Author: Breffni Banks

On Monday 19th Of July 2021 (Mallow based) singer songwriter Tracy Connolly will release her second new single entitled ‘When I’m Alone’, signposting things to come as the Mallow based and Cork born singer songwriter works towards her long-awaited debut album.

“This song is a powerful ballad about love and loss and what it means to survive through these feelings alone. I felt when no-one else can carry you you’ve got to carry yourself. Losing my father was the hardest time in my entire life. We both served in the military together and we had an incredible bond. We even shared war stories as he served in Cyprus and the Congo and I had served in Lebanon and Kosovo. We both served in war torn areas. I was very proud of him as he received a distinguished service medal for saving a lot of lives in the Congo 1960. He will be forever my hero. My father was a great teacher and his loss was one of my biggest wounds. I remember the week he passed I came home to a dark empty house and just sat in my kitchen and cried. Then I thought how will I ever get over this and the words and song just flowed out. I had two verses and a chorus. I kept thinking that’s all he ever wanted me to do sing, write and play music. He was forever supporting and guiding me throughout my life.” – Tracy Connolly

In her song the note which rings most true is that which is imbued with a certain trembling, Celtic melancholy. Throughout the song you can feel the presence and sadness of her poetry which she sings with a loss within her soul.

In May 2021 Tracy Connolly released her first single ‘The Bloods’ which went to No1 on Country iTunes chart for three full days. Not bad for her first release. A song that received widespread radio play throughout Ireland, Perth and UK. With support from the likes of radio stations CryFm, Southeast Radio, KCLR, Carlow FM, OZCMR, Press Play UK, Liffey Sound 96.4, Southeast Radio and 9 Radio Broadcasting.

‘When I’m Alone’ was written by Tracy Connolly, who is also the executive music producer to her own music. Pat Barrett is the music producer and bass guitar on the track along with Pat O’Sullivan on piano. The song is available now to request on all digital retail providers by iTunes.

Dublin-based The Crayon Set specialise in hook-filled, alternative pop. Their 3rd album ‘Downer Disco’ is due for release on 24th September ’21. It 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.

On 16th July the band will release two songs as a free taster from the album.

In keeping with their crayon-colour philosophy, you get to choose your favourite release: the synth-pop sunshine-bliss of ‘Summer Song’ or the indie-rock swagger of ‘Rock Star // Dream Girl’. Take your pick! Choosing both is also a valid option!

Speaking about ‘Summer Song’ the band said: “The song was meant to be a sort of bittersweet ode to bygone youth before proper jobs and responsibilities, when Summers were an endless parade of parties and festivals, meeting people and dancing all night, and everything seemed to mean the world in the moment but forgotten the next day, a throwaway song for a throwaway time…

‘Rock Star // Dream Girl’ file under ‘celebrity pop’! The song looks at the world of celebrity culture and fame-hunting. It’s nothing too serious – just a bit of harmless fun. The lyrics were appropriated from real quotes from minor celebs, so we may need a good – but cheap – legal team. It’s good fun to play live – we get to rock out a bit and to ironically fail at some rockstar posturing”.

The Crayon Set are delighted to release their new album ‘Downer Disco’ on 24th September 2021. It is available in neon-red vinyl which can be pre-ordered at https://qrates.com/projects/23780-downer-disco

Founder / main songwriter Robert Baker on the album “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 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. Our previous album ‘Lost Languages’ was more folk-rock and acoustic, so it was probably a reaction to that.”

Following up his beautifully rich collaboration with Anna Pancaldi, ‘Bend’, in February this year, fast-rising Irish artist Curtis Walsh is back once again to unveil his next soaring offering ‘Picture Perfect’, ouy 16th July.

Continuing his pursuit of rich and vibrant pop soundscapes, ‘Picture Perfect’ shows the artist in a more euphoric and rejuvenated spirit. Channeling a broad and spellbinding production, not to mention an instantly memorable hook, his newest effort sees him take his captivating aesthetic to the next level throughout.

Speaking about the new release, he said, “I remember the first summer in lockdown when everyone was unsure about how long it would be until we were able to leave and travel again. I had plans with my mates to go away on a holiday but it all came to a halt along with the rest of the world. Then I was just sitting in my bedroom one day and the sun was beaming through my window while I just had to stay put. It was extremely frustrating, a frustration that I’m sure most of the world felt at one point or other during this time. So I sat down and made a track about how all this lockdown has made me want to do is go out on holiday and just enjoy my life for as long as I can, and with the people I care about around me! I wrote this song with an optimistic outlook and summery vibe.”

Curtis Walsh will also be heading out on the road for a number of headline shows across Ireland later this year, as well as a performance at Hit The North Festival in the UK in October. Full details and dates can be found below.

Since his early childhood, Curtis Walsh has been immersed in music. Growing up in the suburbs of Dublin, artists such as U2, Oasis, and Adele became the soundtrack to his earliest years, slowly impacting the way in which he would grow to love and appreciate music. But it wasn’t until his discovery of Ed Sheeran that his inspiration was truly awakened and he began to write music for himself.

After finishing school, Curtis was more than ready to hurl himself into the music industry, releasing his debut single ‘Full Recovery’ just one month later. The track itself reflected the world in which he had grown up. Written when he was fifteen about one of his close friends, it became an emotionally wrought offering that earned him more than one million streams on Spotify in the first week, and praise from the likes of Clash Magazine amongst others. From there, he released his debut EP ‘Breathe’ in May 2019, which has now garnered more than 15 million streams to date.

Throughout the COVID pandemic, Curtis decided to take the opportunity to to focus more on his own style and sound. Swapping personal stories for more existential questions about life and its meanings, he felt that lockdown served as a positive opportunity for self-reflection and a chance for him to explore new ideas and avenues. Increasingly drawing creative inspiration from a genre-wide array of artists such as Bon Iver to Jon Hopkins, Curtis continues to expand and mature his approach to song-writing and production which is evident in the new single ‘Picture Perfect’ and in his upcoming material lined up for the remainder for 2021.

And while the lockdowns have shifted his focus on the artist he wants to be, his drive and ambition remains relentlessly unchanged. Curtis Walsh is looking to become even more adventurous and prolific in the coming years, with a more reassured feel as to who he is and wants to be as an artist.

Pre-save: https://found.ee/curtiswalsh_pictureperfect

23rd October: Hit The North Festival (Newcastle) Full Info
12th November: Limerick (Dolans)
13th November: Cork (Winthrop Avenue)
20th November: Dublin (The Sound House)

Tickets for the November shows are €12.75 including booking fees and are on general sale from www.ticketmaster.ie + www.mcd.ie

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Due to demand, Inhaler have announced a second intimate album show at Dublin’s The Workman’s Club on Saturday 11^th December. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 14^th July and will be available to buy here: http://gigst.rs/InhalerWMCDublin

The Dublin quartet released their debut album ‘It Wont Always Be Like This’ last week and look to be on course to secure a #1 album in both the UK and Ireland. In a post on social media, the band are urging their fans to help them secure the No. 1 spot by ordering a CD, Casette, vinyl, download or stream of the album ahead of the final chart position announce on Friday AM.

“An Irish band hasn’t had a number one on their debut album in the UK for over 13 years….

For anyone that hasn’t got it yet and you’d like to help us get to number one you can order a CD, cassette, vinyl, download it, stream it, get it on iTunes or at your local record shop.

You have until Thursday to make this count.

It would mean the world to us and hopefully inspire other bands like us.”

The Irish quartet are one of the most exciting bands to emerge over the past few years and ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ lives up to their thrilling potential. Singer and guitarist Eli Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon have made a record that captures their evolution from exciting upstarts to refined songsmiths. It takes in a dazzling array of sonic textures, where huge, hooky choruses perfectly meld with intricate, dynamic instrumentation.

Recorded with long-term collaborator and producer Antony Genn at London’s Narcissus Studios, it’s a coming-of-age record about losing yourself and finding yourself again, trying to make sense of the world when the world doesn’t make much sense. It charts a path of sonic exploration, from the sweeping urgency of the title track and ‘My Honest Face’ to the lush synth-pop of ‘Slide Out The Window’ to the lithe, space-y grooves of ‘A Night On The Floor’. It is a debut of depth and colour.

Emerging producer Odd Numbers releases his first full-length project in the form of collaborative Hip-Hop album, ‘The Golden Éire Tapes Vol. 1′. 

While the majority of the country’s music scene has been in suspension over the past year and a half, the pandemic has undoubtedly been the busiest and most fruitful period of Odd Numbers’ growing career as a producer. Following the success of his first three releases this year, the Dublin-based beatmaker finally delivers on his long-awaited debut album; a project which taps into the booming Irish Hip-Hop scene and some of its numerous contributors. 

‘The Golden Éire Tapes Vol. 1’ blurs the line between album, mixtape, and playlist; presenting a diverse range of sound that spans the chronology of Hip-Hop and its subgenres. The project features an eclectic mix of some of Ireland’s most prominent artists and some more underground acts, wholly produced by Odd Numbers. 

“The title speaks to the ever-growing movement and progression of the culture. The golden era of Hip-Hop refers to a period when the genre was at its prime. The sound was unique and experimental, the subject matter was authentic, and the commercial viability of the genre was becoming more prevalent. The last few years has seen Ireland enter into a similar period.” 

The producer drew influence from several artists and producers during the album’s inception including the likes of Mac Miller, Decap, Kenny Beats, The Cxdy, and STLNDRMS. The result is a 32-minute project which spans the Hip-Hop spectrum, ranging from jazz-infused lofi beats to glitchy trap stompers. Artists featured within the album include: Emmet O’Brien, Muttonhead and Local Boy, RÓGAN and ØMEGA, Citizen Black, Róg Poets, Sea High, Ritewell and Daly, Jeorge II, The Ballyboyz, Hazey Haze, and Wallfella. 

Such a feature-heavy debut would not have been possible without the support of The Arts Council. Odd Numbers recalls taking a chance on funding when the lockdown initially hit last March;  

“Funding was so far beyond my realm of expectations. I’d seen the grant advertised and figured I’d give it a shot but I had no real hope of being accepted for it. It fills me with pride knowing that they saw promise in a collection of underground rap tunes. I think that itself speaks volumes for the progression of the scene.” 

This release marks the first in what will hopefully be a series of collaborative albums created to promote community and collaboration within Irish Hip-Hop. 

Odd Numbers is a Dublin-based music producer and beatmaker whose productions lie in a multitude of Hip-Hop’s subgenres, from old-school to contemporary. 

In the rapidly emerging world of Irish Hip-Hop, Odd Numbers is bringing a divided community together. By exploring and collaborating with the various pockets of talent across the country, he continues to fine-tune his skills as a producer while also promoting cohesion and community within the scene. Having featured in the likes of Hot Press Magazine, The Word Is Bond, and EARMILK, he is quickly building a high standing as a producer and artist in Ireland. 

Odd Numbers is a co-manager of Off-Key Collective, an Irish Hip-Hop movement consisting of rappers, producers, poets, and musicians with a passion for creating original music, pushing boundaries, and furthering the culture.  

With the release of his debut album ‘The Golden Éire Tapes Vol. 1’ in 2021, he is set on a path to becoming a prominent figure in Ireland’s Hip-Hop scene. 

www.oddnumbersmusic.com 

www.instagram.com/odd_numbers_ 

www.facebook.com/oddnumbersmusic 

www.youtube.com/channel/UC3RPgDt_aQZIIVXnVu1sTtg 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/32JiqL3jyFqx0K8osNYKU6?si=wc8821UFRgSgLmRAHnkEFw 

SomeRiseSomeFall is an independent community of songwriters, musicians, and creatives. The ever-evolving collective brings together artists and vocalists all with the aim to interpret & reimagine songs for unique new recordings. Their most recent album ‘No Simple Highway’ released in February 2021 was an album of the week on a number of radio stations and was released to unanimously positive reviews. They hope to perform the album to live audiences later in the year.

The 3-track EP ‘Merrengal’ due out on July 16th and features multi-instrumentalist Martin Leahy whose recent releases ‘The Wolves In The Valle’ and ‘Song For Kirsty MacColl’ have received heavy airplay.

Alongside ‘No Simple Highway’, SomeRiseSomeFall’s album on loss, grief and enduring love, SomeRiseSomeFall recorded this eclectic mix of 3 songs featuring co-founder Martin Leahy. The songs range from beat-heavy pysch-folk to country to traditional folk: in other words from the genre of music all the way across the musical spectrum to the genre of music. Music and art are natural connections and so genres are only unnatural divisions.

‘No Simple Highway’ and its predecessor ‘Some Climb’ examine the high and low tides of life while this release charts the less extreme points, the neap tides, where beauty and inspiration can still be found.

Inspired by two sketches by renowned artist Bridget Flannery “Neap Tide XXV” and “Neap Tide XXVI” The songs within the collection, although superficially unconnected, gather various threads of music that SomeRiseSomeFall project director Michael Fitzgerald picked up like neglected flotsam in small cove from the ocean of music and celebrate beauty, connection and friendship as each song and its history have connections for the seven people involved in its creation Martin Leahy, Bridget Flannery, Allie Glynn, Harry Moore, Kelly Justin, Áine Reddy and Michael Fitzgerald.

As ever with SomeRiseSomeFall’s released the mantra is “create and share beauty” but, as with all releases by FITZZ Records, 100% of all sales goes to support a charity making connections in the community. All proceeds from ‘Merrengal’ go the movement/registered charity A Lust For Life which is working to facilitate young people to empower their future mental wellbeing.

Shine on. Be Kind. Be of Service. Show compassion.

https://somerisesomefall.com

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‘Because Of You’ is the latest single from Galway based Brad Heidi, who’s debut EP went No.2 on the official Irish independent album charts earlier this year. His single ‘Lover’ was added to New Music Friday and two other official playlists on Spotify, and all four of his singles went No.1 on iTunes and has been supported across all Irish stations.

Now signed with Collective Mgmt, Brad’s first Irish tour will be announced by MCD in the coming weeks.

June 9th sees the second offering from 1000 Beasts’ debut album, ‘NYCBB’ is a sexy neo-soul inspired sound, with French jazz vocalist and songwriter Célia Tiab (Soft Boy Records) arriving as his collaborator.

1000 Beasts is the alias of Cian Sweeney, an Irish producer/artist who collaborates with different artists on every track (they are the “beasts” behind the name) to make soulful, indiepop & hip hop inspired tracks. His production work has seen him garner over 15,000,000 streams on Spotify for collaborators songs and his own artist project, and he’s a platinum selling producer thanks to his work on the 2020 hit song ‘Fake Fine’ by Robert Grace.

His debut EP ‘On A Different Page’ was released in July 2020 through Unity Group (Paris) followed by the runaway success of his remixes for Elaine Malone (‘You’) and Joshua Burnside (‘Noa Mercier’).

‘For You & I’ was his most recent release, in collaboration with rising Irish artist Alex Tierney, and achieved playlisting on 10 Spotify editorials on release.

1000 Beasts sits at nearly 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

2021 will see 1000 Beasts release his debut album through Jawdropper Records who are backed by worldwide digital distribution via the Universal Music owned InGrooves.

Célia Tiab is a name you may recognise if you’ve been keeping a close eye on the Soft Boy Records crew releases and collaborators over the last few years. The 20 year old Jazz singer and songwriter hails from a small town in the south of France, and has been noted for her work with producer Brién, Gaptoof and Kojaque.

The Belfast based artist co-wrote Kojaques ‘Casio’ feat Maverick Sabre and co-stars in the last release from the album ‘Sex N’ Drugs’ which landed on Spotify NMF 4 days ago, from his anticipated debut album ‘Towns Dead’.

A long time collaborator, Tiabs vocal also appears on Kojaques 2020 single ‘Coming Up’.

Currently developing her own project with producer Brién, Célia Tiab sites Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo and India Arie as influences on her musical journey, which began at a very young age with her learning to play.

‘NYCBB’ is a sexy neo-soul inspired sound, with French jazz vocalist and songwriter Célia Tiab (Soft Boy Records) arriving as his collaborator.

An instant earworm that shows the range of styles that 1000 Beasts can lean into with his ever evolving output of music. The second offering from the highly anticipated debut album due out later this year.

Accompanying the track is a lyric video with artwork by Simon Curran.

“I first heard of Célia through her collaboration with Brién on ‘Can I Lie With U’ which was so beautiful. I was a fan from that moment, I reached out to her with a few tracks at the start of the lockdown last year and she vibed with ‘NYCBB’, I think she sent some vocals back to me the next day and that was pretty much the whole track finished, they were that good.

This is probably the most neosoul or soultronic track on the record but I really wanted to experiment with the genre and the different contrasting sounds of soul with electronic elements like the cwo filter on my OP1 to make some weird textures.” 1000 Beasts

“It was really interesting working on this tune. For the first time, I was not identifying the track with my own music, and therefore I really had a lot of fun, without thinking of making it emotional or complicated. The lyrics and the melody you’re hearing were my first drafts, and I’m glad Cian was happy with it, because they depict the carefree state of mind I was in when I was working on it. It sounds just like the synthesis of collaborating with someone I’ve never seen before, and getting out of my comfort zone in terms of songwriting and delivery. Such a fun experience!” Célia Tiab

1000 Beasts

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Célia Tiab

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Inhaler release their highly-anticipated debut album ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ today, July 9^th through Polydor. The Irish quartet are one of the most exciting bands to emerge over the past few years and ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ lives up to their thrilling potential. Singer and guitarist Eli Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon have made a record that captures their evolution from exciting upstarts to refined songsmiths. It takes in a dazzling array of sonic textures, where huge, hooky choruses perfectly meld with intricate, dynamic instrumentation.

A Covid-enforced delay encouraged the four-piece to find new levels as a band, opening up both their sound and their lyrical themes. Songs about meeting girls turned into reflections on society and how to get through tough periods. “We started writing this when we were teenagers and now we’re adults,” says Keating. “I wanted the songs to feel positive,” adds Hewson. “Because… it won’t always be like this.”

The album shares its title with one of the group’s early singles – a storming, exhilarating singalong of the sort that has become their calling card. But its meaning has changed for the band over the past year, becoming something more hopeful in uncertain times. “There’s a sense of optimism on this album and the song ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ is the main catalyst for that,” says Hewson. “We kept coming back to that title.”

Recorded with long-term collaborator and producer Antony Genn at London’s Narcissus Studios, it’s a coming-of-age record about losing yourself and finding yourself again, trying to make sense of the world when the world doesn’t make much sense. It charts a path of sonic exploration, from the sweeping urgency of the title track and ‘My Honest Face’ to the lush synth-pop of ‘Slide Out The Window’ to the lithe, space-y grooves of ‘A Night On The Floor’. It is a debut of depth and colour.

Inhaler have made all their early promise count. ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ is a triumph.

Inhaler will play an 18-date tour of the UK & Ireland later this year. Full run of dates is listed below:

September/October 2021

Tues 28th Sept Sheffield Octagon

Weds 29th Sept Leeds 02 Academy

Fri 1st Oct Newcastle 02 Academy

Sat 2nd Oct Birmingham 02 Institute 1

Sun 3rd Oct Bristol 02 Academy 1

Tues 5th Oct Nottingham Rock City

Wed 6th Oct London 02 Forum Kentish Town

Thu 7th Oct Norwich The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA

Sat 9th Oct Liverpool Uni, The Mountford Hall

Sun 10th Oct Glasgow Barrowland

Tues 12th Oct Manchester 02 Ritz

December 2021

**Sat 11^th Dec – Dublin, The Workmans Club**

Tue 14 Dec – Belfast, Limelight 1

Wed 15 Dec – Limerick, Dolan’s Warehouse

Thu 16 Dec – Cork, Cyprus Avenue

Fri 17 Dec – Killarney, INEC Acoustic Club

Sun 19 Dec – Dublin, Academy  

Mon 20 Dec – Dublin, Academy

Tue 21 Dec – Dublin, Academy

Wed 22 Dec – Dublin, Academy

Irish superstar Shane Codd follows up his global smash ‘Get Out My Head’ with new single ‘Always On My Mind’ released today!

Channeling his staple vocal-laced, piano-driven energy that made his debut offering so special, ‘Always On My Mind’ is the work of a young producer with talent far beyond his years.

A certified hit, Shane’s debut single, ‘Get Out My Head’, has amassed over 125 million global streams to date. In Ireland, the track peaked at #2 in the Irish Homegrown Singles Chart and #6 in the overall Irish Singles Chart and is now certified triple Platinum. It hit #1 on Shazam Ireland and #4 in the Irish Airplay Charts and is currently the most played headline single by an Irish Artist on Irish radio this year.

In the UK, the single broke the UK Official Chart Top 10 and hit #2 on Shazam UK. It was heavily supported by an array of tastemakers including Capital FM selector’s Coco Cole and Mistajam, KISS FM’s Charlie Tee and BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills not to mention a feature play on the first episode of the current season of Love Island.

Heavily influenced by the 90s and early-2000s dance sound, Shane Codd’s first big break came when he became a finalist at the 2018 ‘Breakout Producer’ competition held by famous Irish DJ Mark McCabe. Fast forward to 2020, Shane decided to upload a track he’d been working on during lockdown, called ‘Get Out My Head’, to his Soundcloud, which quickly went viral and ended up securing him a record deal with the UK’s renowned Polydor Records.

A second infectious dance-pop single in quick succession, ‘Always On My Mind’ shows that Shane Codd continues to build his reputation as the UK and Ireland’s most exciting artist in dance music.

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