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Author: Breffni Banks

Ballydehob Jazz Festival Returns This Weekend | 29 April – 2 May 2022

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in Industry News.

The boutique festival that packs a bombastic punch, Ballydehob Jazz Festival, is back on the streets this weekend, 29th April – 2nd May.

Headline Concerts in the Jazz Hall include a Ballydehob debut from Karen Underwood opening the Friday night; Saturday’s headliner comes all the way from Brooklyn, New York – Tatiana Eva-Marie & The Avalon Jazz band.

And dance til late o’clock at Moonshine Shindig, BJF’s signature late night Jazz Club, featuring old time blues delivered with the groovy modern twist of the Canibal Dandies followed by Jazz DJs.

The village will also host a FREE Live Music Trail featuring over 30 performances from Irish and International acts – Fixity, Donal Dineen, Goodnight Circus, Paul Dunlea, Cormac McCarthy, Runaway Retros, the Jabin Ward Trio, Eve Clague & the Valentines, and many more.

The Jazz Parade returns starring Ballydehob’s Jazz Giant Puppet Family, is inspired by New Orleans style street funerals and brings the community together with visiting performers for one colourful, ecstatic display of joy and pageantry.

Dance your way through the weekend with Swing Dance classes, led by international dance instructor Peter Loggins, the foremost historian on American Jazz Dance, and his dance partner Katja Završnik.

This year launches the first Ballydehob Jazz Poetry Slam, in partnership with the Working Artist Studio, with some of Ireland’s finest young poets and spoken words artists including David Jackson, Katie Mathúna, Julie Goo, Pól O Cólmáin & more.

BJF Micro Mural Exhibition is a brand-new series of small murals under the theme ‘The Rising Tide’. Each artwork will be created in unassuming areas within the village to be sought out by the audience. Coordinated by muralist Shane O’Driscoll of Ardú Street Art Project

And that’s not all! Browse the Jazz Food & Crafts Market stalls which will be selling original artwork, crafts, and delicious food Sunday afternoon, accompanied by Live Music and pop-up Circus performances.

There’s plenty of free events for all ages to enjoy, with some ticketed concerts. The festival currently have a ‘Sweet Deal’ for festival tickets, which allow full festival access, priced at €65.

Full information and booking at www.ballydehobjazzfestival.org

www.facebook.com/BallydehobJazzFest

www.instagram.com/ballydehobjazzfestival

https://twitter.com/jazzballydehob

The Ballydehob Jazz Festival is made possible by the support of Cork Co Co and Cork County Arts, Pure Cork, The Arts Council of Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Local Businesses and vibrant community that cannot be kept down.

29th April – 2nd May 2022

Ballydehob Village, West Cork

www.ballydehobjazzfestival.org

Fergal Nash Set to Release New Single ‘Healing Curraghchase’

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Limerick, Ireland singer/songwriter Fergal Nash releases his new single “Healing Curraghchase” on Friday 6th May.

Again produced by rising Cambridgeshire U.K maestro Martin John, (who oversaw his last 2 singles “Walking Tall” and Snapshot) Nash describes it as “a heartfelt tribute to a beautiful place, that evokes strong childhood memories for me, and heals my aches when I walk there every morning. This song brings the listener on that walk with me.”

The track will be followed by a full-length video on Friday 13th May.

You can pre-save “Healing Curraghchase” on Spotify.

For further info please visit: www.fergalnash.com

Follow Fergal on Social Media:

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MTU Cork School of Music label CSM Sounds release new EP ‘Find Me Here’

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in Industry News.

MTU Cork School of Music are delighted to announce ‘Find Me Here’ a new EP, released under the CSM Sounds record label on Thursday 28th of April 2022. The five track EP consists of original works and traditional pieces created and performed by students at MTU Cork School of Music and recorded in their top of the range Recording Suite on site.

Spanning and even breaking boundaries across genres, ‘Find Me Here’ includes works from; Angela Moynihan, Colm O’Brien, Darian O’Shea, Julianne Quirke and Macdara Ó Faoláin.

‘Find Me Here’ released digitally on all streaming platforms.

About ‘Find Me Here’

  1. You Got Me by Darian O Shea
  2. These Days by Julianne Quirke aka Julia-Maria
  3. It Just Couldn’t be Him by Colm O’Brien
  4. Anyone But Me by Angela Moynihan aka Angie
  5. Dursey Sound/Glenbeg Lake/The Sunny Hills of Beara arr. and perf. by Macdara Ó Faoláin

All tracks are performed by students in the BA in Popular Music and Bachelor of Music at MTU Cork School of Music.

Recorded at The Recording Suite in MTU Cork School of Music

Mixed and mastered at MTU Cork School of Music.

The Artists

Darian O’Shea

Cork-born, singer-songwriter, producer and instrumentalist, Darian, is making the leap in 2022 with her fresh approach to the Electro Pop genre. A pop lyricist at heart, Darian intertwines her passion for both Neo Soul and Electronic music to create catchy, hook dominated songs. Taking inspiration from current Pop and RnB artists such as SZA, Doja Cat and Mahalia, Darian creates a lasting impression on her listeners through her distinct use of relatable themes and lyrics along with her synth-driven progressions.

A final year student studying for her BA in Popular Music at the Cork School of Music, Darian has worked with local artists such as Letterbox Kid and Red Sun Alert as a session player and is currently working on her debut E.P to be released later this year.

Julia-Maria (Julianne Quirke)

Julia-Maria is an artist emerging at full force. Hailing from Cork, the multi-instrumentalist is already on many radars as ‘one to watch’. With resonances of Joni Mitchell, Feist, Eva Cassidy and many more, her sound is very much her own.  Living by the sea, the Atlantic coast is a constant source of inspiration for Julia- Maria. Having established herself as an exciting new live act around Cork City in late 2019/early 2020, Julia-Maria used her lockdown days wisely. While others were baking sourdough and taking part in zoom quizzes, Julia-Maria was in the wonderful surroundings of Monique Studios, recording her debut EP with the incomparable Christian Best. The first taste of these studio sessions came in October 2020, when she released her debut single, ‘Faithless Follower’. Julia-Maria released her debut EP, ’With Me’ in October 2021 and the record was warmly received by press as a great creative success. The EP’s title track “With Me” was made Hot press’ Track of the day and the EP was featured in publications by Nialler9, Golden Plec, The Last Mixed Tape and many more.

Find out more at https://www.julia-maria.ie/

Colm O’Brien is an emerging artist studying at MTU Cork School of Music.

Angie (Angela Moynihan)

Angie is a singer/songwriter from Cork. She plays piano and writes ballads with a focus on making the listener relate to her experiences. Growing up in a musical household and performing in her local theatre in numerous shows since the age of three, becoming a musician became the main ambition for Angie at a young age. With her heart set on singing, Angie attended Cork School of Music as a vocalist and began her song writing journey there. She continues her music journey by studying a Masters in Performance in Cork School of Music.

Macdara Ó Faoláin

Macdara Ó Faoláin comes from a musical family in An Rinn, County Waterford. He started learning the tin whistle and the fiddle at the age of 5. After becoming obsessed with the music of Andy Irvine and Planxty, he quickly progressed on to the mandolin. He received a bouzouki for Christmas when he was 8 years old and it quickly took over as his main instrument, after getting lessons from Seán Ó Fearghail. He started taking music very seriously in his early teens and was playing every night of the week in gigs and sessions by the age of 15. He is a founding member of the group Nuadán and has recorded and performed with musicians such as Páraic MacDonnchadha, Derek Hickey, Liam O’Brien, The Friel Sisters, Conor O’Sullivan, Shane Meehan, Seán & Caoimhín Ó Fearghail and Yvonne Casey.

He has performed at various concerts both home and in Switzerland, Scotland, France and England. He is also a maker of handcrafted bouzoukis and mandolins, which he plays himself.

About MTU Cork School of Music

At MTU Cork School of Music, we pride ourselves on the holistic nature of our music and drama education, spanning five levels, which places us amongst leading conservatoires nationally and internationally. CSM has more than 470 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in four undergraduate programmes, three Masters programmes, PhD programme and an accredited Inclusive Music Ensemble programme of study. There are more than 2,500 enrolments in the part-time Conservatoire provision of the School, where students receive one-to-one instrumental lessons, musicianship classes and large ensemble tuition. MTU Cork School of Music presents more than 450 performances and events every year and is an important cultural hub for Cork City, as well as a creative home for students and staff. It is fortunate to experience the richness of the arts daily and strives to engage with local, national, and international communities through performance, education, and outreach. The school boasts many award-winning performing groups, which contribute to the vibrant cultural life of Cork City and to the international arts scene. For more information visit: https://csm.cit.ie/

About CSM Sounds

CSM Sounds is the record label created in 2020 by lecturers in the degree courses provided at MTU Cork School of Music. The aim of the record label is to create an awareness of the incredible talent in our university as well as to provide opportunities to our students to publish some of their work. The first release for CSM Sounds was Over The Line (2020), an EP of recipients of the Colin Vearncombe (aka Black) Memorial Bursary Award. The following two releases were Quarantapes, (2021) an album of tracks created during lockdown and now Find Me Here, (2022). For more information visit: https://csm.cit.ie/csm-sounds

Stars of Irish Folk Music Set for First Galway Folk Festival 2022 this June

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in Industry News.

The inaugural Galway Folk Festival is set to bring some of the finest names in contemporary Irish folk music to the City of the Tribes this June with the initial line-up for the five-day festival announced today. Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny, Hothouse Flowers, Villagers, Séan Keane, The Henry Girls and John Francis Flynn are the main headliners for the festival’s first outing, with a superb programme already in store and more announcements still to come.

Many of the shows will take place across four stages in Monroe’s, with pop-up gigs and a music trail set to be revealed. Some of the superb artists also announced for Galway Folk Festival are Peter Broderick (Efterklang), The Frank & Walters (acoustic), Emma Langford, BRÍDÍN, The Raines, Zoë Conway & John McIntyre.

Peter O’Sullivan, Festival Director & Programmer, said: ”We are thrilled to welcome some of the best folk artists this country has to offer to Galway this June. As well as the afternoon and evening shows at Monroes, we will be doing free events around the city including some pop-up performances and all age events.”

As well as established Irish artists, Galway Folk Festival is set to shine a spotlight on some of the country’s most exciting emerging talent, as this summer’s programme is bolstered by the likes of Lorraine Nash, Robert John Ardiff, I Draw Slow, A Smyth, Aoife Scott, Stevie Appleby, Laura Duff, Woven Kin, Seba Safe, Sonny Casey, King Pallas and Les SalAmandas.

“We are delighted to launch the very first Galway Folk Festival. We are looking forward to the first summer of live music in two years and are excited to be bringing something new to the Galway music calendar,” said Gary Monroe of Monroe’s Live.

The festival kicks off on Wednesday, June 15, with headline act Villagers performing an acoustic show, followed by four more days of music at Monroe’s and across the city. Tickets are now on sale for Galway Folk Festival 2022 and further information and ticket details can be found at the festival website, www.galwayfolkfestival.ie.

Tickets on sale now via galwayfolkfestival.ie

Connect with Galway Folk Festival

Website: https://galwayfolkfestival.ie/

Twitter: @FolkFestGalway

Facebook: @GalwayFolkFest

Instagram: @galwayfolkfest

Columbia Mills Announces New Single ‘Addiction’, Ireland and UK Tour for 2022

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Following the release of their title track ‘Heart Of A Nation’, Columbia Mills returns with a brand new single ‘Addiction’, due out this Friday, 29th April 2022.

To celebrate the release of their upcoming third album, the band has announced an Irish and UK headline tour for October / November 2022. The tour includes a headline show at The Academy, Dublin on 25th November 2022.

Speaking about ‘Addiction’ lead singer Fiachra Treacy said: “In society, there seems to be a lack of sympathy towards addicts, particularly those on the margins of society. The song tells the story of the hopeless cyclical nature of addiction. We have framed the song with a euphoric upbeat sound to try and disguise it as a love song. There is an effort to highlight the strength of addiction and compare it with the helpless feeling of falling in love and losing control- something everyone can sympathise with.”

Described by John Kennedy (Radio X) as Ireland’s answer to The National. Columbia Mills are regulars at festivals such as Indiependence, Longitude, and Electric Picnic and have supported world-class acts like Ride, Public Service Broadcasting, and Palace. On top of this, they have also toured Ireland & the UK with a string of headline shows at venues such as Whelans, King Tuts, and Sebright Arms.

Columbia Mills previous two albums 2017’s A Safe Distance to Watch and 2020’s CCTV – evoked a foreboding sense of place, time and thought. For some, the music was the aural equivalent of walking through disheveled subways, lit by flickering fluorescent lamps, in socially malnourished urban centres; for others, the music was a celebration of inclusiveness, camaraderie, experiencing solemn emotions with groups of friends, secure in the knowledge that the light at the end of the tunnel was exactly that and not a shimmering mirage. 

As album number three is set for release later this year, it officially constitutes a body of work as well as creative commitment and investment. Fiachra’s sense of Columbia Mills’ progression from their debut album onwards is rooted in self-assertiveness.

Ireland and UK tour announced for October / November 2022 

25/9 – Night and Day Festival

20/10 – London – Signature Brew Haggerston

21/10 – Birmingham – Actress & Bishop

22/10 – Manchester – Castle Hotel

25/11 – Dublin – The Academy

Tickets are available from this Friday, 29th April from Ticketmaster at 10am

Connect with Columbia Mills: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | BandCamp

Photo credit: Stephen Constantine

Waterford-based Artist Zach Mulcahy Launches Solo Project Big Yellow Jacket with Debut Single ‘Silhouette’

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Big Yellow Jacket is the Artist name of Songwriter Zach Mulcahy. Mulcahy had previously released music under the moniker of “Mulcahy” however after teaming up with producer Cian Sweeney (@producedbycian) ,also known as 1000 Beasts, to produce his new single, Mulcahy began steering towards a synth-driven sonic palette drawing influence from Glass Animals, Bon Iver and Chvrches.

Mulcahy introduces his solo career under the Big Yellow Jacket moniker with ‘Silhouette’, an instantly captivating alt-pop arrangement. The song is a culmination of the Waterford-based artist re-centring his musical sensibilities across the pandemic. The quiet of recent years facilitated a space for Mulcahy to hone his songwriting and experiment with production techniques to create a broad sound across his textured compositions.

Big Yellow Jacket’s debut offering combines melancholic lyrical and musical elements with an engaging beat as a centrepiece to the composition with wistful synths bringing depth to the overall scope.

He is now set to make huge waves in the Irish music scene and establish a name for himself.

On ‘Silhouette’, Big Yellow Jacket navigates universal themes dealing with the desire to be in love whilst simultaneously facing the disintegration of relationships both firsthand and around him. Set to mournful synth tones floating atop an anchoring bass beat, the song effectively conveys Mulcahy’s wistful reflection on relationship failings.

Speaking on the song’s lyrical themes, Mulcahy says:

“’Silhouette’ was written after I had watched a few relationships around me fizzle into nothing, as well as experiencing it personally. Lyrically, the song explores feelings related to watching a structure you’ve known your whole life fall apart whilst struggling to keep your own relationships afloat as well. I was inspired to write about the disillusionment of chasing ‘the one’.”

This momentous release marks the beginning of a series of singles to come from Big Yellow Jacket throughout the year.

‘Silhouette’ drops May 6th 2022.

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Vale Shares Debut EP ‘Aftertouch’

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Rising electro-pop artist Vale has been making a serious name for himself since the return of live music with prominent support slots with the likes of Houseplants and Soda Blonde.

This Friday 29th April sees the release of Vale’s debut EP, Aftertouch – a stunning collection of six songs that display the Tipperary musician’s ability to make brave sparse electropop in an uncompromising way.

Collaborating with people like Nashville-based producer Owen Lewis , Icelandic musician Sin Fang (of the band Seabear ) and producer, multi-instrumentalist David O’Connor, Vale is the new project of Eoin Hally, who will be familiar to many from his previous band, the Cork-based Pale Rivers .

Songs like ‘Allow and Breach’ and ‘The Sun Is My Filter’ are joined by new single ‘Warning Sign’, all of them featuring Vale’s signature audio-cathedral-building soundscapes and distinctive vocal that will be familiar to fans of his former outfit.

Aftertouch is a collection of songs that has, Vale says, evolved from a moment when he was unsure if it would ever be shared with anyone. “Some of it is rooted in darkness, more of it is questioning our place here. It can sound in places, cold, careless or maybe even hurtful… but it’s quietly hopeful, moving along, step by step,” he says.

Having been conceptualised just before the dawn of lockdown in Ireland, the USA and Iceland, an incredible Vale live show is in the works with a full four piece band that includes Alex Ridley (HousePlants, Daithí) on drums, David O’Connor (Pale Rivers, The Workshop Studio) on Ableton and samples duty, Kate Twohig on piano and OP1 and Hally himself on vocals and, as he puts it, a whole bunch of synths.

Without a doubt, Vale is Hally’s most striking musical project to date; one that showcases honed writing skills and production that isn’t afraid to push boundaries, but nor is it afraid to show restraint. The result is expansive music that is as lush as it is sparse, with just the right level of restraint in between crescendos. This is music that is crying out to be experienced underneath a stretch tent, resplendent with an immersive AV show.

Higher Vision 2022 Announces Second Wave of Artists

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in Industry News.

Higher Vision 2022 today brings a second wave of artists to Ireland’s most exciting one-day electronic and dance festival, taking place at Navan Racecourse on Saturday, June 18.

Joining a long-awaited appearance from one of the world’s most ground-breaking headliners, deadmau5, Dublin hip-hop outfit, Versatile, follow a recent sold-out show at the 3 Arena with Ejeca, Under Black Helmet, Shampain, Shannen Blessing and Marcus O’Laoire as the latest additions to one of most diverse and banging line-ups this summer.

Already announced are Berlin-based techno heavyweight Dax J, founding member of the infamous Underground Resistance Robert Hood, plus Intrepid Skin label owner and hard techno powerhouse SPFDJ. These join homegrown heroes Belters Only, Obskür, Chantel Kavanagh and Sarah Mooney.

General sale tickets on sale now : https://highervision2022.eventbrite.ie

Higher Vision

Saturday, June 18

Navan Racecourse

Co Meath

New Music from Maria Kelly ‘Martha (postcards version)’ feat. Ciaran Lavery

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Ahead of her ‘Postcards In-between’ exhibition and event in Dublin this weekend,  Irish alt-folk star Maria Kelly has joined forces with Ciaran Lavery on a beautiful, delicate reworking of her 2021 single ‘Martha’ from her album, The Sum of the In-between .

Released today, Wednesday 27th April 2022 , Maria Kelly ‘Martha (postcards version) feat. Ciaran Lavery’ will be released on VETA Music .

Maria Kelly says: “‘Martha’ was the lead single of my album ‘The Sum of the In-between’, and we purposely made it upbeat, with a full arrangement, and with a thread of humour running through the whole thing. A perfect radio single.

“But when I first wrote ‘Martha’, it was a track that held a lot of sadness – it was about finding yourself in a place you no longer recognise, and trying to find a way forward, and I think you feel this a lot more with the acoustic version. I loved reimagining this track with Ciaran – I’ve been a fan of his for a few years now, and I think his voice brings something so special to this track.”

Ciaran Lavery says: “I first listened to Maria’s album on a dog walk in Aghagallon and I was taken by the consistent honesty and weight of the collection. As a writer it’s something to strive for, so naturally I was both impressed and envious of the work. When Maria asked if I would contribute to these reworkings I didn’t have to give it too much thought. ‘Martha’ is a beautiful song, wonderfully understated and one that I am very proud to have lent my voice to.”

Maria Kelly’s ‘Postcards In-between’ project comprises an exhibition, a tour and new music and brings together some of Ireland’s finest artists to have conversations about mental health and the supports that are available, including the services provided by Minding Creative Minds . For tickets and further details see here .

Connect with Maria Kelly 

IG | TWITTER | FB

Ailbhe Reddy Returns With New Single ‘Inhaling’

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Ailbhe Reddy one of the Irish music scene’s serious over-achievers. Her spectacular 2020 debut album Personal History won her an international following and now the alt-folk artist is widely considered one of the world’s great new songwriters.

Today, Wednesday, 27th April 2022 , the Dubliner returns with new single ‘Inhaling ’, displaying her most sophisticated songwriting to date. The single will be released via MNRK , home to world class music brands, Dualtone, Last Gang, Indieblu and more.

‘Inhaling’ is led by a hypnotic bass line married with delicate piano and Ailbhe’s trademark disarming vocal converging to an upbeat chorus. Well-known for straddling the line between emotional honesty and vulnerability with an uplifting twist,  the music of Ailbhe Reddy will appeal to fans of Julia Jacklin and Phoebe Bridgers to Tori Amos and Aimee Mann.

The single received its worldwide radio first play this morning on BBC 6 Music, where presenter Chris Hawkins described Ailbhe as being like “an Irish Phoebe Bridgers”.

Speaking about the song’s meanings, Ailbhe says: “’Inhaling’ is all about feeling drained and restless in life and looking back on my younger self and thinking that, even if it was a totally chaotic disaster at times, at least I had feeling; At least I was experiencing new things and living in the moment.  It’s about missing being out with my friends partying and feeling alive and free. It’s ultimately a song about freedom. ”

Ailbhe Reddy is confirmed to play The Great Escape in May with further live dates to be announced.

‘Inhaling’ marks the beginning of a new era for Ailbhe Reddy, whose debut record has already done so much to cement her reputation as one of Ireland’s top songwriters. Personal History was nominated for the Choice Music Prize album of the year award in 2021 and singles from that record earned placements on dozens of coveted editorial playlists across Spotify , Apple Music , Amazon and Deezer . Radio support and playlisting from the likes of RTÉ Radio 1 , 2fm , Today FM , BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 1 , to name a few, was complemented by press attention from acclaimed publications across Ireland, the UK, the States and more including The Line of Best Fit (Album of the Week), Pitchfork , Clash , The Irish Times, Nialler9 , Hot Press and Dork .

The press photo for ‘Inhaling’ was notably taken by Ailbhe’s good friend and fellow Irish musician Bridie Monds-Watson (A.K.A. SOAK ), with whom she has just completed a UK and Ireland tour. This may be interpreted as an indicator of the kind of effortless collaboration enjoyed by some of the key artists currently putting a global spotlight on what is widely being reported as a golden era in Irish music.

Connect with Ailbhe Reddy

SPOTIFY | BANDCAMP | IG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK  

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