Darragh O’Dea has just released his single ‘Lost Dog Loyal’.
Darragh O’Dea is a songwriter known for his narrative lyrics and idyllic poetry on life in an ever-changing Ireland. Hailing from Tuam, Darragh’s songs capture the moods and elements of his surroundings and are delivered with an alluring honesty.
Darragh has taken the stage of Lost Lane (Dublin), The Harrison (London) and at Claremorris Folk Festival, performing with the likes of John Spillane and The Whileaways.
The track was recorded and produced between Sunstreet Studios & The Stables, Tuam, Co. Galway by Kenny Ralph & Mixer Connolly. Supporting Darragh’s vocals and guitar is the brilliant violin, piano and guitar of Ciara Finan, bass, keys and backing vocals of Rory Donellan, and the percussion and guitar of Mixer Connolly.
All proceeds from the sale of ‘Lost Dog Loyal’ will go to Cope Galway, to support individuals dealing with domestic violence or homelessness and our vulnerable elderly. The track can be purchased here.
A music video has also been created where people have submitted videos of themselves at home dancing during the lockdown. ‘Lost Dog Loyal’ is a song about being dedicated and loyal to a relationship, whilst growing and developing together.
MuRli is set to release his ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off’ EP on July 3rd.
“This is a special release for the fans. Those who have helped made my dream come true and continue to make me dream every day. I wanted to give them something exclusive, something we can live and grow with, together. In many ways, this is still the start of our journey so I decided to go against the grain and release the full experience of ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off’ EP on CD and Cassette only. It can be previewed on Bandcamp where the CDs and tapes can also be ordered but it will not be released to streaming platforms. Inspired by Hip Hop.” – MuRli
MuRli is a rapper, producer and songwriter from Limerick, Ireland.
Best known for his work as part of Rusangano Family, he’s been writing lyrics
since the age of 13 after being put onto rap by a classmate while in secondary
school. He went on to hone his skills over the following decade, culminating in
his well-received debut EP, Surface Tension featuring the single ‘Both Sides’
which earned him plays on the BBC, Indie Shuffle and features in the Irish Times,
Hotpress and Nialler9 and endorsement by the legendary photographer Brian ‘B+’
Cross who incidentally, shot the Artwork photo.
In early 2015, MuRli joined forces with producer mynameisjOhn and
fellow MC, God Knows to form the band Rusangano Family and hit the studio to
record the ‘Let The Dead Bury The Dead’ album. The album was awarded Best Irish
Album of 2016 at the RTE Choice Music Prize Awards the following year.
As part of Rusangano Family, MuRli has shared stages with local and international acts such as Girl Band, Snoop Dogg, Slow Moving Clouds, Run The Jewels and BadBadNotGood among others. In the summer of 2018, he was invited to take part in the PEOPLE festival and residency at the FunkHaus studios in Berlin alongside 200 artists from all around the world, an experience he credits as the motivation he needed to go and work on his solo debut album due in 2020. In the meantime, he dropped ‘The Intangibles’ in November 2019. A mixtape that showcased his production skills and confirmed his position as one of Ireland’s most gifted artists.
After an overwhelmingly positive response to Other Voices ‘Courage’ worldwide – with over 1.15 million views total – it will return with a brand new series on the 23rd of June. Series two of the live streamed concerts will feature an all star lineup of artists performing in a selection of iconic cultural and heritage locations around the country.
The first episode of the second series will feature performances
from acclaimed alternative folk musician James Vincent McMorrow, who is
just about to release his fifth album and choice prize nominated singer
songwriter Maija Sofia. They will be joining us from the beautiful
location of Killruddery House and Gardens in Bray Co. Wicklow.
On Thursday 25th of June winners of the 2020 RTÉ Choice Prize LANKUM will perform live from Kilkenny Castle.
Further performances will be streamed from Glenveagh National
Park, The Crawford Gallery in Cork City along with the Guildhall in Derry, the
Guinness Storehouse and Swords Castle in Fingal.
Once again performances will take place on Tuesday and Thursday nights and will be made available worldwide, free of charge, due to the support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, RTÉ and IMRO. Courage series one is currently being shown on RTÉ 2 Thursdays at 23:30.
Speaking of the project Minister Madigan said: “Building on the phenomenal success of the original Courage programme with a reach of over 2.7m, I am delighted to support this new initiative of live streamed performances from some of our best known heritage sites. The outpouring of wellbeing created by the first series of performances will no doubt be carried through Courage 2 and reminds us that culture lifts us up beyond circumstance and challenges and is vital to the core of our collective humanity.”
IMRO Chief Executive Victor Finn said: “In times of crisis we often turn to music creators and artists for their unique ability to interpret and reflect on the world in which we live. Music is a collective experience which can overcome physical distance and is the perfect antidote to the growing sense of alienation and isolation we have all felt in recent times – even more so, now we are being asked to actively practise social distancing. The Other Voices ‘Courage’ series brings some of our finest Irish music creators to the world stage from a number of unique locations around Ireland in what we hope will be inspiring and unforgettable performances.”
Other Voices founder and director Philip King said: “We are delighted to present this second season of Other Voices Courage as part of the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is about bringing people together through music, and recognising the essential and powerful contribution that artists continue to make to our lives. We are inspired by the response here in Ireland and globally to the first season of Other Voices Courage, and our artists and crews have helped to bring beauty, solace, strength and a sense of belonging to people at this time of national and global crisis – is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has played a leading and imaginative role in making it possible for our artists and crews to work together to create and present Other Voices Courage.”
ABOUT JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
Over the last decade, Dublin-born McMorrow has established himself as a multi-faceted songwriter with a vast spectrum of styles. He sings, produces, plays everything, and has a network of collaborators that stretches around the world. He’s crafted a home for himself in the worlds of hip-hop and textured r&b, even worked on Drake’s 2016 album, Views. It’s fair to say his early days of being pigeon-holed as an ‘indie folk singer-songwriter’ are long dead. He’s remained resolutely independent this whole time, self-financing his artistic ambition. But for his new record, Grapefruit Season, he felt it was time to push things up a level. McMorrow’s internal journey of the last ten years underpins the lyrics of the album. “I have more responsibilities, people and expectations around me than ever, and the world is constantly telling me to change and grow as a person,” he explains. “But I don’t feel any more responsible or capable than I did when I was 18 years old. The record is about embracing the idea that it’s okay to not have things figured out. It’s about embracing the chaos and belligerence of life, rather than bending or changing yourself to suit what society expects of you,” he says.
ABOUT MAIJA SOFIA
Maija
Sofia Makela is a musician and writer from rural Co. Galway. Her uniquely
striking debut album ‘Bathtime’, a collection of songs exploring the female
experience throughout art, history and folklore was released in November 2019
through Trapped Animal Records to unanimous praise across Irish and UK media.
It was nominated for the prestigious RTE Choice Award Irish Album of the Year
and was described in the Sunday Times as “quietly breathtaking […]
the arrival of a unique new voice.”
ABOUT LANKUM
Lankum
have an alchemical ability to combine traditional folk roots with contemporary
undercurrents to forge music that is dark, mysterious and
transcendental.Comprising brothers Ian Lynch (uillean pipes, tin whistle,
vocals), Daragh Lynch (vocals, guitar) alongside Cormac Mac Diarmada (fiddle)
and Radie Peat (harmonium, accordion, vocals), Lankum channel a diverse set of
influences and histories to create a beautifully rare thing: a songbook from
and for the people.Their third full length album The Livelong Day, which
was released on Rough Trade Records at the end of 2019 won the band the coveted
RTÉ Choice Prize. The album blends alternative folk and psychedelia to cement
their reputation as one of the most talked about groups to emerge from Ireland
in decades. Born of years criss-crossing Dublin’s folk and experimental scenes,
their previous two albums Cold Old Fire (2013, recorded under former
name Lynched) and Rough Trade debut Between The Earth and Sky (2017)
breathed new life into ancient/modern rituals with urban punk fervour, rural
psycho-geography and, underpinning it all, the eternal drone of the uilleann
pipes.
Miles Graham shares his brand new single ‘Give It Up Now’ ahead of the release of his EP ‘All The Right Things’ – out on the 10 July.
Miles Graham’s latest track ‘Don’t Change’ resulted in him performing the single live on BBC Radio 5 and a stunning version of Dido’s ‘Thank You‘, and picking up further airplay from BBC Introducing. It accelerated a fresh stage in the Irish singer-songwriter’s career, having previously scored international dance hits alongside Don Diablo and L’Tric, as well as being playlisted on BBC Radio 2 for his breakthrough moment ‘I Can’t Love You Again’.
Fans who admired ‘Don’t Change’ now have more of his creative world to explore as he shares his new EP ‘All The Right Things’, which features the new track ‘Give It Up Now’- a bittersweet piano ballad laced with lush string arrangements and sky reaching vocal harmonies.
Miles explains, “‘Give It Up Now’ is about being free of the turmoil that comes with antagonism. It has conversational lyrics that give a fly on the wall incite to break-up, the EP is an emotional narrative within my very dynamic journey. The freedom of letting go ‘It could be better for all you know..’ is perhaps a teasing lyric in the song to some kind of better life ahead, but is ironically ambiguous in it’s positive/negative balance.“
The ‘All The Right Things’ EP was recorded in London with producer Paul Herman (Emeli Sandé, Dido, Corinne Bailey Rae), with string arrangements from the renowned Sally Herbert (Plan B, Usher, Duffy,Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine). The EP showcases his soul-baring songwriting and top-quality sound: a genre-blurring blend of retro-soul and fresh yet timeless pop. The EP unfolds in brilliantly original sonic flourishes—heavy grooves, bright beats, laid-back guitar tones—each song elegantly spotlights Graham’s spellbinding voice. Graham closes the EP with ‘Sunbeam’- an intricately textured and heart-melting tribute to his young daughter.
Channelling his experiences into sound has been a cathartic experience for Miles Graham. It has also ignited a deeper, more emotional quality within his songwriting. It’s a natural development for an artist who has been committed to developing his talents since childhood. He took time out to focus on family in 2018 and now he’s back, more accomplished and set to soar.
On the weekend that they were supposed to have their biggest festival yet, Sea Sessions have just released a brilliant highlights video with footage from the last 12 festivals. Since 2008 the lineups have always been top quality and really eclectic from the likes of Dermot Kennedy to Kelis, Clean Bandit to Tinie Tempah, Walking on Cars to Rudimental, Bastille to Dizzee Rascal and loads more besides.
Festival Director Ray O’Donoghue says, “We know summer 2020 has been written off from the point of view of festivals and events but I really think summer 2021 will be huge. There’s tremendous good will out there and a huge proportion of our audience have held on to their tickets for 2021. On a positive note we’ve more time to plan the biggest and best festival yet!”
Bundoran Tourism Officer Shane Smyth says, “We really miss Sea Sessions this year in Bundoran. Every year it’s a huge bonus to the town and brings in people from all over Ireland and abroad. It’s great news that they’re back in 2021. We can’t wait!”
A collective of Irish female artists have come together to raise desperately needed support for Safe Ireland, helping women and children living in crisis.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a 25% rise in domestic violence calls to An Garda Síochana reported in Ireland.
Irish Women In Harmony are some of Ireland’s most talented and accomplished musicians, together amassing over 200 million Spotify streams.
Grammy nominated singer/songwriter and producer of this cover version RuthAnne, came up with the initiative and said, “There are so many amazing trailblazers and emerging female artists and musicians in Ireland. In what sometimes seems like a male dominated industry in this country, we feel like it’s important to inspire the young girls of today by showcasing all of the incredible women in Irish music. More importantly, we wanted to come together as the Irish Women in Harmony to raise awareness and funds for a charity close to all of our hearts, Safe Ireland, who support domestic abuse victims and survivors. During lockdown the rates of reported abuse have risen by a frightening 25% and we want to help in whatever way we can. We are covering an iconic song, ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries. Dolores was an influence and inspiration to all of us so we wanted to pay homage to her. Having all of us coming together, women supporting women is exactly what’s needed and we hope this movement spreads far and wide and inspires others.”
Collaborators
AILBHE REDDY AIMÉE ÁINE CAHILL ALLIE SHERLOCK CAROLINE CORR ELAINE MAI EMMA LANGFORD ERICA CODY EVE BELLE FAYE O’ROURKE FIA MOON IMELDA MAY LAOISE LILLA VARGEN LISA HANNIGAN LOAH LYRA MELINA MALONE MOYA BRENNAN NIAMH FARRELL ORLA GARTLAND PILLOW QUEENS ROE RÓISÍN O RUTHANNE SAINT SISTER SIBÉAL SOULÉ STEPHANIE RAINEY TOLU MAKAY UNA HEALY WYVERN LINGO
Musicians
AOIFE DENNEDY LOUIZE CARROLL LUCIA MCPARTLIN MARIA O’CONNOR MARIA RYAN SARAH LYNCH THEODORA BYRNE
A huge thank you to Kevin Cassidy and his team at Document Films for editing the beautiful video for Dreams by Irish Women In Harmony.
All proceeds made from the release of Irish Women in Harmony’s cover of ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries will go to Safe Ireland.
Sharon O’Halloran, Co-CEO of Safe Ireland, the national policy and service hub for 39 frontline domestic violence services around the country said,“Safe Ireland is honoured that the gifted team involved in this beautiful song has come together in support of our work to protect women and children from abuse and violence. As our country begins to open up, our services are expecting that many more women and children who have been living in intolerable situations with their abusers for weeks now will reach out for support and safety. The funding generated by Irish Women in Harmony will go directly to women and children through our services, to help them find the safety and freedom they need and deserve.”
Safe Ireland is the national social change agency working to end domestic abuse and coercive control in Ireland. They collaborate in their work with 39 specialist frontline domestic violence (DV) services throughout Ireland, who are Members of Safe Ireland. Together, they support the development and provision of critical lifelines to an average of 13,500 women and children every year (DV National Statistics 2018).
Since early March, Safe Ireland has been working closely with its 39 members throughout Ireland, to problem-solve complex and newly emerging issues arising in DV frontline service provision as a result of Covid-19. DV services are classified as essential services under the current Covid-19 National Emergency.
Initially, of critical importance to the sector was the need to limit the opportunity of the coronavirus to spread in emergency refuge settings many of which are communal and have limited facilities for self-isolation or to practice safe physical distancing. Safe Ireland members had to quickly reconfigure and develop creative, safe ways to ensure that women knew that they were open and operating, that they could be reached easily in a variety of ways and to help find alternative accommodation.
During Covid-19, many women and children have been locked down with their abusers behind closed doors, for over three months now. Many survivors have reported that their aggressors have used the virus as a weapon of control and that they have found it difficult to find the time and space to reach out for support. As the country opens up and people return to work, services are now experiencing an increase in calls and needs, particularly for women with multiple children, who are concerned about the double damage that lockdown alongside abuse may have had. Many services are saying that in reality, this is only the beginning.
100% of your donation goes to SAFE Ireland across most network operators. Some operators apply VAT which means that a minimum of €3.25 will go to SAFE Ireland. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY. Helpline: 0766805278.
Italian/Irish trio Sinking With Love are proud to announce the release of their debut EP ‘Far From Where?’. Written and recorded in 4 different countries – they’re no strangers to making music separately.
Mixed and mastered in Berlin where they met for the first time at the start of 2020, it very much reflects their varied musical influences to create indie, Celtic and psychedelic pop. With additional Eastern European sounds courtesy of violinist Flora Pop along with traditional Irish concertina from the young Riona Hely, they have created a truly global sound.
As the EU has started discussing the proposed recovery plan, 94 organisations from across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors are uniting their voices to alert EU leaders : our sector needs strong and systemic support measures to recover from this crisis.
As it is now well understood, the cultural and creative world is one of the first and hardest hit by the crisis.
According to the Commission’s own estimates, some parts of our sector – which accounts for €509bn in value added to GDP and over 12 million full-time jobs – are expected to lose up to 80% of their turnover in the 2nd quarter of 2020.
We have a higher than average percentage of self-employed workers, freelancers, micro-businesses and youth employment, which makes us particularly vulnerable in times of crisis.
As the European economy is slowly restarting, it is far from business as usual. Cultural actors are gradually resuming their activities, but all have to implement strict safety rules which means they won’t be operating at full capacity for the foreseeable future and are therefore facing challenging economic decisions. From individual creators and creative workers all the way to big production and media companies, the whole value chain is impacted.
And yet the recovery package announced by the Commission on 27 May does not reflect the reality of the cultural and creative sector, despite the encouraging messages by the Commission and the strong position taken by the European Parliament. The proposal on the table falls way short of our sector’s expectations:
Despite being identified as one of 14 of the hardest hit ecosystems, there is neither a sector specific instrument for culture, nor a clear indication on whether or how we can benefit from different instruments. The section on REACT-EU in the Commission’s Communication refers to culture, but there is no guarantee that we will receive appropriate support.
As for Creative Europe, the EU’s only programme specifically dedicated to the cultural and creative sector, the Commission’s announcement is a missed opportunity and a real disappointment. Along with the budget dedicated to education and youth, the budget dedicated to culture is the only one to decrease compared to the Commission’s own 2018 proposal, and it is a far cry from the European parliament’ .. Quite ironic for a recovery plan named “Next Generation EU”.
To bring the EU’s support for our sector to a level that is commensurate with its contribution to the EU’s economy and its citizens’ wellbeing, we call on Member States and the European Parliament:
• To push for a substantial increase of the Creative Europe budget. We fully support the European Parliament’s proposal for a budget of €2.8bn.
• To guarantee that the entire sector can benefit appropriately from the recovery plan’s various instruments.
Let’s invest in culture to show the EU’s #NextGeneration that we really care about their future!
AEPO ARTIS – Association of European Performers’ Organisations
AER – Association of European Radios
Animation Europe
BOZAR – Centre for Fine Arts Brussels
CALLIAS Foundation
CEDC – European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity
CEM – Centre Européen de Musique
CEPI – European Audiovisual Production
CEPIC – Centre of the Picture Industry
CICAE – International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas
CIRCOSTRADA – European Network for Circus & Street Arts
De Concert!
EAS – European Association for Music in Schools
ECSA – European Composer and Songwriter Alliance
EDN – European Dancehouse Network
EFA – European Festivals Association
EFFORTS – The European Federation of Fortified Sites
EFJ – The European Federation of Journalists
EFNYO – European Federation of National Youth Orchestras
EFP – European Film Promotion
EGDF – European Games Developer Federation
EHTTA – European Historic Thermal Towns Association
EIBF – European and International Booksellers Federation
EJN – Europe Jazz Network
ELIA – Globally Connected European Network of Higher Arts Education
EMC – European Music Council
EMCY – European Union of Music Competitions for Youth
EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange
EMMA – European Magazine Media Association
EMMA – European Music Managers Alliance
EMU – The European Music School Union
ENCATC – European network on cultural management and cultural policy
ENCC – European Network of Cultural Centres
ENPA – European Newspaper Publishers Association
EOFed – European Orchestra Federation
EPC – European Publishers Council
ERIH – The European Route of Industrial Heritage
ESNS – Eurosonic Noorderslag
ETC – European Theatre Convention
Eurocinema
Europa Distribution – The European Network of Independent Film Publishers and Distributors
Europa International – the network of European sales agents
Europavox : music online media & festivals
ECA – European Choral Association – Europa Cantat
EVA – European Visual Artists
EWC – European Writers’ Council
FEDEC – European Federation for Professional Circus Schools
FERA – Federation of European Film Directors
FEP – Federation of European Publishers
FIA – International Federation of Actors
FIAD – The International Federation of Film Distributors’ Associations
FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations
FIM – International Federation of Musicians
FSE – Federation of Screenwriters in Europe
GESAC – European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers
GIGMIT
IAMIC – International Association of Music Information Centres
IAML – International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres, member of EMC
IAO – International Artist Organisation of Music
ICMP – The Global Voice of Music Publishing
IETM – International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts
IFJ – International Federation of Journalists
IFPI – International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
IFRRO – International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations
IGCAT – International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism
IMMF – International Music Managers Forum
IMPALA – The Independent Music Companies Association
IMPF – The Independent Music Publishers International Forum
IMZ – IMZ International Music + Media Centre
In-Situ – European Platform for Artistic Creation in Public Space
INES – Innovation Network of European Showcases
ISCM – International Society for Contemporary Music on behalf of the
ISFE – The Interactive Software Federation of Europe
IVF – International Video Federation
Live DMA – European network for live music venues & festivals
Liveurope – The live music platform for new European talent
KEA European Affairs
MCA – Michael Culture Association
NAMM – National Association of Music Merchants
NEMO – The Network of European Museum Organisations
News Media Europe
On the Move
Pearle* – Live Performance Europe
REMA – European Early Music Network
Res Artis – Worldwide Network of Arts Residencies
SAA – Society of Audiovisual Authors
SEEHN – South East European Heritage Network
SHAPE – Sound, Heterogeneous Art and Performance in Europe
Sistema Europe – The Sistema Europe Association
Tenso Network Europe
UNI MEI – UNI global union – media, entertainment & arts
‘Shimalay’ is the latest single to be taken from A Band Called Paul’s debut album ‘Primero’ (2019). The track has been remixed and edited for this release.
Prior to breaking into full-on stadium rock at the second verse, the track starts with a wild assortment of unusual sounds to establish the groove including drumming on the steering wheel of a car, the rattling of a key ring, body percussion and an array of close-mic vocal sounds.
In the accompanying one-take music video shot during lockdown, Paul manages to not blink from the start of vocals until the end of the second verse. At 78bpm, that’s uncomfortably long and the effect – as intended – is intense.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, A Band Called Paul is
the creation of former orchestral percussionist, soundtrack composer and
session musician Paul McDonnell. The band’s music reflects the variety and
depth of Paul’s musical career with deft lane changes between hard rock, latin
jazz, electronica and world music.
A Band Called Paul released their debut album, ‘Primero’, in February 2019. They have released three singles from the album to date – the latin jazz ‘Hero Two’, the darkly electronic ‘Freefall’ and the upbeat 60’s-influenced indie rock ‘In It For Money’.
The band’s sound has been described as if Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, The The and Beck were to collaborate.
Fergal Edward is no stranger to the music industry. Since his 2017 solo debut, the indie-folk singer-songwriter has captured hearts and ears with blissed out singles that melt all your worries away. Now, he makes his return with the beautiful ‘Californian Sun’ taken from his new EP ‘The Light Of Everything’. The track makes you stop and take a moment to think about your life, asking yourself, what does your life mean? What do you want to have done by the time it ends?
‘The Light Of Everything’ is released June 19th on all platforms.
