Following on from the success and widespread radio play of album title track ‘Last Star Fall’ (RTÉ Radio1 Recommends List),Black Bank Folk show a darker side with their latest single.
‘Hope Springs Eternal’ sees the band join forces once again with fellow Dubliner, Damien Dempsey. The track is a fusion of powerful indie rhythms that drive the song and oblique traditional tones and drones, along with a duet that reflects on the enduring power of nature and man’s struggle to manipulate and contain it.
The band bring together a plethora of musical influences from indie rock and Americana to Irish folk and traditional. Much like the subject matter the songs discuss, the music is a reflection of where they’re from, unmistakably Irish, but a changing Ireland.
Black Bank Folk play their last headline gig of 2019 in Dublin’s Lost Lane on Nov 22nd and will support Damien Dempsey in Vicar St on Dec 20th before a Tradfest showcase gig in January and planned European dates next year.
The Irish Jam and Irish Film London are collaborating for a second year to award “Best Irish Music Video”, as part of the Irish Film London Awards.
Following a
submission and nomination process a shortlist of five final nominations has
been revealed with the winner set to be announced at the Irish Film London
Awards at the Irish Embassy in London on Tuesday 12th November 2019.
The shortlist:
Junior Brother – ‘Full of Wine’ – Director: Bob Gallagher
Elma Orkestra & Ryan Vail ft Stephen James Smith – ‘My Island’ – Director: Eoin O’Callaghan
Beyond The Wash – ‘Dusktime’ – Director: Ignas Laugalis
Tandem Felix – ‘Oil Money’ – Director: Ror Conaty
Lankum – ‘The Young People’ – Director: Bob Gallagher
Speaking on the announcement of this year’s shortlist The Irish Jam founder Kealan Duignan said, “We’re delighted to be teaming up with our friends at Irish Film London again to put this award on. This year we encouraged people to submit music videos to be considered for the award and we were absolutely inundated with entries. The Irish music industry is probably the healthiest it’s ever been and, just like the music coming out of Ireland right now, the videos reflected numerous different genres and styles. It was inspiring to see so much creativity on display. It wasn’t easy to select the final five.”
Irish Film London Director Kelly O’Connor added “Kealan and The Irish Jam team really have their finger on the pulse of the contemporary Irish music scene and do an incredible job of showcasing the best of it for London audiences. It’s a pleasure to receive their shortlist each year, and I’m looking forward to announcing the winner!”
The Irish Film London Awards takes place at the Embassy of Ireland on Tuesday 12th November. It launches the 9th Irish Film Festival London, which begins the following Wednesday 20th at Regent Street Cinema, London. Over five days, across three venues in London, the festival presents the latest and greatest of Irish film, through screenings, talks, workshops and networking. More info is available via their website www.irishfilmlondon.com
The Irish Jam broadcasts every Sunday evening from 7pm-9pm on Riverside Radio, every Monday night from 10pm to midnight on Boogaloo Radio with the podcast version released every Monday on www.mixcloud.com/theirishjam.
To keep up to
date with the announcements, follow the Irish Jam on Facebook and Twitter at:
@theirishjam and on Instagram at @theirishjampresents
And follow Irish
Film London on Twitter and Instagram @irishfilmlondon and on Facebook at @irishfilmfestivallondon
‘Strange Game’ was the first single from Columbia Mills’ upcoming sophomore album, ‘CCTV’, and it garnered huge radio support here and in the UK including John Kennedy Radio X, Play Irish Artist of the week with Today FM, Dan Hegartys (2FM) Track of The Week and heavy airplay across all national and regional radio stations. Columbia Mills have just released ‘Who Am I Supposed To Talk To Now’, the second single from highly anticipated ‘CCTV’ (due for release 2020).
Constant musical development has marked the journey of Columbia Mills since the band’s inception in 2014.
Brothers Fiachra and Uisneagh Treacy found like minds in Ste Ward, Paul Kenny and Mick Heffernan in Bray, Meath and Dublin.
Their mission statement was to merge electronica, dance and pop while fostering a spirit of inclusion always evident at the long-gone club in Dublin’s docklands from where they took their name.
‘Never Gonna Look At You The Same’ and other songs on their debut EP ‘Factory Settings’ smelled like prime Mary Chain but 2015’s EP ‘The Perfect Day’ found them transitioning from the Reid brothers’ influence to more beat-driven cacophonies on its title track and the quietly epic ‘History’.
On 2017’s debut album, ‘A Safe Distance To Watch’, they transitioned again. One of its stand-out tracks, ‘This City Doesn’t Feel Like Home To Me’, reflected the disappointment lead singer and principal songwriter
Fiachra felt with Dublin after arriving
from Bray in pursuit of a musical career; a city that was said to prize
its artists, now prices creativity beyond
its boundaries.
With new member, Ken McCabe on keyboards/electronics, Columbia Mills’ burgeoning fanbase will be in no way surprised that the tracks on their sophomore album, ‘CCTV’ (due for release in 2020) sees continuing evidence of that constant music development.
“‘Who am I Supposed To Talk To Now’ is a song about losing someone who was always willing to help and sacrifice themselves for others. The song is tinged with guilt for not recognising that this person needed help more than anyone and the empathy that they possessed was born from their own experience with depression and hardship.” Columbia Mills.
Join Inni-K and band for a special Grand Social gig celebrating the release on vinyl of ‘The Hare & the Line’, Inni-K’s second album, released earlier this year on Green Willow Records.
Taking place on Sunday 1st December, support comes from October Fires and Varo. Tickets available from www.thegrandsocial.ie
Named by RTÉ.ie as “one of ten fierce women defining Irish culture,” Co. Kildare singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Inni-K (Eithne Ní Chatháin) has received consistent praise for her fresh style of indie-folk since the 2015 release of her acclaimed album ‘The King has Two Horse’s Ears‘.
Inni-K’s second album ‘The Hare & the Line‘ was released 1 March 2019 to great critical acclaim. She sold out the Irish Arts Centre, New York; was an Official Showcase performer at Folk Alliance International music conference in Montréal as part of her U.S. and Canada tour dates earlier this year; and has been touring extensively throughout Ireland with dates also in continental Europe & the UK since the release of the album. Summer ’19 festival performances have included Body & Soul, with a full band appearance at Electric Picnic.
Inni-K’s music draws on her extensive background
in folk and traditional Irish music, even as she ventures into new musical
territories. Her music combines ethereal vocals with deft musicianship,
evocative lyrics (bilingual at times), and a unique approach to song-writing.
Having shared stages with various renowned musicians including Malian kora
master Toumani Diabaté, drummer Jeff Ballard, Glen Hansard, Liam Ó Maonlaí,
Lisa Hannigan, and many more, Inni-K is becoming a well-established presence in
Irish music.
Dublin post-punk band Odd Morris have just released the video for their second single, ‘Lilac Leaves’. The video was directed and produced by Cashmere Media.
‘Lilac Leaves’ is a dark, brooding song with a nostalgic quality, juxtaposed by beautiful imagery of a floral garden.
Vocalist Daragh Griffin says: “I wrote the lyrics to ‘Lilac Leaves’ while I was sitting at my window-sill in my bedroom at home, looking out into the garden. A friend of mine had said over a pint that his relationship with a family member was the greatest lesson in empathy he ever had, which really struck a chord with me. Writing ‘Lilac Leaves‘ was my way of acknowledging forgiveness within a turbulent relationship before I moved out of the house I grew up in.”
Daragh, Kris, Ciarán and Sam met at
school in the north Dublin town of Swords. In fact, the band’s name is derived
from the name of the author of their Leaving Cert. maths book – O.D. Morris.
Clearly, the four schoolboys had ambitions that didn’t involve algebra.
Off the back of releasing just one
single in March this year, Odd Morris have played at Ireland’s two biggest
festivals, All Together Now and Electric Picnic, as well as support slots to
the likes of Ezra Furman, Fat White Family and the NME-touted band, FEET.
This week, Odd Morris are gigging in London last night, Thursday 7th November, Belfast on Friday 9th and Derry on Saturday 10th. They have just announced a headline show at Whelan’s in Dublin on Friday, 31st January 2020, presented by Aiken Promotions.
The Whileaways evoke the magic of a Christmas spent in Galway with their new single ‘All The Lights On (It Must Be Christmas), released on 23 November. A moving ballad with The Whileaways’ signature closely-harmonised vocals, it references the big wheel in Eyre Square, buskers singing on Christmas eve, pints in Neachtains – all staples of the festive season in their native Galway. The idea of being parted from someone special, and from this place is at the heart of this poignant song.
The Whileaways are Noelie McDonnell, Noriana Kennedy and Nicola Joyce, three accomplished singers who came to know each other while on the session circuit in Galway in 2012. Since then they have released three critically acclaimed albums, toured all over the world, and been nominated for Best Group and Best Album in the RTÉ Folk Awards. Praise from international press has been heaped upon the band with The Irish Echo calling their sound, “perfected simplicity“, and HotPress saying that the trio, “stake their claim to being among the finest singers in the country.“
2019 saw the band broaden their repertoire with ‘Bird On The Wire’, a collaboration between The Whileaways and Pauline Scanlon. Featuring a ten-piece band including strings, the show is a unique combination of outstanding singers exploring their own interpretations of the wonderfully rich music and words of the icon that is Leonard Cohen. The show has been performed to sold-out audiences at Dingle Folk Festival, Campbell’s in Galway, The Pepper Canister Church in Dublin and Belfast’s Empire Music Hall, amongst others. In the coming months, Bird On The Wire will be performed at Clonmel, INEC Killarney, Bantry, and Castlebar, culminating in a night at the Olympia Theatre on May 31st 2020.
The Whileaways will be playing at Dublin’s Lost Lane on Tuesday 10th December, their only show in the capital before Christmas. The band return to their hometown to celebrate Christmas with a show in The Black Box on Friday 20th December. Tickets are on sale now, and last year they sold out fast, so fans of the band are recommended to secure their tickets soon!
Tue 10 Dec Lost Lane, Dublin Fri 29 Dec Black Box Theatre, Galway
‘True Hand, True Heart’ is the first release and title track from The Remedy Club’s forthcoming album, recorded and co-produced by Ray Kennedy (five time Grammy award winning producer/engineer whose client roster reads like a who’s who of the Americana scene: Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris are just some of the artists he has worked with). The duo originally contacted Ray, who had recorded some of their favourite albums, to see if he was available to do some mixing and mastering on their last album and were thrilled when he agreed to come on board. They were doubly thrilled when he suggested producing their next album which became ‘True Hand True Heart’. They recorded the entire album in a week in Nashville in March 2019, which the duo describe as being ‘a completely immersive and creatively fulfilling experience’.
‘True Hand, True Heart’ is an upbeat, rootsy song with a Johnny Cash/June Carter feel that highlights the fragility of human life and the importance of moral progress and ‘moving on and not in reverse’. The single features Lex Price (KD Lang & Neko Case) on bass, Lynn Williams (The Wallflowers) on drums and multi instrumentalist and world renowned musician, Rory Hoffman (Rodney Crowell’s ‘go-to’ musician) on harmonica. The single has been receiving fantastic feedback in the UK. Gloss FM have said, “Now this is what I call music.Guaranteed multiple plays!” Meridian have said, “We’ll be giving this a spin for sure.Love this couple”, and Country Radio UK have said “What a great song!“
Since recording their last album ‘Lovers, Legends and Lost Causes’, released in 2017, which received great critical acclaim they have been touring Ireland, Scotland and the UK including a showcase at the Americana Music Association in London.
‘True Hand, True Heart’ is released on 8th November and the album will be released April 2020.
Irish singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson has been cultivating a cult fanbase for several years with the release of songs such as ‘Ruin Your Night’, ‘Petrol Station’ and ‘Can’t We Pretend’ are evocative vignettes of a moment in time which find the poetry in introspection, with a tangible nod to key influences such as Sharon Van Etten, Arcade Fire, Phoebe Bridgers and Julia Jacklin.
It’s been a long road to reach this moment. Richardson left home for Brooklyn as a teenager to study creative writing. She’d assumed her background as a drummer would lead to her playing in a college band, but instead she ended up recording lo-fi demos in her dorm. Picking up traction on SoundCloud gave her the confidence that she could sing, while her studies sharpened her lyrical focus.
Her sound grew richer and more nuanced from 2015’s ‘Petrol Station’ but the idea of making an album didn’t emerge until a few years later. Having written a number of songs at her apartment in Brooklyn, Richardson fleshed out some initial demos with producer Doug Schadt in New York which resulted in early versions of ‘Don’t Talk About It’ and ‘Driveway’.
Moving back to Dublin inspired her to take stock of where she was. A new rush of ideas soon followed, with Richardson writing the likes of ‘False Alarm’ and ‘First Prize Bravery’ on the piano in her parents’ kitchen. An impromptu session with All Tvvins’ Conor Adams yielded ‘No-One Is Any Fun’, which features on their album ‘Just To Exist’, and ‘Twisting The Knife’ which is included here.
The final piece in the puzzle took an almost interventionist turn. Richardson was visiting friends in Los Angeles when she ran into Alex Casnoff, the producer of several of her singles and previously a member of the bands Dawes and Harriet. He’d been focusing on film projects rather than music, but the pair reignited their connection with Casnoff coming on board to produce the entire record. They completed the album within a month, with Richardson contributing vocals and guitar, and Casnoff synths and piano. Further contributions came from friends that Casnoff had met in the Los Angeles music scene.
Touring in Ireland resulted in the realisation that, “the songs that are the most fun to play are the ones that feel most like a band”, which inspired the album’s live, guitar-based core. Those live elements are also important within every track, regardless of how big or small the arrangement was.
The skybound, multi-layered ‘Oh Oscillator’, for example, represents her desire, “to push the boundaries of how we arranged songs and to use traditional instruments in unconventional ways,” but still resonates when performed with just vocals and a piano. And she was eager to allow elements of the sound to exist as they happened, rather than polishing every precise detail to perfection. ‘Red Lion’ is a case in point, featuring live vocals recorded during a rehearsal.
As her songs look back, it’s fitting that this album represents Sorcha Richardson’s future. “Releasing singles was fun because I felt a lot of freedom move around creatively. But I’m excited to present a more 360 version of what I have in my head. It lets me tell a more complete story.“
‘Sacred Love’ is a cosmic love song dripping in gothic doo-wop tones. It is the debut single by new artist The Love Crusade, a complex thought form, which beats with an unusually large heart, suspended in its own dimension, where music, magic & science are artfully entangled. The Love Crusade has been brought to life by Irish producer & songwriter Tara McCormack (Tieranniesaur & Vengance and The Panther Queen). ‘Sacred Love’ is available to download & stream now on iTunes, Spotify and all usual download & streaming platforms. A video, which was self directed on location in Barcelona, is available to view now.
‘Sacred Love’ sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard before and yet somehow, within its darkest matter, it’s inspired by everything that was ever made. At moments you may notice lost fragments of Hildegard & Prince, The Chi Lites & Black Sabbath, Dhafer Youssef & Alice Coltrane and a glimmer of The Delfonics, Cheikha Rimitti, Stevie Wonder & William Blake.
‘Sacred Love’ is a piece of music of remarkable force & freshness at the vanguard of a musical revolution, which will bring sound healing frequencies into common practice in popular music. It was made using the Frequency of Love 528hz, which helps to repair DNA.
‘Sacred Love’ was produced by Tara McCormack and co-produced by Claus Vega and recorded at 101 Room Studios in Barcelona. It was mixed and mastered by Steve Wright (Mos Def, M.I.A, Slipknot & Rihanna) at Wrigthway Studios, Baltimore New York.
Laura Elizabeth Hughes releases her latest single, ‘For You (Home)’, on Friday 22nd November. Hopeful and heartfelt, ‘For You (Home)’ showcases a lush balance between soaring power and tenderness, culminating in sweeping piano riffs and Laura’s inimitable vocals.
The past year has been a been one of a kind, one of firsts and one of trialing new sounds. This summer saw the release of the anthemic ‘In My Defence’, marking an uplifting new direction while still holding that distinctive sound and heart that the songwriter has become known for. The song earned Laura a coveted place on Spotify’s “A Breath of Fresh Éire” playlist with the added bonus of being its cover artist for a number of weeks. This was followed up by a collaboration with Cork producer, 1,000 Beasts on ‘Because Of April’, marking another new musical direction for both artists. The near six-minute opus blends minimal house sonics with nuanced ambient textures to provide the perfect canvas for the Dublin singer. Laura’s last single ‘Straight For Tomorrow’, brought her fans back to a familiar sound. Taken from 2018’s ‘Ceremony’ EP, the song was added to RTE Radio 1’s Recommend playlist upon release.
On stage, the previous 12 months has brought a sold-out hometown headline show alongside Laura playing her first shows in London and New York. She has also shared stages with the likes of Billie Marten, Little Hours and Hollywood actor Domhnall Gleeson in addition to gaining a new fan in Grammy nominated R&B star, Joss Stone. Her most recent live performance came at Ireland Music Week where Laura was named by IrishTimes.com in their “10 acts to see before they are famous” list describing her as having, “that little bit extra to add to the mix, and being a little bit different from the norm.”
With new music and shows to be announced for 2020, Laura Elizabeth Hughes is an artist fast establishing herself as a rising talent among a fresh new group of emerging Irish songwriters.
‘For You (Home)’ will be released on Friday, 22nd November.
