Seconds Away is a 5-part series of musician snapshots from the island of Ireland, recorded live in the National Stadium, Dublin, and presented by Gemma Bradley (BBC NI). The series was produced by Singular Artists and was made possible with support from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media.
ARTISTS FEATURED IN THE SERIES INCLUDE:
A LAZARUS SOUL * A SMYTH * AILBHE REDDY * CHERYM * COLUMBIA MILLS * CONCHÚR WHITE * DANI LARKIN * ERICA CODY * GEMMA DUNLEAVY * JEALOUS OF THE BIRDS * MAIJA SOFIA * MARIA KELLY * MELTS * MODERNLOVE * ODD MORRIS * PASTICHE * REBEKAH FITCH * ROBERT GRACE * SAINT SISTER * SAM WICKENS * SLANEY * SMOOTHBOI EZRA * SOAK * SPRINTS * SUSAN O’ NEILL* TANDEM FELIX *
Kicking off on 1st September, new episodes will be uploaded to Nialler9’s YouTube Channel every Wednesday in September and featured tracks aired on The Alternative with Dan Hegarty on RTÉ 2FM every Wednesday from 10PM.
Episode 1 of Seconds Away will feature A Lazarus Soul, Erica Cody, Gemma Dunleavy, SPRINTS, and Tandem Felix. The series will air on Nialler9 on 1st September at 8 pm on hisYouTube channel. The Alternative with Dan Hegarty on RTÉ 2FMwill also broadcast chosen performances from 10 pm on the same night.
Speaking about Seconds Away, Fin O’ Leary of Singular Artists said: “Seconds Away has been an exciting project to work on for all involved, it’s been amazing to bring together so many incredible artists to perform live again. The National Stadium is a fantastic venue, steeped in history, and really comes to life in the series.”
Following an eight-month hiatus, rising Irish Hip-Hop artist Craig Cooney returns back to centrefold with a highly anticipated collaborative single with producer Chris Kabs titled ‘Careful’, out 27th August. The new single is a hard-hitting, upbeat commercial blend of Hip-Hop and Drill. Combining the best of both worlds Craig and Chris give us a fresh spin on Irish Homegrown Hip Hop, assisted by London Based artist Hxney adds that extra flavour to the track with her amazing vocals and harmonies which blend exceptionally well with Craig’s voice.
On the record Craig raps about his come-up, staying true to himself whilst becoming more and more successful in the scene. “I’ve done it all freestyle, songs and then those laid-back tracks, and I’ll keep going till I get it all and it’s my name on those plaques,” from this line alone Craig tells us there’s still a lot more to be achieved, that he is versatile and can switch up styles at will. It’s rumoured that Craig Cooney and Chris Kabs may have more music on the way as they are in talks about working on an E.P together.
For those who don’t know Craig Conney, he’s a 25 year old songwriter from Kildare. He has been writing and recording music since 2018. He decided to record music professionally when he uploaded a freestyle rap video to Facebook which amassed over 187,000 views worldwide. Since then Craig has performed in the Olympia Theatre alongside Gavin James, Chasing Abbey, Soule, Wild Youth and Wyvern Lingo. Know predominately for his heartfelt lyrics, unique tone and variety of songs in his catalogue. He is described as a universal artist that anybody can listen to. Only recently Craig has been signed to Fluttertone.
The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival returns this September 10th – 19th for its 17th iteration, as organisers attempt to once again electrify the streets and crash the internet of the coastal town with the sweet sound of those six strings.
“We can’t cram like sardines into every nook and cranny of Clonakilty as in previous festivals, so we’ve expanded the length of the event by three days. This way we can continue to honour the depth and diversity of approaches to guitar playing that has been the bedrock of CIGF since our first event back in 2005.” – Festival co-organiser Ray Blackwell.
For 10 days, the festival promises to do what they always do: celebrate the virtuosos, the three-chord heroes, the freak-out noiseniks and the bedroom noodlers. Joined by some of Ireland’s most exciting and innovative independent musicians, the festival will stage outdoor performances, virtual premieres and hybrid gigs (livestreamed with audience).
The programme welcomes John Spillane, John Francis Flynn, Windings, Dani Larkin, Clare Sands, Pretty Happy, Kyle Macaulay & Nicole Ní Dhubhshláine, Red Sun Alert and many, many more; and virtual premieres of work from Eve Clague, Joshua Burnside & Laura Quirke, Lonely and the Moose, Myles O’Reilly.
And a new addition this year is the Guitartown Cinema – a roving outdoor cinema that allows audiences to experience the online festival in a way that recreates the communal atmosphere of pre-pandemic gatherings.
The festival also continue their longstanding association with Culture Night on Friday 17th of September, with some special events “but let’s be serious….every night is culture night here at Guitartown!”
Tickets to the in-person performances will be limited and go on sale at 10am Friday 27th August www.clonguitarfest.com
All of the festival’s events have been prepared in compliance with current health and safety measures.
CIGF is a volunteer-led community group of passionate music fans and can only continue this year thanks to the support of the Arts Council, Cork County Council and committed local sponsors.
The team behind Sea Sessions have announced ‘September Sessions’, a series of 5 intimate concerts set to take place in Bundoran, the home of Sea Sessions next month.
Set on top of a cliff top in the stunning grounds of The Great Northern Hotel, ‘September Sessions’ features a brilliant line up including Gavin James, The Coronas, Lyra, Bell X1, Moncrieff, Royseven, Róisín O, Thumper and much more.
September Sessions will run from 14th September to 19 September 2021, with the intimate covered outdoor concerts having a limited capacity of 200 per show.
September 14: Lyra, Moncrieff, Michael Moloney
September 15: Gavin James, Royseven, Brad Heidi
September 16: Bell X1, Thumper, N.O.A.H.
September 18: The Coronas, Róisín O, Eimear Crehan
September 19: The Coronas, Róisín O, The Zen Arcade
Speaking about September Sessions announcement, Promoter Ray O’Donoghue said: “We are really grateful that we can operate this series of outdoor gigs with the help of the department of arts and culture. The lineup of acts and the setup will be second to none and with a limited capacity of only 200 tickets per show it will sell out fast. All the same it will be great to see some amazing artists and crew back doing what they do best. We can’t wait.”
Tickets are available from Universe.com/septembersessions and start from €159 – €199 for a table of 4 and €229 – €289 for a table of 6, with a limited capacity of only 200 people per concert.
The X Collective has welcomed new members to their roster including Jess Kav (BARQ), Chloë Agnew, Decarteret, UNQ, Cooks But We’re Chefs, Rob DeBoer and Dena Anuk$a, in addition to existing members Shiv, Tolü Makay, Senita (fka Shookrah), Toshín, Gemma Bradley, Zapho, ELKAE, Shy Mascot, Mutant Vinyl, Brenna Carroll + many more.
With music, collaboration and artistic expression at its core, one of Ireland’s newest music initiatives has been going from strength to strength since its launch in May 2020. The collective hosts many talented Irish artists both at home and abroad, and has grown from hosting 70 artists and creatives, to over 100 in the last year.
Oíche Events and The X Collective welcome their newest additions to The X Collective family – including seasoned artists such as Jess Kav, who’s most acclaimed works include backing vocals on the newest Villagers album, and working with fellow Irish artists Hozier and Kodaline, and Chloë Agnew, who has seen much of her success while travelling the world with the music group Celtic Woman.
Alongside these artists, there are some new kids on the block making waves in the Irish music scene this year. From the 9-piece supergroup Cooks But We’re Chefs, Rob De Boer, Dena Anuk$a, UNQ, to the neo-soul vibes of Clare-born singer Decarteret.
Founded by industry pro’s, Emily Shaw (Oíche Events) and Ele Breslin (ZAPHO), The X Collective is a growing community which benefits from a broad spectrum of music industry skills and expertise including recording, songwriting, producing, PR, videography, event management and much more.
The Collective not only platforms some of Ireland’s finest acts, but also enrols creatives across many disciplines, recent new members include music and theatre director Katie O’Halloran, visual and graphic designer Katelyn Jonah, Sam Hardiman from Quarantine FM, marketing pro Nadine Eccles, dancer Ghalia Conroy, and producers Mark Caplice, Alex O’Keeffe, Seán Montgomery, and Liam Geddes.
The first of its kind in Ireland, The X Collective sees community members working together to optimize creativity and achieve combined success. Collaborations within The X Collective allow independent artists to benefit from higher creativity as well as wider exposure, while receiving much needed support behind the scenes from fellow music industry professionals available to share their expertise.
Since launching a year ago, the Collective has performed with Irish Arts Centre NY, US Embassy Ireland, been awarded the FMC Stimulus where they hosted a covid-safe songwriting camp in Kilkenny, played at Galway 2021, The Soul Tree & Popcycle Festival, released collaborative singles including ‘Collide’ from Tolü Makay and Zapho, and ‘WB’ featuring Chloe Agnew, Zapho, Senita, Toshín and Gemma Bradley. They have recently recorded a mass-collaborative album with over 35 contributors due for release 2022.
Island Edge Launch/Heineken Stage – 3rd September
Popcycle and The Soul Tree Festival – 4th/5th September
Pot Duggans, Ennistimon Co. Clare with Bodytonic – 17th September
Guinness Storehouse Residency – dates TBA
Enda Gallery has just released his new single and video, ‘Cowboy Coffee’ taken from his forthcoming EP.
‘Cowboy Coffee’ is a song about stepping into the world of hedonism as an innocent and being guided by someone a lot more experienced to things you never imagined. It’s playful, cheeky. It’s liberation from the fear of exploring that realm. Gallery’s longtime collaborator, friend, and successful German Hip Hop artist Nobodys Face helped finishing the track.
The artwork and music video were created and produced by Chris Schwarz, shot in Kilfenora, Co. Clare where Gallery set up his own recording studio and artist retreat to produce and work with artists such as Tolü Makay, Strange Boy and Mundy.
“I wrote this in 2014 and it just felt like the right time to finish it now. It was made in an Airbnb in Berlin. I was living with my girlfriend at the time, but her parents were very religious so when her father visited, we had to pretend we didn’t live together, so I had to stay at an Airbnb. While there I was working with my longtime collaborator from Canada Derek Ullenboom on the song. There was ground coffee but nothing to make it with, so we made it like the cowboys used to make – simply adding the hot water and letting the coffee settle on the bottom and drinking. That’s where the name came from.”
‘Cowboy Coffee’ is out now via WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD.
Irish music legends The Pale return with a brand-new single entitled ‘Dog For Life’ which is set for release on Friday September 3rd. This will be the first track taken from the band’s first ever best of compilation album entitled ‘Paleanthology’ which will be released on CD and on all Digital platforms on Friday October 22nd and followed by a Limited-edition Vinyl pressing in the near future. The band who recently celebrated their 30-year anniversary in the music industry have compiled a 13-song collection of highlights from their diverse career, while recording new versions of some of their most loved songs especially for this release.
‘Dog For Life’ was recorded and mixed by Ber Quinn (John Grant, The Divine Comedy, The Villagers) at Dublin’s Sonic Studios in early 2021, and is the first new Pale release since 2019’s critically acclaimed album ‘Merciful Hour’
‘Dog For Life’ is about the inescapable contract of DNA. The hereditary traits and tendencies passed on like an eternal black dog. The song is also about the epiphany and great sense of being connected that comes when you realise how many other people are shadowed by the same breed of beast ‘ Matthew Devereux
September will also see the band return to the stage with a handful of shows to promote the release of ‘Dog For Life’ and ‘Paleanthology’ with their first show kicking off in JRB’S in Newbridge on September 11th, followed by shows in Dublin’s Whelan’s and Kavanaghs in Portlaoise on November 25th and 26th respectively. While finishing out the year in Mullingar’s legendary venue The Stables on December 4th.
‘Dog For Life’ will be available to download on the Pale’s Bandcamp page at thepale.bandcamp.com, and available to stream on all digital platforms from September 3rd.
Tour dates
Saturday, September 11th – JRB’S, Newbridge
Thursday, November 25th – Whelans, Dublin
Friday, November 26th – Kavanaghs, Portlaoise
Saturday, December 4th – The Stables, Smiddy’s Bar, Mullingar
Irish pop singer and songwriter Fia Moon returns with the release of her brand new single ‘Simple’, set for release on August 20th. An uptempo, vibrant and colourful track that examines some of the more complicated aspects of life and relationships.
‘Simple’ was co-written and produced with Bill Maybury (Cian Ducrot, Lenii, Robert Grace) and LA based artist, producer and songwriter Austin Ward (Arlissa, G-Easy, Umi) entirely remotely over video calls. Fia says, “Writing over Zoom can definitely be challenging but somehow we all managed to make it work despite us all being across the world – with me in Dublin, Billy in Cork and Austin in the US. I have admired their work for some time so I was excited we could all work together, despite the restrictions.”
The song is Fia’s elegy to the power of perspective. It examines how even in the most complicated of situations, a positive mindset can make all the difference. “I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that two people can be in the same situation but experience it through a completely different lens because of their mindset. This song really is an exploration of that and wishing I was able to switch to a less complicated frame of mind, wishing things would be more simple,” Fia explains of the track’s genesis.
Sonically, ‘Simple’ is uptempo and summery, with the track’s soothing guitar melody, velvety percussion, and Fia’s rich vocal tones creating a sense of passion and determination at the heart of the song. “I really wanted to get across the feelings of how to navigate and not knowing where you stand in the early days of a relationship. The complicated emotions that arise, when one person may be more invested than the other and challenge my thinking to be more black and white. I wanted to turn this frustration into something positive and uplifting. It is also a reminder to not take things too seriously,” Fia says of ‘Simple’ – a feat she has undoubtedly accomplished.
Fia recorded the vocals with David Curley at The Clinic Recording Studios in Dublin and then sent them to LA based Austin who was in Mississippi at the time. Producing the song Austin says, “It’s not every day that a song is born via the internet between Dublin and Mississippi. The silver lining of this very trying time for our planet is that it has expanded the borders of creativity — connecting people around the world in ways uncommon before. Working on ‘Simple’ with Fia, with an ocean between us, was a light amongst the darkness. Her melodic instincts and musical mind paired wonderfully with my own musical perspective and production style, resulting in a track both delicate and cathartic.” The song was then mixed by Ashley Krajewski and mastered by Felix Davis, both based in London.
Fia began 2021 on a high, with news that she was included as one of Hot Press’ Hot For 2021 artists, and her single ‘XX’ was named no.5 in Hot Press’s Top 50 Tracks Of The Year proving once more that her independent and DIY approach to releasing music is paying off. Fia’s releases have received acclaim from the likes of CLASH, The Irish Times, EARMILK, Nialler9, The Official Charts, The Telegraph, The Sunday Business Post and Record Of The Day, to name a few. Her first release ‘better days’ reached No.13 on the Official Irish Homegrown Chart and she has achieved copious radio play in Ireland with the latest figures totalling 25 million impacts resulting in her being the 4th most played independent female Irish act in 2020. Furthermore, she has secured sync placements in popular TV shows Love Island USA, Made In Chelsea and has graced the cover of two Spotify editorial playlists for ‘New Pop UK’ and ‘A Breath of Fresh Eire’ while also passing 1.5 million combined streams.
Fia made her first TV appearance alongside artists Gavin James and Denise Chalia, when she performed as part of RTÉ’s fundraiser for workers in the live music industry ‘Songs From An Empty Room’ as well as collaborating on the two successful Irish Women In Harmony charity singles, both of which went straight to No.1 raising much-needed funds for the charities involved. Fia’s involvement in Irish Women In Harmony has led to a performance on Ireland’s most-watched programme The Late Late Show on RTÉ as well as an appearance on the front cover of Ireland’s premier music magazine HotPress.
With more music on the horizon, Fia Moon’s star is rising and set to hit new heights in 2021.
The Crayon Set is delighted to announce the release of their new album ‘Downer Disco’ out on 24th September.
Dublin-based The Crayon Set specialise in hook-filled, alternative pop. ‘Downer Disco’ is their strongest album to date filled with their trademark expertly crafted pop songs & dual girl/boy vocal interplay – this time with added synth-pop & electronic goodness. It was recorded with producer Stephen Shannon at Experimental Audio in Dublin in 2019.
In advance of the album, The Crayon Set also presents a special rework of the current single ‘Summer Song’ by renowned producer and remixer Gui Boratto. Gui Boratto is a core member of the seminal Kompakt Label and is one of Brazil’s most cherished electronic music producers. His work over the years includes five studio albums, countless EPs, and remixes for the likes of Massive Attack, Pet Shop Boys, and Paul Simon to name a few.
To celebrate the launch of ‘Downer Disco’, The Crayon Set will play their first headline show in over 2 years at The Grand Social, Dublin on 7th October. Tickets are €9 (Students: €7) and are available atwww.ticketmaster.iePlease note it is a limited capacity show and tickets need to be purchased in advance. More live dates are to be announced.
‘Downer Disco’ was recorded with producer Stephen Shannon at Experimental Audio in Dublin in 2019. The release was put on hold due to Covid ’19.
The album is available in limited edition neon-red vinyl which can be pre-ordered atQRates and from The Crayon Setwebsite
The release will be accompanied by a live version of the album filmed at the Theatre Royal in Waterford.
Robert Baker said: “We’re really pleased with the songs and the sound on the album and we can’t wait to release it. The album has a happy-sad dynamic going on – we’re always trying to write & record the perfect pop song but lyrically the songs couldn’t help but reflect the increasingly stressed-out, messed-up world we breathe in every day.
So that’s where the album title came from – the idea of sad bangers, melody with melancholy, downer disco. In terms of the disco thing, it is a bit tongue-in-cheek but we did incorporate more electronic elements and we wanted to get people dancing more.
With the help of our producer Stephen Shannon, we focused more on mood and groove. Our previous album ‘Lost Languages’ was more folk-rock and acoustic, so it was probably a reaction to that.”
Irish 3 Piece, Stolen City, are set to release their energetic, feel good new single ‘I WANT YA’ on Friday September 3rd, 2021.
Following 3 Number 1 singles in 2020 they now wish to display a brighter track that reflects on the excitement of the new relationship high.
Comprised of Sean McGrath, Ian Bailey and David McCabe, Stolen City have been growing massively around Ireland and are continuing to produce Easy Listening Pop Music.
‘I WANT YA’ is a fresh sound from the band, which is the perfect high-energy, feel-good track to uplift listeners & get them singing along.
Written about a one-sided relationship, this single highlights the passion of one person’s love for the other even though all they are doing is pulling away.
Recording this track was such a fun process for the band and that really comes across in the feel and the energy of the track.
The tempo set by drummer Ian is the perfect set up for the powerful vocals from Sean, which play right into the guitar hook from Dave.
Sean says: “We wanted to write a song to get people singing along, this song is one of our favourites to perform live because we can see the crowds dancing and singing along.”
