Month: October 2020

After the storming success of their recently released studio album ‘One Day At A Time’, which has now been streamed more than 60 millions times and seen them garner another 100 million YouTube views, Kodaline are now proud to present the deluxe edition of their latest full-length, which will feature a collaboration with Gabrielle Aplin on their track ‘Everyone Changes’, another as yet unreleased song, two covers – ‘Teenage Kicks’ and ‘The Rare Auld Times’ and of course the previously released singles ‘Wherever You Are’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘Saving Grace’ and ‘Say Something’.

With the original version of ‘Everyone Changes’ already racking up more than 750,000 streams alone, this new collaborative version sees the band break out in a whole new light. With the addition of Gabrielle Aplin’s soaring vocals, the newest rendition brings a whole new side to the single, lifting it up and bringing a more personal quality with it.

Speaking about the new collaboration, the band added, “When we wrote ‘Everyone changes’ for our new album we always felt the song would work better as a duet, so with the help of Gabrielle Aplin and her beautiful vocals, here’s the result. We hope you guys like it x”

The band will be releasing the deluxe version of ‘One Day At A Time’ on 20th November both physically and digitally, making it the first opportunity for fans to own the record in a physical format. Pre-order the record HERE 

In August this year, Kodaline performed their smash-hit album ‘In A Perfect World’ back to back for the first time since its recording, and will be heading back to the stage with the showcase live across the UK and Ireland in 2021. Tickets for the Dublin and Belfast shows are already on sale. UK tour presale is available on 7^th Oct and general on-sale 9^th Oct.

‘One Day At A Time’ is the band’s fourth album, and adds a new chapter to a career that has already encompassed three #1 albums in Ireland, two Top 5 albums in the UK, and more than a billion streams at Spotify.

Kodaline approached the album with a streamlined process that took them back to their roots. The majority of the sessions revolved around the four band members alone in their modest recording space in Dublin, with bassist Jason Boland leading the production side of things.

The band’s primary objective was to focus on the emotion that has informed many Kodaline fan favourites. As we’ve seen from the two recent singles, they’re playing to their strengths: insistent melodies and captivating hooks exploring stories that are revealing, unguarded and immediately relatable.

“The main thing this time was to capture those emotions through everything,” says frontman Steve Garrigan. “We also wanted to use a lot of harmonies and play to our strengths.”

In 2019, Kodaline played some of the biggest shows of their career. At home in Dublin they sold-out two huge outdoor shows at St. Anne’s Park, while a ten-date UK tour culminated with a packed show at London’s historic Roundhouse. Further afield, they hit festivals including Lollapalooza, Benicàssim and Open’er before becoming the first Irish band to headline the massive NH7 Weekender in Pune, India. Their extensive touring throughout Asia also included a headline set at Monsoon Music Festival in Vietnam plus dates in China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore.

Kodaline Live dates

May
17 – Oxford – Academy
18 – Cambridge – Corn Exchange
19 – Bexhill – De La Warr Pavilion
21- Birmingham – Academy
22 – Nottingham – Rock City
23 – Manchester – Albert Hall
25 – Newcastle  – Academy
26 – Glasgow – The Barrowland Ballroom
27 – Leeds – Academy 
29 – Norwich – UEA
30 – Bristol – Academy

June
1 – Southampton – Guildhall
2 – London – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
27 – Dublin – Malahide Castle 

August 
20 – Belfast Custom House Square

‘One Day At A Time’ tracklist:

1. ‘Wherever You Are’
2. ‘Sometimes’
3. ‘Saving Grace’
4. ‘Say Something’
5. ‘The Evening’   
6. ‘Spend It With You’
7. ‘Care’
8. ‘Heart Open’  
9. ‘Everyone Changes’  
10. ‘In The End’
11. ‘This must be Christmas’ 
12. ‘Everyone Changes’ featuring Gabrielle Aplin 
13. ‘The Rare Auld Times’ 
14. ‘Teenage Kicks’ 

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Following the success of his last single release ‘Ballena Bar’ which has gathered over 350k on Spotify, with a feature on Spotify Editorial prestigious playlist “Jazz Vibes”. Nicolas Kluzek returns with ‘Mediterranean’.

We can continue to accompany Nicolas Kluzek on his musical journey around the world. After stopping in Palma De Mallorca on the last song, he takes us with him to South America on his new single ‘Mediterranean’. The jazzy Latin vibe has a perfect danceable groove for the beach bar and bring us back to much needed sun at the grey beginning of the autumn.

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

Doppler’s debut single ‘A Memory’ has spent this summer on heavy rotation on Irish radio as it made the RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends List for a several  weeks. 

After Hot Press premiered the video it sparked a “phenomenal reaction” according to HP’s A&R Dept main man Stuart Clark. 

The Specials guitarist Horace Panter also struck an unlikely friendship with the Ballina based trio and is now a legit fan after stumbling across the track. ‘A Memory’ has now amassed over 90,000 plays on Spotify. 

Pre pandemic Doppler has shared the stage with the likes of Gavin James, Neil Hannon, CathyDavey, The Blizzards, The Saw Doctors, Jackie Beverly and even played with Bonehead from Oasis on several occasions. 

This summer, Doppler signed a deal with the Dublin based music publishing company The Nucleolus. It was a busy couple of months for the new three piece as they have performed on several high profile social media channels ( FlutterTone, Hot Press Y&E Series, Linenhall Arts Centre, Cuppa Tea TV, Finbar Hoban Presents to name a few) as well as performing live in the Ballina Arts Centre and have booked several gigs for this winter including a scheduled show in the TF Royal Castlebar. 

Why release a new acoustic instrumental single live? And ah…. why in a polytunnel???

“Cash is tight,” explains  lead singer Jamie Mulrooney. “Our plans have taken so many blows. We had hoped to have released much more music but because we have been either laid off from work completely or on PUP. We can’t afford to get to the studio right now. This coupled with the fact that we can’t gig to make any money has forced us to think outside the box. We know we have a polytunnel, a laptop, a video camera and time. This way we got as tight as we could on this instrumental track and rehearsed a lot. It’s an intricate little piece so it was great fun to get right.”

Guitarist Mick Dempsey added, “Also we wanted to bring real 100% live music to people but also to make it high quality, audibly and visually. Aesthetically we knew the polytunnel was a unique location and we could run electricity to it with a few extension leads. The fact that it’s an instrumental track made us think we can have fun with this release.” 

“Barracuda” will be available on all streaming services for the limited time of a month. The Ballina based trio plan to officially release two studio recorded tracks, one either side of the new year. 

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Orwells ’84 have returned, bringing their familiar sound to the masses with the release of their latest single ‘She Is So Sweet’ – out today the 2 October 2020. The track is the third release from the band’s well received debut EP ‘Truth IsThe First Victim’, which garnered attention in all the right places.

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’. 

Since releasing their debut single ‘Cailín’, Orwells ’84’s folk-indie style remains present yet matured, with a more refined world-view. As a band they feel they are in a position currently in which they believe to be consistently developing on an upward trajectory. It has been thought and considered that this record is a marker, a call to arms if you will. To the people in the venues, the ones on the streets and those who can help them achieve what they believe they can.

Since their birth they have crafted and artistically explored theirs and society’s thoughts and emotions and poured these experiences into the music. They do not write songs, they feel songs are falsified. They write truthfully about life’s experiences. 

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.

‘She Is So Sweet’ the brand new single from Orwells ’84 is out now on all streaming platforms and digital formats, alongside the band’s debut EP ‘Truth Is The First Victim’ which is also out now.

Orchid Collective return with the beautifully optimistic and upbeat ‘Thunder’ out October 2nd.

Little stands in the way of Dublin alt – pop quartet Orchid Collective. 

Having received support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Clash Magazine, Nialler9, Red Bull, Today FM and RTE 2FM the band have spent the past few years touring relentlessly through Ireland, UK and Europe including performances at industry showcase festivals Output Belfast and Hard Working Class Heroes (Now Ireland Music Week).

Orchid Collective have been building a dedicated and loyal fanbase. With over half a million Spotify streams, their candid & honest writing on  personal relationships, love, loss and change seem to be resonating with every listener.

The group’s pertinent lyrics are wrapped in rousing, propulsive, arena size guitar anthems delivered with cavernous vocal harmonies to the forefront. 

Orchid Collective make themselves known as a band that set themselves apart from their contemporaries, offering a bold new imagining of the indie genre.

‘Thunder’ is the first release from the forthcoming EP from Orchid Collective (due out early 2021). Written and recorded in 2019 (produced by the amazing Adam Redmond, Flaked Studios), the band have left it some time to free this song into the world but now they feel it’s time. 

‘Thunder’ has been born through separation, with half the band in Berlin and the other half in Dublin, due to COVID19. This move unexpectedly became more permanent than it was ever meant to be.

‘”Thunder’ explores the possibility of meeting someone new out of the blue and how that can change whatever negative mindset you’re in or have been in. The nostalgic, childish and carefree feeling as an adult you sometimes forget as you grow older, can magically appear if you find a person that might break you out of a bad time and push you to enjoy your days in the here and now.“

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‘Is That What You Wanted?’ is written about a previous relationship that turned toxic. A relationship where he had given up everything to his partner and yet they still walked away. Which begged him to question, if he stayed true to himself, to not have gone to the lengths of trying to “save” the relationship, would things have turned out differently?

“Have you ever been in love with someone, but you were forced to be someone you’re not? And when you’ve endured being that person you still lost the fight to save the relationship?

Ever wondered would it have been different if you stood up for yourself and never changed?

I have. So I wrote this song about it…”

‘Is That What You Wanted?’ is rich in soundscapes creating a haunting yet dreamy atmosphere. A sense of “lost hope” with strings. Sultry-breathy vocals to top it off giving it a sweet-sad delivery. Emotions galore.

Indie-Electropop Artist Jacob Koopman continues to widen his influence with a new dark-Billie Eilish-esque single “Is That What You Wanted?”.

Returning after the successful release of the last single “Weight Of The Wave” which has now over 30k listens on Spotify and 35k for the music video on YouTube. Jacob has once again teamed up with the producer and composer Brian Dwyer to deliver a tasty new track.

Hailing all the way from Bali (Indonesia), Jacob busks on Grafton Street, Dublin in between playing festivals and touring sold out shows around Ireland. Throughout the 2020 pandemic, he has continued to grow his online presence by streaming live performances multiple times a week.

Jacob has had a productive few months in quarantine expanding his repertoire and he has big things in store for the coming months and 2021.

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Irish neo-trad four-piece Strings & Things are set to release a new single, ‘Fuaim Gathering’ on October 9th. It is the second single off of their upcoming album, ‘The Unsolicited Dance’.

The set of tunes features excellent musicianship from the young trad performers. In Irish trad, it’s common to combine two or three different tunes together into one arrangement or set. 

Layered banjo, guitar, and whistle open the first tune, playing a melody that meanders with purpose. A beat arrives below the ensemble that leads into an explosive second tune: wild, energetic, and fast paced. With banjo on the main melody and a driving rhythm section, the instruments work together to create a cacophony of sound in a tight groove. The end of the tune echoes the original melody, but played at a faster pace. 

Banjo player Sean says, “The tunes were inspired by a music festival being organized by some friends of ours that was set to take pace in summer 2017. It was called Fuaim Gathering, and they spent months leading up to it preparing and building. On the morning of the festival, it was cancelled by authorities who cited the “Unsolicited Dance Act,” a law that regulates outdoor gatherings. To commemorate the festival that never was, I wrote these tunes.”

The first tune in the set is calm, dark and steady. The second tune is an explosion of energy, equally as dark, but faster and heavier. Sean says, “The first half is reflective of building up to the festival all summer, building up bit by bit in a forest, building anticipation, all the preparations. The second half is reminiscent of the morning-of cancellation, and the mayhem it left for days after.”

The single as well as the band’s upcoming album were written and recorded while the band was on a nine month residency as a house band at Raglan Road, an Irish entertainment bar in Disney World Orlando, Florida. It was recorded by bass player Eoin Salmon and mastered by Aidan Cunningham. 

Based in Tipperary, Strings & Things meld genres of rock, folk, pop, and trad to create their unique sound. For the last three years they have been entertaining audiences around Ireland, the UK, and the US with energetic live performances, a huge repertoire of traditional music, and thoughtful, innovative original music. The band consists of James O’Meara Ryan (guitar & vocals), Eoin Shelly (percussion & vocals), Sean Mongey (banjo, mandolin, whistle & backing vocals), and Eoin Salmon (bass). 

www.stringsandthings.band

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The Blizzard’s ‘One Good Thing ‘is a song about the times when everything in the world feels like it’s going against you, yet it’s always possible to find and be grateful for that one good thing that will bring you back out of the dark. This is the band’s second release of 2020, and the song and video are out this Friday 2^nd October.

When the last press release for the release of The Blizzards first single of the year ‘Pound The Pavement’ was penned , it stated 2020 represents a new era for the band. Little did anyone know how true that would become. In a matter of days, the band found themselves having to cancel their performance-based music video shoot; and confirmed gigs fell like dominos. In what has been the biggest challenge the music industry has faced, it has also incidentally uncovered the propensity for band and the industry to unite with every person and aspect that drives it. Instead of rolling down the shutters, survival instinct kicked in. The band found new ways of creating and sharing content, keeping the spirit of The Blizzards thriving. That began with ‘Pound The Pavements’ video, which marked a creative step in being one of the first occasions that motion capture technology had been used to record motion data of band members performing from their homes yet bringing them together to perform in 3D imaging avatar characters of themselves.

It continued with the band collaborating with Evntz app to start an initiative for crew #WeAreTheSupportAct which to date has sold over 2500+ t-shirts and hoodies with all of the profits going to the hardship fund for crew. The band steered by Bressie and Justin brought together the worlds largest ukulele band with over 400 ukuleles sent to cocooners. Over a 6 week period they instructed them how to play their new instrument, culminating in a performance of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros track ‘Home’ released on Spotify to coincide with Where is My Mind Podcast.

‘One Good Thing Music’ video was shot in the lakes surrounding Mullingar, direct by award winning director Terry McMahon. The opening sequence depicts the central character on Lady’s Island in Lough Owel, searching for her purpose, and lost as to what that is. She finds a deserted boat tethered to the island and rows as if her life depended on it. As they video progresses, she rediscovers her meaning and by the end is filled with hope, finding her life’s purpose and being reunited with her band mates, passionately performing, projecting a message of reassurance that despite the impact the music industry has faced, it will bounce back brighter and more united than ever before.

To celebrate the launch of the single the band will be streaming a live gig outside Tullynally Castle on Saturday 3^rd October. The gothic style castle with over 120 rooms will be spectacularly lit to form the perfect backdrop for the gig, with 10 cameras and 2 drones on location to capture the performance. All proceeds from the gig will go to Larcc.

Exciting young Irish DJ and producer Shane Codd has unveiled his floorfilling debut single ‘Get Out My Head’, out now on Polydor.

A piano-driven vocal house banger, ‘Get Out My Head’ possesses all the right elements for infiltrating charts and club sound systems alike. A viral sensation, the track has already amassed over 630,000 SoundCloud plays and 550,000 Spotify streams after being uploaded to the site three months ago.

The legendary Polydor have now signed the self-made artist, re-releasing the infectious club cut that Shane created as a response to the suffocating Covid-19 lockdown. He explains: “I wanted to get out and do things and I also wanted the stress of Covid out of my head, like I’m sure a lot of us did. The vocals really sat with me, making the track was like an escape for me. I remember the first time I played in it my car I got a release and a feel good vibe of it. I imagined festivals and people dancing, which felt like a distant memory during Covid.

He continues: “I posted the track online and immediately got a reaction. I was blown away. People were sharing it and tagging me, I was grateful and happy they liked it. I received messages from some people saying that it helped them during lockdown and that for them it was the tune of 2020, I couldn’t believe the reaction it was getting.”

Heavily influenced by the 90s and early-2000s dance sound, Shane Codd’s first big break came when he became a finalist at the 2018 ‘Breakout Producer’ competition held by famous Irish DJ Mark McCabe. He has since performed in cities and towns across his native Ireland, and picked up radio support on Spin 1038, FM104 and Beat 102103.

A star in the making, ‘Get Out My Head’ is evidence of a talented young artist destined for the top.

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A. Smyth returns with a new single ‘Don’t Let Me Down’.

The single was about to come out in March when the pandemic hit and so plans went on hold, along with the album which is set to be released early next year.

‘Don’t Let Me Down’ is the second to be shared the debut album, and is a kind of sliding-doors affair. The song ruminates on time, the future, our choices and regrets. As A. Smyth expands “It’s about the idea that there are two different worlds – the one we’re in now and the one we don’t know yet. And how every minute of every day we’re presented with a million choices – and the weight of our future selves begging us not to f-ck it up.”

The album’s first taster ‘Hero’ (Oct 2019) has racked up over 300k streams with inclusion on Easy, Your Coffee Break and Breath of Fresh Éire Spotify playlists. It followed a series of equally well-received early singles released by A. Smyth over the last two years, including ‘Second Moon’, another add to Your Coffee Break playlist (alongside many other discovery playlists) with 600k Spotify streams to date, ‘Coming Back To You’ and ‘Fever’, both  of which featured in ‘Made In Chelsea.’  With the singles gaining early support on Irish radio.

‘Don’t Let Me Down’ was written by Aaron Smyth and was produced by Darragh Nolan (Asta Kalapa), and mastered by JJ Golden. It is released as a digital single on 1^st October via Lover Records. Artwork Illustration and design by Ian Clarke.  

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Tues 6^th October 2020 – IRELAND MUSIC WEEK ONLINE (showcase festival)

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