Author: Breffni Banks

A brain tumour diagnosis in the middle of the pandemic with a possibility of having speech complications as a result of brain surgery led to taking chances and realizing dreams. Pamela Tully is a Pop/Rock singer songwriter from Kilnamanagh in Dublin, who has finally decided that now is the time to bring her music to life. She is inspired musically by Lady Gaga, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Anastacia, Becky Hill among many others.

“My genre of music is inspired by PopRock, think Lady Gaga meets Pink. Since releasing my first single in 2022 I’ve been exploring my songwriting ability, getting more creative pushing the boundaries with this new single Paranoid. To date my music has been recognised and supported right here in Ireland by Irish radio; The Shift on WLR, KCLR, Dublin South FM, Dublin City FM, Tipp FM, Loughrea Radio, reviewed and featured by Hotpress, Newstalk’s Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna , IMRO, Music Times, Rising Artists Blog, and added to playlists across the globe by Banks Radio Australia, Radio WigWam and many more. I am an advocate for brain tumour awareness and the need for continual research working with Brain Tumour Ireland for the past 2 years on their Brain Tumour Awareness week. In 2022 I had the honour of being asked to sing at the Irish Cancer Society’s Living well with and Beyond conference alongside Dr Eddie Murphy and Adapted Adventurer Nikki Bradley, see video link below:”

What’s next: With plans to release her fourth single entitled “Paranoid” by the beginning of November Pamela has been hard at work in the studio honing a braver, rock dance sound. “This song is all about battling with your inner demons and letting those voices inside your head take control. Imagine being out on a night out and not feeling comfortable in your own skin but the music is there to try to bring you back and let it all go.”

“The song is inspired by my own thoughts really, I, like a lot of people, struggle with overthinking especially given my previous brain tumour diagnosis back in 2020. I’m constantly replaying conversations, ideas, and past memories over and over in my head which can at times make you paranoid and questioning reality.”

The track is all about battling with your inner demons and letting those voices inside your head take control. Imagine being out on a night out and not feeling comfortable in your own skin but the music is there to try to bring you back and let it all go.

When Pamela was writing this song she was listening to a lot of the current dance tracks out right now like Becky Hill, Ella Henderson as well as early Lady Gaga from her first and second albums and Miley Cyrus.

“I really wanted to create something that had a dance rhythm, hypnotic chorus and a blend of rock woven in. I could imagine myself out on a night out, having some drinks, dancing and then suddenly being paranoid about my appearance, who is around me and what I’m doing. I want people to listen to it, relate and try to let the music take over. Fans of Becky Hill, Lady Gaga, Pink, and Sia will all resonate with this song- bad ass lyrics with a “I can’t get that song out of my head” kinda vibe.”

The track was recorded with Stuart Gray at Jealoustown studios.

“The lyrics and melody were created in just 2 days as I couldn’t get it out of my head lying in bed one night.”

Connect with Pamela Tully

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | Twitter

Just in time for the feast of All Hallows, singer-songwriter Ciara Sidine’s brand new single ‘All Souls Night’ is a haunting, modern meditation on a 16th century ballad that spotlights a remarkable heroine of the supernatural shadows.

Inspired by the Scottish ballad ‘Tam Lin’ – a tale of love, unplanned pregnancy and fairy lore – ‘All Souls Night’ is a roots/country-influenced take on the heroine of the song’s heart, and her journey of self and soul at the time of year when the veil between worlds is thinnest.

Through layers of tremolo and delay, Conor Brady’s distinctive guitar creates an otherworldly vibration to support Sidine’s resonant vocal in this, the first release from her upcoming EP of bold and beautiful tracks inspired by songs and heroines of folk balladry. The collection unearths and subverts women’s representations in the folk music canon and stems from Sidine’s research across song archives in the Irish, American and Anglo traditions.

In the ballad which inspired ‘All Souls Night’, Janet, a young pregnant woman, finds herself alone after her lover has vanished. He appears to her in the woods as she gathers herbs to bring about an end to her pregnancy. He has been taken by the fairies to be betrothed to their queen, and he tasks her with a heroine quest – to cross into the otherworld on All Souls’ Night and risk life and limb to retrieve him. Sidine’s modern interpretation is a tale of the tension between desire and autonomy, love and reason, and what emerges is a mystically memorable new folk classic.

An original show based on her archival research is also currently in development, combining new and old songs and stories in an odyssey through collective memory and myth.

‘All Souls Night’ was recorded with Sidine’s band live at Camden Recording Studios, with Conor Brady on guitar, Robbie Malone on bass and Dave Hingerty on drums.

The recording was supported through funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media as administered via the Music Industry Stimulus Package 2020.

Dublin singer-songwriter has released two critically acclaimed albums, Shadow Road Shining and Unbroken Line. Her distinctive sound mixes Americana and Celtic influences and she has received as much attention for her fine singing voice as for her melodies and poetic, emotionally resonant lyrics. Ciara has appeared on Other Voices and toured in Ireland and abroad.

She is also one of Ireland’s leading book editors and publishers, central to establishing the presence of international publisher Hachette in Ireland in the early 2000s. In recent years, she has published books by some of Ireland’s foremost change-making women, including Vicky Phelan, Catherine Corless and Dr Marie Cassidy.

Platforming women’s voices is central to her work in music as well as books, reflected in such tracks from her 2017 album Unbroken Line as ‘Finest Flower’, drawn from testimony of survivors of Ireland’s mother and baby homes, and her roots rock call to chaos ‘Trouble Come Find Me’.

Connect with Ciara Sidine

Facebook | Instagram

Rodney Owl’s latest offering “I’m Dead” is a stand alone single written in anticipation of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when the veil between this world and The Otherworld (An Saol Eile) of spirits and faeries is at its thinnest. The song leads us through a dark and atmospheric landscape, like a quietly creeping carousel moving towards a celebratory 3/4 chorus… a spirit waltz if you will.

“I’m Dead” features contributions from –

Agustina Taborda – (Vito Sputnik) – Piano and Bandoneon,

Sam Finlay Wright – (The Whileaways) Bass

Dave Shaughnessy – (My Fellow Sponges) Drums.

With Rodney himself on Vocals, Electric Guitar and Zither.

The song was produced by Mark McConville and mastered by Fergal Davis.

Artist Bio

Rodney Owl (aka Mark McConville) is originally from Lurgan in Co. Armagh. He found his way to music in his mid-teens after a successful career as an amateur Boxer.

McConville grew up in the 1980’s amidst the constant turmoil of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and all the dark days that came with it. In spite of the difficult times, those early years were among the happiest of his life. Strong community connections and life-long friendships helped him to flourish as an artist and musician.

Aged seventeen, Mark swapped Lurgan for London where he joined a punk band and spent five years busking and dodging the metropolitan police in tube stations. He also stacked shelves, dug holes, people watched and broadened his horizons.

In summer of 1996 he arrived in Galway with a tent and a tenner and hit the streets to busk. He soon began to draw regular crowds and attracted the attention of a manager in the Quays bar where he played his first gigs in the city. In the years since McConville has become a staple of the local music scene, playing in numerous bands such as renowned live act No Banjo and original alt rockers Cartoon Thieves.

His second album “Truth is Broken” released in April 2023, showcases the singularly unique brilliance of McConville’s songwriting and musicianship, as produced by the renowned Alex Borwick and the Black Gate Label. With influences as diverse as Aldous Harding, Lumen Drones, Velvet Underground, The Smiths and Sly & The Family Stone, Truth Is Broken carves out a unique and compelling space for Rodney Owl in the Irish musical landscape.

McConville’s songs are evocative yet elusive – filled with abstract lyricism and musical dynamism. He defines his music as Electric Folk and it is in turn breathless, immersive, thought-provoking, quirky and whimsical…sometimes all at once.

He currently lives a quasi-reclusive life in rural west of Ireland, finding inspiration in his family and surroundings – an ancient Celtic rainforest, dogs and cats for companions, and a multitude of feathered friends.

In Concert 2023 (more to follow)

• April 13th: An Taibhdhearc, Galway (Truth Is Broken – Album Launch)
• May 17th: The Fountain Bar, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare
• June 18th: Galway Folk Festival
• June 22nd: Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co.Louth
• July 8th: Roisin Dubh, Galway
• Aug 15th: Mick Lally Theatre (Supporting Patrick Watson)
• Sept 2nd KAVA Kinvara Courthouse
• Sept 9th: Marine Bar Whitehead, Carrickfergus
• Sept 16th: Fall right into Place festival, Clare Galway Castle
• Sept 21st: Clifden Arts Festival, Mullarkey’s Bar, Clifden
• Oct 1st: Stag’s Head, Dublin
• Nov 17th: The Clock Tavern Westport

This is a song about no matter how hard the circumstances are, it’s never too late to change your faith. Its kind of Fred Again/Bicep influenced on the musicality end. The first verse starts off with a build up of drums into Paros verse where he uses a lot of different references and world play while describing his downfall while on a hiatus from music. “I got the name Paro when my head was gone like I put my neck under a guillotine, moving suspiciously I can’t sugar coat it though cause that road life is bittersweet.”

The track continuously builds where Trom comes in on the chorus with a lovely tone to his vocals singing “my time is now for years I was broken, they shut me out but we kicked the door open”over some softer pads before it builds up again.

Paro comes back in on the second verse with “I was sleeping on the sofa in prospect hill, it’s ironic that address was how we actually lived”. On this verse Paro switch’s flows almost every 4 bars as the music continuously builds, then he hits a fast flow where he says “ I wrote bars on a broke Sony Ericsson, it’s mad cause they laughed when the scene was developing, but now the fans have done a 360 like a Ferris wheel, it’s been an uphill battle but we went and climbed Everest.”

It goes back into the chorus with Trom but this time there’s added backing vocals and a sample that comes in making this chorus the big one throughout the whole track as trom sings the chorus he layers “Not Too Late” through each line which really enhances the feeling of what the track is about.

It goes into a third verse/bridge where Trom sings “blame thrown, Tragedy gone, too a place a storm, in a household crying, my strength forms, from knuckles thrown, in a world of skin & bone” quite abstract lyrics but it suits the overall theme of the song.

The track finishes with a much softer touch to bring you down off the highs of the head nodding drums and soothe your ears with  Trom’s silk tone as he sings the chorus one last time on the outro of the track.

Paro Pablo is a hip-hop artist from Finglas on the Northside of Dublin. After a couple of tours, sold out shows and major support slots such as : Aslan, Hoodie Allen and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, he decided to hang up the mic in 2014.

2019 he returned after a long hiatus, and in June 2019 he decided to record a feature on Rem3dys track “4Life” which also featured fellow Finglas narrator Dubzeno. The track was an instant hit on national radio with RTE 2FM playlisting the song.

In December he released his Debut EP “Never Known Love” which again was received well across national radio along with a sold out launch night.

In January 2020 Pablo dropped an 8 minute freestyle for 2fms “freestyle series “ with Dj Mo K which really showed his ability to rhyme.

Later in 2020 he released a collaboration EP with Coventry rap artist JR, “The Gospel Truth”Adding to his ever growing catalogue Paro has a set list for all occasions, from spoken word to garage/house & everything in between including production from “Belters Only” RobbieG on his tracks Sarah and Tell Me with Sarah getting 2FM “Track of the week”.

2021 was quiet due to covid butafter a few rescheduled shows he finally got to perform his own headline show, along with a special guest performance for Irish artist “JYellowL”and Love Islands star “Antigoni” for their single launch.

2022 Paro done Limerick festival and opened for viral rapper Jordan Mcann while releasing only 3 tracks. He linked up with Damien Dempsey who offered to bring him on his Irish tour in 2023 and he just came back from a very successful couple of weeks recently. Paro is an artist you will be hearing a lot more from as he gears up towards the release of his first Mixtape” Comfort In The Chaos” which is due for release on the 24th of November.

Audrey Bridgeman, Dublin based singer, songwriter and musician has just released her new single ‘You’re not Alone’.

The song features stellar piano player, Johnny Taylor with Audrey on vocals and synthesizer. ‘You’re not Alone’ was written, arranged and co-produced by Audrey and was co-produced by Mark Reddy at Journey’s End Studios.

Audrey performed some of her own original material in her set when she opened ‘Remembering Noel Bridgeman’ at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin in May, the hugely successful sell-out gig for her late father, the legendary drummer Noel Bridgeman. At the gig she was also invited to guest with The Waterboys and Mik Pyro and at the show Audrey along with Ronan Collins presented Skid Row’s Brush Shiels with a ‘Hot Press Lifetime Achievement Award’.

The last few months have been devoted to writing, recording and making videos for her new material.

The message of the lyrics is a simple message of the importance of caring for one another. ‘Rather than having long drawn-out conversations about life and its problems. Sometimes it’s enough just to be there for someone who needs support’.

‘You’re Not Alone’ is available on Bandcamp.

Since his early days growing up on a small farm in rural Ireland, Kevin made a choice to dedicate his life to his craft as a Songwriter and Performer.

Listeners can expect to be taken on an emotional trip of hope, desire, love and struggle. Kevin’s music is a symbiotic relationship of intimate folk and rock music influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Glen Hansard, The Cure, The Smiths and R.E.M. Kevin’s unique style takes audiences on a journey from raw emotional solo performances to foot stomping rock supported by his band, The Great Ideas.

Kevin is releasing a new self produced and written labour of love called ‘Summer’s End’. He recorded it all in his apartment in Cork city all with live instruments. The song is reflective of a changing society and culture, endings and new beginnings as we’re entering a new phase in society.

He is developing a dedicated following throughout his years of gigging and performing around Ireland in acclaimed venues such as Cyprus Avenue, Coughlans, Mike the Pies, The Washerwoman and The Whitehorse, and has supported acts such as Clodagh Quirke, The Pale & Hermitage Green. But now it is his turn to headline at his pre-launch at the Whitehorse on the 13th of October.

Kevin’s music holds recurring themes of hope, desire, love and struggle. Fans can expect stories and tales of the human heart in conflict within itself. About the mind, the spirit and the journeys of self-discovery.

“I hope everyone enjoys this latest chapter of my career. I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way and hope you enjoy the long awaited release of my songs. I hope they give you something and truly wish it brings joy into your lives.”

Official Release date: 20^th October 2023

Released on: Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music and all major streaming platforms.

Dublin electro-pop singer song-writer Keelan X releases new single ‘Never Wanted Nobody Else’ along with the news of his upcoming full band Singular Artists presents gig at The Workman’s Cellar, Dublin on Sunday 26th November, with a shared headline spot with Viscose. ‘Never Wanted Nobody Else’ is another expertly crafted synth-pop song and a perfect bookend to the summer.

Keelan X has amassed a prolific repertoire of pop songs including ‘Fever’, ‘No Fall of Rome’, ‘These Days’ and the well-received cover of ‘What’s Another Year?’

Describing the new single Keelan X says: “This song is a joyful exploration of the rollercoaster ride that is on and off relationships. Following my synth-pop makeover of the 1980 Eurovision winner ‘What’s Another Year’, the new track sees me return to my roots, weaving melodic synth-pop landscapes and indie guitars into a lyrical journey through the ups and downs of modern love.”

Keelan X has been featured on RTE, The Sunday Times, Hotpress, Fame Magazine and Irish World.

About Keelan X:

Over the years, Keelan Cunningham has had a conflicting relationship with his one true love: music. A former member of up-and-coming Irish band The Marigolds, the dissolution of the band had a profound effect on Keelan as he quickly fell out of love with the industry. With more than ten years passing without music in his life, the world-wide pandemic revitalised Keelan’s creativity. Strapping on his Fender Telecaster and switching on an old Roland keyboard he began the process of writing and producing songs once again. The results were immediate and quickly culminated in the formation of his new project, Keelan X.

Cherry picking approaches and styles of song craftmanship he had developed whilst playing in an array of bands over the years, the multi-instrumentalist set about writing a varied collection of songs. Keelan’s distinctive sound is borne out of his eclectic taste in music, taking influence from contemporary artists such as The War On Drugs, The Weekend, Sam Fender, The Academic and melding this with his love of the likes of Bowie, Tears For Fears, Prefab Sprout and Giorgio Moroder.

This is the second single this year to be released. The Castleknock, Dublin 15 native, regularly locked up in a recording studio in Dublin or London, has rediscovered his passion for music. The creative compulsion, love and buzz Keelan has is on full display here in his new release.

Singular Artists link to the gig here: 

https://singularartists.ie/show/keelan-x-and-viscose/

Ticket Master link here:

https://www.ticketmaster.ie/keelan-x-viscose-tickets/artist/5432767

Her previous single ‘Leave Me’ surpassed 20k streams on Spotify and has paved the way for a far grittier sound that’s developed more recently in Ellen’s material. ‘Dead & Gone’ builds on that momentum as she reveals another captivating shoegaze track straight out of her studio in France.

“Amy’s first output from her home studio and it’s immediacy is captured succinctly on a track that opens in an ethereal Mazzy Star style” – The Goo

Amy shares “For me the guitar and vocal riff were the selling point when writing Dead & Gone”. It has an innocence to it, as if you were singing along to the intro of your favourite TV show as a Kid (or an Adult!). We had been sitting on the song for awhile, gigged it and felt there was more to add. Eventually getting back into the studio this summer we re-recorded a finalised version of it, the next step was to release it as soon as possible.”

The Track was mixed by Alex Borwick and mastered by Fergal Davis.

With a busy summer of touring France and writing new material, Amy was back in Dublin for her headline show in Whelan’s presented by AMM on the 7th of October, plus support on the night from Trinkets.

In April 2024 she will proudly Joins Someone for three Irish dates of their Tour.

Join mailing list for more information: https://amyellenmusic.com/

ESSIRAY is set to release her new single, ‘Hold Me Closer’, on October 26th. The track is a collaboration with Austrian based DJ and producer Miles Borghese. Its a nostalgic 90s house/trance track that’s bound to take you on a euphoric journey with its captivating melodies and energetic, classic 909 drums.

She hared her excitement and inspiration behind the song, mentioning, “I stumbled upon this musical gem during a gig in Graz, Austria. Miles, my friend, had woven an enchanting soundscape in this track that immediately caught my attention. Once I got back home, I penned down the vocals for ‘Hold Me Closer’ and sent them over to him. From there the track just fell into place.”

The lyrics were created during a time of spiritual exploration for me, and despite sounding like a love song, the essence is about seeking solace from an unknown source. It’s about finding a sense of direction and security in something beyond what is immediately apparent. “hoping your light guides me home”

Notably, ESSIRAY recently showcased her talent at Ireland Music Week and also supported the South African electronic duo ‘Goldfish’ at The Grand Social.