Author: Breffni Banks

With her new live-in-lockdown album The St Buryan Sessions drawing critical raves and appearing on best-of-2021 lists on three continents, Sarah McQuaid is once again preparing to hit the road – this time for a six-week tour of Ireland and the UK.

The tour coincides with the release of a new video filmed earlier this month at the behest of The Bert Jansch Foundation, as part of their “Around The World In 80 Plays” project.

In what would have been the legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter’s 75th year, the Foundation set three Yamaha LL TransAcoustic guitars travelling around the globe from guitarist to guitarist, each playing a song or tune inspired by Bert.

Videos of all the performances feature on the Foundation’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/bertjanschfoundation), including contributions by such iconic guitarists as Richard Thompson, Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler, Tony McManus, Tommy Emmanuel, Alex de Grassi – and now also Sarah McQuaid.

“I was tremendously honoured to be invited to take part,” says Sarah. “It was incredible just to handle an instrument that’s been played by so many guitarists I’ve worshipped from afar for so long, and to see their signatures on it and sign my own name under theirs. It was almost surreal.”

To make the video, Sarah returned to the beautiful medieval church of St Buryan, not far from her home in rural West Cornwall, where The St Buryan Sessions was also recorded and filmed.

“It’s just such a gorgeous setting,” she enthuses, “and a lovely acoustic space to sing and play in – so it made sense to do it there.”

See https://sarahmcquaid.com/news/blog/80-plays-for-bert to watch the video and view photographs of Sarah with the guitar.

Sarah’s own custom-made Andy Manson acoustic guitar will be accompanying her on tour, along with her Korg SV-2 stage piano, vintage Premier Olympic floor tom drum, and  the Ibanez Artist electric guitar originally loaned to her by another guitar legend, the late Michael Chapman, when he produced her 2018 album If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous.

“It’s always funny when people see all the instruments onstage and say, ‘Oh, we didn’t realise you were bringing a band with you!’” Sarah laughs. “But precisely because I’m a solo performer, it’s important for me to be able to add variety by playing material in a bunch of different styles on a bunch of different instruments.” 

The tour kicks off with 10 concerts in Ireland, both north and south of the border, including a performance at the prestigious Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast.

She’ll then get the ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan for six Scotland shows followed by another dozen gigs spanning the length and breadth of England, from North Yorkshire down to Cornwall, where the tour concludes.

Released on CD and limited-edition double vinyl LP on 15 October 2021, The St Buryan Sessions made it onto “Best of 2021” lists published by such far-flung media outlets as 2ser 107.3fm in Sydney, Australia; the “Ear To The Ground” radio show on Nashville’s WXNA FM; the Netherlands’ “Slim Chance” music blog; and the UK’s “Strummers & Dreamers” show on Cambridge 105 and Blues & Roots Radio.

With the assistance of second cameraman John Crooks, Cornish filmmaker Mawgan Lewis filmed the entire album as it was being recorded. His videos of all 15 tracks can be viewed on Sarah’s YouTube channel, together with a 9-minute documentary, “The Making Of The St Buryan Sessions”, featuring interviews and song snippets.

Dates for Sarah’s Ireland and UK tour are as follows:

Thu Apr 21: Limerick Writers’ Centre Presents @ The Record Room
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/limerick-writers-centre-present-sarah-mcquaid-the-record-room-limerick-tickets-299185049537

Sat Apr 23: Carl Corcoran Music Presents
The Abbey Tavern, 28 Abbey Street, Howth, Co. Dublin D13 E9V4
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sarah-mcquaid-in-concert-tickets-227616696667

Thu Apr 28 The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre
Tickets: https://marketplacearmagh.ticketsolve.com/shows/873622808

Fri Apr 29: The Glens Centre
http://www.theglenscentre.com

Sat Apr 30: The Linenhall Arts Centre
Tickets: https://thelinenhall.ticketsolve.com/shows/873632514

Sun May 1: Backstage at Monroes
Tickets: https://monroes.ie/products/sarah-mcquaid

Wed May 4: The Alley Theatre
Tickets: https://alley-theatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/1173620368/events/428446441

Thu May 5: Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
Tickets: https://cqaf.ticketsolve.com/shows/873630926

Fri May 6: Ards Arts Centre
Tickets: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/RdiEJKhzXNnT

Sat May 7: Flowerfield Arts Centre
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sarah-mcquaid-tickets-262615147977

Mon May 9: Stirling Folk Club
http://www.stirlingfolkclub.co.uk

Tue May 10: Private Event – Kilbarchan

Wed May 11: Aberdeen Folk Club
Tickets: https://www.thebluelampaberdeen.com/event-details/aberdeen-folk-club-sarah-mcquaid

Fri May 13: Grantown Museum
https://www.grantownmuseum.co.uk

Sat May 14: Argyll Arts Collective @ Lochgoilhead Village Hall
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sarah-mcquaid-at-lochgoilhead-village-hall-tickets-277559396627

Sun May 15: Uig Hall
http://www.uighall.org

Tue May 17: The Green Room at The Plaza Stockport
Tickets: https://www.quaytickets.com/stockport/en-GB/shows/the%20green%20room-%20sarah%20mcquaid/events

Fri May 20: Helmsley Arts Centre
Tickets: https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=HAMS_MPV&orgid=55230&pid=9066485#/event/9066485/seatmap/

Sat May 21: Pies, Peas and Performances
St Saviour’s Community Centre, Lidget Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire DN22 6QY Tickets £15 (includes pies and peas)
https://www.facebook.com/paulcooksonpoet

Sun May 22: Desford Village Hall
https://desfordvillagehall.myfreesites.net
Bring your own drinks!

Wed May 25: The Chapel Sessions
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chapel-sessions-music-presents-sarah-mcquaid-tickets-266818058997

Thu May 26: All Saints’ Church
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sarah-mcquaid-tickets-260445358077

Fri May 27: The Old Baptist Chapel
Tickets: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/541407

Sat May 28: Longborough Village Hall
https://www.longboroughvillagehall.co.uk

Sun May 29: The Breathing Room Presents @ Trinity Theatre
https://www.trinitytheatre.net

Fri Jun 17: Penlee Park Open Air Theatre
http://www.penleeparktheatre.com

Sat Jun 18: intoBodmin at The Old Library
Tickets: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/RdiEJKhzXNnT

Sun Jun 19: The Redruth Drapery
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sarah-mcquaid-at-the-redruth-drapery-tickets-298983516747

See https://sarahmcquaid.com/tour for more tour dates later in the year.

Photo: Phil Nicholls

With its angular guitar, bouncing bassline, nuanced percussive rhythms and sax solo, Dublin artist Skinner’s ‘The Slump’ takes inspiration from post punk and no wave acts like James Chance and ESG.

Aaron Corcoran, Skinner says of the song:

“The song channels a feeling of nothingness and attempts to see the humour in it. Everyone goes through periods where every day feels like a slap in the face so I wrote this weird disco song to distract myself from the monotony of it all. I was trying to escape everything and make something fun, something you could dance to.”

It’s Skinner’s first release on Ireland’s Faction Records (James Vincent McMorrow, All Tvvins, Sorcha Richardson), released ahead of an upcoming headline show in Dublin on March 24th, Silverbacks tour supports and festivals like Beyond The Pale, and All Together Now.

Skinner is a 24-year-old DIY slouch rock musician based in Dublin, Ireland, 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.

The Slump follows the Gunge EP on 12” vinyl, a collection of five singles released from 2019 to 2021.

Upcoming Shows

• March 26 Roisin Dubh, Galway (with Silverbacks)
• April 3rd Cyprus Ave, Cork (with Silverbacks)
• April 21 Output, Belfast
• April 23rd Kasbah Social Club,  Limerick  (with Silverbacks)
• May 20th Headline show Workmans Club, Dublin (with Cruel Sister)

Facebook | Twitter |Instagram

Photo: Niamh Barry

Niamh Regan is a critically acclaimed songwriter from county Galway. Following her studies at UL, Regan honed her craft as a songwriter by travelling between Ireland and California, writing about her experiences along the way. As a result, her songs seamlessly weave the intimacy of the Irish lyrical tradition with the expansive breadth of American songwriters such as Karen Dalton, Stevie Nicks, and Joni Mitchell, but the resulting sound is entirely her own.

Her debut album ‘Hemet’ announced her arrival as one of the most distinctive songwriters in Ireland today. Earning nominations for both the RTE Folk Awards and the Choice Awards ‘Album of the Year’, the LP received soaring praise which led to performances on The Late Late Show, Other Voices, and La Blogothèque.

Niamh now returns with a new EP, ‘In the Meantime’, joined again by Alex Borwick on production.

‘In the Meantime’ was written while confined in the rural village Kilrickle in east Galway during the pandemic. Showcasing the very best of her intimate storytelling and remarkable knack for melody, Niamh describes the new EP as “exploring themes of acceptance, uncertainty, independence, family guilt, silence and ordinary acts of love.”

Opening with a brand-new song ‘Late Nights’ a tender, brooding song Niamh describes as being about “navigating family guilt, growing up and leaving behind little bits of yourself as you enter a new chapter of thinking”, she sings “I’m constantly trying to make you feel better” over Borwick’s gentle, shimmering production.

Niamh shares a film for ‘Late Nights’, directed by Laura Sheeran, with choreography and dance performed by Robyn Byrne.

The film was captured at The Grand Social, one of Dublin’s landmark live music venues.

Niamh’s In the Meantime EP is a perfect encapsulation of the everyday, in which Niamh’s singular songwriting draws us into the intricate details and moments of her life, and elevates them into something universal.

TOUR DATES

MARCH

• The Academy, Dublin |Thursday 31^st March (*supporting Sorcha Richardson) SOLD OUT

APRIL

• April Sounds, The Medieval Mile, Kilkenny | Sunday 10th April
• The Royal Theatre Castlebar, Co. Mayo | Thursday 14th April
• The Attic at Hotel Doolin, Co. Clare | Friday 15th April
• Upstairs Dolans, Limerick |Saturday 16th April
• Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray | Thursday 21st April
• The Solstice Arts Centre, Navan | Saturday 23^rd April (*supporting The Lost Brothers)
• Whelan’s, Dublin | Thurs 28^th April (*supporting Rachel Sermanni)

MAY

• Levis Corner House, West Cork | Saturday 7th May
• Coughlans, Cork | Sunday 8th May
• More to be announced

‘In the Meantime’ was generously supported by the Galway International Arts Festival Elevate Bursary

Buy/Stream ‘In the Meantime’ https://found.ee/2URUtN

Follow Niamh on:

Spotify | Apple Music | Twitter / @niamhreganmusic | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp |http://niamhregan.com/

Born in Belgium but now based in Dublin, Pop/ R&B artist ORLA is an exciting new addition to Ireland’s music scene. Growing up in a musical family, she was surrounded by music of all genres from a young age. From the Irish trad music her father played to the French songs she grew up listening to in Brussels, she was always exploring new styles of singing.

After moving from Belgium to Ireland at seventeen, she started performing as backing vocalist and quickly moved on to writing and performing her own songs in venues all around Dublin. Combining both elements of Pop with R&B, ORLA channels her emotions into her vocal delivery, and embellishes her music with textured harmonies, vocal runs and layers. The result is a dreamy vocal line telling her stories over a powerful pop driven beat.

Following the success of her debut single ‘Close to me’, ORLA released ‘Lazy’ in 2021 which has since received positive feedback from both Irish media and radio. It also landed a spot on Spotify editorial playlists such as ‘New Music UK’ and ‘R&B Fresh Find’ and has so far gained over 30,000 streams.

2022 is set to be a busy year for ORLA. Fresh from supporting Irish band Royseven at main stage Whelan’s she will be releasing her highly anticipated follow up single ‘Carry Myself’ on the 31st of March. Working once again with producer Alex O’Keeffe, ‘Carry Myself’ shows a new level to ORLA’s lyricism, vocal ability and further solidifies her place as an artist to watch for 2022.

‘Carry Myself’ was written by ORLA and produced by her regular collaborator Alex O’Keeffe. It is a song about rediscovering your independence after the end of a relationship.

“Carry Myself is a song I wrote after a relationship had come to an end. It’s about realising that even though you once adored this person so much of what you believed about them was not true. Without them, you start to see qualities in yourself that you had missed. Essentially, it’s a celebration of yourself and knowing that sometimes you are better on your own.”

‘Carry Myself’ will be available on all streaming services on the 31st of March.

French/Irish Ballydehob duo Les SalAmandas are delighted to have their first and second singles ‘Now Is The Time’ and ‘Mouldy’ feature in episode 2 of the adaption of Graham Norton’s best-selling Novel ‘Holding’.

Directed by Kathy Burke, written by Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Karen Cogan the ITV series was shot only over the road from where Les SalAmandas reside, in the heart of West Cork, in 2021.

It’s always been an ambition for Les SalAmandas to have their music featured in a show, so Julie and Colyne are over the moon with the support shown to local artists. Along with their songs, music from fellow West Cork Artist Marlene Enright will be featured in the series.

“Soundtracks from films and television series have always stood out to me, they can be the making of the show. I always appreciate a well-thought-out and beautiful soundtrack and have always dreamed that something I wrote would make its way into the film world so I am thrilled that our songs will feature in ‘Holding’.” – Julie

“Music in films and TV shows have always been important to me. The soundtrack can help you feel emotionally closer to what the character might be going through or to the feeling of the scene. Having two of our songs featured in ‘Holding’, a series that has been filmed so close to home and where a lot of our friends worked on, is amazing and I feel honoured to be a part of it.”-Colyne

One year on from debuting their recorded sound, Les SalAmandas are gearing up to release their third single Gold (Fall With The Gun), carrying buckets of pride and gratitude.

Follow Les SalAmandas:

https://linktr.ee/LesSalAmandas

Greenshine looked on with great sadness at the unfolding Hell in Ukraine and it made us determined to do whatever they could to help alleviate the suffering in their own small way.

To that end, Greenshine are releasing BLUE VELVET for UKRAINE to raise funds for Irish Red Cross and their UKRAINE CRISIS APPEAL.

All monies raised from BLUE VELVET for UKRAINE from this song will be distributed on the ground in Ukraine.

Ways to donate:

1. Pay €1, or more if you wish, via Greenshine on Bandcamp  and receive a copy of  Blue Velvet- https://greenshine.bandcamp.com/track/blue-velvet-for-ukraine

2. ‘DONATE’ what you can via www.facebook.com/greenshinemusic     – over €400 raised in one day so far! – if you donate this way, please email us and will forward you an mp3 of Blue Velvet –  bluevelvetforukraine@nulloutlook.com

“We hope you enjoy our version of this beautiful song written by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris. The song is a throwback to more romantic times – the vision of a beautiful woman moving through the crowd at a party, but when she left, gone was the glow of blue velvet. To us, blue velvet represents the peace and beauty in Ukraine that is now gone, but we hope will return soon.”

Follow Greenshine:

http://greenshinemusic.com/

www.facebook.com/greenshinepeople

www.twitter.com/greenshinemusic

www.greenshine.bandcamp.com

From writing catchy earworm melodies in her Roscommon bedroom over lockdown to playing a Sold Out Headline show in Whelan’s last November, chosen as one of BBC Radio ATL’s Artists of the Week, to now being announced as part of the new Night & Day Festival line up, 23-year-old indie pop-rock artist ARLENE has finally got around to announcing her brand new single “somebody else”.

Produced by Stu Gray of Jealoustown Studios & mastered by Billy Farrell, “somebody else” features edgy raw vocals & strong bright synths, fitting directly into today’s pop sound while also maintaining a modern indie-rock vibe. Lyrically telling the story of the classic ‘unsuccessful relationship’ the track describes a common love story with the partner falling in love, however unintentionally loving somebody else. Once they decide to follow their heart they soon realise how big of a mistake they’ve made – “I didn’t mean to love somebody else, so please don’t blame my heart”.

ARLENE cleverly inserts an actual phone call recording into the track, giving that feeling of real emotion to her audience – “When I had the idea in my head, I wasn’t sure if it would work. I tried to record the line straight into the mic and then add some fx, but it felt very forced. So instead, I called my brother who was beside me at the time and then he recorded me on loudspeaker using another phone. I then brought that to my producer and it went from there really. So yeah, it’s an actual phone vox recording!¯

FOLLOW ARLENE ON SOCIALS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON UPCOMING GIGS & FESTIVALS

@arlene__music

Festival Dates:

K-FEST  June 4th   – Kerry

Night & Day Festival September 25th – Roscommon

Horslips, the founding fathers of Celtic Rock, are delighted to announce that, while rumours of their demise as a performing entity have sadly not been exaggerated, they are releasing, in July 2022, through the good auspices of Madfish Music, More Than You Can Chew – a stunning 35-disc box set overflowing with music, film and printed matter encapsulating their entire career.

The standard set comprises:

• 33 CDs containing 506 audio tracks – 252 of which (16 hours) are previously unreleased
• 2 DVDs containing 59 video tracks (and two documentaries) – of which 42 (4½ hours) are previously unreleased
• 2 books – On The Record (a lavish new history of Horslips) and Lyricography (have a guess)
• 5 vintage 8 x 10 photos each signed individually by all five members
• 1 folder of fan club facsimiles from the 70s
• 1 poster

Watch the trailer here:

The set has been curated by Bert Jansch/John McLaughlin biographer (and longstanding Horslips fan) Colin Harper in close collaboration with the band members. The audio, including most of the film audio, has been restored and (re)mastered by IFTA award-winning engineer Cormac O’Kane. Herculean Horslips biographer Mark Cunningham has written the books, with fresh input from the band, and, wearing his day-job designer hat, has lovingly designed the set under the oversight of Horslips’ de facto art director Charles O’Connor.

In addition to the previously unreleased content, More Than You Can Chew includes two albums new to any digital medium: Tryal (1983) by the Host (a post-Horslips band featuring Eamon, Johnny and Charles) and Breaking Star Codes (1983) by Barry Devlin.

Additionally, Horslips will be releasing a digital single “Sure The Boy Was Green (Live 1980 `Belfast Gigs` Outtake)” on St. Patricks Day – 17^th March.

This performance was recorded during a run of three nights at Belfast’s Whitla Hall towards the final Horslips album of their 1972-80 tenure, The Belfast Gigs. It was mixed for possible inclusion on the album at the time and stored on a reel of tape but didn’t make the cut. With the multi-tracks for the three gigs now lost, this is the only professionally recorded outtake extant from those legendary gigs – Horslips going out with a bang.

Pre-orders available now: https://Horslips.lnk.to/MoreThanYouCanChew

50 Years of Horslips in a Paragraph:

On St Patrick’s Day 1972, Horslips released their debut 45, ‘Johnny’s Wedding’ – in a single bound, inventing Celtic rock – with a press launch at Captain America, a Dublin diner. Over the next eight years they toured the world, recorded 12 albums and collapsed in a heap with a last hurrah at Belfast’s Ulster Hall in October 1980. After lying in darkened rooms for a week or two, the five members – Eamon Carr, Barry Devlin, Johnny Fean, Jim Lockhart and Charles O’Connor – got on with their lives, enjoying many adventures in the worlds of music, media, U2-mentoring and bric-a-brac retailing in the Whitby area. In 2004, the Fab Five found themselves onstage in Derry with a bijou skiffle set at a fan-curated memorabilia exhibition. The love in the room was overwhelming. Over the next five years, Horslips recorded a reunion album and made a handful of Irish TV and radio appearances until, in 2009, they ran out of excuses and opened the doors to the general public with sensational arena concerts in Belfast and Dublin. Twenty-nine years – the longest tea-break in history – gave way to a ten-year victory lap, untaken at a leisurely pace with huge smiles and glad-handing all round. The Indian summer concluded by stealth at the end of 2019 – retrospectively announced in October 2021 – the legendary beast gently felled, like much else, by lockdown. Fans were glum yet grateful for a comeback that had outlasted the career proper. Like the Spanish Inquisition, no one in the fan community was expecting a box set the size of a tombstone, or a tombstone the size of this box set. Fans can now be even more grateful – if considerably poorer.

Madfish

Madfish, an imprint of Snapper Music, is the international market leader in limited-edition luxury box sets celebrating heroes of the 60s and 70s. Previous multi-disc sets have included Wishbone Ash, Steve Hillage, Gentle Giant, Family, Caravan, John Mayall and the Pretty Things.

Horslips online :

https://madfishmusic.com/artists/horslips

http://www.horslips.ie/

https://www.facebook.com/horslips

https://www.instagram.com/horslipsofficial/

Photo: Ian Finlay

Darren A. Flynn (formerly of Italian/Irish Americana act Mongrel State) is set to release “Big Blue Moon” on March 25th, marking his first proper return to the Irish music scene since literally dropping dead in 2018.

Big Blue Moon, which draws on influences from the likes of classic Americana and Bluegrass music (such as the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Dillards and even a little bit of Sweetheart of the Rodeo-era Byrds) and more modern rock (such as early Kings of Leon), has an energetic sound somewhere towards the poppier end of the turf occupied by the likes of Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers and The National Parks.

The song was written, produced and recorded by Darren, mixed by Alan Gregson (famous for producing the seminal “Brimful of Asha” by Cornershop) and mastered by Richard Dowling at WAV mastering.

It features guest banjo playing by the incredible Johnny Butten  – recognized by Guinness World Records as the Worlds Fastest Banjo Player – who has played with the likes of Hayseed Dixie, Oakridge Boys and Albert Lee, among others.

The track also features guest vocals by Tim Cullen (The Hot Sprockets), JM Burr (Lugosi) and folk singer Michelle Gahan.

Speaking about his joy at finally being able to release music again, Darren commented: “I’m absolutely thrilled! It took me about a year to fully recover after my heart attack, and just around the time I was feeling ready to dip my toe back in the water, feckin’ COVID happened! There were so many times over the last few years when I’d almost given up hope. I’m so glad that, finally, I’m able to get out there and have my music heard again”.

Darren has performed live & recorded sessions for National Irish TV & Radio and appeared on most local radio stations across the country.

He has performed at several Irish festivals such as The Electric Picnic, Kilkenny Roots Festival, Vantastival, Sligo Live & Doolin Folk Festival, as well as internationally.