Today, Belfast punk band, Sister Ghost, release a stinging single, 'Fake Friends Run This Country' and an accompanying music video. The premiere coincides with the decriminalisation of abortion and the legalisation of same sex marriage in Northern Ireland. Over the summer, MPs in Westminster passed legislation that would liberalise abortion and same-sex marriage laws in the North, should Stormont fail to reconvene before 21 October 2019. Today, those laws will go into effect.

The fast-paced, two-minute punk blitz takes a lyrical aim at oppressive systems both in their homeland of Northern Ireland as well as those abroad, making it relatable beyond the political confines of Belfast – in fact the music video features the band taking aim at the likes of Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and more.

Sister Ghost, aka Shannon Delores O'Neill, has a background playing in bands from the age of 12. In early 2014, she saw an opportunity to do things her way for the first time. She began writing and demoing – singing and playing everything herself – before enlisting a band to bring Sister Ghost to completion.

Playing noisy, spectral punk-rock with pop influences, O’Neill marshals a diverse set of influences from legends like X Ray Spex and her guitar hero, Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, to PJ Harvey and L7.

She has been recognised for mentoring and encouraging other female-identified musicians to perform in the Northern Irish scene, having also set up the Girls Rock! NI chapter in 2016.

As of Spring 2019, O’Neill has teamed up with producer Cahir O’Doherty (Frank Turner, Fighting With Wire, New Pagans) to work on the debut Sister Ghost album, set for release in 2020. Equal parts emphatic and ear-worming, Sister Ghost’s new material is said to be her most vital to date.

Sister Ghost are currently nominated for Best Live Act in this year’s NI Music Prize, with this single currently closing their high-energy sets.

Check out the music video here: