Month: January 2021

Kynsy, the solo project of rising 23 year-old multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Ciara Lindsey, today releases her debut EP ‘Things That Don’t Exist’ alongside a video for her latest single, ‘Elephant In The Room’. Written and co-produced by the artist, the tracks were mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (Interpol / Sorry / Parquet Courts) and Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys / MIA / Bombay Bicycle Club).  

Having previously performed on the Other Voices Music Trail and at Ireland Music Week, the Dublin artist kicked off this year with a whole host of 2021 Hot List features (including 2FM’s Rising 2021 list, GoldenPlec’s 2021 Picks, Last Mixed Tape 10 Emerging Acts for 2021 and Hot Press Hot for 2021). Cementing her place as an artist on the cusp of a breakthrough in 2021, Nialler 9 recently included her as one of the best new acts of 2020 while Dork added her to their influential Hype List alongside being included in NME’s 100 Essential Emerging Artists for 2021.

EP opener ‘Elephant In The Room’ is a woozy ode to disillusionment that recalls the electro-noir blues of the Chromatics before opening out into a soaring, infectious, sky-larking pop song. The accompanying video, filmed in Donegal, Ireland and directed by Charlie Joe Doherty (The Murder Capital, Rosie Carney), is an atmosphereic tale of alienation and longing capturing the emotional landscape of a relationship breaking down.

Talking about the EP Kynsy said: “A lot of the songs are based around the idea of how we as people are either being followed or chasing after things that don’t exist. We are followed by the things we see through technology, television, the news – things that derail and confuse our sense of reality.  We also chase things that don’t exist.  We ignore the fact that things could change in a blink, or chase idealistic dreams of the future based on things we’ve seen on TV or on phone screens.

I found there to be a juxtaposition in the positive and negative aspects of things that don’t exist; how having hope can change peoples lives for the better, how art is made from things that were previously non-existent and how these life fulfilling aspects as well as the things that can derail us are constantly fighting each other in our thought processes.

This EP is a dialogue between those positive and negative thoughts and emotions.  I wanted the music to create a world of freedom, hope and playfulness while the lyrics focus on the struggle of fighting, running and coming to terms with all of the good and bad we find in things that don’t exist.”

‘Things That Don’t Exist’ the debut EP from Kynsy is out now across all digital platforms, alongside her latest single, ‘Elephant In The Room’ and the accompanying video.

Tracklist

Elephant In The Room
Happiness Isn’t A Fixed State
Dog Videos
Cold Blue Light

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Greenshine are set to release their latest single ‘Sweet As Honey’ on Valentine’s Day, 14th February.

“Greenshine’s new single ‘Sweet As Honey Heart’ is an upbeat, positive, heartfelt song. It’s everything you want to say to someone who supports you through thick and thin, be it your partner, your friend or your family. It’s reggae captain, but not as we know it.” 

Love isn’t always hearts and flowers and huge romantic gestures even (though they are lovely every now and then). Real love is in it for the long haul through thick and thin and if we’re lucky, this is what we find – love that will last a lifetime in good times and bad. ‘Sweet As Honey Heart’ is full of positivity and love and we could all use some of that these days. It was written whilst watching sports ceremonies where athletes were awarded trophies for their feats of physical prowess. Wouldn’t it be great if we could award the people we love in the same way the world awards people for being able to jump the highest or run the fastest.

This single and all of Greenshine’s recordings are available from www.greenshine.bandcamp.com 

Upcoming online shows include The Ballincollig Winter Music Festival (Fri. 29 Jan.) and In Concert from Coughlans Live, date TBC. 

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West Co. Sligo native, BRÍDÍN, carries on the tradition of Irish music into the fourth generation of her family. BRÍDÍN plays harp, flute, piano, and dances sean nós. Her musical talent emerged at a very early age. Over the years, she has achieved many accolades for her musical ability. Her love of music lead her to pursue a musical career, having studied music at University College Cork achieving a Degree and Masters in Music and Performance.

BRÍDÍN has developed her own style influenced by her natural surroundings and rooted in her background in traditional Irish music. Her forthcoming contemporary folk EP titled ‘Ocean Of Stars’ is due February 24th 2021. It will consist of five tracks, ‘Wysteria’, ‘Floating’, ‘North West’, ‘Ocean of Stars’ and ‘The Salmon’s Tale ft. Colm Mac Con Iomaire’.

Speaking about the title track, Brídín says: “I wrote ‘Ocean Of Stars’ when I decided to move back home to county Sligo. I remember sitting on the beach one night in Enniscrone, mesmerised by how many stars I could see and the effect that moment had on me. The ocean, the stars, the mountains and the peace.

I feel a strong pull to nature and my beautiful surroundings in Sligo when I’m composing my pieces. I’m fascinated by the beginning and ending of life and the constant movement of nature. That’s where I draw most of my inspiration from.”

BRÍDÍN uses her loop and effect pedals to create her musical pieces. Her layered melodies on harp and voice blend beautifully with contrapuntal fiddle (Clare Sands), electric guitar (Jake Curran) and bass (Jack Selby-Smith), woven together with pulsating drums and percussion (Paul Leonard).

Listen to BRÍDÍN’s title track ‘Ocean of Stars’ from her forthcoming EP now on all digital platforms.

The video is choreographed and performed by Ellie Burke, on Dunmoran Strand, Co. Sligo.

Buy/Stream: https://bridin.bandcamp.com/track/ocean-of-stars

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/27NWJcF8oVw6Iw3ExaKGPr?si=_NUGxQftRmSFbwguyjmEKA

Set for release on Wednesday 27th January 2021, neo-classical composer/producer Emiji explores the dichotomy of light in his new single ‘Larimar’, featuring vocals from Dublin electro-pop duo Hvmmingbyrd.

Originally from Poland, Emiji has spent the past number of years as co-owner of Dublin-based production house Diffusion Lab where he also works as a producer, composer and engineer. During this time, he has produced albums, EP’s and singles for a number of Ireland’s most popular artists including Jafaris, Nealo, Soulé, DAY_S, Rushes and Mango X Mathman. 

‘Larimar’, Emiji’s first release of the year, is a cinematic overture of serenity, delving deep into the human psyche in aid of examining the importance of understanding one’s turmoil on the never-ending road to inner peace. “Knowing your dark side is knowing your light,” Emiji explains of the track’s inspiration, “It’s a reference to Jung’s shadow that I work on to integrate, knowing I’m not perfect and that I have a dark side that I can understand. This makes peace inside of me and allows me to be a happier human being.”

The track, reminiscent of the works of Scandinavian multi-instrumentalist Peter Sandberg and Wexford producer Sacred Animals, was first conceptualised as an orchestral piece and written by Emiji whilst sitting at his piano and experimenting with the opening motif. “I was inspired by that peace I had in my mind but I wanted to keep things a little emotional too” Emiji explained of the process. From the motif, Emiji began writing and recording string accompaniment and a vibrant percussion section. 

Once the instrumentation was complete, Emiji approached Hvmmingbyrd to add their own lyrical and vocal component to the mix. “We sat down in the studio for a good few hours, writing lyrics and melodies, recording vocals and chatting” Emiji explained of the collaborative process; “I love the girls’ voices, they made the song so much more meaningful and they have a beautiful contrast to each other.”

When asked about the track, Hvmmingbyrd noted that working with Emiji was one of the highlights of their careers so far. “It’s not often that singer-songwriters get offered something of this calibre to put their stamp on and ‘Larimar’ struck us as something really special on first listen,” they added of their inclusion, “Emiji is not only a great instrumentalist and producer, but our favourite to record with in-studio so it truly was a joy to work with him as vocalists. We’re excited to hear the rest of his album.”

While ‘Larimar’ may be Emiji’s first release of the year, Emiji is already looking to the future, putting the finishing touches to his debut album ‘My Journeys’, which is scheduled for release later this year. “It’s about encouragement to move on, step up and learn and integrate new things into one’s life,” Emiji reveals of the album’s themes, “it’s about becoming the best version of self and embracing nature.”  

By examining the darkness that has come before, ‘Larimar’ gives listeners a flavour of the bright future Emiji has in store.

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Mary Coughlan has announced a brand-new single ‘Forward Bound’, due out Friday, 5th February 2021. This follows her TV appearance on The Tommy Tiernan show on Saturday night. Forward Bound’ is taken from her critically acclaimed album ‘Life Stories’, available to buy and download.

Speaking about the record Mary explains the meaning behind the song ”The song is about embarking a new relationship after another divorce, The feeling of exhilaration especially being an older woman. It’s a great feel good song, I think we all need a bit of that these days!”

Buy ‘Life Stories’
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Following the release of his debut single in 2019, Colin Andrew has been rising through the ranks at an impressive rate. Making his live TV debut on TG4 and BBC 2 NI alongside The High Kings and Daniel O’Donnell, he established himself as an exciting new artist. Using this momentum he struck again with consecutive follow-ups which were accompanied by well directed and creative music videos. The video for his third single ‘Loving You In Vain’, directed by viral sensation Threemey, had almost 15,000 views on YouTube in the first two weeks. Colin Andrew has received extensive national radio support from the likes of Radio Kerry, Wired FM, Quarantine FM and has been favourably reviewed by Covert Music Club.

Planning to build on his success in 2021, he opens the new year with a bittersweet number; listen to ‘Nothing Sweeter’.

Teaming up with producer Barry O’Connell for their fourth official release together, ‘Nothing Sweeter‘ is a deeply personal memoir of a past relationship. Written over a two-year period this song is an emotional logbook, covering everything from new beginnings to untimely endings. 

With an E.P. in the works, Coin Andrew is set to make his mark as a serious contender in the Irish music scene. 

‘Nothing Sweeter’ will be available on February 19th across all major streaming platforms. 

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On Friday 29th January 2021, electronic artist and producer Elaine Mai releases her new single ‘No Forever’ – the first to be taken from her debut album, due for release later in 2021.

The song features the inimitable vocals of MayKay – familiar to many as the current host of Other Voices and former member of cult Irish bands Le Galaxie (2017-2019) and Fight Like Apes (2006-2016). What’s more, the video for ‘No Forever’ will be directed by Ruth Medjber –  a directorial debut for the renowned music photographer. 

While the accolades of these three Irish women are too great to mention in a mere press release, one thing that’s certain is that, as a trio, they are even stronger than the sum of their individual achievements. In addition, the video is being edited by filmmaker Bob Gallagher, well-known as the director of music videos for the likes of Girl Band, Myles Manley and Floor Staff as well as short films and commercials. He has been declared a ‘Good Soldier of Cinema’ by Werner Herzog. 

Elaine Mai says: “Creating with friends is one of the most enjoyable things about music for me. Working on this with MayKay was a breath of fresh air. I’m a huge fan of her music and artistry and everything about this collaboration worked. She added a new story, interpretation, and angle to the track, and her vocals are just incredible. Collaborating with Ruth has also been amazing – she’s an absolute powerhouse! She has an incredible eye and her vision for the video was clear from the start. Bob and I are long-time collaborators and friends so it’s been great to work with him again.”

Fitting for the beginning of a new year, ‘No Forever’ is a hopeful track that builds to an uplifting crescendo reminiscent of 90s club classics in parts and making great use of MayKay’s vocal range. 

“I haven’t released any music since I was with Le Galaxie,” says MayKay, “so this could have been a very daunting project, but working with Elaine has totally let me skip that. She’s an amazing producer to begin with. Her attention to detail actually makes me nervous! I sometimes like writing to a brief but she gave me total freedom on this which meant a lot to me and has totally spurred me on to work on my own music too. It’s invaluable working with someone who is madly in love with what they do – it’s not always like that!”

Hinting at what her debut album might sound like, Elaine says: “All of the songs from my upcoming album relate to a central theme of home and belonging. This can be interpreted in many different ways, from feeling uplifting and reassuring, to more sad and mournful. I love writing music that can make you feel different things at the same time and that was the goal with this track.” 

Ruth Medjber, who is the tour photographer for Hozier and whose first book ‘Twilight Together’ (nominated for an Irish Book Award) captured portraits of a nation in lockdown, says: “When I first heard this song I instantly saw it, clear as day. The structure, the lines, the colours, they were all there, so incredibly bold. I was supposed to be doing the photographs but since I had such a visual response to the song Elaine asked if I would do the video. Making videos is not something I do, or ever planned on doing, until I heard this song. I’ve worked with Elaine and Maykay on lots of photography projects over the years. We unintentionally had an all female crew on the shoot days which made for a really relaxed and fun environment. Working with Bob Gallagher has been so enjoyable too. He seemed to be able to pull reason and form from my meandering, nonsensical emails and twist everything I shot into something beautiful.”

Elaine Mai is no stranger to success. Having twice topped the Irish Radio Breakers Chart (‘Butterflies’ with Soulé and Sorcha Richardson in 2019; ‘Nothing [Elaine Mai Remix]’ by Loah in 2018), and having her remix of Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’ voted ‘Best Tune’ at Electric Picnic 2017 by The Irish Times, the Dublin-based Mayo native is one of Ireland’s most in-demand producers. 

A huge advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, she is one of three artists representing Ireland with Keychange – an EU initiative working towards a total restructure of the music industry to help reach full gender equality. She was also a featured singer on the No.1 single ‘Dreams’, the cover of The Cranberries’ hit by Irish Women in Harmony, which took the country by storm in 2020 and raised over €250,000 for anti-domestic violence charity SAFE Ireland. 

Elaine Mai has played live extensively at festivals including Longitude, Body & Soul and Electric Picnic, as well as in the UK and Europe. She has opened shows for leading international and Irish acts including Ray Davies, Emile Sandé, James Vincent McMorrow, Marina and the Diamonds and Hozier.

Derry guitarist/songwriter Paul Casey has released two brand new songs this week, first is his single ‘In The Arms Of My Love’ which features Russian accordionist Alexander Korukovetz and second is with his band Amberlight, which he set up with Derry vocalist Lauren Doherty, with their single ‘Peace At Last’ which features Donegal’s Damien McGeehan on fiddle.

Exploring new skill sets during the Covid lockdowns, Casey has also filmed and directed music videos for both songs. 

Both songs are now available to stream and download on all major music platforms.

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Pastiche, the 22 year old pop singer songwriter from Dublin, releases her second single ‘Heaven’ on Friday February 5^th 2021 on all streaming services. With tones of Robyn about her, Pastiche has a fire in her for pop music which explodes in her brand new single that is edgy with a dash of badass female pop empowerment added!

Pastiche cut her experience from an early age for performance. Her love of performing started in stage school at the age of 4 where she developed a love of musical theatre and practiced singing, tap dancing, jazz and modern contemporary dance. When the time came to make a decision about a career, Pastiche wasted no time and enrolled in BIMM where she studied Vocal Performance and it was there where she decided exactly the Artist she wanted to be!

Speaking about the Irish pop scene, Pastiche says, “…it always seemed to be imported. There are very few successful female true Irish pop artists. The scene just wasn’t here – so we have created it! Radio stations are playing Dua Lipa – so why can’t we have Irish pop instead? I want to help break that barrier.” 

Pastiche’s sound combines dark pop, electronic pop, a rebellious club kid sound, and theatrical influences. Her explosive electro-pop sound features driving synths, energetic drums, and powerful vocals.

The engaging production and layered vocals create a dynamic track that establishes Pastiche as a force to be reckoned with in the Dublin pop scene.

‘Heaven’ is released on February 5^th, 2021

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