Author: Breffni Banks

Following the success of the first single and title track Willowjack release the album ‘Magic Rising’ on August Friday 13th.

‘Magic Rising’ is a celebration of our intrinsic connection to the earth, the forests, the seas, the stars, the mystic. With an intoxicating, genre-bending sound and a typically carnivalesque darkness it is a glorious lament of growth and of time passing.

The album ‘Magic Rising’ contains eleven songs written by Donal Byrne and features his main collaborator, violinist Colin Moore. Recorded and mixed by Alwyn Walker (Westland Studios) and mastered by Darrell Walker, it will be available as a special limited edition physical CD containing 2 added bonus tracks, as well as on all digital platforms.

Vocalist/songwriter Donal Byrne says: “We wanted to keep the magic that the acoustic versions evoked when the songs were first conceived, so we decided to keep the arrangements to a minimum, retaining the pureness of their original incarnation.”

Influenced by rock greats from Prince to Nick Cave, Willowjack began as a chance encounter between Byrne and violinist Colin Moore in a lighthouse on the west coast of Ireland. The songs are generally written on acoustic guitar and developed from there, with the violin adding colour to the natural richness of the vocals. The lyrics are hugely important, drawing on imagery of the sea and the natural world around us, creating an idealism that can be reached through transcendence, magic, and decadence.

Willowjack are Donal Byrne (Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Sequencing) and Colin Moore (Violin)

WILLOWJACK – ‘MAGIC RISING’ THE ALBUM WILL BE RELEASED PHYSICALLY AND DIGITALLY ON FRIDAY 13th  AUGUST

https://www.facebook.com/WillowjackDonalByrneSongs
https://twitter.com/Willowjack7

Folk duo Ye Vagabonds have been planning a very ambitious and novel trip for over a year now, and soon they will take to the inland waterways of Ireland for over a month for their ‘All Boats Rise’ tour.

Brothers Brían and Diarmuid MacGloinn will travel by barge along with filmmaker Myles O’Reilly, and will perform small, informal ‘happenings’ of many different strands throughout the smattering of counties that encompass the River Barrow and the Royal and Grand canals.

This is an exercise in slow touring – rejecting the planes, trains, and automobiles for a slow moving barge, as well as getting to know about the history, folklore, and song of some of Ireland’s lesser heralded gems.

Speaking about the trip, Diarmuid MacGloinn of Ye Vagabonds says “We’re so excited to get out there on this trip. A river tour has been a pipe dream of ours for years but there’s never been a more perfect time for it. Everything outdoors! What was always a bit of a mad idea now seems obvious. It’s hard to imagine returning to normal gigs after the weird hiatus we’ve all experienced so it’s great that we’re returning with some really abnormal gigs instead.

All tours are partly about people we meet along the way but on this tour we’re planning to really involve guests in chats, tunes, collaborations, whatever happens!

Most tours we see the venues and one corner of each town before we jump back into the monotone of motorways. This time it’s really about the journey too and it’s also time-travel. Waterways are the oldest roads and time moves differently when you’re on the water.”

Ye Vagabonds will meet up with friends for performances and recordings along their journey, meeting Laura Quirke, John Francis Flynn, Cormac Begley, FeliSpeaks, Brigid Mae Power, Anja Murray, Manchán Magan, Erin Fornoff, Leo O’Kelly, Thomas McCarthy and more.

Filmmaker Myles O’Reilly will be on board the barge with the brothers, to capture their journey and encounters.

Myles says “Ever since our first video collaboration back in 2014 with Willie O’Winsbury, I’ve had the pleasure of growing as a filmmaker alongside the lads growing as musicians. We have a finely tuned appreciation for and understanding of each other’s art, which has helped us to keep creating more exploratory and ambitious works together. This project picks up from the film ‘Seven Songs On Six Islands’ when we documented a tour of several remote islands off the coast of Ireland. It’s such a natural step forward in our filmic legacy. Moving inland. The music still carried by water. Negotiating ancient veins of Ireland surrounded and immersed in uniquely beautiful and timeless nature.”

The dates and locations for each show will be announced at a later stage. Follow Ye Vagabonds’s journey on their social media pages and Patreon to be the first to hear about these shows:

http://yevagabonds.com​

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/yevagabonds

https://twitter.com/yevagabonds​ / @yevagabonds

https://www.facebook.com/yevagabonds​

https://www.instagram.com/yevagabonds

‘All Boats Rise’ is produced by Ye Vagabonds, Islander and Hibernacle. 

This tour is made possible thanks to support from The Arts Council of Ireland, Waterways Ireland and Carlow County Council Arts Office.

Due to the popular success of his latest release, Marty Mone is set to release another live recording.

‘Yeah It’s You’ is an original song written by Marty, which was originally featured on his first album in 2015.

Marty picked out this song from a full live recording of a gig with his band before the pandemic hit.

Once again Marty loved the magic captured in the live recording, and ‘Yeah It’s You’, released 6th August, was always a very popular song with fans telling a true story about been obsessed over one person, which many people can relate to.

Follow Marty Mone:

Official Site // Spotify // YouTube // Soundcloud // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

Having been forced to close in March 2020 due to the pandemic, DeBarra’s Folk Club Clonakilty are back in business at last, hosting world-class live performances to audiences in their intimate outdoor setting, the beer garden and brand new yard garden.

Over the coming weeks, DeBarra’s will welcome some of the country’s finest musicians, writers, and comedians to perform on their outdoor stage. The line-up features Kulini, Wayward Folk, The Next New Low, Niall Thomas, DeBarra’s Trad Session, Maria Doyle Kennedy, DeBarra’s Spoken Word, Luke Bloom, Anna’s Anchor, Chris Kent, Gearoid Farrelly, Lisa Hannigan, John Spillane, The Vespertine Quartet, Sharon Shannon, Junior Brother, Neil Delamare, Susan O’Neill, Jape, Míde Houlihan, and New Dad, with even more to be announced over the coming weeks.

DeBarra’s are also thrilled to present a world-exclusive collaboration between story and song. Acclaimed West Cork based British writer David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas, Utopia Avenue) will virtually join one of New Zealand’s most cherished singer-songwriters Hollie Fullbrook of Tiny Ruins for a unique and intimate performance.

During lockdown, Fullbrook reimagined prose by Mitchell as songs, while Mitchell reimagined songs by Tiny Ruins as short fiction. If “I Were a Story and You Were a Song” presents their cross-pollenated co-creation: a mosaic of bewitching music and reflective stories. WORD is thrilled to have commissioned this show and to be sharing it with you.

Speaking about the re-opening, Ray Blackwell, manager of DeBarra’s venue says: “DeBarra’s is like a big old mythical creature and she’s been asleep for a while… now she’s waking she needs her belly rubbed and ears scratched regularly.

It’s great to hear music and laughter and applause in her once again, to witness experts in their craft and trade back doing what they do best… It stirs the beast, tends the itch for now, and gives us some hope for tomorrow. Onwards!”

This programme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media. All shows have limited capacity so early booking is advised. Tickets will be made available to DeBarra’s members before going on general sale. Find out more about becoming a member at https://debarra.ie/shop/friend-of-de-barras-annual-membership/

Tickets are available at https://debarra.ie/shows/

Tickets for the world-exclusive viewing of “If I Were a Story and You Were a Song” by David Mitchell and Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins) are available at https://wordchristchurch.co.nz/programme/david-mitchell-tiny-ruins-if-i-were-a-story-and-you-were-a-song/

www.debarra.ie

https://www.facebook.com/DeBarrasClon/

https://twitter.com/DeBarraFolkClub

https://www.instagram.com/debarras_clonakilty

Hot on the track of his most recent release ‘Dangerous’ comes DAY_S’ ‘Fever’. A tale of the flaws of attraction. DAY_S tells us of a breakup where he and the girl knew they weren’t right for each other, yet he just can’t shake his desire for her. Even though he knows she’s not the one, he’s caught her fever…and he kinda likes it too.

Continuing in the vein of DAY_S new direction of punk meets rap world, the track starts out with a melancholic guitar riff building into a choppy grunge driven crushendo as the ‘fever’ hits, and DAY_S laments over a tale many of us know too well.

‘Fever’ officially releases on August, 4th of 2021 ahead of his debut

EP due for release later this year.

Following the success of his single ‘In Two Minds’ Ward returns with a brand new single ‘ChildsPlay’, out now. This is taken from his upcoming EP ‘Strawberry Jam’ due out 20th August 2021.

Signing to Waterford’s independent Egg Twelve Records in early 2020, ‘In Two Minds’ garnered huge support across National, Dublin and Regional radio stations, The track was crowned ‘Track of the Week’ on RTE 2FM and Spin South West. Alongside features in music bloggers and taste makers such as District Magazine, Nialler9’s Irish tracks of the week, Thin Air, Hot Press and Goldenplec.com and many more.

‘Childsplay’ is the first single from Ward’s debut four-track EP ‘Strawberry Jam’, and sets the tone perfectly for what’s to come. The track is a lighthearted soundtrack to summer, with breezy, playful synth lines and a weighted backbeat that drive the song throughout.

The lyrical content addresses the vicious cycle of repeating the same mistakes over and over in a relationship to the point where it becomes comical to both parties involved, where the relationship itself becomes as trivial as childsplay.

‘Strawberry Jam’ is the debut EP from young Irish musician Ward. It is a tribute to summer times, and the relationships built up and broken down within them. The EP features groovy basslines to match heavy drum grooves, contrasted by light and danceable keys, all complemented by dashes of guitar goodness deposited throughout the running time. This instrumentation is used as the canvas for the catchy melodies and punchy lyrics that Ward delivers on each track.

Ward is the alias of Sean Ward, an 18-year-old multi-instrumentalist and producer from Waterford. Only producing music for under 2 years, the ‘one-stop-shop’ artist has progressed rapidly, quickly turning himself into an artist who is regularly churning out radio ready pieces of bedroom pop.

With his coming EP, ‘Strawberry Jam’, Ward is quickly establishing himself as an essential Irish artist and further burrowing his way into the playlists of music fans the world over.

Track-listing of ‘Strawberry Jam’ due for release, 20th August 2021

1. ChildsPlay
2. Out Of Range
3. Barriers
4. Mona Lisa

PapaRua has just announced a new single ‘Wet Street’ which is released today July 30th along with the EP ‘103’. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, PapaRua draws influences from Jamiroquai, Jack Johnson, Charlie Puth, Jason Mraz and Bruno Mars. Not fitting into any one specific genre, the artist fuses Pop sensibilities with the smoothness of RnB Soul and NuFolk creating a sonic hybrid that appeals to the repeat button on the new music out this summer.

PapaRua, also a multi-instrumentalist, is a largely solo affair, featuring a handful of musical collaborators on his new music. Exploring themes ranging from toxic masculinity, friendship, allyship, loneliness, burnout and hope in a vulnerable open fashion.

Make sure you subscribe to PapaRua’s Spotify Page and stay up to date and follow the journey. It is a vast tapestry of tales interwoven into song and music on his EP ‘103’ along with the lead single ‘Wet Street’.

PapaRua has just announced a new Single ‘Wet Street’ which is due to be released on July 30th along with the EP ‘103’. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland. PapaRua draws influences from Jamiroquai, Jack Johnson, Charlie Puth, Jason Mraz and Bruno Mars. Not fitting into any one specific genre, the artist fuses Pop sensibilities with the smoothness of RnB Soul and NuFolk creating a sonic hybrid that appeals to the repeat button on the new music out this Summer.

PapaRua, also a multiinstrumentalist, is a largely solo affair, featuring a handful of musical collaborators on his new music. Exploring themes ranging from toxic masculinity, friendship, allyship, loneliness, burnout and hope in a vulnerable open fashion.

Make sure you subscribe to PapaRua’s Spotify Page and stay up to date and follow the journey. It is a vast tapestry of tales interwoven into song and music on his EP ‘103’ which will be released July 30th along with the lead single ‘Wet Street’.

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

Instagram: @paparuaa

Twitter: @paparuaa

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0yruMO5b0AFOOMNHhc5Fhb?si=ywmrR4QiR_y2haswUQIzIQ

Hometime’s new single, ‘It Beats Alone’, drops on Friday 13^th August across all digital platforms. This sad banger winces at the cowardice of staying in the wrong relationship rather than return to the single life. A tale more common than many like to admit.

Hometime created a buzz with the two previous singles, ‘Gratitude’ and ‘The Sound Of Heartbreak’. Irish radio has been brilliant – loving shout-outs to Jenny Green (Today FM), Pat O’Mahony (RTE Radio 1), Mike Mulvihill (Shannonside), Roddie Cleere (KCLR), Martin Bridgeman (KCLR), Seamie Mac (Ocean FM), Mick Flannery (Dubin City FM), David Moore (Acoustic Yard), David Whelan (Charity Radio). The tracks also enjoyed airplay in the UK, the US, Canada, Switzerland, Israel and Mexico.

Both singles featured on Canada’s gay chart, The Q32 (‘Gratitude’ enjoyed two weeks at No.1 and ‘The Sound Of Heartbreak’ a month at No. 3) and the British LGBTQ Music Chart (both reached No. 6). Ireland’s iconic gay publication GCN published a feature. Gratifyingly, ‘The Sound Of Heartbreak’ featured on two end-of-year lists: Radio Plus (Florida) and David Dee Moore of The Acoustic Yard.

New York dance maestro/label executive Vinny Vero and British pop icon Alison Moyet have both been lavish in their praise. On the strength of ‘Gratitude’, Vinny Vero commissioned a Hometime remix of a track by one of his acts for an imminent big-label album release.

Hometime – Dubliner, Tony Kavanagh – is a versatile pop artist. Working with producer Seán Hurley (ex-DC Tempest) in his Little Bear Studio, the final pieces are slotting together for the album ‘Past Imperfect’, to be released later this year. Tony has stayed busy on the songwriting front for himself and others – including five co-writes on Gavin Murphy’s ’45RPM’ (RTE Radio 1 Album of the Week, June 2020). A collaborative reworking of ‘The Sound Of Heartbreak’ with Irish electronic duo Eden has just been released on a German dance compilation album.