Month: August 2020

Cork born and bred sixth generation fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter Clare Sands has just released her Fund-it campaign for her debut self-titled album.

A fearless, feisty live performer, described as “An Irish fiddle playing reincarnation of Janis Joplin meets Moving Hearts & Kila, wowing audiences around the world with her groundbreaking style, sultry and gravelly vocals, and infinite warrior-like energy,” Sands, like many other artists has missed out performance opportunities at home and abroad, with headline shows in the UK, Germany, and USA, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In March, Clare moved to Connemara where she based herself in an old cottage on the shore for the last four months, and truly immersed herself in making her eclectic and energetic contemporary record rooted in Irish traditional music, with her unique fiddle playing and voice at the heart, and core.

She describes her upcoming album as, “a pulsating journey for all the senses, with tunes to move to, and songs to get lost in….all driven, by a fearless front woman! I am excited to step into this new stage, and into a room full of incredible musicians. Together, we make a truly innovative sound, navigating through uncharted territories. We are ever evolving. We are forever pushing boundaries.”

The fantastic Fund-it rewards on offer include CDs, vinyl, Move Yo Body merch, linocut prints, textile art by Clare’s mum Susan, picnics at Fota Wildlife Park with Clare, swim and surf lessons, masterclasses and workshops, house concerts, and special commissions. To support and contribute to Clare’s new self-titled album, visit:

https://fundit.ie/project/clare-sands—new-self-titled-album

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‘She’s Gone’, out 24th August, is the debut release from singer-songwriter Patrick Mc Eleney, from his forthcoming debut EP. A collection of songs written over the span of 10 years, reflecting on memories, regrets and on time itself. Initially, self-doubt left Patrick resigned to never release music and to instead hide it away from the world. Recent life events and motivation from the Coronavirus pandemic have pushed him to make a change, finally revising, arranging and recording the songs to create ‘Only Time Will Tell’. It draws on influences from Ben Howard and Damien Rice, while also going deeper into atmospheric and cinematic landscapes with string arrangements and soaring guitars.

Patrick Mc Eleney grew up in Donegal watching the Atlantic tides come and go. The passing of time, much like song writing, has forever been on his mind. Over the years, he has travelled, collecting words, sketching melodies and experiencing life. Growing, learning, hurting and healing.

You can hear it in his voice. The introverted honesty he quietly asserts feels colossal in its weight while impossibly intimate in his delivery. He uses piano, guitar, strings, cuatro and other instruments he’s acquired along the way. For the last few years he has pushed himself to arrange and record them while forcing himself to rise above the deafening self-doubt.

“You have disgraced yourselves again!” – W.B. Yeats

In 1926, a furious Yeats took to the stage of the Abbey theatre, in an attempt to quell the riot that had erupted during the premiere of Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars. The audience, offended by O’Casey’s themes of prostitution and use of blasphemy and profanities, objected, thus marking an evening that was publicly deemed A National Disgrace. 

On Saturday 15th of August, almost a century later, LANKUM, along with a number of special guests from the contemporary world of Irish music and comedy, will take to the same stage and bring you an evening like no other. Broadcast live online to exclusive ticket holders, the group will host a very special one-off, immersive, surrealist experience.

Come with us on a night out in Dublin city. An adventure that begins with your taxi drive to Dublin’s historic Abbey Theatre. You will be welcomed inside by our specially chosen usher and directed to your seat, thus beginning your gradual descent into a warped, dreamworld of musical performance, theatre, winding passages, doorways, drones and existential uncertainty…

LANKUM will be performing two unique sets, comprising music from all three of their albums. For the first time in a live setting, they will be joined by all of the guest musicians who performed on their latest album The Livelong Day. The two sets will form continuous pieces of music devised by the band and producer John Spud Murphy, containing a number of never before performed songs alongside their more popular works, linked with completely new arrangements of drones and soundscapes, and interwoven with specifically selected audio samples from the world of Irish history and folklore.

As well as LANKUM’s performance, the evening will be interspersed with appearances from a number of artists from all corners of the country’s current cultural landscape, combining to make this one of the most memorable nights out you are likely to experience in Dublin town.

A National Disgrace will revisit the power of live productions to provoke visceral and emotional responses, and explore the possibilities presented by the unfamiliar new world of virtual performance in which we find ourselves. 

The broadcast will be available to tickets holders for 24 hours following the performance.

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT
https://dice.fm/artist/lankum-5ynw

On September 4th Limerick band Protobaby will release their 3rd album ‘Twisted Words’. The album will be preceded by the release of title track ‘Twisted Words’ as a single/video on August 21st. The single was mixed by award winning mixer/producer Cenzo Townsend who has mixed and produced some of the biggest names in the music business (Everything Everything, Editors, U2, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Florence & the Machine to name a few!). 

‘Twisted Words’ the album is available to pre-order from Protobaby’s bandcamp page on very limited white vinyl. The single will be available on all streaming platforms from August 21st.

Protobaby’s sound was formed primarily from their collective Post Punk and Electro rock influences. You can find elements of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Interpol, Editors, The Cure etc. but the band have brought their own unique twist to the table with Colm McGuinness’ unique Baritone, perfectly complimenting the soundscapes and riffs created by Tony Monahan along with Bryan Ronan’s pounding tom driven drums. 

In their 10 year history Protobaby have toured all over Ireland, UK, Netherlands and Poland. Numerous festival appearances, radio plays/appearances, built up a band of loyal followers and even graced the cover of Hot Press Magazine! To date they’ve released 2 very well received albums (The Spark and Cosmic Heart) as well as numerous singles and videos.

WEBSITE www.protobaby.com 
BANDCAMP: (Album pre-order): http://protobaby.bandcamp.com/
YOUTUBE: protobabyvids 
FACEBOOK: protobaby
TWITTER: protobaby
INSTAGRAM: protobabymusic
BREAKING TUNES: breakingtunes.com/protobaby

‘Infernal Fires’ is the second release from the forthcoming self-titled, debut album of My Sweet Beloved. The song is a mantra – a cautionary tale of sorts – inviting you to be mindful of the consequences of your actions, it gives listeners a taste of the band’s gritty, heavier side. A pulsing tune, which would challenge even the stiffest necks to remain still as the opening riff kicks in.

For musicians, there’s no way out. Like Michael Corleone in The Godfather movies, some pull away from the centre of what they love doing, but then they’re dragged back towards it –kicking and screaming, perhaps, but always because there’s nothing they can do about it. Instinct connects. It takes over. They capitulate and then triumph because the music they make synchronises with a united mindset. That’s the way it is for Dublin-based band My Sweet Beloved, whose debut single, ‘The Invitation’, was recently released.

‘The Invitation’ (the first track taken from their forthcoming self-titled debut album) sees My Sweet Beloved merge the intensity of a fever dream with the kind of subtle, sultry pop smarts you thought had gone to Hell in a handcart. With brooding, atmospheric textures seemingly conjured out of the ether, the song (and album) is the accumulation of many months of artistic endeavour and some years of collective experience. The voice of Danielle Harrison Byrne (ex-Skindive) floats on music activated by musicians Derek Byrne (Autumn Owls), Anton Hegarty (Future Kings of Spain, A Lazarus Soul) and Dan Devlin (Moskowitz).

When Skindive split up some years ago, Danielle – who arrived in Dublin from Los Angeles specifically to join the band – knew her true voice hadn’t yet been revealed. When that band fell apart, she was, she remarks, “a singer with no songs,” yet the determination to match her creative vision with her vocal skills never wavered. Slowly, assuredly, one song followed another. The process was painstaking yet precise, the lessons learned invaluable.

The forthcoming album, says Danielle, is the result of a, “long journey that I am now able to fully appreciate.” With producer/musician Les Keye, Danielle produced and mixed the new album, her vision of what she wanted in perfect alignment with what she knew her bandmates could instinctively deliver. Call it fate, but for My Sweet Beloved the stars have arranged themselves in such a way (it might well be in the shape of an arrow pointing directly at you) that The Invitation is one you can’t refuse.

Website:: www.mysweetbeloved.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mysweetbeloved/
Twitter: twitter.com/mysweetbelovedx
Facebook: facebook.com/mysweetbeloved/

Irish brothers Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor keep up the momentum with the release of new track – ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’- triggered by some intense listening surges on streaming services, which has seen the song rise into their second most popular tune online. (‘Old Soul’ is their most-popular track in case you were wondering.)

Harry and Alfie maintain that they wrote the song last year “questioning our lives and relationships,” but who’s to say that the song’s title and irresistible, happy/sad, dusty mirrorball strut aren’t resonating with the overall “Hell-in-a-handbasket” times we’re all living in?

Irish radio loves Hudson Taylor, their singles ‘Back To You’ and ‘What Do You Mean?’ (both included on the Number One album ‘Loving Everywhere I Go’) are in the Top 40 most-played Irish tracks of 2020 thus far.

Hudson Taylor – ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’ – is out now on Rubyworks.

Jim McHugh announces his brand new single out this Friday! ‘Should Have Lied’ is the newly minted single from Co.Monaghan singer songwriter. In an original twist on the age-old song of apologetic remorse, ‘Should Have Lied’ unveils the singer’s regret following a misguided act of truth telling. With a catchy melody and driving rock & roll licks, the song will have listeners grooving and shaking along to this unabashed story of a romantic blunder.

Being his first offering of new music since the release of his highly praised album ‘My Nuclear Radio’ in 2019, McHugh picks up where he left off with his own unique blend of rock, indie and traditional styles.

From the Farney drumlins of Co. Monaghan, Ireland, multi-instrumentalist Jim McHugh drew upon his past and recent musical experiences to record his debut album entitled ‘Noise Machine’ in 2016, nicely summed up by Pete Whalley as, “Indie folk-driven rock that has a vibrant beating heart.”

Jim’s second album ‘My Nuclear Radio’ followed in 2019 and gained Jim more recognition with singles added to RTE 1 Recommends and getting Album Of The Week at KCLR.

‘Should Have Lied’ features Paul McCabe on bass, Butch McNeill on drums and Alex Borwick on trombone. Jim will perform a special Facebook live online gig to celebrate the release on August 21st.

Pre save – https://show.co/ALMIwSY 

https://www.facebook.com/jimmchughmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/jimmchughmusic/
https://twitter.com/jimmchughmusic
www.JimMcHughMusic.com

Following the success of recent single ‘Platinum’, Irish singer/songwriter Fintan McKahey returns with a lo-fi/pop track ‘Goodbye’.

The track sees acoustic elements blend with downtempo beats and ambient production. Luscious vocals from fellow Irish singer Ava Archbold complete this melancholic single.

Having evolved his musical palette in recent works, ‘Goodbye’ has certainly stayed on course, featuring Fintan’s signature low, smokey vocals, intricate guitar playing, and precise songwriting. Drawing influence from bedroom pop artists such as Still Woozy, Fintan seems to have found maturity in his sound.

‘Goodbye’ is a love song, looking at things from the other side of the fence. It’s an observation of the struggle at the end of a relationship, when both sides are clinging on in hope of salvation.

The entirety of the song was written and recorded in McKahey’s home studio in West Cork, where he is continuing the family legacy as the son of Stump drummer, Rob McKahey and the nephew of Cousteau singer, Liam McKahey.

Fintan started playing and writing music at a young age, and has been releasing music since 2016. An artist and producer, he is proficient across several instruments. His EP ‘God Games’ received critical acclaim from radio and press, as did his 2020 single ‘Platinum’. He has performed in major venues across the country, including support slots for the likes of The Scratch, Junior Brother, and Roisin O.

fintanmckahey.com

Listen to Fintan on: Spotify   Apple Music  

Instagram    Facebook    Twitter

‘Not Missing You’ is the new single from Diffly, scheduled for release on 21.08.2020.

Following the success of his debut single, Diffly returns with his latest offering ‘Not Missing You’ featuring multi GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Jimmy Burney on vocals.

The hook-laden, synth slow-jam tells the familiar story of the struggles faced when trying to close the book on a failed relationship. Recorded remotely between Diffly’s studio in the west of Ireland and L.A. based Burney, it is a working model that is growing in popularity as Diffly explains:

“It started as a basic idea really, with just really keys and percussion. Jimmy liked it straight away, spent a couple of days on it and sent me back the vocal. All the hooks were there I just had to figure out an arrangement and build the rest of the track around it. I was listening to a lot of pop/rnb at the time so that’s probably where the groove of the track came from. I love 80’s drums so that’s where the idea for the toms and beat game from. I tried to keep the track as minimal as possible so that the groove and vocal could sit perfectly together and compliment each other.“

2020 has been a busy year for the Leitrim-based producer, who has been hard at work during the Covid-19 lockdown. The release of his debut single ‘Hearts Don’t Break Alone’ in June featuring Brooklyn-based songstress Denitia was soon followed with a producer credit on Dublin native FiCat’s debut single ‘All My Love’. With plenty of projects and collaborations in the pipeline, its exciting times for one of the most in-demand producers on the Irish scene.

Paj heads a retro, summery mega-collab featuring Uly, Rob de Boer, Zeenie Summers (Waterboys & Fehdah), Joe Furlong (JV Mc Morrow) & Fiachra Kinder (drums on ‘Take Me To Church’). ‘Superman’ is released this Friday, August 14th 2020.

The first Paj release of 2020, ‘Superman’ comes with an all-star lineup and a 70’s throwback chorus that recalls Lee Fields & Curtis Mayfield. 

Collaborating under quarantine, Uly lent his trumpet, Rob de Boer & Zeenie Summers their vocals, Joe Furlong his bass and Fiachra Kinder his drums to Paj’s vocals, guitars & keys.

To celebrate the release of ‘Superman’ Paj has announced he will perform a very intimate show in The Workman’s Club, 27th August.

‘Superman’ is a song that acknowledges the pressure that we put on ourselves:

“Everybody wants to be a superman, everybody wants to be the best they can”

Borrowing the phrase from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) made popular by Blindboy Boatclub; “I’m no better than no-one else, and no-one’s better than me” the lyrics offer a catchy mantra of self-love and watching out for one another.

‘Superman’ reminds you to go gently because everyone has a private battle.

Paj has previously supported Billy Idol, M People, Hiatus Kaiyote, Taylor McFerrin & Thundercat while working with artists Loah, Martin Hayes, Fehdah & Ensemble Eriu, and has performed in USA & Portugal with subsequent Eurovision song contest winner (2017) & Universal Artist Luisa Sobral.