Currently making waves with latest single 'Human', the Belfast multi-instrumentalist's formative years were spent absorbing an interesting musical mix of vintage rock and classical.

"Around the house there would have been Queen, The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel," says Kitt, "but there was a lot of classical as well - that was my first exposure to live music. I went to see the Ulster Orchestra and that's a very special thing."

It didn't take long for the musician to explore new avenues of creative expression.
"I was pretty young when I started writing, and it was just music without lyrics. I always preferred playing things by ear as well, rather than the sight-reading stuff we'd learn."

While classically trained in clarinet and piano along with being a proficient guitarist, in the past Philippa has also utilised somewhat more unconventional instruments - including a prayer dish and the spokes of a bike wheel. This experimental tendency began during her final year in Queens University.

"Some bicycle wheels are more musical than others," she laughs, "so if you find a particularly musical wheel you're in luck. I wouldn't ever want to use it as a gimmick; it has to be used when it's right for the song."

Kitt Philippa plays the East Side Tavern, Dublin on July 12.