Month: February 2020

With his last album Cormac O Caoimh charted in the official Irish Indie charts and topped his Irish airplay record of previous albums with support from RTE Radio, BBC Music 6, and 40 other stations in Ireland and the UK reaching 5 million listeners. Reviews from Mojo magazine, The Irish Times, The Sunday Times, Hot Press and countless have further enhanced his reputation.

Cormac will be launching his  new album (his fifth studio album in recent years) on May 15th 2020 in the Kino. The new album (Swim Crawl Walk Run) was recorded between 2018 and 2019 with Martin Leahy at the helm. The most ambitious album yet. It features 10 songs, multi-instrumentalist Martin Leahy playing drums, bass, keys and many many more, Aoife Regan on vocals, a string quartet, accordian and big songs tackling a wide varying spectrum of emotions in both a personal and fictional setting. The first single ‘I’m In Need’ will be out February 21st and the album due for release May 15th.

Now everyone is supposed to say their new album is the best. It is what people do. But Cormac has never said it. This is his 5th album solo (and his 7th overall) and he has never said it. He never thought it. Largely riddled with doubt and insecurity at this stage in an album’s release, his mind normally has moved on to the next album which will be ‘the one’. Except this time.

“It is the first album I actually enjoyed making. I have been playing live with Martin Leahy for over 8 years but this is my first time making an album with him (he has played on other albums). It was a joy. I loved the whole process. It was relaxed, exciting, calm, manic. Everything. And the end product is something I could not be prouder of. The songs morphed and moved and grew during the process and the end result is an album I’m not sure I can top.  It is full of singles. I want to release them all and I can’t wait for the first one to get out there. During the writing of ‘I’m In Need’ I did have the simplicity and directness of The Beatles ‘Help Me’ as an influence. ‘Help me’ as a lyric is so fragile and honest and sad…but the song isn’t. The song is catchy and poppy. It works on two levels. I wanted the same for ‘I’m In Need’.  I wanted it to have meaning but more so a groove and be catchy. The feeling of the song also evolves. What starts as vulnerable ends up as a celebration of our humanity. We are all in need at times. Our feelings can be shaped by our thoughts. Musically the chorus gets more emphatic and joyful as the song progresses musically demonstrating the power of positivity.“

There are 2 co-writes on the album (a first and second for Cormac). One with Mary Greene called ‘Desire Lines’ and the other a co-write with Martin Leahy called ‘Building My Ark’. 

Feb 21st: ‘I’m In Need’ single release
Mar 28th : Laura Mulcahy’s studio, Ennis 
Apr 27th BAG, Ballymore Eustace 
May 9th The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Co.Leitrim
May 15th Kino, Cork. Album launch
May 16th Instore:, Music Zone, Cork 
May 29th DC Music Club, Dublin 
Jun 12th Weir Folk Club,  Wallis’ Bar, Midlelton, Co. Cork

www.cormaco.net
www.facebook.com/cormacmusic
www.twitter.com/cocaoimh

The Plainest Truth is a new collaboration between Joe Harney (Deaf Joe) and Aisling Browne (Solar Taxi, Cut Once), rooted in the shared experience of their long-standing, long-distance friendship. Debut singles ‘The Drift’ and ‘Waiting For You’ provide a reflection on how life can often set us apart, yet we somehow remain linked to what really matters. 

Hailing from Waterford, Ireland, Joe and Aisling first got to know each other through their city’s vibrant music scene where a hundred bands were buzzing, bonding and disbanding faster than anyone could keep up with. They played many gigs together as part of Katie Kim’s live band before Joe uprooted to Scotland. The pair remained good friends and kept in touch, eventually agreeing to start sharing musical ideas, sketch out ideas for songs, melodies and lyrics between Dublin and Edinburgh. 

Without the pressure of recording under a title, songs slowly began to take shape and crystallise into something meaningful. When they finally got together to record properly, in Joe’s words, “...we just felt it worked from the get-go, that very first track we tried, ‘Waiting For You’. Our voices felt like they had that elusive bit of magic you’re always chasing. The way they sat really plainly together, without any effects or studio trickery.” 

And so, the essential elements of The Plainest Truth were created: “It’s a band realising our shared ideas for songs from afar, over distance. Lyrically, it’s about missing people, needing them, the connections you can’t deny and what that longing does to your head. The music is unhurried, a kind of dreamy take on classic folk songwriting, it takes its time, unconcerned with much else going on in the world. We’re just focused on writing big, honest songs to allow our voices shine together.” 

‘The Drift’ / ‘Waiting For You’ by The Plainest Truth is out February 12th, 2020 on Bluestack Records. 

In the run up to the release of David Dee Moore’s new self titled album in April 2020, he has recorded a song he had written in 1992 for Niamh Parsons and was subsequently recorded by Niamh and Brian Kennedy on her ‘Loosely Connected’ album in 1993.

Belfast songwriter David who is now based in Westport, Co. Mayo writes catchy pop and folk songs and has been a well known popular artist around Ireland for the last 40 years with an impressive CV.

He has played extensively around the world playing bass with Niamh Parsons, Liam Clancy, Juliet Turner and has co-written songs with such luminaries like Jerry Fish, Vickers Vimy and Steve Wickham.

This is first full album since his Belfast album ‘The Sun. The Moon, The Stars…And Other Moving Objects’ in 2013 which featured artists like Nicky Scott (Van Morrison, Gilbert O’Sullivan), Peter McKinney (The 4 of Us, Waterboys) and John Mc Cullough (Sinead O’Connor, Sharon Corr).

David plays all instruments on ‘Don’t Give Your Heart Away (So Easily)’ except for extra electric guitar from Fintan Hanley (Vickers Vimy). It was mixed, produced and mastered by David.

The City and Us – an Irish four-piece made up of Elva Trill, Mark Hogan, Stephen Youster and Stephen Reilly – are beginning to make their mark on the Irish and UK music scene. Their sound is a mixture of Indie, Rock, Pop and Synth.

Formed in late 2016, the band made their live debut opening for Keywest in The Olympia Theatre Dublin on March 31st 2017 and released their debut music video ‘Home’ the following day notching up 30,000 views on Facebook within days of release.  In June of 2017, they headlined their own show at the infamous Whelan’s of Dublin. That night, they released another video – a cover of The Chainsmokers ‘Paris’. This time the instruments were an acoustic guitar and a table of cutlery and glasses filled with water. The cover received high praise, going as far as reaching the singer on the original track – Emily Warren – who has said she loved the creativity with which it was done.

After the show at Whelan’s, the band got the opportunity to headline a festival in Zittau, Germany. Then it was back to the studio to write and record new music. They also released a third video covering Calum Scott’s version of ‘Dancing On My Own’, which was shot in a field in the Irish countryside and caught the attention of Irish media outlets such as Joe.ie. Finally, they prepared to play Electric Picnic.

In 2018, the band was offered a spot at the Ho-Hai-Yan festival in Taipei, Taiwan. The Rock festival, held on Fulong Beach in July, was jam-packed with over 30,000 people. While in Taipei, they seized the opportunity to shoot their next music video for the song ‘Something Better’. 

After a busy 2019 writing and recording music and playing shows around Ireland, UK, Europe and Scandinavia , The City and Us are set for begin 2020 with a bang with the release of their new single ‘Just For You’ on February 14th and a headline show in Dublin’s Lost Lane on February 22nd. 

Pauric O’ Meara releases the first single ‘Is This Real?’ off his upcoming EP, ‘Looking Forward To Hindsight’, which will be released as three singles in the build-up to his headline show on April 24th in Whelan’s, Dublin, in association with MCD.

Pauric says. “‘Is This Real?’ highlights where my head was at while in a relationship that wasn’t exactly healthy. Constantly beating myself up over why it went this way and questioning myself to the point where my-self appreciation hit rock bottom. Being able to look back and remind myself of all the good time, and the role I played in those times, saved me and enabled me to move onto the next chapter of my life  I learned to live with what I had rather than focusing on what I didn’t have anymore. I started to focus on positives rather than negatives. This was the start of my relationship with hindsight.’’

The EP discusses how hindsight can be our best friend and our worst enemy, depending on the situation and what mindset you are in during or after the event has taken place. 

Throughout this concept O’ Meara discusses his personal experiences with hindsight, and how he used it differently throughout different stages of his life to help him come to terms with events that were taking place or had already passed.

“We can reflect on a negative relationship while still in it, asking where the cracks that are starting to show came from and what we could have done differently to stop the relationship from falling apart.

The hardest part of ending a relationship is not realising it is falling apart, its taking the step to realise that we can’t save it and the longer it goes on, the harder it will be for everyone involved. 

When the relationship finishes, we can often find ourselves in a state of despair and a skeleton of our former selves. With time, things get better, and the only person who can ensure this happens is yourself. If you are in a slump, it is vital to remind yourself of everything you have done right, rather than focusing on what has went wrong. 

If you are going to look back, make sure that whatever you take from the past is only used to ensure a happier and brighter future.“

Pauric has been making his mark on the Irish music scene for quite a few years since moving to the big city of Dublin from his country farm home in Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary. This move came after finishing his college course to become a primary school teacher, which he has since left behind to focus on his music.

He releases this EP off the back of his successful single ‘Love Illusion’, headline shows in The Sound House and The Workman’s Club and his debut at Electric Picnic festival.

The Remedy Club, the Irish husband-and-wife Americana/Roots duo comprising KJ McEvoy and Aileen Mythen release their new single, ‘I Got You’ on 14^th February.  In keeping with the date the single is a love song, written as a Christmas present by KJ for his, then, wife to be, singer/actress and other half of The Remedy Club, Aileen.

‘I Got You’ was recorded in Room and Board studios, Nashville and produced by 5 time Grammy award winning producer Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris). The song features Lex Price on bass (Neko Case, KD Lang) and Lynn Williams on drums (The Wallflowers). 

The album ‘True Hand True Heart’ will be released 27^th March, 2020 and the duo will announce Irish and UK tour dates in the coming weeks They have also just been confirmed to play the O2 Arena, London this coming March as part of C2C Festival at the Icon stage and Garden stage.

The Remedy Club have been described as, ”a classic, rich and wholly authentic country-roots sound with vocals to die for,” (FATEA MAGAZINE, UK) with “delicious harmonies and nimble guitar playing” (MUSIC JOURNALIST JACKIE HAYDEN).  McEvoy has been singled out for praise as a guitar player of great expressiveness and technical aplomb and Mythen for her stunning vocal performances. 

WEBSITE:      https://www.theremedyclub.ie/
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/theremedyclub
TWITTER:      https://twitter.com/club_remedy
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/theremedyclubmusic/

Named after Bowie’s ‘80s classic, Drogheda’s modernlove. have rapidly become one of indie-pop’s brightest and most talked about new bands. 2019 saw the release of singles ‘Bop’ and ‘Liquorice’ and with streaming figures over the 300K mark on Spotify they’ve been featured on editorial playlists such as New Music Friday UK, Fresh Finds and The Pop List. ‘Bop’ was also featured in a recent episode of the Channel 4 series ‘Made in Chelsea’ and both releases picked up national radio support in the UK and Ireland including ‘Play Irish Artist of The Week’ by Ed Smith on Today FM, Track Of The Week on XS Manchester, radio premieres on 2FM and spins on BBC Ulster, and Radio X

Hotly tipped as one of the acts to watch for 2019 by HotPress, modernlove. are the winners of last years “Road to the Main Stage” by Firestone Live in conjunction with Vantastival. ‘Liquorice’ was featured in the Top 50 Songs of 2019 by The Last Mixed Tape and they’ve been announced at Ones To Watch in 2020 by XS Manchester

The band are making a name for themselves for crafting some seriously catchy upbeat indie & alt-pop anthems. Known for their dazzling live performances and polished vibrant recordings, international recognition is certain to arrive soon for modernlove. 

modernlove. have caught the attention of many in the industry, including Paul Buck at Paradigm, who has been confirmed as their live agent. His roster includes The Vaccines, Everything Everything, Daughter, Khruangbin among others.

With a recent support slots for Good Cop Bad Cop (Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders new band) Larkins, and Judah and The Lion under their belt, modernlove. headline The Soundhouse, Dublin on February 21st.

‘Hard To Tell You’ is a song about finding it hard to express your emotions to others and communicate, even with the people closest to you. It is about feeling so far away from the person you are meant to be with intimately, and how that distance can cause a relationship to decay. This melancholic narrative is juxtaposed with a sonically upbeat and euphoric atmosphere created by catchy pop guitar hooks, bold bass lines and thundering dance drumbeats. 

LIVE

Headline Show, Soundhouse Dublin, February 21st
Live At Leeds, UK, May 2nd

modernlove. FB  modernlove. Insta  modernlove. Spotify modernlove. Twitter

The award-winning, double-platinum selling artist, Mick Flannery’s self-titled sixth album released last year, soared to #1 in the Irish album charts, and has since been ecstatically received at live shows to packed audiences across Ireland, the UK, and USA.

Mick is currently in the running for the prestigious RTÉ Choice Music Prize ‘Album of The Year’. And now, he follows with his first release of 2020: a stunning duet ‘Baby Talk’, which features the enigmatic singer-songwriter from County Clare, Susan O’Neill (SON).

Mick Flannery’s songs are fluent in expressing layered aspects of the human condition, its flaws, triumphs, and general uncertainty. The sum is greater than the parts when matched with SON, who’s soulful, husky vocals are on full display, resulting in an affecting ballad of he said, she said.

Speaking about the collaboration, Susan said: “When I first read the lyrics, I felt that Mick managed to capture a theme and an essence that I have not yet fully explored within my own writing. This song brought me into new territory. What a pleasure to work with Mick.”

Mick says: “I’m delighted with this recording, thank you to all involved, especially Susan O’Neill, producer Tony Buchen, and Christian Best.”

There’s something exciting about seeing a chart-topping artist at the top of his craft, with his familiar heavy-hearted approach to the verse, met by a fresh faced, wise beyond her years new talent, that makes the song so compelling.

With ‘Baby Talk’, when they each sing “real is in the feeling,” it’s felt here tenfold, through the moving performances of both artists. Mick and Susan will perform on stage together live at The Theatre Royal, Waterford (Friday 14th February), Glór, Ennis (Saturday 15th February) and Cork Opera House (Saturday 22nd February – SOLD OUT).

Produced by revered Australian Producer, Tony Buchen (Courtney Barnett), ‘Baby Talk’ was recorded between Los Angeles and Ireland, and is available worldwide today [FRIDAY 7TH FEBRUARY].

Stream/download: https://shor.by/WKxL

www.mickflannery.com

TOUR DATES:

Mick Flannery with Susan O’Neill (SON)

Friday 14th February – Theatre Royal, Waterford, IRE – Tickets
Saturday 15th February – Glór, Ennis, Clare, IRE – Tickets
Saturday 22nd February – Cork Opera House (Right Here, Right Now Festival), IRE – SOLD OUT

Mick Flannery:

Thursday 27th February – Backstage Theatre, Longford, IRE – Tickets
Friday 28th February – Spirit Store, Dundalk, IRE – SOLD OUT
Saturday 29th February – Kavanagh’s, Portlaoise, IRE – Tickets
Wednesday 4th March and Thursday 5th March – The Words and Music of Leonard Cohen – Bord Gais, Dublin, IRE – Tickets
Wednesday 5th March – Choice Music Prize, Vicar Street, Dublin, IRE – Tickets
Friday 6th March – The Duncairn, Belfast, UK – Tickets
Saturday 7th March – The Crescent Concert Hall Drogheda, IRE – Tickets
Sunday 8th March – Sea Church, Ballycotton, IRE – SOLD OUT
Friday 20th March – Vicar Street, Dublin, IRE – Tickets

Follow Mick Flannery online:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Spotify
https://www.mickflannery.com/

Follow Susan O’Neill (SON) online:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
https://son.ie/

Jane Willow releases her new single ‘Give It Time’. Irish film director Adam Rael directed a music video for the song. 

Jane says the following about ‘Give It Time’, “I wrote ‘Give It Time’ for my friend who suffers from bipolar disorder. I wanted him to know I was there for him and that he was gonna make it through.“

Jane Willow is a Dutch-turned-Irish folk musician who moved to Dublin, Ireland at age twenty-one to pursue music. In recent years Jane’s performed at Vicar Street, Whelan’s, Temple Bar Tradfest and Electric Picnic. She’s supported the likes of Glen Hansard, The Unthanks, Kí­la, David Kitt and Mark Geary.

On her debut EP ‘Onward Still’ (Nov ‘18) she collaborated with musicians Dave Hingerty (drums: Kíla, Josh Ritter), Vyvienne Long (cello: Damien Rice).

In 2020 Jane plans to release a few singles while also playing headline shows in Ireland and The Netherlands.

You can buy ‘Give It Time’ on Bandcamp and all other streaming platforms.

Bandcamp: https://janewillowmusic.bandcamp.com/track/give-it-time

Jane Willow headlines The Cobblestone, Dublin on Saturday February 29th. Buy tickets online and receive a free download of ‘Give It Time’:  https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/85436078611