Author: Breffni Banks

Afro-Irish singer Tolü Makay has shared an official music video for ‘Aye’, produced and shot in Nigeria by Passenger Films HQ, the video brings Makay’s latest single to life and underlines the connection with her Nigerian heritage and her love for music since childhood.

“’Aye’ means life in Yoruba. A lot of what makes us who we are comes from our childhood. I want this song to celebrate life and the child we forget we were. We are who we are because of that child. I added my oriki which my grandmother blessed me with. Oriki is a Yoruba ‘attributive epithet’ you’re given. Who you are called forth to be. I hope this song brings joy and awakens your inner child.” – Tolü Makay

‘Aye’ is an African pop, dance, world themed summer track inspired by Tolü Makay‘s Yoruba heritage with traditional Nigerian percussions such as Conga and the Talking drum. On release, was added to high-profile Spotify playlists ‘New Music Friday playlist’ and ‘A Breath of Fresh Éire’.

Tolü was due to travel to Nigeria to create this song and reunite with her family who she hasn’t seen throughout the pandemic, but due to ongoing restrictions it wasn’t possible. Tolü teamed up with some producer friends, Passenger Friends HQ, from Nigeria to gather some kids and created a mini choir.

“I was on the phone for 6 hours working remotely with the kids as well as the Nigerian percussionist we hired for the day (an absolute legend), he played the shakers, conga, talking drum. It was intense and I really wish I was there in person, yet despite the current travel bans, we still managed to create this magical track.” 

A seasoned vocalist possessing classic soul influences from the likes of Erykah Badu, Nina Simone and the Nigerian/French singer/songwriter Asa, Tolü’s trajectory has seemed destined for the stars since the release of her debut single ‘Goodbye’ in 2018.

‘Aye’ is the new single from the exhilarating afro-Irish singer Tolü Makay which follows the huge success of the debut EP ‘Being’, and subsequently her viral version of the classic The Saw Doctors song ‘N17’ accompanied by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

‘Aye’ is the second song to be shared from Tolü’s debut album, coming early 2022.

‘Aye’ by Tolü Makay is out now on all digital platforms: https://found.ee/AyeToluMakay

Upcoming live shows:

Friday 3^rd Sept, 9pm – Other Voices Live Streamed Show @ Galway International Arts Festival
( https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/other-voices )

2021 Ireland Tour – The Tolü Makay Experience
12/11 – Grand Social, Dublin
14/11 – Grand Social, Dublin
16/11 – Grand Social, Dublin
17/11 – Cyprus Ave, Cork
21/11 – Roisin Dubh, Galway
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ie/tolu-makay-tickets/artist/5317656

2022 Tour
Jan 27th – Mar 13th: USA tour with ‘Ireland in Music’
(Tolü Makay, Hothouse Flowers, Enda Gallery, Strange Boy)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tolu_makay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ToluMakay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tolumakay

Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2Puk1SP

Apple Music: http://apple.co/3sHdIcL

YouTube Music: http://bit.ly/3qe7Upr

‘The Emigrants’ Blues’ is the new single from veteran singer-songwriter Tommy Keyes, officially releasing on 26 August but available for immediate airplay.  It’s the third single from the forthcoming album ‘Radio Days’ – the first two singles, ‘Any Other World’ and ‘Radio Days’ both made no 1 in the iTunes singer-songwriter charts and got hundreds of radio plays.

‘The Emigrants’ Blues’ has a strong folk influence in both style and subject matter.  According to Jackie Hayden of Hot Press, “the banjofied, folksy ‘The Emigrants’ Blues’ evokes the gutsy honesty of Luke Kelly and the harmonica adds a touch of St Bob.”

The song evokes the hard lives of the Irishmen who worked on construction sites throughout the world in the 20^th century, their “days filled with sweat and nights filled with booze”.

Its waltz-like rhythm and memorable chorus make this an ideal song for radio play.

SoFFT Nights are delighted to announce Poz Vibe Podcast, Drag and Draw and Laughter Yoga as well as comedian and MC Shane Byrne to their already stellar lineup in Dunderry Park for 3rd and 4th September 2021.

Featuring the weekend of 3rd and 4th September are Drag and Draw, led by facilitator and artist Ailbhe O’Connor. The classes are essentially life drawing sessions with drag performers as models, so it is half art class and half drag show! The model for the session will be the incomparable Marian Mary the 6th.

The lesson plan is designed to be accessible for all levels of skill so the sessions are very beginner friendly. It will also give experienced artists the chance to draw a very different kind of model. There’ll be lip-syncs, fast-paced drawing exercises and some optional audience interaction. Drag & Draw is organised and run by Adrian Colwell.

Laughter Yoga is also added to the bill. It combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing without humour, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a physical exercise while maintaining eye contact with others in the group and promoting playfulness. This soon leads to real and contagious laughter. Laughter Yoga is a great antidote to stress and a wonderful bonding exercise. It helps to rewire the brain, re-energize and release negative thoughts and emotions. For more see here.

Your MC for the festival will be writer, actor, MC and award winning stand-up comedian, Shane Daniel Byrne. After a decade working as an actor and theatre maker he tried his hand at stand-up and hasn’t looked back since. He has performed at clubs all over Dublin as well as major festivals including Vodafone Comedy Festival, The Cat Laughs and Love Sensation. At Cat Laughs 2019 he was named ‘The Rockies Champion’. In the same year he took second place in the prestigious and world famous ‘So You Think You’re Funny’ competition at The Gilded Balloon at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has gained a following of nearly 30,000 people on Instagram with his sketches being viewed over a million times in 2020 alone. He has appeared on RTÉ & Virgin Media TV.

Added to the Saturday, 4th September lineup are special guests Poz Vibe Podcast with Robbie Lawlor and Veda Lady. They will record in front of a live audience in Dunderry Park. The theme of the podcast is ‘HIV & Sexual Wellbeing’. An open and interactive discussion around transmission routes of HIV, the lesbian community’s amazing supportive role throughout the AIDS pandemic, and women & HIV. Expect a quick sexual health quiz, a little song, and perhaps a little boogie!

The full music line-up includes:

Soda Blonde, Maija Sofia and Callistan – 27th & 28th August 2021

Pillow Queens, Roe, Art of Algebra and Dani Larkin – 3rd & 4th September 2021

Taking place on 27th + 28th August 2021 are Drumming Workshops, Restorative yoga with Fat Savasana (Sound bath), Mindful Movement with Sharon Cagney, Shamanic Journeying | Shamanic Journey to your power animal, Children’s Mindfulness Storytelling, Children’s sound baths | Storytelling and mythology and Harmonic Waves: Gong Baths in the woods. The full music lineup is Soda Blonde, Maija Sofia and Callistan.

Photo: Ruth Medjber

Cork based singer/songwriter/producer Fintan McKahey returns with a new single ‘Lost Balloons’ on August 27. The lo-fi acoustic song is emotive and nostalgic, featuring Fintan’s signature smoky vocals and pristine production. A mellow beat is met with layered guitars and ambient sounds. 

In this song, Fintan reflects on how the pressures of modern life can get overwhelming. If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that things aren’t always within our control.

 “‘Lost Balloons’ is an ode to the slow life, a gentle reminder to take a breath and let life unfold at its own pace. Letting go can be the most liberating feeling there is.”

The song was recorded and produced by Fintan in his newly built space, Ivy Hill Studios. Built by Fintan and his team during COVID-19, the studio offers a variety of audio and visual services. 

Fintan McKahey is a low-fi indie singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Cork, Ireland. An active artist since 2016, his 2019 sophomore EP ‘God Games’ received critical acclaim as did his several 2020 singles, achieving national radio play and press acclaim. 

He has performed in major venues across the country, including support slots for the likes of The 4 Of Us, The Scratch, Junior Brother, and Roisin O. Though Fintan loves performing, his true passion lies with creating in the studio. Writing and producing from a young age, Fintan creates music that is spacey, chill, and at times experimental and psychedelic, incorporating influences of bedroom pop and trip-hop. 

Since the onset of COVID, he has been busy building Ivy Hill Studios. He was also named as a Hot Press Magazine “Hot for 2021” artist, performed at the Hot Press Y&E Series, and did some successful ticketed live streams. 

FintanMckahey.com

Listen: Spotify    Apple Music   Youtube

Connect: Instagram    Facebook    Twitter

Kíla frontman Rónán Ó Snodaigh recently released a new solo album ‘Tá Go Maith’, produced by Myles O’Reilly (aka Indistinct Chatter), and today they share a video for the album’s title track.

Filmmaker and musician Myles O’Reilly of Arbutus Yarns says “In the video for ‘Tá Go Maith’ I wanted people to see the Rónán that I know. A dad, a husband, a brother, a friend to many, a hard working musician and most of all one of the most energetic and positive people I know. It’s all there.

I realised that I hadn’t professionally filmed any of our recording process in Shell Cottage because my mind was so focused on making sounds but as it turned out, there was a formidable library of Instagram clips we shot on our phones, which I then transferred on to VHS tape and digitised again to helps that dream like ‘reflecting on a life style of narrative.” 

‘Tá Go Maith’ is the title track of Ó Snodaigh’s latest solo album which has been so warmly received, with The Irish Times describing it as “a generous offering from an artist still searching, still thirsting for deeper meaning amid the confusion of strange times” (4/5 stars), and Hot Press prescribing the record as “ideal for centring one’s mind (9/10)”

Rónán says “I’ve had purely positive responses so far, thank God and his sisters, nobody’s been offended at my interrupting their reverie with my own soundtrack. The feeling is that everyone can listen to this album without having to think…”

Myles adds “I feel more and more from interactions I’ve been having with people who’ve heard the album and paid us compliments, that Ró and I captured a sound which represents a yearning many people have feeling during the pandemic and the various lockdowns. People feel a release, and a freedom, a catharsis. It’s really all I could have hoped for with this album, for it to inspire in such a way. To have healing properties!”

‘Tá Go Maith’ as an album is a perfect companion with which to practice Tai Chi. It has that inner poise, depth, and controlled meditation, as well as sound tracking a gentle spirituality. O’Reilly has a talent for mining lush, organic sounds from synthetic tools, and his Moog leaves only faint traces of its electric imprint on Ó Snodaigh’s mellow acoustic example. A pastoral plain of percussive guitars, zithers, strings, horns, spectral electronics and perfectly timed Bodhrán.

It’s difficult to argue that ‘Tá Go Maith’ is among Ó Snodaigh’s most ‘traditional Irish’ solo albums, but it could easily be your favourite, because its allure is so simple and pure. Rónán’s Gaelic lyrics and satin voice gently rip through the air like a soft breeze. Song after song has a powerful cumulative effect. There’s a total sense of calm, renewal, a journey completed, knowledge refreshed. Normal time resumes, and for the two long-time friends, it’s time to get to work again.

Tá Go Maith (album) by Rónán Ó Snodaigh on Bandcamp:

https://ronanosnodaigh.bandcamp.com/album/t-go-maith

Tá Go Maith (album) by Rónán Ó Snodaigh on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/6uN9xfjJoea7RNmubUK0EE?si=kt2aCqCcSAalqp3G740suQ&dl_branch=1

RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH

https://www.ronanosnodaigh.ie/

Bandcamp – Spotify – Facebook – Twitter / @ronanosnodaigh – Instagram

MYLES O’REILLY

Music Video and Music Documentary Filmmaker @ www.arbutusyarns.net

Musician, Composer and Music Producer @ www.indistinctchatter.site

Youtube – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Bandcamp – Patreon – Twitter

Taken from the debut K3:lu album released last March, ‘Arc Of The Rising Sun’ gets a re-jig courtesy of Irish-born Berlin dwelling DJ Neil Flynn with his ‘Rhythm Re-arrange Mix’. Coinciding with a mini run of K3:lu live shows starting at ‘Love is a Stranger’ presented by Another Love Story Friday 20^th August, Flynn has toughened, tightened and twisted ‘Arc’ into 5 mins 45 seconds of slickly produced heaviness with enough ‘wonk’ to trip you up en-route.

“It’s not every day you get sent a piece of music that completely blows you off your feet but with K3LU’s album I got just that! After many many listens ‘Arc Of The Rising Sun‘ stood out to me as something I would lose my shit too on a club floor & something I could do something cool with for playing out & so my Rhythm Re – Arrange Mix was born. Play it loud & often.” – Neil Flynn

Out last March on vinyl and digital, Kʒːlu the self-titled album and live project of West Cork based musician and composer Patrick Hatchett.

In Hatchett’s words, this solo work, “brings together the sonic flavours, human influences and cultural experiences gathered over my many musical years. Reflective tales from late night afrobeat jams to early Sunday Gospel duties. Exhaustive travel and touring with legendary Jamaican artists, to intimate jazz gigs in a cosy South London pub. The exquisite feeling of solitude and reflection in nature against the energy and kinship of a frenetic dance floor with a stacked sound system… A globally inspired search for a connection and commonality; wild nights dancing, the wild characters amongst us, the innate wildness of my surroundings.”

The project is phonetically named after the curlew, his favourite bird to be seen around the Cork (Ireland) area where he now lives, having moved from London in recent years.

The album includes collaborations with UK Bengali musician Idris Rahman on flute (Soothsayers, Anoushka Shankar, Wildflower, Zoe Rahman), and Irish musicians ​Seán Mac Erlaine​ ​on Bass Clarinet (Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, The Gloaming, Underground Resistance) and Justin Grounds on Violin (​The Vespertine Quintet, Fir Beag).

An established guitarist, remixer and producer, Patrick Hatchett divides his time between composing for screen, producing, and live performance. As a musician he has performed extensively around Europe and the UK including London Jazz Festival, Bestival, Alexandra Palace, O2 Arena, Sunsplash, Womad, Ronnie Scotts, main stages at Glastonbury Festival, Latitude and many more.

His career to date has seen him playing and recording with a broad selection of artists such as reggae legends Jerry Dammers Spacial AKA Orchestra, Johnny Clarke, Cornell Campbell, Dennis Alcapone, Roy Shirley, Little Roy, Soothsayers, Topcats; UK Lovers Rock artists Dennis Bovell, Janet Kay​ and ​Carol Thompson, Peter Hunningale. ​W​est African artists such as ​Dele Sosimi, Baba Adecosee Wallace, Kodjovi Kush; ​UK Jazz artists ​Shabaka Hutchings, Denys Babtist, Zoe Rahman, Julia Biel.​ Longtime member/writer of Y​esking, ​as well as collaborating with Hip Hop artist ​Mystro aka Mysdiggi,​ BBC Radio 2 folk singer of the year ​Rioghnach Connolly, ​Grammy nominated singer songwriter​ ​Ben Onono ​and the ‘60s flamboyant​ ​rocker​ ​Arthur Brown.

In the studio he has written and recorded with producers and artists such as Mark Rae (Rae and Christian) The Nextmen, Brad Baloo, Tim Deluxe​ and longtime production partner​ Rhys ‘Yesking’ Adams wi​th whom he remixed artists such as​ Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday, DJ Vadim, Recloose, Smaak and Kraak ​and more​. 

This eclectic blend of styles, sounds, energy and characters have shaped Patrick’s musical make-up, reflected in both his writing and playing styles.

As a TV and film composer, he is member of SCGI (Screen Composers Guild of Ireland) and is represented and published by (AMP) Avant Music Port in Ireland.

Buy/Stream the album by ‘K3:LU’ (Curlew) now via:

Bandcamp: https://k3lu.bandcamp.com/album/k-lu

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1nKk5J0ujGcXW8XCmAEDxf?si=_5B8fB0-QLCTEaaksosISw

Twitter @hatchettmusic

Instagram @k3lumusic

PRiiCE are the new alt-pop duo you need to know. The Irish pair create music that finesses the line between indie pop and hip hop, a sound that is unconstrained and offers a sense of escapism. Their debut single ‘Sunflower’ saw BBC Radio 1 airplay and support from leading tastemakers such as Notion Magazine. The track was also added to key Spotify editorial playlists including Fresh Finds: Pop and New Music Friday – with a combined audience of 1 million listeners.

New single ‘Sweet Life’ is bright and liberating, brimming with euphoric vibrations. The track is immersed in serene beats and funk inspired synth, and the four to the floor drum groove and bouncy bass line sow the seeds for what’s to come from the duo. PRiiCE blend rhythmic vocals and unforgettable melodic riffs to form well rounded alt-pop songs that feel like chilling out at an after session with your mates. This is feel-good alternative pop at its very best.

‘Sweet Life’ is released on 20 August, the latest taster of PRiiCE’s forthcoming EP which promises to be a moving collage of electro-pop, indie and hip hop. The confines of genre are clearly of little concern to this enigmatic duo. Discussing their new single, PRiiCE said: “The song came about with no real expectations, we had the chorus lyric for a while and thought it was pretty funny and it ended up sticking. We wanted the song to feel playful and light hearted while talking about our worries, fears and privileges.”

Instagram (Sean) // Instagram (Conor) // Spotify

Ireland’s latest alt-rock powerhouse Sakara’s Son, made their debut with the release of the 3-track EP, Hold Your Breath, on Friday 13th of August, which throws back to the golden era of grunge while melodically wrestling with nuances of indie and psych.

Track 1, ‘A Little Unjustified’, starts as a sonic postcard to the era of Britpop, constructed by razor-sharp hooks and choruses that could easily command a mainstage festival crowd.

Track 2, ‘I Waited All Night’, is a pensive alt-rock ballad that exhibits a softer side to Sakara’s Son.

Track 3, ‘Crying Shame’, is a psychedelic ode to the alt-90s that eclipses grunge with sludgy guitars and relatable frustrative vocals that run in the same vein as Chris Cornell’s.

Sakara’s Son said, “Our debut EP, ‘Hold Your Breath’, is a reflection of our current disquiet times. The singles embrace the darkness while providing the listener with a cathartic escape from the 21st-century that so readily imparts frustration.”

Amelia Vandergast said, “Between the vocals that instantly conjure imagery and the bright, crisp melodies that are interrupted with scuzzy increments of rock n roll, there’s an enticingly manic feel to Sakara’s Son’s sound. It never allows you to anticipate the aural curveballs that will ricochet your way next but time after time, you’ll be enamoured with each unpredictable progression.

If Bryan Adams, Velvet Revolver, Billy Bragg and Johnny Marr pulled together to create a medley, I sincerely doubt it would contain as much dynamism as Sakara Son’s debut.”

Sakara’s Son is the brainchild of Northern Ireland-hailing singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Tom Rice. His debut EP under his new moniker, Sakara’s Son, captures his high-energy grungy expression at its most visceral.

With this stunning sophomore EP, Sakara’s Son is one to keep a close eye on.

 Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, SoundCloud

Ian Ashford & The Solidarity Band are to release their third single ‘White Wire’.

The third single ‘White Wire’ from their imminent album ‘Inheritance’ is out since 12th August, 2021. Ashford’s band features Bastien Choukroun, Simon McCourt and Arthur Duburcq. The song is about a white trip wire. The project is a collaboration between Irish and French musicians during the year 2020.

https://ianashford.com

https://www.facebook.com/ianashfordmusic

@ianashfordmusic