State (magazine)
State.ie (formerly State Magazine) was an Irish website and, before, a monthly music magazine. It launched in April 2008 and switched to online-only distribution in January 2009 after having published a total of ten issues. The magazine continued online until 2020, when that year's edition of its "Faces" series prominently mentioned the website having seized publication. It enjoyed a good run and was voted Best Music Site in 2008 and Best Web Publication in 2010 in the Irish Web Awards. Originally, the concept of the magazine involved a hard copy of which there was a charge  to purchase. However after six issues it was decided to make the magazine's content free both online and in print. The first issue, April 2008, appeared on Irish shelves on 6 March 2008 and featured Michael Stipe of R.E.M. on the cover. This immediately garnered comparisons between the new magazine's similarities with "Hot Press" who featured Stipe on their cover at the same time, a move widely thought to be an attempt by Hot Press to stifle State's status as a serious 'alternative' to the more established local magazine. At a price of €5.50, "State" charged  €2 more than "Hot Press". "State" was published by Roger Woolman and edited by "Hot Press" alumni Phil Udell. Contributors included "Evening Herald" columnist, "The Irish Times" reviewer and blogger Sinéad Gleeson, Rolling Stone writer Kara Manning, award-winning blogger Niall Byrne (a.k.a. Nialler9), "Event Guide" writer David O'Mahony and "The Star" feature writer Tanya Sweeney. The magazine's art director, Simon Roche, was named designer of the year by the Periodical Publishers Association of Ireland in December 2008. From October 2008 until January 2009 the magazine was made available for free of charge from a number of venues  around Ireland's major cities and online from the magazine's website, following a number of other magazines such as Mongrel, Connected and Analogue Magazine in providing their print content free of charge. The first freely distributed issue of "State" featured Kings of Leon on the cover. After January 2009, the magazine was only available online from its website. Issues. The first six issues were available for a fee. Cross-border collaborations. State.ie linked up with "AU" magazine of Belfast in 2009 to co-host what was described as "a series of cross-border gigs" designed to promote Northern Irish  musicians in Ireland. Alphastates, And So I Watch You From Afar and Conor O'Brien of Villagers and The Immediate all featured.