Sigrid is the pop star the #MeToo era has been crying out for, with her take-no-prisoners anthems and healthy indifference towards image. In the new Hot Press cover story, the Norwegian singer talks to Hot Press about her overnight rise and why not putting up with music business bullshit goes to the core of her identity.

This is an in-depth look at one of the most-talked about musicians in the world right now. On the eve of the release of her debut album Sucker Punch (out on March 8), you can read the full story of how Sigrid overcame ever hurdle – in the music industry and in her personal life – in order to release this record.

In the Hot Press interview this fortnight, Stuart Clark meets with one of Ireland’s most prominent newsmen, David McCullagh. A hard-nosed newsman who delights in asking the hard questions, David has become of RTE’s leading current affairs lights. Trump, Brexit, drinking, misogyny, Dev, Charlie, the Chuckle Brothers (that’s McGuinness/Paisley, to clarify!), internet trolls, and Miriam O’Callaghan are all up for discussion as – for once – David is the interviewee.

Elsewhere in the new issue, Pat Carty sits down with the enigmatic Thomas Bartlett, from The Gloaming. Currently in the midst of a seven night stint at the National Concert Hall, The Gloaming have created something otherworldly from their take on Irish trad music. To understand how this all came to be, Pat journeys back to the 1990s, with Vermount-born Thomas, to hear about how a 12-year old’s fascination with violinist Martin Hayes spawned one of the most unique collaborations in Irish music.

In our music section, David Gray is back, with a new album and a different outlook on his past failures and triumphs. He tells Ed Power about making peace with success, the electronic connection between his new album and his break-out White Ladder, and why making a hit record is a bit like playing for Man United…

In our film section this issue, Roe McDermott talks to Simon Amstell. In the past, the tragic-comic stand-up has reduced pop stars to tears, probed celebrities to the point where they’ve walked out of panel shows, and bared his soul on the live stage. Now, his new movie is a look back at his life as a 20-something adrift in the world.

In our extensive TV section this issue, Sam Steiger heads out to London to meet American Gods stars Ian McShane and Ricky White, to discuss the show’s second season, which we’re promised is “darker than stranger” than ever. We also have an interview with actor Elijah Rowen, who has determinedly steered his own course – and he now has a starring role in new Sky One future-shock drama Curfew.

In our book section this issue, Peter McGoran chats to Irish literary legend Christine Dwyer Hickey. She’s one of Ireland’s most beloved writers, but having been diagnosed with cancer months after beginning her new novel, The Narrow Land, Christine was convinced it would never see the light of day. Four years on from starting it, she talks to Peter McGoran about writing, recovery and contemporary Irish fiction.

On top of that, we have all the news, reviews and previews you’d expect from Hot Press, including coverage of the first Hot Press-curated gig at One Windmill Lane (featuring Hothouse Flowers, Moya Brennan and Erica Cody); interviews with Therapy?, Thanks Brother and Denise Chaila; and reviews of the new albums from Maverick Sabre, Soule, and Foals.