Author: Breffni Banks

Singer/songwriter/spoken word artist Elina Filice returns with her third release of the year, an infectiously groovy tune ‘Everything About You’. Another genre-defying track, Elina this time enlists the help of friend and groove-master Neolithic. The pair met while studying at BIMM Dublin, and have collaborated on projects and performances over the years. 

The song features a laid back beat, jazzy guitar licks, and a stuck-in-your-head chorus. Sprinkled with hooks and layered vocals, the thoughtful lyrics are coupled with intricate production and a surprise acapella outro. 

Elina says, “This song is about when love gets hard. It’s realizing that love goes through seasons, and even the less shiny things about someone or a relationship are still your favourite parts. All of the imperfections make up a perfect whole.”

Neolithic says, “For me, the song represents the moments when you take a second to reflect the little details of a partner, whether preferred or not, as a means to remind yourself how much you adore them, even when they have their own things that might irritate you or vice versa, it’s about taking in the little things that make their personality whole – the beauty that truly be includes our perfect imperfections.”

The song was recorded at Wavefarm Productions (Dublin) and produced by Zachary MacPherson and Elina Filice.

Elina Filice is gaining attention for songs that defy genre and interactive live performances. Her music is soulful and melodic while being influenced by blues and spoken word. Born to Canadian parents, Elina spent her formative years in Singapore before moving to Canada to attend university. She then relocated to Dublin where she worked extensively in the music industry and founded Red Vine Records. Her past releases have been met with critical acclaim from dozens of outlets as well as official Spotify playlists. 

Neolithic has been active in the Irish music scene both solo and with his band, Nobody’s Heroes, for over a decade. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Neolithic’s music blends genres and influences to bring listeners a groove-heavy and truly engaging experience. 

Connect with Elina: Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  Spotify  Youtube   

Connect with Neolithic: Facebook  Instagram  Spotify  Youtube  

Declan Doyle has just released the music video for his second single, ‘The Bridge’ from his debut album ‘Stress Fractures’, following on from the release of his first single ‘My Baby’ in February.

In contrast to his first release, the music video for ‘The Bridge’ is performance focused and allows the audience to connect directly with the artist and his craft and attach their own story to the song’s emotive lyrics.

‘The Bridge’ and ‘Stress Fractures’ were both recorded and produced by Maurice Seezer (The Stunning, Gavin Friday, The Boxer) in Dunbeacon, Cork and were mastered by Fergal Davis (Muse, Sinead O’Connor).

‘The Bridge’ Single – https://open.spotify.com/track/1Q1Mbf3s41ARQBF2gFEkfc?si=47f94aadaf644a80

Instagram |  Spotify | Facebook | Twitter

NEOMADiC have just released their brand new single ‘WAVES’ featuring shiv today, alongside announcing the release of their EP ‘AFTER DARK’ due to be released this summer.

The single ‘WAVES’ sees two of Ireland’s most up and coming acts join forces – with NEOMADiC having been championed by Highsnobiety, The Irish Times and Red Bull as well as making their TV debut on RTE’s Other Voices, while shiv was named by RTE 2FM as one of their Rising Artists for 2021 as well as being selected as Hot for 2021 by Hot Press and capturing the attention of the BBC.

‘WAVES’ is a soulful intro into ‘AFTER DARK’ and sets the tone for an EP packed with personality and originality, setting the mood for late night listening. NEOMADiC trade verses over lush mellow productions, pulling you into a world of introspective lyrics that detail personal issues along with subtle spiritual and pop culture references. The EP was recorded in Vancouver Canada, summer 2020.

“I’ve been working for tips, with lyrics on the tip of my tongue, I’m at the tip of my cliff, I got a tip I should jump”

‘WAVES’ is the first release since NEOMADiC’s 2017 debut tape ‘The NEOMADiC Tape’ which caught the attention of the Irish Hip hop scene, resulting in headline slots at festivals such as Electric Picnic and KnockanStockan, as well as support slots with hip/hop legends Souls of Mischief and Pharoah Monch.

NEOMADiC are representative of a new Irish generation, kids of multicultural heritage drawing inspiration from their experiences and beyond. Dyramid is Irish and South Sudanese, and Yake Loga is Irish and Zimbabwean. Yake Loga, having moved to Ireland from South Africa around the age of 17, had been making music as a hobby. After meeting Dyramid in school the pair began collaborating and formed NEOMADiC. This 7 track EP comes after the pair spent a couple of years living in Canada, it is a culmination of their experiences over the past couple of years and an expression of what they have to offer.

‘WAVES’ the brand new single from NEOMADiC featuring shiv is out now across all digital platforms, with the EP ‘AFTER DARK’ due to be released this summer.

Peco’s new single ‘Three Deep Breaths’ is the first from his new album due out later this year. It’s a mid-tempo Americana tinged Indie-folk song, with some thoughtful production and a hook that will refuse to leave your head for some time after listening!

Underneath the airy melody is a more weighty subject matter – the search for mindfulness and calm in a period of turmoil. Peco sings of time being the only currency that matters. The song was written as a comfort to a friend in crisis and ironically has nothing to do with the last year, which I think we’d all rather not talk about any more anyway.

‘Three Deep Breaths’ is out now.

Strange Boy is a 1000-year-old poet channeling through the body of a young man from Limerick. With hard-hitting, thought-provoking lyrics, Strange Boy’s unique mastery of flow renders him one of the most important rappers of our time.

Today Friday 16^th April, Strange Boy shares ‘Waiting’, the song that announces his debut album Holy/Unholy coming this summer.

With genius and poetry, Strange Boy paints a living picture of the raw truth country’s youth – Waiting.

Unfiltered and nuanced, it’s a slow scene of the rapper’s inner life and the lives of those in his community. Strange Boy combines hip-hop and Irish traditional music, the old and new cultural influences dominant in this country.

The music was composed and produced by Enda Gallery in Kilfenora, Co. Clare during lockdown. A master of multitudes of genres, Enda also releases music under his own name, and is currently writing and producing debut albums for not only Strange Boy, but also Tolü Makay and Willzee.

Speaking about the track, Strange Boy says: “I’ve lots of memories of growing up in Limerick, good and bad. With ‘Waiting’ I wanted to put into perspective how my hometown shaped my personality.” Enda Gallery adds “It breaks my heart open to hear it. Every time. I feel like we are witnessing one of the all-time greats.”–

‘Waiting’ by Strange Boy, produced by Enda Gallery, is out on all digital platforms now:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2J5lJG98pAEd95rDRV5aWL?si=h8gpY4zBTyWFbVu4g1EDOg

Watch Strange Boy’s Live Performance at Ireland Music Week 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn3I3_hy1ok

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strange.boy.theweirdo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/strangeboywha?lang=en

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LXxi3hXUQ0TEeQtmuWLY4?si=OEwMBarbTn-d4p1P7WPAoQ

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/de/artist/strange-boy/1215627698?l=en

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCmRNfYRfsyAbxkMRXErwlpg?feature=share

Fears have released her third single ‘Fabric’ ahead of her highly anticipated new album ‘Oíche’, due for release 7th May 2021. ‘Fabric’ is out now.

Fears writes about ‘Fabric’: “’Fabric’ is about trying to escape someone or something that will not give you room to breathe. I tried to capture the feeling of desperately trying to rebuild yourself and your life, while something will not let you go. It’s a song about feeling exhausted and trapped, but still determined to succeed.”

TULLE presents ‘Oíche’ by Fears live from Music Town’s YouTube channel, 17th April 2021. A night of connection, collaboration, and intimacy. In this 45-minute show, Fears will perform her debut album, ‘Oíche’, in its entirety, guiding the audience through four stages of night-time – dusk, midnight, 3am, and sunrise. Filmed in Protein Studios, London, Fears will be joined by two musical guests, in custom handmade costumes, bringing the world of ‘Oíche’ to life. Working with Irish visual and textile artist Niamh Mannion on set design, a stark studio space will be transformed into place for reflection, exploration, and resolution.

Fears did a spectacular performance on Rough Trade Transmission series on 15th April which was broadcasted on Rough Trade’s Instagram.

Fears have received an overwhelming response from her two previous tracks ‘tonnta’ and ‘vines’ from the media in Ireland, UK and Internationally. Support at radio came from RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, Newstalk, Cork 96FM, Flirt FM, 8 Radio, RTE TnaG, Raidió na Life, RTÉ 2XM, Midlands, 98FM, KCLR 96FM, Near FM, RTE Pulse, West Limerick, BBC Ulster, BBC6, Slack City Radio, RadioReverb, Riverside Radio and BBC Radio Foyle.

The tracks were also added to i-D Magazine’s Best New Music playlist, Nialler9’s Best New Irish Music playlist, New Music Friday Colombia, XL Recordings playlist and Get In Her Ears Spotify playlists.

‘Fabric’ is out now.

Connect with Fears Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

Local Boy is the alter-ego of Dublin musician, producer, singer, and Burner Records co-founder Jake Hurley. His new single ‘Thoughts’ is out on all digital platforms now (Friday 16^th April).

Following on from the success of last month’s single ‘Al Bundy’ (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNuxhY8lb3I ), ‘Thoughts’ is a fast-paced indie rock track about the frustration of trying to improve one’s mental health using self-help resources that are more often about a business making profit than genuinely improving the lives of their audience.

The song is a favourite with fans having been performed on the widely viewed “Ireland Music Week” livestream and the studio version promises to make waves in Ireland and beyond.

The forthcoming EP follows Local Boy’s 2019 EP ‘Local Boy Ruins Everything’. Jake wrote, produced, and mixed the entirety of the five-track project, which tells indie infused tales of everyday mundanity and dreams of rock ‘n’ roll stardom.

Local Boy has recently been featured on some high-profile Spotify playlists such as “Lo-Fi Indie” and has subsequently amassed millions of plays on the platform between his own songs and collaborations with artists such as Tebi Rex.

Having spent the pandemic working on music, Local Boy is gearing up for the summer 2021 release of his sophomore EP.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7hAM5pq6zihYWzInwN1EPw?si=KMM59zn8S52WoD0r290OSg

Soundcloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/jakehurleyproduction/thoughts/s-MnINsHFzGv3

The release of ‘Thoughts’ coincides with Local Boy’s highly anticipated live performance on the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions’ Y&E Series – going live at 7.30pm today, April 16, on the Hot Press Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LocalBoy3000/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/localboy3000 / @localboy3000

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/local_boy3000/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/34Ze0nb54KG3gietZGFZIj?si=8-o0SwDiRka99CQCMDVBqw

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ie/artist/local-boy/18474169

GRAMMY-nominated artist RuthAnne has just released her next single, the adoring and heartfelt, ‘F.L.Y.’,  accompanied by a stunning music video.

In May of last year RuthAnne signed with AntiFragile Music and in October 2020, her single ‘Remember This’ became her first release for her new label. RuthAnne has been back in the studio working on exciting new music and is over the moon to be sharing ‘F.L.Y.’ with her fans.

The single acts as a love letter from RuthAnne, a true romantic at heart. On writing the track she says; ‘There’s only a certain amount of ways you can say ‘I love you’ and this way felt the most passionate, the most honest and the most Irish lol! It’s really a declaration of the kind of love that comes around once in a lifetime’  

RuthAnne’s outstanding career started back when she was just 17-years-old, penning music for huge pop artists, including JoJo’s ‘Too Little Too Late,’ for which RuthAnne achieved the ASCAP Songwriters Best Pop Song award. From then she wrote a string of massive records including Britney Spears’ RIAA platinum-certified ‘Work Bitch,’ One Direction’s ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go,’ Pentatonix’s ‘Misbehavin’ and Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha’s ‘In The Name Of Love.’ In 2017 she co-wrote 5 songs on Niall Horan’s debut solo album ‘Flicker,’ including US #1 hit ‘Slow Hands,’ for which she received a BMI award. As a songwriter her songs have been streamed over 4 billion times. She also co-wrote Horan’s latest single ‘Nice To Meet Ya’.

RuthAnne’s stunning solo single ‘The Vow’ took her own music to great heights. The track was played during ITV 2’s Love Island 2019 Final – it was Shazamed 15 thousand times within the hour and reached #1 in the main Irish iTunes chart. RuthAnne’s material has now amassed over thirty million streams so far.

Her most recent project has been back home with supergroup, Irish Women In Harmony. In early 2020, RuthAnne brought together almost 40 of Ireland’s greatest female artists to remotely record a cover of ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries. All funds raised go to Safe Ireland, working to end domestic violence and coercive control in Ireland. RuthAnne produced the track and came out with a song that captured the heart of the nation and made Irish music history.

In its first week, the single hit #1 in the Official Homegrown Chart, the first female act ever to do so. It was also the highest new entry in the official charts at #15, making Irish Women In Harmony the first female Irish act to break the Top 20 in over 10 years. ‘Dreams’ was also #2 in the Irish airplay chart and #1 in the Breaking Tunes chart. The track has surpassed 5 million streams on Spotify and Irish Women In Harmony have now raise over a quarter of a million Euro for Safe Ireland.

Later that year, RuthAnne began writing and producing the original festive single ‘Together At Christmas’ in support of ISPCC Childline. The song became an instant favourite in households across the country and raised much needed support for children in dangerous situations, heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Watch their stunning performance on The Late Late Show here.

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

https://thisisruthanne.com

‘Pressure’ is the second release from Ra Gerra – the Irish electronica / hip-hop duo consisting of electronic musician and producer Kobina and rapper and singer MuRli.

Despite being separated by about 2,000 kilometres, the Amsterdam-based Kobina and Limerick-based MuRli have forged a partnership to produce melodic, shifting music with emotive clarity and immediacy.

‘Pressure’ is a surging, energetic track, capturing the disarray we experience – and courage we find – in dealing with our self-imposed expectations and the demands of the world at large.

MuRli (A.K.A. Mawuli Boevi) is a rapper, producer and songwriter, who is well known for his evocative lyrics, incredible technique, and is widely sought after for both his pen and production. His first two solo EPs, ‘Surface Tension’ and ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off’, have been lauded by critics both at home and abroad for being both catchy and flawlessly capturing the heart of moments and movements.

MuRli says of the track: “It’s often said that pressure produces diamond, and while that may be true, the crushing is still painful and ultimately there’s little guarantee that the outcome would indeed be a precious stone. It takes courage, endurance and vision. This is a little reflection as we draw our own blueprint out of the pressure.”

Kobina is Dublin-born, Amsterdam-based musician and producer Seán Arthur. His work pulls together diverse and often disparate strands of music to create textured, rich and emotive sounds. After three well received E.Ps, the latest being 2019’s ‘Four Poems’, in 2020 Kobina released the charity compilation album ‘For Nora’ featuring collaborations with a number of his musical peers, as well as original material.

Kobina says: “The music for ‘Pressure’ came together at a pretty low point for me, personally. The world felt particularly chaotic and I wrote it with the intention of reflecting that. Although musically it’s made of pretty disparate components, I wanted there to be a sense of momentum and drive, to reflect the feeling of how sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and get through another day. Later in the song some new elements appear, manifesting a crack of light, an undercurrent of optimism.” 

Bandcamp: https://ragerramusic.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/09iZZroko68P8Vjw8Cqxhk?si=iogit-u1SV2rL5RLF-NxEg
IG: https://www.instagram.com/ragerramusic/
TW: https://twitter.com/ragerra2

Haitian-American singer-songwriter Malou Beauvoir seeks spiritual healing in a divided world with her Creole lyric version of the beloved Brendan Graham and Rolf Løvland composed hit “’You Raise Me Up’.

‘Kenbem’ reimagines the soul-stirring classic previously released by Secret Garden, Josh Groban and Westlife, to unite believers in Vaudou and Christianity.

“When I was a child my Mom would take me to Church every Sunday. Her kindness, integrity and tolerance have been my beacon all my life. My Dad, would tell us colourful “Vodou tales” full of fiery spirits, funny songs and the memories he had left behind with his childhood in Haiti.  Our frequent visits to his side of the family were my introduction to Vodou​. Colourful candles and candies for the spirits adorned the altars in Brooklyn and Haiti.

Prayers were said to the Saints and the spirits indiscriminately and I never thought that there was a choice to be made between my Vodou culture and my mother’s faith, I still don’t.

My Creole lyrics speak to God, our Ancestors and our Spirits, thanking them all for their for support and love.” – Malou Beauvoir

‘You​ Raise Me Up’ was originally released in 2002 by the Norwegian-Irish duo Secret​ Garden, written by the band’s Rolf​ Løvland with lyrics by the Irish​ author and songwriter Brendan​ Graham. A year later, Josh​ Groban’s version climbed to the #1 spot on the Billboard adult contemporary chart followed by Westlife​’s UK No.1 and Record of the Year cementing the song’s status as a modern classic. It’s since become a hit many times over around the world, covered by more than a 1,500 hundred artists in over 40 languages.

Beauvoir heard something new and personal in the song, however. In her interpretation of Graham’s lyrics, she found parallels to the schism between Vodou practitioners and the Christian church in Haiti, the country of her roots. The divide is deep-seated, dating back to the Haitian Revolution at the turn of the 19th century.

When Beauvoir reached out to Graham for permission to rewrite his lyrics in Creole and with this new interpretation, she was surprised to find that he had written the song with similar ancient antipathies in mind. “I told Brendan that I’d stayed fairly close to his original version, but instead of the open-ended spiritual force that he talks about, I wanted to make the first verse about those who believe in the Christian God and the second one about those who believe in the spirits and the ancestors.  He responded, ‘I’m going to tell you something really strange, Malou. I’m Irish, and when I wrote this song I was thinking about our ancient beliefs.’”

Graham appreciated the heartfelt interpretation, saying, “A song like ‘You Raise Me Up’ thankfully garners many recordings and translations into various languages. Now and again a version comes along that makes me sit up and pay attention. Such a version is Malou Beauvoir’s recording and translation into her native Haitian Creole. Not alone is it her sensual and soulful vocal expression of the song but she has also done something quite unique. Her translation takes the ambiguous ‘you’ of the song and imbues it with meaning from her own heritage and Vodou culture, in a way that mirrors my own understanding of the ‘you’ and its relation to a pre-Christian, Celtic culture.”