Author: Breffni Banks

Irish born singer – songwriter Megan O’Neill has just released the video for her highly anticipated new single ‘Wildfire’, which is out now across all digital platforms.

Speaking of the video for her brand new single Megan O’Neill said: “The video for Wildfire tells the story of a grandfather helping his grandson through his first real loss in life. Much like the song itself, the video shares the message that that’s what we are here for – to help each other, to shed layers and grow together”

Deemed a “rising star” by uDiscover and Timeout Magazine London, Megan O’Neill’s songs have received great attention over the past year – including her recent single Ireland, which hit over 400,000 views on social media during release month and was shared by major media outlets Joe.ie, Her.ie, Image Magazine, Irish TV and more. The video was also picked up and shared by none other than Olivia Newton-John as well as being added to the RTE Radio 1 playlist for three weeks running.

Megan O’Neill released her second full length studio album last year (March 12th, 2021) – titled ‘Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty’. This much anticipated album follows her last release, ‘Ghost of You’ (June 2018) which hit #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts in the UK and Ireland, and two EP’s previous to this (‘Coming Home’, 2015 and ‘Stories to Tell’, 2017).

‘Time in a Bottle’, the bonus track off the new album, featured on episode one of hit Netflix TV Show Firefly Lane. One week later, she performed the song live on the RTE Late Late Show – reaching an audience of approximately 2 million and the single charted that same weekend in Ireland across all genres. ‘Time in a Bottle’ was the highest new entry on the Irish Homegrown Charts at the end of February and was playlisted by RTE Radio 1.

Alongside her releases as an artist, Megan O’Neill writes for many other artists across the world in multiple genres. Over the coming 12 months, she has some incredibly exciting releases on the horizon with artists in the UK and Ireland – yet to be announced. Megan also works independently as a songwriter with multiple publishing houses, writing to brief for sync projects and for other artist projects.

To date Megan O’Neill has toured the UK, Ireland, US and Germany. She has performed at private Oscars’ parties in LA alongside Gavin James (on invite from JJ Abrams) and has had her song ‘Don’t You’ featured on ABC’s hit TV Show ‘Nashville’ (Season 3). Megan has also opened shows for the likes of Sir Tom Jones, Lighthouse Family and Jamie Cullum to name a few.

Megan O’Neill’s brand new single ‘Wildfire’ is out now across all digital platforms.

Irish singer-songwriter Natalie Moran starts off 2022 with love ballad ‘What’s it Like’, debuting on February 11th and a music video launching on February 12th.

Released to celebrate the month of love, the song’s composition gracefully comes together with sounds of glistening guitar, a touch of sweet piano overlaid with smooth vocals accompanied by melodic harmonies.

The story relates to those in their search for love. It covers the hope to one day experience meeting the one and expresses the process of the search for romance when it feels like everyone else has it.

Lovers can listen in remembrance of the times before meeting each other and as a thankful reminder of what it’s like to be loved.

Natalie Moran is a Dublin based Irish singer-songwriter. She is a story-teller in lyrics and vocal expression alike. Her vocal tones have a high range which is used for sweet soprano melodies and also to create those power house moments. Natalie is popular for creating 80’s synths within her dance music and also having a blend of sweet acoustic music for romance and heartbreak tracks.

The singer debuted in late 2021 with the single ‘My Ambition’ which set out her determination and drive entering the music scene.

The singer is due to release more singles across 2022 that listeners will be keen to keep track on.

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February 2nd 2022 marks Fergus’ 6^th anniversary and with the truly incredible response to Michael McCormack’s award winning and deeply moving film ‘Breaking Out’, we are releasing 11 tracks featured in the film which have been re-mastered by the maestro Bob Ludwig of Gateway Mastering.

The original recordings were restored, re-engineered and mixed by long standing interference producer Dan Dan Fitzgerald in his studio Sound Sound in Cork Ireland.

The tracks chosen represent some of Ferg’s best writing and of the 32 songs used in the film we think these tracks will attract a new listenership to his timeless music. In particular a brand new song, the very last he was working on when he passed, ‘I Owe You Nothing’ has become an  instant live favourite.

Fergus never performed this song to an audience, and we have only played it a handful of times with Glen Hansard at the helm in the few years since we lost him.

Written by Fergus and Malcolm MacClancy the song is heavily featured in the film where we see Fergus and Glen with other members of the Frames recording the song in Ferg’s home in Schull west Cork, some two weeks before he finally lost his battle with Muscular Dystrophy.

The song was completed by Karl Odlum with a little help from James O’Leary and Glen Hansard before being shipped off to Bob Ludwig in Portland Maine, USA to be mastered alongside the other ten tracks chosen for the album.

The album simply entitled ‘Breaking Out’ will complement the film which is now available to stream and download from Sky, Virgin, Amazon Prime, iTunes etc in Ireland and the UK and which is set to close the 2022 ‘CRAICFEST’ Film & Music festival in New York City on Saturday 5^th March this year.

The tracks are:

Gold, Breaking Out, Wild Bill’s Circus Scene, Something Right, American Townland, Vaj Vaj, Looking For Someone, Cain & Abel, Sail On, I Owe You Nothing and Dark Days.

‘Breaking Out : Interference’ will be released exclusively to Bandcamp on February 2^nd 2022

“I owe you nothing, except everything I own, and all I have in truth, I only have on loan”

Niamh Regan is a critically acclaimed songwriter from county Galway. Released in the midst of the pandemic in 2020, 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 album received soaring praise, and led to performances on Fanning at Whelan’s, The Late Late Show, Other Voices, and La Blogothèque.

Niamh says “Looking back on 2021 it really was a special one (in spots). Massive thanks for coming along for the ride. There were many firsts for my music last year and it’s all down to you. I couldn’t have sold out shows and toured with a full band if it wasn’t for the support and belief in the music so yep, I hope to just keep it up and hopefully you’ll stick around with me as we jump into 2022 together.

I’ve been writing away, slowly but surely the last few months and I’m getting excited about the second record already. But in the meantime, I’ll be releasing an EP called ‘In The Meantime’ this March. It’s a collection of four songs that I wrote during the first + second lockdown here in Ireland. And I guess the EP has themes around everyday life, feeling stuck, family, love, loneliness, loyalty and escape.”

A natural storyteller, Regan’s songs are windows into her world, snapshots of the intimacy of everyday life. This is evident on her new EP, In the Meantime, due out in March. With her singular mastery, Regan’s songwriting draws us into the intricate details of everyday life and elevates them into something universal.

“Creating the EP was a little bit of magic for me and also felt like an escape. I’m so grateful to have had some stellar musicians bring it alive in the studio and to work alongside producer Alex Borwick again. All thanks to the Elevate Bursary and the International Galway Arts Festival.”

Ahead of the EP release, Niamh will release a new single ‘Winter in Eden’, featuring Northern Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery. Pre-save the single here: https://found.ee/niamhreganciaranlavery_winterineden

To celebrate the launch of her EP, Niamh will take to the stage at The Grand Social, Friday 4^th March 2022, accompanied by some very special guests. Tickets are on sale now https://tinyurl.com/NiamhReganTheGrandSocial

Niamh also returns to The Green Note, London, Sunday 6^th March. Tickets are on sale now: https://www.greennote.co.uk/production/niamh-regan/

For more details, visit: https://shor.by/zC6c

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Iva Ray is a singer and songwriter based in Dublin who broke into the Irish Music scene with the release of her single ‘Click’ which premiered on BBC Radio UK.

2021 saw the successful release of her single ‘Trouble’ and her first ever music video with Slick Bullet. Following on from the release of ‘Trouble’ last year, Iva is set to release her next single ‘Common’ which shows a different side to her music as a Valentine’s Day special.

Iva began song writing at the age of 15 and co-owned a music studio in Bulgaria with her first music producer. She moved to Ireland in 2014 and continued on her music journey where she developed her song-writing skills and began to release music into the world.

Iva aims to create music that resonates with herself and her listeners while not being confined to a particular genre of music.

She is currently working on her debut album which she plans to release this year.

‘Common‘ is a song created to capture the emotion of letting go and knowing when you deserve better. The song shows a different side of Iva’s art and is more of a slow ballad type of song with elements of R&B and Pop. ‘Common’ was first recorded in 2020 and musically engineered by Slick Bullet, who Iva loves to work with. The lyrics were built around the beat and Iva says that it was very easy for her to produce the track as she felt the feeling resonated with her.

Iva explains ‘ You know, we all had this relationship where we believed the person is everything but in the end we realize it is all just in our imagination and we finally see clearly, I didn’t write this song for a specific person, or for love. I wrote it following this feeling.’

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At the beginning of 2021, Klubber Lang released two singles (‘There, There’ and ‘Not My Day’) and shortly afterwards signed with FIFA Records.

Another three singles followed (‘Sleep Well’, ‘I Will Not Wait’ and ‘This Place’) on the Cork imprint, with more releases planned for 2022.

In the meantime, Klubber Lang have announced their first live show in a very long time: Wed 13 April at the Workman’s Cellar in Dublin.

Special guests on the night are FIFA Records labelmates First Class & Coach.

Klubber Lang: Ciaran Tallon. Ciaran McGoldrick, Ronan McHugh, Fin O’Leary

April 13 2022 // Workman’s Cellar, Dublin
Doors 8pm
Tickets: €12.50 plus booking fee
Tickets: Here

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First release from debut album, alt-pop artist Zapho plans to release the groove-drenched anthemic single ‘Peoples’ this Spring, co-written and co-produced by Steven McCann (Rvstless).

Stacked with bass, drums & walls of vocal hooks that will have you chanting the chorus, this is a welcome return for this exciting independent songwriter/producer.

Following on from successful single releases ‘Fight Me’ (2020), ‘Water Me’ (2019), as well as brilliant collaborative releases with the likes of Tolü Makay and Ryan O’Shaughnessy – Zapho is back with a bang with a brand new single release ‘Peoples’ coming out on February 3rd off her debut album, set for release in 2022.

No stranger to media, her previous releases have made Hotpress’ Track of the Day and Nialler9’s Best Songs of the Week, as well as being featured across key Spotify editorial playlists, R&B UK and Spotify & Chill, and being championed on BBC Sounds and ATL BBC Ulster – we anticipate great things with this new single!

Genre wise an eclectic mixed bag, Zapho draws from pop, alternative, soul, and indie influences, creating a unique sound that is truly her own. Infectious hooks, driving beats, rich electro soundscapes all wrapped up in her memorable alt-pop sound, she is an artist that has been noticeably impressing the industry since her launch in 2019.

A long awaited debut album, the time is right for Zapho to release this 10 track collection to the world, set to feature collaborations with fellow artists Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Decarteret and producer Steven McCann aka Rvstless.

Zapho effortlessly infuses LGBT+ themes, female-focused narratives, that cross genres and push musical boundaries, with catchy melodies that feel familiar, yet totally new.

With past experiences acting as tour support for Cathy Davey, as well as playing in her band, Zapho was awarded First Music Contact recording stimulus and the Arts Council Agility Award in 2021 in order to pursue releasing her debut album. This artist is about to embark on a truly exciting time, sharing this body of work that has been compiled of coming-of-age experiences and heralding the establishment of her own voice and identity.

‘Peoples’ invites the listener into Zapho’s alt-pop world, indulging in fantasy and creating a soundscape for that voice in your head that asks the hard questions. This anthemic single is all about putting yourself out there, finding out who you are and the type of people you’re drawn to. Recruiting those you relate to – once you find your people – you start to discover who you really are.

What Zapho has to say about the single:

“Genre wise my music and style is a mixed bag, but so am I, that’s the Zapho sound. I wanted to make something that felt honest to me, I’m a lover of all types of music – it’s about striking that unique balance! ‘Peoples’ is very much so a reflection of my younger self, searching for the types of people that excited me, spiritually, romantically, platonically, creatively.”

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Cork-based four piece The Drive. originally formed in 2018. Signing to Egg Twelve Records in late 2019, The Drive.’s indie rock/shoegaze sound quickly turned heads, selling out their first headline tour. The band’s unique melting pot of genres caught quickly with the ears of Spotify Editors, international radio, and national press.

‘SNFC’ was written by frontman Eoin Murphy and guitarist Konrad Radzki whilst polishing off the band’s 2020 EP ‘Easy Now’. With smitherings of Radiohead, Inhaler, and Acid Ghost to the ear, ‘SNFC’ shows clear creative maturing from material previously released by the band.

When asked about the track, frontman Eoin Murphy stated that the song “means an abundance to us as a band. It’s really about questioning your own loyalty to others, and trying your best to put yourself first… Life goes on, and you can spend that time trying to be a better person for someone else, but is that what you really want?”

‘I could be a better man, is this what you want?’

‘I won’t ever fade, I won’t ever change myself for you. And all I know is you, but I won’t ever change myself for you. Not you.’

The first track featuring the bands new lineup with drummer Alex Redmond Galligan and bassist Alannah Hynes, ‘SNFC’ is a song that embodies The Drive. as a collective.

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Dublin-based indie pop artist Cat Dowling will release ‘All That I Can Do’ on Feb 11th, the fourth single to be taken from  her recently released album ‘Animals’  via Forever In Financial Arrears Records (FIFA Records).

‘All That I Can Do’, while a dance song, is also an intimate declaration of love. “All that I can do is give you my love” the songs opening line captures the meaning of this song. “Love is the greatest we can offer anyone and that includes ourselves”.

Cat has also announced a very special show at Whelan’s main room Dublin on Thurs the 3rd of Feb, special guests on the night will be FIFA label mates ‘One Morning in August’. Tickets on sale now and are available here.

‘Animals’ the 11-track long-player was produced by Gerry Horan with Dowling as co-producer, and mixed by Ger Mcdonnell (The Cure, U2, Van Morrison, Martha Wainwright, Shane McGowan, Sinead O’Connor), This album was partially recorded at Crossroads Studio in her native Kilkenny with support from Ireland’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.

Lauded as one of the most wonderful and evocative vocalists in Irish contemporary music, Dowling’s beautifully dark pop songs and husky, achingly intimate vocals will grip you from the outset. The former Babelfish and Alphastates frontwoman creates well-crafted songs that inspire.

“I wrote Animals during a busy period of my life when to find those rare moments to write music meant I had to be a thief elsewhere. But it was these stolen moments that gave me oxygen and a beautiful almost supernatural energy,” says Cat Dowling.

Earlier, Dowling released the singles ‘Freedom’, a lush slice of soulful pop perfection with video by Alba Lahoz, featuring her three free-spirited children doing their thing on the beach. The video for the preceding single, ‘Trouble’, was created by BAFTA award-winning director Fergal Costello, recalling a dark, comedic and violent tale set outside of 1981 Belfast.

In 2013, Dowling debuted with ‘The Believer’ LP, ranked in numerous ‘Best of Year’ music polls, including The Sunday Times. The title track featured in the second series of ‘Banshee’, produced by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under, American Beauty, True Blood) and the ‘Witches of East End’ TV series, featuring Julia Ormond. The song ‘Somebody Else’ was also used in ‘My name is Emily’. Cat has also lent vocals on many collaborative projects, including for ABC’s ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ with Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis.

FIFA Records is a steadily expanding label, who have continuously worked with exciting new Irish talent (Fight Like Apes, One Morning in August, Klubber Lang, First Class & Coach, Dae Kim, Lorraine Nash), as well as releasing material from more established names on the Irish indie scene, such as The Frank & Walters, Emperor of Ice Cream, August Wells, Power of Dreams and Whipping Boy.

The singles ‘Freedom’, ‘Trouble’ and ‘Animals’ are currently available everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

As of January 28th, ‘Animals’ LP will be released on all streaming platforms.