shesaid.so Dublin are absolutely thrilled to announce that Nikki Raymond will be coming on board as the Co-Director of the Dublin team. Nikki will work side by side with current Chapter Director Lisa Murray to organise, coordinate and oversee the Dublin chapter as they launch into an exciting period of fresh activities and collaborations for the coming months and year ahead.
The Dublin chapter of shesaid.so, founded by Shauna Watson in 2018, initially focused on organizing skill-sharing workshops covering various music industry topics. They also partnered with the inaugural music festival "We've Only Just Begun" in August 2018, which featured an all-female lineup. In 2020, leadership was passed to Lisa Murray, who adapted the community to operate online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborating with organizations like IMRO, West One Music Group, and the National Concert Hall to host workshops and webinars. Now, as the pandemic subsides, the chapter, led by Lisa and co-director Nikki Raymond, is gearing up for a series of events and collaborations, including educational workshops and panel discussions in partnership with the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), to support the Irish music scene.
We sat down with Nikki Raymond, and here’s a Q&A to get to know the newest member of the shesaid.so Dublin chapter!
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Nikki and I work in the music industry as a Promoter Assistant. I’m also an artist manager and a music reviewer for The GOO magazine which is printed locally here in Dublin. It took me a couple of years to figure out what career path I wanted to take after college. It blew my mind when I realised that you could have a career in live events and at that point the decision was made for me. I’ve also spent the last few years travelling whenever I can and have lived in four different countries (so far..). As much as I love exploring the world, I think my heart belongs in Dublin.
Top 3 Albums?
Melodrama by Lorde, An Awesome Wave by alt-J, Where I Should End by Saint Sister
Favourite music video?
Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes
Favourite lyric?
"I was housed by your warmth, thus transformed" - Shrike by Hozier
Favourite album cover?
Melodrama by Lorde
Dream festival headliner?
Daft Punk
Best gig this year?
Hozier in The Academy
Best gig ever?
Paul McCartney at Tinley Park Amphitheatre, Chicago in 2017
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Cat Ryan, KhakiKid and Big Sleep
What’s your favourite song right now?
'I Think I Lost My Number Can I Have Yours?' by milk.
What are you looking forward to most as the new Co-Director of shesaid.so Dublin?
First of all, I am incredibly excited to be working alongside Lisa. I met her for the first time last year at a shesaid.so event and because of that I ended up reconnecting with an old college friend who I now manage - the universe works in weird ways. I’m also really looking forward to organising as many seminars, workshops, showcases, panel discussions and networking events as possible because there is an amazing community of like-minded people out there - it will be phenomenal to give people a space and a platform to amplify their talents and expand their skill set
Statement from Lisa:
I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Nikki to the shesaid.so Dublin team. I met Nikki at one of our shesaid.so Dublin Cocktails and Chats mixer events last year and we clicked immediately! Her enthusiasm, drive, passion and professionalism are going to make her an incredible co-director and I’m beyond excited to enter into this next season of shesaid.so working with Nikki by my side. We already have lots of exciting things on the horizon so stay tuned!
