Month: April 2020

Having released his ‘God Games EP’ and ‘The Rebound Effect’ single last year, Fintan McKahey has been well supported by many Irish radio stations. Selected at Today FM, RTE Radio 1 (Arena), Newstalk, Cork’s 96FM, Corks RedFM (Local Legend), KCLR FM (Song of the Week on Roddie’s IMS),  Eirewave (Best Irish Indie Playlist), WLR, JOE.ie  (Song of the Day), and more.

His latest offering ‘Platinum’ is a missive to magic. In light of the Covid-19 crisis Fintan’s themes of resilience are uncannily prescient.  As the world around us slows down and many people delve deeper into the old ways. This new single from the young Irish songwriter / producer, is an eclectic, down tempo, bedroom-pop production, influenced by the likes of Chet Faker and Bonobo.  The song is envisioned from the perspective of one of “The skies own relatives” , the mysterious traveller, who can open the portal to other realms. The chorus “Don’t give yourself up now …” , cautions the need for protection, while holding on to self-belief and acknowledging the power that flows through us all.

For decades artists and healers have been attracted to the beaches and byways of West Cork. Rural Ireland echoes with tales of magic and myth, so it is no surprise that these themes emerge in Fintan’s songs. He writes, records and produces all of his music from the haven of his home studio, where he is continuing the family legacy, as the son of Stump drummer, Rob McKahey and the nephew of CousteauX singer, Liam McKahey; who spent their own childhoods in the rebel county. The video for Platinum was recorded at his home studio and filmed by Fintan’s partner Kate Bean. Fintan later edited it, whilst self-isolating and awaiting the results of his own test.

“This past winter, I poured my energies into creating a space that I could work in with my band in 2020. The results are beyond inspiring and it almost feels as if the songs write themselves here in my new studio. I was fortunate to complete this self-build just as the Coronavirus began impacting us all but I guess I shall be going it alone here for a while yet.”

‘Platinum’ release date: Friday 17th April 2020

Release Party (Live Stream) : 24th April 2020

Live Tour Dates: Postponed due to (COVID-19)
fintanmckahey.com

Irish singer/songwriter, Fia Moon returns with six heartfelt anthems exploring the emotional struggles of heartbreak and healing that anyone can groove to. Drawing on influences of R&B, pop, soul and jazz, each song tells a different story, taking you on a journey on building back confidence, self-assuredness, empowerment and acceptance.

Her first single, ‘Better Days’ is set for release on 10th April and was co-written by Fia with established songwriters Rob Harvey (Clean Bandit, Jess Glynne, Tom Walker, Rudimental, The Streets) and Lewis Thompson (Just Kiddin, Joel Corry). 

The soul-bearing song touches on loss and insomnia, while also expressing perseverance and determination to never give up. Fia explains, “When we wrote the song, I had only done a handful of sessions and didn’t really know what I was doing. I was struggling to balance a break-up, music stuff, moving house, and a full-time job, which I later quit. So, in a short space of time, my whole life had suddenly been totally uprooted and in a big city like London, you can feel very alone. The lyrics – it’s 5 in the morning’ is just me lying awake at night, questioning myself, unsure whether I was on the right path.”

The verses move the story along with their sombre yet relatable lyrical content (‘All I hear is an echo / Of the doubt I can’t let go.’). This is in stark contrast to the uplifting and positive chorus and its high notes which amplify the feeling of determination to never give up that she subsumes in her battle against that all-too-familiar inner voice of self-doubt.

“When I think of the song, I think of the contrast between light and dark, day and night, and between beauty and pain,” Fia explains in regards to her thought process as the song came together. This isn’t only exemplified through the song’s lyrics, but also in its production, which, while inherently pop, is dark and atmospheric through the verses before slowly climbing to an uplifting, upbeat crescendo as the chorus kicks in.

A natural performer, 2019 saw Fia Moon complete the festival season in Ireland having played Forbidden Fruit, Body & Soul, Indiependence and We’ve Only Just Begun in Whelan’s as well as support slots with popular Irish bands The Coronas, Wild Youth and LAOISE. Her performances on Sofar Sounds London and viral YouTube channel Mahogany have also highlighted her undoubted potential.

Fia Moon’s previous releases have received acclaim from the likes of CLASH, The Irish Times, EARMILK, Nialler9 and The Official Charts as well as picking up support through Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday UK, New Pop Revolution & Fresh Finds. She has also gained radio traction both in the UK and Ireland and was named on RTE 2FM’s Rising’s list 2019 (the equivalent of BBC’s ‘Music Sound Of…’).

With 2020 already seeing Fia Moon selected as ‘One To Watch’ by GoldenPlec in its renowned Plec Picks series, ‘Better Days’ is just the beginning for her in the new decade. 2020 is the year Fia Moon makes her mark on the music industry with her brand of deeply personal and highly relatable pop.

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Irish singer-songwriter Ultan Conlon found a haven for his unique sound and sensibility in Los Angeles, CA with Nickel Creek’s Grammy Award-winning Sean Watkins producing Ultan’s fourth record, ‘There’s A Waltz’, which drops on 17 April 2020 in Ireland and the UK and in May throughout the rest of Europe and the US. 

Ultan first met Sean in LA in 2016 while playing some shows with him at Largo, the well-known nightclub where Sean and Sara Watkins hosted The Watkins Family Hour. Ultan says: “When I met the musicians that Sean brought on board to record my songs and we played the first few bars, I knew this record was gonna make itself, under the influence of Sean navigating us all ever so gently.”  

That formidable group of musicians includes Don Heffington – Drums (Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, Ron Sexsmith), Sebastian Steinberg – Bass, Double Bass (Iron and Wine, Neil Diamond, KD Lang), Gabe Witcher – Fiddle (Paul Simon, Beck), Rich Hinman – Pedal Steel (KD Lang, St.Vincent), Sara Watkins – Backing Vocals (Nicklecreek, I’m With Her) and Tyler Chester – B3, Piano (Jackson Browne, Andrew Bird). 

Conlon’s poetically-enigmatic songs and “lyrical gems’ (‘No Depression’) often stem from his own personal experiences, whether he is reflecting on the dark days of his struggle with alcohol addiction (‘A Long Way Back’), the isolation of the digital universe (‘World from A Window’),  longing for connection (‘A Landslide’) or journeying towards self-acceptance and love (‘There’s a Waltz’). 

As for the aforementioned ‘World’, Ultan explains the evolution of his song began with his kitten, ‘Kitty’, was, “staring out the window all day and there I was feeling so sorry for her limited life, looking out at birds and cars, and then I noticed myself, stuck on Twitter and Instagram, scrolling at mind-numbing crap. The song expanded from that moment into a realization that so many of us are not immune to spending so much of our lives on the windows of one’s computers or cell phones.”  

If there’s a melancholy within the observations of ‘Window’, ‘Sparks of the Divine’ brings a more joyous optimism into the equation with an ode to love:

“Turn to me quietly and whisper that
you are mine
Break it to me gently like you’re 
telling me for the first time
Not looking for much but you give me
something Divine“

Another stand-out on this collection is’In The Blink of an Eye’ which stems back to the death of Ultan’s father when Ultan was only 13 years of age and how this experience with death profoundly changed Ultan’s life forever, and then the song morphs into a couple of other character’s points of view, imagining what their trajectories might be.

“There’s something I just can’t get over it might take a lifetime
or it might be all gone in the blink of an eye“

Conlon’s voice has been likened by some music writers to Roy Orbison and his writers voice brings forth original songs that combine depts of feeling, introspection and modesty, as witnessed in ‘Moments in Time’. 

“…out of the dark I arrive 
Though I’m not the traveling kind
With mind on fire it’s hardly trailblazing”

But along the trails of the same song, his thoughts are illuminated by the..

“…Windows to stars that shine in the dark from above
Where our love defies
Moments in Time
Where our love resides
Moments in Time”

The title track, ‘There’s a Waltz’ surprisingly starts out in 4/4 time, saving the shift into waltz-time only towards the end. As with all of Ultan’s songs on this new collection, the rewards, be they deferred or right at hand, bittersweet or joyous, are always reaching to connect to the listener’s heart and soul. 

With an adventurous spirit and a passion for charting the road less travelled, Beoga have shown that Irish traditional music can take fresh new directions. That world-facing potential was proven by the popularity of their collaborations with Ed Sheeran on his all-conquering ‘÷’ album. Those two songs – ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Nancy Mulligan’ – have been streamed over a billion times on Spotify alone.

Now Beoga build upon that growing profile by sharing their new single ‘In A Rocket’, a collaboration with Lissie. The track previews their new mini-album ‘Carousel’, which follows on May 22nd. It finds the band focusing on creating attention-grabbing hooks with a mix of rootsy instrumentation and elements of electronic pop production.

With vocals from Lissie and a topline written by James Bay, ‘In A Rocket’ blends Beoga’s Irish-fuelled rhythms with Lissie’s midwestern folk-pop as it looks ahead to better times to come. “Spent too long in this lonely room,” Lissie emotes, “Kicked out the locks, going to run with you / Sun’s waiting on the other side.”

Beoga commented:“’In A Rocket’ is about growing, escapism and losing yourself. The idea of getting away from it all in your own metaphorical rocket, whatever that may be. Lissie brings a special midwestern vibe to this song that really brought it all to life for us. We wanted this song to take you away to somewhere positive and daydreamy for a few minutes. It seems apt with all that’s going on in the world at the minute.”

Lissie added: “It’s such an honour to lend my voice to this uplifting song by Beoga. I feel like the words and meaning couldn’t be more perfect for these strange and uncertain times we are living in.  Also, to have the release coincide with the first hopeful signs of springtime feels appropriate. There is a lot of strength, resolve and optimism in this song!”

‘In A Rocket’ is the third taster to preview ‘Carousel’ following ‘Matthew’s Daughter’ (featuring Devin Dawson) and ‘Make A Mark’ (featuring Ryan McMullan). Uniting the worlds of American and Irish contemporary folk, the former features lyrics written by Ed Sheeran about his wife Cherry and is already Beoga’s second most streamed track at Spotify. Meanwhile, ‘Make A Mark’ shows their growing flair for merging the worlds of Irish trad and modern pop.

Other featured vocalists on the mini-album include Beoga’s old friends Foy Vance and Niall McCabe. Meanwhile the Grammy-nominated producer Jonny Coffer has helped the band’s fresh fusion of sounds to flourish.

The ‘Carousel’ title was chosen to reflect Beoga’s experiences over the past two years. They’ve navigated the murky waters of the music industry, signing and then escaping two recording contracts before teaming up with AWAL. It’s been a long and frustrating experience, but looking back they realise that they’ve been more creative than ever before. In addition to ‘Carousel’, they also have the bones of a further two or three albums in place. Everything’s set up for Beoga to reach a whole new audience.

Beoga will follow the release of ‘Carousel’ with an Irish & UK headline tour later this year.

‘Carousel’ tracklist:

1. ‘Make A Mark’ (featuring Ryan McMullan)
2. ‘Carousel’
3. ‘In A Rocket’ (with Lissie)
4. ‘We’re Blood’ (featuring Foy Vance)
5. ‘Aurora II’
6. ‘Matthew’s Daughter’ (featuring Devin Dawson)
7. ‘Homebird’ (featuring Niall McCabe)

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Luan Parle‘s latest single ‘Change Your Mind’ will be released on Friday 10th April, the second single from her critically-acclaimed album ‘Never Say Goodbye’.

Luan’s plans to shoot a video for the single were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and instead she decided to issue a call-out to submit home videos of people rocking out to ‘Change Your Mind’, in the hopes of raising spirits in a surreal and anxious time. Luan asked people who were staying home with their families and loved ones to star in the video and film themselves giving it socks. The result is truly heartwarming, and Luan was blown away with the response from people all over the world. The video features music lovers in a variety of scenes; from 8-month-old Penny to 106-year-old Nancy, who also happens to be the oldest independently-living women in Ireland, and kids dressed-up as superheroes and princesses to a mother and son dancing in the living room. It captures the incredible spirit of those who star in it and will be sure to brighten up your day.

Luan’s recently-released album ‘Never Say Goodbye’, out since 7th February 2020, made the Hot Press ‘Hot For 2020’ Albums List and Album of The Week as recommended by Marty Whelan on RTÉ Lyric FM.

‘Never Say Goodbye’ features 10 original tracks, including two co-writes with Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes. “With ‘Never Say Goodbye’ Luan Parle has delivered her finest collection of songs to date.” (Colm O’Hare, Hotpress). The album has received a 4 Star review from Folk & Tumble, an 8 out of 10 review by Hot Press.

With over 300 radio airplays, the first single released from the album, ‘My Something Beautiful’, hit the No.2 spot on the iTunes charts on its debut on 17th January.

“With a voice pure and true, Luan Parle sings from the heart but aims for the gut. From lovelorn country ballads to gothic Americana to hard-hitting social commentary, with this album Luan’s songwriting has matured to the point where she can rightfully claim to be the Emmylou of the Emerald Isle.” Nick Kelly – Music Editor, broadsheet.ie.

“The result is her best record yet. Highlights include Running In Circles, a co-write with ex Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes that evokes Stevie Nicks” – Steve Cummins – Sunday Times

‘Change Your Mind’, a new single by Luan Parle will be released this Friday 10th April 2020. The video can be viewed on Luan’s YouTube channel.

‘Never Say Goodbye’, Luan Parle’s fourth studio album, is out since 7th February 2020.

In keeping with government guidelines, Luan’s ‘Never Say Goodbye’ Tour has been postponed. She performs free live concerts from her living room, which broadcast on Facebook every Friday at 8pm GMT.

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Irish songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anna Mieke has teamed up with director and filmmaker Myles O’Reilly (Arbutus Yarns) to create a new live video for ‘Warped Window’, the third track on her album ‘Idle Mind’, released almost one year ago now.

Anna Mieke has played a lot of shows since the album release, highlights being a tour in the UK (including playing in an amphitheatre made of pianos at the Edinburgh Fringe, and in a puppet theatre), as well as performing at Other Voices, Dingle. Recent times finds her thinking a lot, and writing and more songs, edging towards more of a darker sound.

Anna Mieke says: “It’s such a strange time for everyone. There’s solidarity in knowing that we’re experiencing it together, albeit to very different degrees. It’s looking like two upcoming tours of mine are not going to go ahead, which is a shame, but a small price to pay given the current situation. Those dates will be rescheduled to sometime later this year if it’s possible – it’s pretty tricky not knowing when things will be back to relative normality, including events and concerts, so it’s hard to plan. I’ve been living in Dublin, cooking a lot more than usual, exercising a lot, learning how to grow things in the garden, and learning tunes on the mandolin. All while trying to avoid news and internet overload.

When I first wrote this song ‘Warped Window’, the ‘you’ throughout the song actually referred to myself; it was originally written to a future version of me as an impossibly ancient woman, who I’d imagined slowly fading and merging with her surroundings. A bit of a dark image perhaps, but perhaps there’s something poetic in that. So there’s a theme of age and decay but also, perseverance. Of course, a listener of the song can decide who the ‘you’ in this song might be for them.”

The live performance seen in the video has evolved somewhat from the album version, as it now has Matthew Jacobson (Insufficient Funs, ReDiviDeR) on percussion, Ryan Hargadon on saxophone, and Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds) on harmonium.

Chatting about the video, filmmaker and director Myles O’Reilly of Arbutus Yarns said:

“There’s an extra something about a song once it has been toured, when all the musicians stop trying to play with each other and genuinely, effortlessly feel each other’s space. It’s never going to be identical to a recorded version, but what is exciting for me is how live performance reveals a more sensitive dialogue between band members and their personalities. Having followed Anna Mieke to a number of shows, and being a massive fan of the record and her band, it was exciting then to witness their relationship on stage evolve and try to capture that magic…”

Anna Mieke’s 2019 album, which features this track ‘Warped Window’, is available to stream or buy on digitial/CD/vinyl here: https://annamieke.bandcamp.com/album/idle-mind

VIDEO CREDITS:

Filmed and edited by Myles O’Reilly (Arbutus Yarns).
Sound recorded and mixed by Cian Hamilton, mastered by Brían Mac Gloinn.
Anna Mieke – Vocals and electric guitar
Brían Mac Gloinn – Harmonium, fiddle and vocals
Ryan Hargadon – Synth and floor tom
Matthew Jacobson – Drums

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Some news on Dublin artist, Johnny Rayge (aka Jonathan Armas Mc Glinn). With his full time gig schedule now fully cancelled, he is using self isolation to produce songs he hopes will create an album if the lockdown continues.

Following on from the great success of his single and song ‘Lockdown’, released on the 25th March, he will be  releasing a new song quarantine boudoir blues on the 7th of April 2020. “It’s the first time in my life I’ve been solely able to focus on writing and producing, I’m pleased with the results, they’re the first songs I’ve released that I’ve done everything, bar drums by Avel Benito, and bass on QBB is by Fernando Castilhos.“

You can click a link below or go straight to his channel and subscribe, Johnny Rayge. The song and video premier at 1900.

‘Quarantine Boudoir Blues’, new song and video, premieres on Youtube at 19:00, on 7th April on the Johnny Rayge channel. Tune in and say hi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CWWfGuHB-Q&feature=youtu.be

Miles Graham is set to release his brand new single ‘Don’t Change’ on Friday the 17 April 2020.

The Irish singer-songwriter Miles Graham has been establishing his reputation, first hitting Radio 2’s playlist with ‘I Can’t Love You Again’ and then with high profile Billboard Dance hits with Don Diablo and L’Tric. During that time, Graham has focused upon honing his deeply affected songcraft, the first release of which comes with his brand new single ‘Don’t Change’.

The challenges and turmoil of heartbreak has been Graham’s prime inspiration in recent years. Yet with ‘Don’t Change’, Graham channels that sorrow to express an uplifting message of encouragement to others who are going through similarly troubled times. Spanning a velvety, soulful croon to a striking falsetto, the sheer range of Graham’s vocal gift immediately makes an impression. It’s the perfect adornment to the song’s hybrid of modern pop focus and timeless retro-soul.

“Breakup can be dark or colourful depending on your perspective. The choice is always yours , ‘Don’t Change’ I hope is a colourful moment captured within all the turmoil,” explains Graham.

‘Don’t Change’ was recorded in London with producer Paul Herman (Emeli Sandé, Dido, Corinne Bailey Rae), with string arrangements from the renowned Sally Herbert (Mumford & Sons, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine). Expect Graham to share more music from these sessions in the near future.

Now things are taking off for Graham, but he still finds songwriting to be an immensely cathartic experience. “Making music is definitely life’s energy for me,” he says. “If I couldn’t do it, I don’t think I’d actually be here right now. One thing that always keeps me going is the melody – even when a song’s about pain and hardship, the melody still always carries some kind of hope. If people can listen to my songs and come away feeling a little uplifted, then I feel like I’ve achieved something meaningful.”

‘Don’t Change’ by Miles Graham is out on the 17 April 2020 across all digital platforms.

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