MONCRIEFF releases his latest single ‘In My Room’ on Friday 17th April 2020.
100% of the proceeds from it are being donated to the ISPCC Childline as they’ve had a dramatic increase in calls due to this crisis.
‘In My Room’, is a heartfelt song, about the current state of Covid-19 pandemic in the world. It’s piano-based with tonnes emotion and melancholia. Speaking about the song, Moncrieff said, “I hope you’re all staying safe and relatively sane during these crazy days. So I wrote something that’s basically about how I feel about all the madness of the last few days. I’ve decided to release it in its raw demo form, it feels like the world is ending so fuck it why not.”
Available to purchase on all platforms Friday 17th April.
A new fund to support Irish music creators has been set up by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and First Music Contact (FMC), who will administer the fund.
In addition to the financial contributions by IMRO and IRMA, Spotify is making a donation and is also matching
donations made to the Irish Music Industry Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund via its
Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief page, dollar-for-dollar, up to a total Spotify
contribution of $10 million for the collective verified organizations
worldwide.
Companies and individuals who are in a position to do so and who want to help sustain the music ecosystem will have an opportunity to make private donations to boost the fund.
The live music sector, from which many music
creators make their living has paused globally. The livelihoods of music creators,
many of whom are freelancers or small businesses themselves, are at significant
risk during this crisis, as traditional revenue streams dry up.
The audio-visual sector is currently on hold and with many businesses now closed indefinitely, music creators will see a dramatic decrease in their royalty income in the weeks and months ahead.
While the government has provided much needed
assistance to businesses and some measures for freelancers, many music creators
are experiencing great hardship right now. This crisis will have a detrimental
impact on creators’ careers and incomes for many months to come, long after the
current crisis has passed.
The fund has been created to assist Irish
music creators who are currently experiencing the most financial need. It is open
to songwriters, composers, performers, session musicians and arrangers who are
currently trying to navigate through this challenging time.
Successful applicants
will receive a once-off emergency relief payment to the value of €750. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of music
industry professionals from a wide spectrum of industry sectors and
organisations.
Eleanor McEvoy, chair of IMRO, said: “Many talented and beloved members of the
Irish creative community are struggling financially due to the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that this fund can help to ease some of their worries and fears.
We are also appealing to anyone who is passionate about Irish music to donate
to the fund to ensure we can help as many people as possible. It is essential
that the Irish music industry survives this crisis, not just for the benefit of
music creators, but for the benefit of our country. Music unites us and is
fundamental to who we are. Losing it would be detrimental to our society and
culture.”
Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA said: “the Irish Recorded Music Association are pleased to be involved in
funding this very worthwhile initiative, which is designed to reduce the
financial suffering of music industry professionals, and bring relief to
deserving musicians and creative songwriters, in this time of uncertainty.”
Angela Dorgan, chief executive of FMC, said: “We are delighted with the response of the music industry bodies to this fund to support artists who have lost livelihood opportunities as a result of the crisis. We could see from our surveys the amount of people affected immediately and although this fund won’t go anywhere near entirely bridging those gaps, we hope it will help sustain the most vulnerable in our sector during the crisis, the makers, the artists.”
Tom Connaughton, UK and Ireland Managing Director of Spotify said: “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spotify has engaged partners across the industry to discuss how we can support artists and the creative community who have been deeply impacted by the effects of the virus. Though streaming continues to play a key role in connecting creators with their fans, numerous other sources of revenue have been interrupted or stopped altogether by this crisis. That is why we’re supporting the Irish Music Industry Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund as part of our wider Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project, which recommends verified organizations that offer financial relief to those in the music community most in need around the world.”
blackmailed & bereft came out of the session scene
in Kenmare, in the Kingdom of Kerry, on the Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast
of Ireland. Anita Heffernan, Chris Liddle and Gill Newlyn have played together
twice a week for 15 summers developing a close musical understanding that is
evident on this collection of original and traditional songs and tunes. The
band are brilliantly supported by lots of exceptional local musicians.
The name of the band comes from 2 words introduced to
the English language by the Border Reivers in the 15th Century – blackmail and
bereave. The first, blackmail, was the original ransom letter and bereaved
means the ransom wasn’t paid, killed by The Reivers. The Liddles were a Reiver
family in the 15 and 1600’s.
There are 11 tracks including traditional and brand new jigs and reels, polkas and marches, an air played on a tuned down fiddle made by Remploy, and six songs. Five of the songs are original and one is an old traditional favourite.
Keywest have come together with Heroes-Aid to put together a music video with frontline workers at its heart, to raise vital funds for our Healthcare Heroes.
The music video for ‘Ordinary Superhero’ features medical professionals Dr Matthew O’Toole, Nurse Emma Coughlan, Paramedic Steven Mangan and his daughter Saoirse.
Speaking about ‘Ordinary Superhero’ Kav of Keywest said, “We are honoured to be able to contribute in any way we can. It’s an achievement if we can move people to understand and empathise with what our frontline heroes face on a daily basis. It’s even better if we can remind a healthcare worker that we are thinking of them and what they are doing for us. And it’s amazing if we can help raise funds to protect them while they are exposed to Covid-19.“
Speaking about the release of the video and the launch of Heroes-Aid, Doug Leddin said “This moving song and video uniquely captures the fears and emotions of Health Care Workers as they bravely go to work every day.”
Heroes-Aid.com is the brainchild of Mary Leahy, Public Health Nurse & National Coordinator for Nurse/Midwife Safety, Health, & Welfare Reps and Damien Nee, a member of Covid-19 Expert Advisory Group. You can donate to Heroes-Aid here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/heroesaid
The initial aim of Heroes-Aid is to raise funds through gofundme to provide practical support such as PPE and other resources to keep our healthcare heroes safe as they care for us. The fund also intends to provide longer-term psychological, educational and practical support for frontline healthcare workers, their children and families who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19.
Out now, ‘Ordinary Superhero’ is available across all digital platforms.
Once the Covid 19 crisis hit the Irish commercials production sector like a bullet train, local producers Andrew Freedman (Antidote) and Paul Holmes (Red Rage) had a chat about what they COULD do at this unprecedented difficult time. They instigated an initiative whereby Irish Commercials Directors from CPI member companies would contribute to make a film to inspire hope. According to Freedman, “CPI is an industry body representing 21 small Irish businesses in the commercials production sector – we wanted to do something together to be of some help to our country.” The brief was founded in Irish poetry and literature and the resulting film, made entirely by remote working in the last 10 days, combines artistic and creative flair with a timely message that we will all pull each other through this difficult time and come out stronger. The film features impressive original music form Irish composer Denis Kilty. Paul Holmes feels that, “By making this film with over 20 Irish directors from CPI member companies, we are bringing our industry together to shine a small light of hope for the Irish people. We want this film to bring some good to those who watch it.”
Directors / Contributers: Andrew Baird, Lena Beug, Jon Hozier Byrne, Seán Clancy, DADDY, Jamie Delaney, Paul Donnellan, Ciaran Dooley, Brian Durnin, Gavin Fitzgerald, James Fitzgerald, Leon Forestal, Shane Griffin, Grizzly, Manus Goan, Keith Hutchinson, Johnny Kelly, Colum Maguire, Hugh O’Connor, Brian O’Malley, Stevie Russell, Natasha Waugh
#closertogether #flattenthecurve
Producers: Andrew Freedman, Paul Holmes Editor: Stephen O’Connell Music and Sound Design: Denis Kilty Copywriter: David Cowzer Voiceover: Gavin O’Connor Colourist: Matt Branton Online Post: Shayne Murphy, Windmill Lane
Almost a year after their last release, Orwells ’84 have returned, bringing their familiar indie folk sound to fans with the release of their long awaited follow up single, ‘On The Road’. The EP ‘Truth Is The First Victim’ was a debut for the band, who have released three previous singles prior to the EP launch.
The band recorded most of ‘Truth Is The First Victim’ in Sun Studios in Dublin with Pauric McCrum and Peter McCoy of Pillowhead. This is the band’s second venture with the duo; having worked together previously on the single ‘Cailín.
‘On The Road’ is 1 of 5 tracks that were all written by the band and included on the digital release. The have coincided the release with a special edition vinyl with a bonus track ‘The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell’ also.
The band have collaborated again with Tim Sherwood of Hunting Hall to reproduce the success of ‘Cailín’ with an equally artistic take on the music video with their new single. The band look to continue to cultivate a sound and image unique to the music scene and this is another step in that direction.
About the EP itself the press release at the time said that since releasing ‘Cailín’, Orwells ’84’s folk-indie style remains present yet matured, with a more refined world-view. “We’ve definitely developed the overall sound of the band massively in the last two years I’ve been a part of it,” says cellist and backing vocalist, Ella. “One thing I really enjoy is the openness of everyone involved in making the music. It’s always been a huge collaborative effort and I think that really shows in this EP.”
And while each song varies in timbre, they’re all originals and all circle back to one overarching theme. “The songs deal with the simplistic human experience. Love, loss, life, equality; basic things we take for granted and therefore, we gravitate towards them,” says frontman, Damien. “There are themes in the songs, are they set in stone? No, because it’s only my vocalisation of how I perceive these things. Everyone can take anything they want from them. The words and music belong to anyone who wants to share the experience with us.”
Pauric, one half of Pillowhead has high hopes for the success of this EP. He says, “I feel like the band is starting to gel more with this release; not only has our sound progressed since ‘Cailín’, but it’s expanded too. Lots of work has gone into honing a fresh sound that we’re all eager for people to hear.”
Like many others in the Dundalk music scene, Orwells ’84 are
adding their unique musical voice to the world with something new and exciting
to say. They’ve performed with people like David Keenan, Nix Moon, Myles
McCormack from Belfast group Lonesome George and Finnian, among others. And
while the band are often labelled with some form of the words ‘indie’ and
‘folk’, their style meets at the junction of many different genres. There’s
something about Orwells ’84 that is indescribably different — and with their
newest project, they’ve discovered what most musicians spend lifetimes working
for — the place where feel-good music meets vital social commentary.
Joe Chester’s ‘Jupiter’s Wife’ is released as a double-CD and digitally on Friday 1st May, 2020.
A natural successor to 2017’s critically acclaimed ‘The Easter Vigil’ the latest offering from Joe Chester moves from themes of losing inner spiritual and sacred belief to losing faith in each other and the dissolution of a lifelong union and marriage in the broader sense. ‘Jupiter’s Wife’ (Juno, Roman goddess of marriage) is a deep and rewarding well, filled with the complexities and conflicts that befall a shipwrecked relationship in a time before divorce was an option. The experience is contentious, doused in the tension between want and need. Joe draws artfully on daring imagery to give extraordinary colour to the impending abyss. The soundscape is equally rich with comforting atmospheric depth and an earthy, natural flavour that is relentlessly strewn with many a gratifying and devastating turn of phrase.
Self-produced as with all of Joe’s solo work, this album was partially recorded in Sun Studio, Memphis on legendary rock ‘n’ roll producer Sam Phillips’ original analogue machines. In fact, the entire record was first committed to tape to achieve a full and natural feel. “When I walked through the doors at 706 Union Avenue, the house engineer, Ples Hampton told me they had spent the previous night wiring in all of Sam Phillips’ original equipment. My heart quickened,” says Joe of the musician’s mecca. The bulk of the recording took place in Joe’s studio set up at his home in the south of France with powerful contributions from Julie Bienvenu (A Lazarus Soul) and members of The Waterboys – Trevor Hutchinson, Anto Thistlethwaite and Steve Wickham.
Referring to the sonic inspiration for the record, Joe says, “In 2017, while returning from some concerts with Steve Wickham in Belgium my old acoustic guitar was smashed beyond repair by the airline and so I was forced to begin the hunt for a replacement. After much searching I found, in Brittany, a near 40-year-old and fairly beaten up Lowden acoustic. Designed by George Lowden from Bangor, Northern Ireland, these guitars have a truly unique sound. More importantly, as soon as I picked it up, music flowed from it with ease and I was truly struck by the feeling that this thing was playing itself, almost as though it were possessed. The instrumental tracks on this album are a homage to this wonderful instrument.” Joe has had a stellar 2019 with the release of his lost album ‘She Darks Me’ and further widespread acclaim as guitarist and producer of “one of the greatest Irish albums of the decade” (Irish Independent) with A Lazarus Soul.
Dublin singer-songwriter Luke Clerkin is set to release ‘Stones’, his first single in over a year, on the 17th of April. ‘Stones’, was originally released in 2016 as part of the Cycle Against Suicide campaign, and brought his music to an international audience. This new version of his fan favourite song, encompasses new sounds for Luke, while still respecting the rawness he is known for. The single is the first release from Luke’s upcoming project ‘What Little Time We Have’, which will see him treading more into these sounds. ‘Stones’ was produced by previous collaborator, Gavin Doyle, and Jack Keenan at Cabin Space Studios in Dublin. It was mastered by the internationally renowned, Pete Maher (Jack White, Damien Rice, U2), in London.
Talking about the single, Luke said, “‘Stones’ is the most important song that I have ever written. This is because of the message behind it, the message of how important it is to talk to people when you are in a dark place. This comes from my own struggles with mental health, and how I have dealt with them. With what is happening now with COVID 19, I feel there is no better time to release this song. I think it could help those in isolation who are struggling with their mental health, and encourage them to speak out.“
Luke Clerkin has been playing and releasing music for the last 5 years, gaining international airplay and support, whilst also topping the Irish Singer Songwriter Charts on multiple occasions. He is known mostly for playing over 250 gigs in 2015, as a way of honing his craft. Since then he has headlined famous Dublin venues such as Whelan’s, The Workman’s Club, and The Button Factory. His music has brought him all over the world, with multiple tours of Germany, as well as festival slots in America, the UK, and Ireland.
His most recent single ‘Take Back The City’ saw Luke bring his passion for change into his music, as he aimed to highlight the ongoing housing crisis. He performed the song in front of over 10,000 people at the National Housing Protest in December of 2018.
‘Stones’ will be released on all streaming and download platforms on April 17th.
Beach Comber set to release on April 24th, album ‘Parting Cuts’ // A Lo-Fi, indie record made in a little room by the sea.
Beach Comber is project by Rory Friers. Rory spends most of his time between scoring films and touring the world with instrumental rockers And So I Watch You From Afar. But during some time off a few years ago he moved himself into a small attic room in a remote farmhouse above the cliffs of north Antrim to make an album as a gift to his sister Ciara and her husband Dara on their wedding day. The room contained little more than a bed, a chair and a desk – he brought little more than his guitar and a microphone, his laptop and a few of boxes of stuff to shake and bang.
He spent the the next two weeks writing and recording a collection of songs inspired by a beautiful yet heart breaking year travelling the world that Ciara and Dara had just returned home from. It was to be a year of happiness and sadness, love and loss, seeing new lands, tragically losing people they loved, holding hope, battling through, keeping on.
Rory based these songs on their experiences, he wrote songs for each turn, each step of the journey. He has woven music to tell the story. He wrote, recorded, performed, mixed and mastered the these in just a couple weeks, a snap shot of a very special time. This is a love story in many ways, a collection of thoughtfully constructed songs full of themes of family, of separation, of loss and ultimately of reuniting, themes that seemed pertinent enough right now to be the catalyst to release this very personal record in this moment we’re all enduring.
After winning the coveted Clancy Brothers Songwriting Competition back in 2015, the future looked very bright for Jamie Mulrooney AKA Doppler and seemed on the cusp of something special. Ever since then things went a little sideways..
This wasn’t the first or the last accolade the Mayo born singer/songwriter amassed over the years either. Receiving a string of glowing press features in Hot Press, The Irish Times, Joe.ie, Chordblossom things seemed on the up and up for the guy and Doppler was even scouted by Atlantic Records at one time. Doppler has gained plenty of other accolades including being voted Song of the Week (2XM), Song of the Day (JOE), Listen of the Week (U&I), Featured Single of the Week (Right Chord Music), to name just a few.
He has shared the stage with the likes of Gavin James, Neil Hannon, Cathy Davey, The Blizzards, The Saw Doctors, Jackie Beverly and even played with Bonehead from Oasis a couple of times.
Before releasing the award winning track ‘The Truth is Not Your Own‘ Jamie fell out of love with songwriting, recording and performing solo and decided to put the whole thing on hold and instead pursued a new career….in “ukulele tutoring”. and is now responsible for the largest ukulele programme in the country, ”Ceili Ukulele” teaching 800 (YES 800) children a week in national schools for Music Generation.
After an influential recording session with Tommy McGlaughin (Villagers, SOAK) recently in Attica Studios, Jamie decided to get back in the game and plan this long overdue return to releasing music.
Doppler is now a musical collective featuring collaborations with many great new Irish artists. ‘A Memory’, released 29th April, features long standing Doppler member Noel Gallagher (not THAT Noel Gallagher), Kevin Holmes ( The Kerbs) and Kevin Donnellan ( The Third Rehearsal).
“’A Memory’ is like one side of your brain is arguing with the other.” explains Mulrooney. “Essentially it’s the struggle to stay positive. How memories can change over time. What you thought was important can turn out to be insignificant when things change.” The video was filmed by award winning filmmaker Bill Moldt who is currently based in LA. The stunningly worked video grabs the lyrics and takes us for a winding spin in a 1950’s Cadillac through the artistically animated desert and drops us off in the cinema. Many many hours went into the making of this painstakingly crafted video.
