Month: June 2020

Following the success of his E.P:  ‘Rain Or Shine E.P’  (which so far has generated over 2 millions streams on Spotify and Apple Music), Nicolas Kluzek releases a new single: ‘Ballena Bar’ which has just been added to Spotify prestigious playlist ‘Jazz Vibes’.

Nicolas is a Paris born, Dublin based, songwriter / composer / producer. His latest single ‘Ballena Bar’ is a chill instrumental with strong Jazz flavours. It is named after a little beach bar on the coast of Spain and it’s meant to bring sunshine  in the ears of its listeners. It is unapologetic in its ‘feel good’ intentions.

‘Ballena Bar’ by Nicolas Kluzek is available across all digital platforms now.

Sarah Packiam announces the release of her unofficial video for her latest single, ‘More Beautiful’. The release comes as a response to the ongoing racial unrest in the United States, and as a thank you to those in Ireland and Europe who have supported the call for racial equality. In her song, Packiam ponders difficult questions in a time when it may be uncomfortable to bring them up. In the end, it is our children who can make all the difference for a more beautiful world. The official streaming and video release of ‘More Beautiful’ is still to be determined.

Recorded at home in her living room,  Packiam’s goal was to provide a raw and emotional rendition of ‘More Beautiful’, one that expressed her honest reaction to world events.

Packiam continues to write and record new music from her home studio and looks forward to sharing more news and music in the near future.

Ronan Keating shares the new music video for his uplifting single, ‘Little Thing Called Love’, out on Decca Records on 29th May. When the track was released last month, Ronan asked his fans to submit their ‘little things called love’. Thousands of fans from across the world submitted home videos of the things that they hold most dear, the things that make them smile and help them get through these uncertain times.

The singer shot a socially distanced video at his property, with the picture frames dotted around the woods displaying his fans ‘little things called love’. The amount of submissions following his call out is a true testament to the love and respect shown to him by his fans.

The video also features Ronan’s 3-year-old son Cooper painting a special artwork which, at the end, is revealed as an exclusively commissioned pop-art collage entitled ‘Knight Nurse’ by renowned artist Lhouette. Regarded as one of the UK’s leading urban pop artists, the piece depicts Covid related iconography which aims to convey a message of hope. On a date to be announced the artwork will be auctioned to help raise funds for UNICEF’s work with children affected by the global pandemic. Along with the recent arrival of a new baby, the heartening nature of the new video could not be more fitting.

Ronan says, “Seeing my new baby girl born in these unique times made me feel so full of joy on one hand but also heartbroken for those that have lost someone they love. So, I hope that ‘Little Thing Called Love’ might help people through in some way.”

‘Little Thing Called Love’ is one of many original songs taken from Ronan’s upcoming album which he describes as, “a greatest hits of brand-new music.” Over the past 12 months Ronan has been tirelessly working on an album that celebrates an incredible solo career spanning two decades.

Exactly 20 years after the release of his self-titled, debut solo (& No.1) album, ‘Twenty Twenty’ encapsulates his many musical achievements since the millennium.

“There are not many artists that have been lucky enough to have a 20 year career and still be going strong.” There are even fewer who have matched a successful band career with a successful solo career. He adds, “I’m very honoured to have had that, so I wanted to mark it with an album like this.”

Ronan’s new album ‘Twenty Twenty’ is out on 24th July on Decca Records.

Irish singer/songwriter Sinead McConville releases Folk Pop Summer tune ‘Doorstep’. 

‘Doorstep’ is the debut single from Folk Pop artist Sinead McConville. Recorded at home in a sticky and sweaty attic with rising singer/songwriter D. Cullen (The Late Late Show, RTÉ Radio 1), the Folk Pop song is an expression of love on a summer’s day in Ireland. Watching your significant other leave from the porch and wondering when you will see them again is a feeling we all know well, especially in the current times. Chirping birds and instrumentation resembling a back garden jam accompany these emotions.

Although this is Sinead McConville’s first release as a solo artist, the Bray native is no stranger to the music scene in Ireland. Highlight performances include ‘The Late Late Show’ and supporting Mundy in Lost Lane with D. Cullen, ‘Ireland Music Week’ with ELKAE and John Barker’s ‘TILT’ with Munky in The Button Factory. Radio performances include RTE Radio 1 (Today with Sean O’Rourke and The Ray D’Arcy Show), BBC Radio Ulster (Gerry Kelly), SPIN 1038 (Plan B with Sarina Bellissimo) and East Coast FM (The Morning Show with Declan Meehan).

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sinnymc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sineadmcconvillemusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sinnymcmusic

Conor Waters, an Irish doctor on the frontlines, is releasing his next single ‘An Honest Lie’, under his musical alias, Stepping On Lego. Hailing from Co. Mayo, the electronic pop artist wrote the song over a year and a half ago, after a hard day at work.

Conor notes how he has, “always relied heavily on music as a refuge from my everyday working life.” He recently returned home from America during the Covid-19 crisis and feels the timing is right for the release of this song.

“The message of ‘An Honest Lie’ is to always be true to yourself and be true to what you want in life. Balancing music and my job has always been a challenge. I wrote ‘An Honest Lie’ as an appreciation to the amount of happiness music brings me. I realised I need to be true to myself, I need to fight to keep music in my life and embrace the challenge. Shortly after writing ‘An Honest Lie’, I formed ‘Stepping On Lego’.”

A bonus track will also be released with the single called ‘Secrets’. This is an instrumental piece consisting of piano and a strings section, it is the musical piece from which ‘An Honest Lie’ was born.

Inspired by electronic pop acts such as m83 and CHVRCHES, Conor also draws influence from his favourite band as a teenager, Radiohead.

Conor is a classically trained pianist and he has been playing piano since he was 7 years old, as a teenager he learned the guitar and drums and began professional vocal training.

He studied Medicine in NUI Galway and currently works as a doctor in Galway. While in university in Galway, he was the keyboard player with the well-known Irish act ‘Rofi James’.

Conor began producing 5 years ago under the mentorship of Dave Skelton, with whom he co-produces all his material with. He focuses on sound design using a wide variety of synthesisers and combines them with acoustic elements such as piano and strings. Conor prides himself on producing professional and cinematic electronic pop.

Following the success of his debut EP ‘Never Be Alone’ and debut tour in November 2019, Conor is excited to release his next single ‘An Honest Lie’ and start performing live again once that is possible.

https://soundcloud.com/user-14448295
https://instagram.com/steppingonlego_
https://www.facebook.com/steppingonlegoband https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWbnHDKM6kMkwpdavfQMyQ?view_as=subscriber
https://twitter.com/steppingonlego_

Skinner is a 22-year-old DIY slouch rock musician based in Dublin who writes, records and produces songs about growing up and overcoming a dirt-flecked 21st century existence.

The DNA of no wave and post-punk acts like The B52s, James Chance and the Contortions and ESG through to alt-rock touchstones Pixies and Morphine combined with an talent for grunge-nodding self-production and pockets of elevated instrumentation is oozing from Skinner’s music.

Skinner releases his fourth single ‘Dislocation’ today.

“The song is about defiance and questioning every aspect of why we do things if ultimately they make us unhappy. It was written by splicing up lines from a few different songs I had and arranging them on a page, just like Bowie used to do. You’re told you can do anything and be anything so long as it doesn’t piss anyone off too much and you don’t go too far outside the role society has given you. I feel like the song addresses the feelings of frustration you get from playing along to everyone else’s expectations.”

Skinner released three singles in 2019, ‘Sometimes My Brain is Go’, ‘Slouch’, and ‘Headroom’, which have received airplay from KCRW, BBC Across the Line, RTÈ and 98FM’s John Barker and chosen as one of Nialler9’s top Irish acts to look out for in 2019. Spotify chose Skinner as the main cover art for their popular An Alternative Eire playlist.

Skinner and his band have performed at festivals like Quarter Block Party in Cork, Arcadian Field in Dundalk and the Galway Fringe Festival.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/skinner1/dislocation

Social Media & Spotify:
https://www.facebook.com/skekn/
https://twitter.com/skindizzle_
https://www.instagram.com/skindizzle/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Se7imfs8bxem8G6oVNABJ?si=ioN1h2jMROiVEhAYzq1Bvw

Isaac Butler has just released the video for his brand new single ‘Paranoid’ – out now. Utilising his creativity during the COVID-19 lockdown, he sprang into action and filmed the video completely in isolation. 

Speaking of the video for ‘Paranoid’ Isaac Butler said, “I know absolutely nothing about cameras, editing and making videos, throw Covid-19 and lockdown into the mix I was a bit lost! It’s amazing what you can do with an iPhone, your bedroom and a few YouTube tutorials. That sounds a little dodgy! I surprised myself though it was a bit of fun and I enjoyed making it!”

Packed with buoyant summer melodies and smooth guitar licks, ‘Paranoid’ is a reflective piece from the young artist, candidly detailing the breakdown of a romantic relationship.

Named in Her.ie’s “Ones To Watch for 2020″, ‘Paranoid’ follows Isaac Butler’s previous singles ‘Moon Song’, ‘Rescue Me’ and ‘Young Forever’ which have together racked up an amazing 1 million streams on Spotify so far.

Isaac Butler’s show at The Sound House show is now rescheduled to 9 October 2020, with all original tickets valid for the new date. It is his second headline show, having sold out his debut in Whelan’s last November and follows a jam-packed festival season in 2019, which saw Isaac Butler play a host of festival dates around the country including Electric Picnic and Kaleidoscope.

Isaac Butler’s debut single ‘Moon Song’ went on to great success being picked up by German TV show “The Bachelorette”, appearing on the show which broadcasts to over 2 million viewers per episode. Since writing his first song at age 12, and going on to record it for a children’s charity CD, his first love has been music, complete with a passion for writing and performing his own original work.

‘Paranoid’, the brand new single from Isaac Butler is out now across all digital platforms.