Agnew is a Dublin-based singer who is also part of the X Collective.  Members of the collective will be playing at the Everyman as part of the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival on Saturday, October 23.

Best recent book you've read and what you liked about it: I’m currently halfway through Sinead O'Connor's new book Rememberings and it’s a great read. Her language is conversational yet she has this incredible way of crafting her chapters like she does her songs. Real stories that are captivating for her audience. She’s very funny and self-deprecating which is a wonderful side to her you enjoy throughout the book whilst also appreciating her honesty in sharing the darker parts of her life.

Best recent film: Bo Burnham’s special on Netflix is called Inside and I’ve watched it at least four times already. He created and produced the whole thing inside his house during lockdown and it’s a brilliant journey through comedy and music which he presents in a very relatable way. 

Best recent show/gig you’ve seen: I played on a lineup show in Dublin with the X Collective crew recently and our friends and fellow X Collective members ‘Cooks But We’re Chefs’ closed out the evening with one of the best live sets I’ve ever seen. Their talent is insane, individually they are all so musical that when combined together they create this really cool and unique sound that sets them apart from everyone else. 

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old): I’m loving Kacey Musgraves new album Star-Crossed. There’s some great songs on there and she’s really inspiring to me as a songwriter. I think ‘Camera Roll’ is one of the best songs ever written, but I cry every time I listen to it, a real tear-jerker.

The X Collective perform in the Everyman. 

First ever piece of music that really moved you: I remember hearing Sara Bareilles perform ‘She Used To Be Mine’ many years ago while she was working on writing the music for Waitress The Musical and it totally floored me. It had been a long time since I was really affected by a song and it’s always stayed with me. It was a moment I remember really understanding how a song can be so personal to whoever has written it but how the power of music makes so many of us as listeners connect with it.

The best gig you've ever seen (if you had to pick one!): Hands down it has to be Coldplay at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It was one of the most memorable evenings of my life. I’ve always been a fan of their music but seeing them live is a whole different experience-they put on a spectacular show!

Other gig at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival you'd most like to see: I absolutely love James Vincent McMorrow’s voice and music and I’ve never seen him live, so he’d be top of the list.

Tell us about your TV viewing: One of my favorite things to do when I’m home in Ireland is watch The Chase with my mam [Adele King, aka Twink]. She’s a genius at answering all the questions so I try my best to keep up. When I’m in my Dad’s we’ll sit down with a bottle of red wine and watch Salvage Hunters and have the best laughs! And at Christmas, myself and my little sister will spend days of quality time together bingeing whatever we can agree on on Netflix.

Radio listening and/or podcasts: I’m a big fan of true crime podcasts so Serial was a favourite along with Up and Vanished. I also discovered Abraham Hicks early last year in the height of Covid craziness and I’m so thankful I did because her podcasts helped me through some very low times. Tony Cantwell, Blindboy and The Two Johnnies are my go-to’s when I need a laugh.

You're curating your dream festival – which three artists are on the bill, living or dead? Freddie Mercury with Queen (one of my all time favorite entertainers); Celine Dion (the vocalist who inspired me growing up); The Beatles (because who doesn’t want to see The Beatles live?). 

Chloe Agnew and Celtic Woman meet Barack Obama.

Your best/most famous celebrity encounter: I was very lucky to perform with Celtic Woman for three consecutive US presidents, Bush, Clinton and Obama. All of them were amazing experiences but it was at the National Tree Lighting Ceremony in 2009 when we performed outside the White House for the Obama family that we were in very cold December weather and Obama asked me if we were freezing. We shared a laugh over how we were Irish and were well used to it. One of my proudest moments to date was making Barack Obama laugh!

You can portal back to any cultural event or music era – where, when, and why? August 15, 1969, Woodstock. I would give anything to be able to witness what Woodstock was like in person. The legendary lineup of artists who performed over the few days would be a dream to see,- especially Jimi Hendrix and his iconic rendition of the US anthem! I’ve been to visit the site in Bethel Woods in NY where it took place. When you see the land empty it’s so hard to imagine what it once would have looked like when it all happened.