Author: Breffni Banks

‘The Time We Share’ is the new summer single from Hank Wedel. This will be released and available on Bandcamp from Friday, June 4^th and eventually on all streaming platforms from Monday, June 21^st.

Written by Hank Wedel with Brian Carroll and Ronan O’Snodaigh (Kila), this Declan Sinnott production features the backing vocals of Mary Greene and Ellie Shine plus a saxophone from Hank’s long time Dutch musical partner Andre van der Hoff.

This is the second single from Hank Wedel this year and the follow up to ‘Poe Park 2AM’ which received extensive airplay in Ireland, the UK, Europe and North America.

Following on from the release of their debut album ‘Rendez_Vous!’ last November, Charles Boulevard, the trio from Czech Republic and Ireland release ‘Infamous Last Words’ their brand new single this week. The song is based on the events which led to the break up of The Beatles and was inspired by a recent article from Richard Williams of the Guardian. The article shed new light on the split and challenges the official version of events.

Lyricist Dermot Condron explains, “I remember Pavel coming to me with a title ‘Infamous Last Words’ and a chorus. The demo had that heavy repetitive guitar riff, it was ominous suggesting the end of something. I sat down to write some verses with that idea in mind. By coincidence a friend had just given me this article about how The Beatles split came about after they had released Abbey Road in September 1969.”

The article contradicts the idea that Abbey Road was agreed to be their Swan Song and a few weeks after it was recorded it details how the Beatles reconvened to plan their next studio album. Apparently John Lennon was well on board, however a disagreement about the appointment of a new manager led to a rift between McCartney and the others. Paul McCartney described it as “the crack in the liberty bell”.

Dermot add, “The lyrical idea for the song started to develop from this story. Strangely enough Pavel’s guitar riff reminded me of the opening track on Abbey Road ‘Come Together’ but the theme of this song would be more like ‘coming apart’. I wanted to write the lyrics from Paul McCartney’s perspective as he found himself isolated from the others. From the article I felt a degree of sympathy for him as his doubts about the choice of new manager would turn out to be well founded.”

The chorus imagines the Fab Four going for a car ride for the very last time. In hindsight, what would they have said to each other if they had known the four of them would never be in the same room together again? We can only speculate what those last words would have been…

‘Infamous Last Words’ is now available on all digital platforms from this week.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3U0hOtt4iDc41DnRhDEqCr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARpMAe9QlEU

http://www.charlesboulevard.com

German born, Irish based singer-songwriter Sina Theil is among the few chosen artists to be part of the renowned New York based 44th annual East Durham Irish Festival. This year, the American organisers are collaborating with the prestigious Dublin based Irish Music Magazine to put together an extraordinary Transatlantic Virtual Experience, taking place on May 29th and 30th. This is a free event and will be hosted on the Irish Music Magazine Facebook page.

Sina Theil, who recently shared the cover of the magazine with household names Christy Moore and Paul Brady and was awarded “Hottest Act in Irish Country Music” will be performing a special concert with her band on Saturday May 29th at 6PM Irish time/1PM ET.

“I’m very excited to be performing a mixture of songs from my album ‘Reflections of a Celtic Heart’ and new EP ‘Leaving Nancy’ plus a few surprises. It’s an honour to be part of this historical American festival and I would like to thank the Irish Music Magazine and in particular Robert Heuston for the trust.” Sina said.

No doubt this will be a compelling performance and listeners are in for a treat – part of her band are none other than renowned fiddle player Billy Condon (founding member of Ray Lynam and The Hillbillies), Glen Flynn and Tony Corbett.

The festival will be a weekend of great entertainment and we invite you to tune in via www.facebook.com/TRADIMM from Saturday 29th of May at 2PM (Irish time) onwards… Other artists include Sean Keane, The Screaming Orphans, The Young Dubliners, Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones, Meadhbh Walsh, Billow Wood and many more.

In the meanwhile, Sina Theil’s new self-penned single ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ which has already received close to 600 Irish radio plays in a few short months, can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzCaD4qVhQA

For more information on The East Durham Irish Festival and to Donate to the MJ Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Center please visit https://eastdurhamirishfestival.com/

SINA THEIL on social media:
www.facebook.com/sinatheilmusic
www.sinatheilmusic.com
Instagram: @sinatheil
Twitter: @sinatheil

The IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE:
www.facebook.com/TRADIMM
http://www.irishmusicmagazine.com/

Lemonade Marinade release ‘Yes, Love has Found You Here’ on Friday June 4th.

This is their their 5th and final single from their self titled EP which is due for release on Thursday June 17th.

The Irish collective are delighted to add the man of the moment Ger Eaton to their ever evolving line up. Think of Scott Walker and Glen Campbell and you will find somewhere close to where Ger would fit musically and vocally, with his last release ‘Hollow’ still blocking up the airwaves in Ireland. He is a much sought after musician working with such luminaries like the. The Pale, Mundy and Jack Lukeman and post lockdown will surely be a busy time for this talented multi instrumentalist.

Once again all proceeds from the EP will go to a mental health charity, this time it is Mindspace Mayo (a free and confidential support service that promotes young people’s mental health and wellbeing. It’s  aim is to support young people aged 15-25 who are going through a difficult time to ensure they get the support they need).

Following up from the acclaimed songs  ‘Paradise Bay’ ‘Brilliant’, ‘It’s Good To See’ and ‘Venus and Me’ the lockdown band release another soothingly warm piece of musical heaven sang with tenderness and care by Ger and layered with delightful harmonies from the talents of Gillian Tuite, Janet Henry and Cathryn Craig.

All the songs in this project relate lyrically to the chosen charities conveying a message of hope and again the track was written by songwriter and producer David Dee Moore.

The rest of the top notch band consists of Nick Scott (Gilbert O’Sullivan, Mary Black) on double bass, Colin Henry on dobro, Fintan Hanley (Vickers Vimy) on electric guitar and mandolin, Brian McAteer (Phil Coulter,  Alisdair Frazer) on strings and Brian Willoughby (Strawbs, Mary Hopkin) on electric guitar.

Limerick singer/songwriter Fergal Nash releases his new single ‘Walking Tall’ on Friday 4^th June. Produced by rising Cambridgeshire U.K maestro Martin John, Nash describes it as, “the best thing I have ever done.”

The song features catchy crunchy guitar hooks, a steady rhythm, gorgeous verse melodies and a soaring chorus.

“It’s an anthem about following your dream in life, regardless of negative outside opinion, and hopefully a nod to us all coming out of this terrible pandemic period. I think people might catch on to it’s positivity, I certainly hope they will.”

It’s his first release since his 2020 full length album ‘Golden Sky’, “a hopeful, invigorating and positive exploration of future possibilities, wrapped in ear-worm melodies and driving rhythms,” according to The Arc of Music.

The track features an accompanying video featuring professional actors and was assembled and edited by Fergal himself.

You can pre-save ‘Walking Tall’ on Spotify here:

http://smarturl.it/fergalnashwalktall

www.fergalnash.com

Michael Moloney releases the official video for his debut single ‘All That I Do’. The video was shot and recorded in Windmill Lane Recording Studios by Jason Boland (Jay Kodaline) during the recording of his single.

The video captures Michaels experience of his day at Windmill Lane Recording Studios, a gift that was given to him during the Late Late Toy Show last November. It truly represents Michael as a young budding artist, and it portrays everything from the recording process to his experience behind the scenes working with GRAMMY Nominated producer & arranger Gavin Murphy.

The track was written for and inspired by his dad. Drawing on the emotions he felt following his father’s passing, Michael describes how the song came about,

“It was like a lightbulb moment, why don’t I write a song about my dad? This song was different from my other songs, I was writing about a real-life event that happened, and the lyrics embodied how I felt about my dad passing away.”

“I wanted other people to be able to relate to this song, with COVID & the year we’ve had a lot of people are suffering loss. I wanted to let them know it will get better, at the start you think it will never change and that you will always be this sad but it does get better, I wanted people to know that. And that their loved ones are still with them.”

Michael looked to the piano instead of the guitar for inspiration, “All my other songs had been written for the guitar, so I sat down at the piano for a while and came up with this chord progression, the melody and lyrics soon followed.”

This is only the beginning for this bright young talent from Mayo.

“It was never a conscious decision to be a musician it just sort of evolved, but who knows what the future might bring I’m open to everything.”

His debut single ‘All That I Do’ is out now.

INSTAGRAM @mikestagram06

FACEBOOK @MichaelMoloneyMusic

TIKOK @michaelmoloneymusic

SPOTIFY

YOUTUBE

Listen here: https://UMI.lnk.to/MichaelMoloneyFP

Irish singer and songwriter Rhesus Freak is delighted to announce the release of a new single and video on 1 June 2021. ‘Cabin in the Woods: A Band Called Paul Mix’ inspired by horror movies such as Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead will be available on major digital platforms including Spotify and iTunes. The music video launches on YouTube, with a special preview via Zoom on Tuesday 1 June 2021 at 8pm.

The single is a remix of the artist’s first single, released in July 2020. The 2021 version “Cabin in the Woods: A Band Called Paul Mix” is produced, arranged and remixed by Irish musician and producer Paul McDonnell (a.k.a. A Band Called Paul), who also contributed live percussion and additional instrumentation.

The song combines Industrial Folk and Dark Country vibes with ambient electronica.

Rhesus Freak commented: “After a career in art public relations I took up songwriting late in life proving that age is no barrier to learning skills in the music industry. Following three years’ study at BIMM Dublin – and a steep learning curve – the amazing support and encouragement of the tutors there has been instrumental in allowing me to achieve artistic independence. My music is informed by dark stories built around atmospheric lyrics and moody guitar. I compose using a Martin LX1E and then record with an Ibanez RG Series. Lockdown was a huge driver in developing my sound. Building a home studio including a vocal booth and recording setup has allowed creative freedom to record in my own space and then work with a producer on the final mix. I have always loved Mark Ronson’s collaborations with artists like Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse. I was delighted to work with A Band Called Paul on this reimagining of my first release, taking it from country-folk to a more electronic aesthetic.”

A Band Called Paul added: “When I first heard “Cabin in the Woods” I was immediately struck by the quality and craftsmanship of the songwriting by Rhesus Freak. In my head, however, I heard the track being played out in a different style and with different instrumentation to the original – a new texturing that I believed would bring out an interesting musical tension between a sweetness of sound and the darkness of lyrics. I’m delighted that Rhesus Freak was open to letting me pull apart and rebuild the track and I believe the resulting remix is truly special. As a performing artist myself, I also found that wearing the producer’s hat while layering texture and mood to someone else’s core composition was a very liberating and creatively fulfilling process. I’m really looking forward to doing more production work with other artists in the future, including further collaborations with Rhesus Freak.”

Distrokid https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/rhesusfreak/cabin-in-the-woods-a-band-called-paul-mix

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/0QRBXxmPauvz6q3VY6ZUHE

Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/album/cabin-in-the-woods-a-band-called-paul-mix-single/1559595914?uo=4&app=music&at=1001lry3&ct=dashboard

iTunes https://music.apple.com/us/album/cabin-in-the-woods-a-band-called-paul-mix-single/1559595914?uo=4&app=itunes&at=1001lry3&ct=dashboard

YouTube Music https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=bJo4sr8pekk&list=RDAMVMbJo4sr8pekk

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZNXTL5Q/?tag=distrokid06-20

Shazam https://www.shazam.com/track/563162646/cabin-in-the-woods-a-band-called-paul-mix

Exciting new Irish dance duo, ANIM, have today unveiled the brand-new music video for their debut single ‘Count To Ten’, The video, filmed and produced in Melbourne, Australia, follows a young couple through the ups and downs of their relationship. Directed by Rick Clifford and produced by Tom Dunphy and Spilting productions, the video perfectly evokes the upbeat frenzied appeal of the track.

The latest crossover dance smash, ‘Count To Ten’ is a refreshing pop epic which seizes your attention instantly with its distinctive, almost spiritual, combination of melodies, lyrics and vocal. It’s picked up early playlist support on Ireland’s national youth radio station RTÉ 2FM and regional youth station Beat 102103, plus spot play support on Red FM, FM104, Spin 1038 and Spin South West. Internationally, the track has picked up support on Kiss FM and Cool FM in the UK plus plays in New Zealand, Germany, Spain, France and Turkey.

ANIM, (a play on the Irish word for ‘name’), was formed by two stalwarts in the Irish Music Scene, Darren Rice and Mark McCabe. Having crossed paths over the years on the DJ and radio circuit, a meeting at Electric Picnic Festival in 2019 between the two sparked the idea to start working together.

Rice says: “‘Count To Ten’ first came about following a pretty incredible moment for me watching the sunrise at Burning Man festival in the middle of the Black Rock desert in Nevada. I was working on a demo of it here and there for about 3 years. I thought it really had potential but needed someone with both underground & commercial sensibilities to give it a bit of a scrub & gleam to get it to where it needed to be. Once Mark entered the picture, it came together pretty quickly.”

Rice, commonly known as Ricer to family, friends and fans alike, has a hugely successful DJ career that has seen him entertain the masses at many of Ireland’s most cutting-edge clubs and festivals. He’s also a notable independent radio host, podcast presenter, sneaker fiend and style guru.

McCabe is the renowned producer behind one of the biggest-selling Irish singles of all time, ‘Maniac 2000’ and the multi-platinum selling single ‘I’m Feeling It’, not to mention putting his remix skills to work with artists such as Gavin James, Dagny, James Arthur and Gabrielle Aplin. His work has picked up over 300 million combined streams. Like Rice, he’s a regular on the live dance circuit and a prominent independent radio host.

The pair’s work on ‘Count To Ten’ has proved a fruitful alliance.  They clicked so harmoniously on the project that the potential for future releases and live performances seems too obvious and apparent to ignore. Plans are already afoot for a follow-up.

Instagram // Twitter // Soundcloud

Wicklow-native Mark Caplice is a multi award-winning songwriter and producer credited to tracks by internationally renowned artists including Don Diablo, and Grigory Leps, and Irish artists including Megan O’Neill, Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Nathan Carter and Laura Elizabeth Hughes, as well as Ireland’s Eurovision entry in 2018. Now, after years of writing and producing for others – and hot on the heels of producing a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Jim Croce’s ‘Time In A Bottle’ for No.1 Netflix series Firefly Lane, as well as winning a Golden Gramophone and Song of the Year in Russia for ‘Clothes Between’ – Mark is thrilled to announce the May 27th release of his own original, ‘Catch a Tear’ on Abbey Lane Recordings. The folk pop toe-tapper ushers in a new era for Mark as a solo artist, and serves to offer a message of support to some family and friends who have fallen upon difficult times – a sentiment that is most relevant now, more than ever. The single is accompanied by an acoustic video shot and directed by Jason Boland, and will premiere at 10am GMT on Mark’s YouTube Channel on day of release.

As part of the release, Mark is encouraging people in a position to do so, to make a random act of kindness. “A very small gesture can change someone’s day and who knows, could save a life. I think small acts of kindness are so powerful and I feel it’s in line with what the song is about. Catching a tear is about being there for someone and helping loved ones through tough times and small acts of kindness can be a big part of that.” On June 10th, Mark will present a livestream gig donating 100% of the proceeds to charity.

Mark Caplice hails from Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow, and has spent the past few years writing songs for artists across the world, gathering over 200,000,000 listeners in the process, charting in numerous different countries, and achieving no.1 chart positions on multiple occasions – he maintains he’s only getting started. The release of ‘Catch A Tear’ follows Mark’s 2018 Eurovision success alongside Ryan O Shaughnessy and Laura Elizabeth Hughes as co-writer on Ireland’s entry, ‘Together’. In recent years, while continuing to garner a strong reputation behind the scenes as one of Ireland’s most respected songwriters, he has also been developing himself as a producer. Most recently, his production can be heard on the Netflix-featured ‘Time In A Bottle’ by Megan O’Neill (performed on The Late Late Show, February 2021) and ‘For You (Home)’ by Laura Elizabeth Hughes, which went on to become the second highest played song on Northern Ireland radio in early 2020. Mark adds, “now the focus is on original material, and there is lots of it to come.”

With his previous solo project Kolumbus, his debut single ‘You Know It’s Christmas’ achieved the No.1 position on the Google Play charts. Released in aid of Inner City Helping Homeless during Christmas 2015, the single gained widespread praise including features on national and international platforms such as Ireland AM, The Journal and Irish TV on Sky channel 191. Following that success, Kolumbus released his debut EP titled ‘Give Them Life’, which was produced by Gavin Glass. Launched in the Grand Social in August 2016, the EP received high praise nationwide with the lead single ‘I Hope You Find Happiness’ finding its way onto Aidan Butler’s RTÉ 1 Recommends Playlist. The same year, Kolumbus completed a nationwide tour which concluded with an appearance at Ireland’s largest festival Electric Picnic.

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