Winning the Contender award at the Northern Ireland Music Prize in 2020 seemed entirely fitting for rising star Sasha Samara. Her fresh approach to songwriting – first demonstrated on the catchy and open-hearted ‘Broken Vessel’ – has earned her a multitude of admirers, and she continues to develop as a performer and writer, winning hearts with her mix of confidence and vulnerability and a great ear for strong melodies. And what better place to showcase her talent than The John Hewitt, the bar named after one of Northern Ireland’s most revered and respected poets.