Author: Breffni Banks

‘Hindsight’ is the new pop single from Irish singer/songwriter TAYYLS (formerly Taylor Mas). The song is far from ‘ordinary’ pop as seen in the juxtaposition of the bright and catchy melodies against the melancholy lyrical theme.

’Hindsight’ dives deep into the everyday struggles of being stuck in bad situations and endless cycles that keep you down. It is learning from these behaviours ‘in hindsight’ that will then give you peace, which is a key message towards the end of the song.

Lyrics + Melody by: TAYYLS (Taylor Maslanka)

Produced by: ELKAE (Laura Keane)

Mixed by: Michael Heffernan

Mastered by: Ivan Jackman

TAYYLS’ previous single ‘Me Again’ got its first play on SPIN 1038 and was added to the RTE Radio 1’s recommendations list in its first week of release. ‘Me Again’ also landed a feature from Nialler9 as a ‘sparking dance pop tune’ in his list of ‘new songs from Irish artists you should hear’.

TAYYLS’ debut single ‘Bad News’  was also added to the RTE Radio 1’s Recommended playlist along with a Q&A feature on RTE entertainment.

TAYYLS has had many years of experience in the music scene in Ireland. Having completed a level 8 Degree in Songwriting at BIMM Dublin she has performed vocals for many different artists and bands across Dublin in multiple different recording studios as well as performing at Electric Picnic, Longitude, KnockanStockan and many more Irish music events and gigs.

Connect with TAYYLS

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

Run the Wild is the highly anticipated release of 5 tracks written and produced at Monique Studios Cork (Mick Flannery, Oh Emperor, Niall Mc Cabe, Susan O Neil, Jack O Rourke). Coinciding with her EP tour which will take place in De Barras, Seachurch, Kennys and finishing in Coughlans Cork city where Jennifer is originally from.

Jennifer has described her work as alternative folk, while growing up with traditional music as staple in her early years, her real roots for song writing and instrumentation were found through a back catalogue of female artists Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Allanis Morrisette, Florence and the Machine, Dolores O Riordan and Sinead O Connor. When asked “What kind of music do you write”,

Jennifer replies ‘I think that it is important to write from a place of authenticity, I have often walked into studio with a page of lyrics only to find once I am in the vocal booth that I have something else to say. If you can dig down into your vulnerabilities and use them to craft a song then hopefully someone out there may hear your voice and it will resignate to them on their own journey.”

Run the Wild is accompanied by the inimitable talents of Christian Best (mixing/production), Alan Comerford and John Ryan on guitars with some keys contribution from Daragh Keary.
She has described the writing process for the EP as “at times Cathartic and healing, I worked full time in a Nursing Home during the Covid Pandemic and with that came some beautiful friendships followed quickly by a baptism of fire in Pallative Care, following working through two outbreaks and isolation for essentially a year, surfacing back into the world of entertainment I battled with feelings of depression and disconnect, my nervous system was all over the place. I no longer lived with the ease of a free spirited musician. Hindsight, I was carrying and processing a lot of grief. I did not sing for 3 months, not even in my car..the music just stopped”. “Stepping into studio was the turn point, the creative space provided to me by Christian was a free for all, there were no rules and with that my love for songwriting returned.”

Run the Wild will be available for streaming on August 10th

To see Jennifer play live. Tickets are available online for shows at:

Coughlans Cork city (low ticket warning) Friday 25th August

De Barras Clonakilty Cork August 20th Sunday

Seachurch Ballycotton Saturday September 9th

The Whitehorse Sessons Kennys Lahinch Thursday August 18th

RELEASE SECOND SINGLE FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM THERE’S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN, DUE OCTOBER 20TH, 2023.

‘MESSAGE OF THE AFTERNOON’ is out now

THE DUBLIN-BASED PROJECT OF DAVID A. TAPLEY ALSO SHARES 2023 TOUR DATES. 

TANDEM FELIX HEADLINE WHELAN’S ON NOVEMBER 23, 2023

TICKETS: HERE

Following the release of ‘There’s A New Sheriff In Town’, the first single from Tandem Felix’s forthcoming second LP of the same name, the Dublin-based project of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer David A. Tapley shares enthralling new single entitled, ‘Message of The Afternoon’ on Friday, August 11th. 

Much like the LP’s title track, the latest offering from Tandem Felix further demonstrates the expansion of their sound with this instantly captivating composition which develops around the luminous central interplay of keyboard and banjo. ‘Message of The Afternoon’ masterfully captures Tapley’s multi-faceted approach to Tandem Felix’s layered and texturally rich arrangements which seamlessly meld electronic elements with bright acoustic timbres. The wistfulness anchoring the enveloping instrumentation reflects the protagonist’s mood throughout. Here, Tapley delivers perhaps the band’s most immediate and infectious chorus hooks to date as he sings, “Call me when you get home safely / Call me then when you don’t hate / Call me stupid, call me crazy / But don’t beat around the bush now, baby / Cos I just wish I’d seen you lately.” 

Speaking about the themes and inspirations behind ‘Message of The Afternoon’, Tapley explains:

“This is probably the closest example of a personal song on this album. It’s a break up story, and the lyrics exist in text message format. It reminds me of the Olivier Assayas film Personal Shopper, in so much that a life or a relationship can be in a space of non-existence as it is just a combination of letters and symbols on a screen. The closing lyric came to me when I was cycling home from the studio one day, and even the thought of singing it produced a cold bead of sweat on my brow. The song title is a reference to a film from the 1940s called Meshes of the Afternoon that I watched during the pandemic and it made me hoot and holler with joy, when I was struggling to find any joy in the medium of music.”

Co-produced with long-term collaborator Stephen Dunne, and recorded in their Porto Bello studio, the song features Neil Dexter on drums with Tapley playing every other instrument. Tandem Felix’s forthcoming album There’s a New Sheriff in Town was written and recorded between 2020 and 2022 and welcomes a number of guest contributions such as B.J. Cole (who played pedal steel on Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’), Ian Romano (Daniel Romano) and Joseph Shabason (Destroyer, The War on Drugs).

Tandem Felix’s new single, ‘Message of The Afternoon’ will be available on all streaming platforms from Friday, August 11th. 

TANDEM FELIX TOUR 2023

MOTH CLUB, LONDON – MON 25 SEPT**

CLEERE’S, KILKENNY – FRI 27 OCT

COUGHLAN’S, CORK – FRI 17 NOV

WHELAN’S, LIMERICK – THURS 23 NOV

THE RECORD ROOM, LIMERICK – SAT 25 NOV

** supporting Brigid Mae Power 

Connect with Tandem Felix

Website | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram

For further information and all press queries and interviews, contact: info@nulltandemfelix.ie

The release of Daryl Bengo’s highly anticipated debut single, ‘Passionfruit’ has arrived. This exciting and vibrant track pays homage to the incredible individuals in Daryl’s life that motivate him to pursue his musical dreams with unwavering dedication.

As a rising star on the music scene, Daryl Bengo’s undeniable charm and musical intelligence has created “Passionfruit” a fusion of afro inspired melodies, infectious beats, and heartfelt lyrics. This track is poised to become an anthem for dreamers and believers everywhere.

Daryl invites music platforms and tastemakers to join him in celebrating the release of ‘Passionfruit’ on August 31st. By supporting, promoting and playing his unique music, you will be championing the incredible talent and artistic vision of Daryl Bengo. While also playing a pivotal role in bringing his empowering message to a wider audience.

Connect with Daryl Bengo

Spotify | TikTok | Facebook | YouTube

Irish traditional group Réalta will release their new arrangement of Skidoo this Friday 11th August 2023. It is the first instrumental single to be released from their upcoming third album, Thing of the Earth.

Skidoo was originally composed by Australian guitar legend Steve Cooney for the 1980s film Beyond The North Wind, which followed an Irish expedition travelling by Ski-doo across Northern Canada. Réalta were inspired to play this excellent reel after taking a spin on some snowmobiles during their 2020 USA tour.

The single should feel both familiar and fresh to Réalta fans. They have taken their core sound of reeds, wind, strings and drum and developed it, leveraging the broader experiences and influences of the band members, and introducing new instruments and musicians into the mix.

Réalta’s arrangement of Skidoo opens with a groovy beat from Dermot Moynagh on simultaneous bodhrán and tambourine. This riff becomes the heartbeat of the track as the rest of the band weave in and out, up and down, taking the listener on a twisting ride through build-ups and break-downs.

As well as featuring founding members Deirdre Galway on guitar and Conor Lamb on uilleann pipes and whistles, Skidoo brings together a number of new elements for Réalta:

• A new instrument, with Dermot Mulholland playing banjo instead of bass or bouzouki.
• A new band member, Loïc Bléjean from Brittany, whose distinctive style of uilleann piping is given space
  to shine.
• And a guest musician, Myles McCormack on mandolin, who plays across all tracks on Réalta’s first collaborative album, Thing of the Earth. Myles has performed regularly with the band in recent years and will join them for their upcoming album launches in Brittany and Ireland this autumn.

Formed in Belfast in 2012, dynamic trad group Réalta quickly established themselves as an exciting act on the Irish music scene, earning stellar reviews for their live performances and innovative approach to traditional melodies. They have toured extensively throughout Europe, the UK, Asia and North America, and their energetic approach to the genre has made them firm festival favourites.

Skidoo was recorded by Seán Óg Graham at Bannview Studios in Portglenone, County Antrim. It will be available to stream and download on all major digital platforms on Friday 11th August. An accompanying video will be released on the band’s YouTube account (@realtamusic) later in the month.

Micah is riding high on the success of her 2022/2023 releases ‘Replace Me’, ‘Shatterproof’ ‘Stranger’, ‘Running to you’ and ‘Heaven and Hell’ where she has been compared to the likes of Lady Gaga (Adrianne Murphy NearFM) and picked up success in the likes of IMRO, HotPress, Golden Plec, FM104, The Verge Music News, ICK Mag, Signal Flow and has had track of the week for her single ‘Running to You’ at Spin Southwest/Spin 1038.

Alongside her national TV appearance on RTE’s ’Last Singer Standing’, write-ups in icon magazines such as ‘Hot Press’, the Tipperary born singer-songwriter is going from strength to strength. She has had performances in Dublin’s Fibber Magees supporting Raging Sons and TV appearances on The Caitriona O’Sullivan show. She also charted in the Dutch Top 40 chart, along with airplay/streams in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, New York and Japan.

Her Spotify streams are over 185k and she also had one of her tracks used as a TikTok dance. She has also had airplay on national radio stations such as RTE 2FM, Spin 1038 (one to watch), Spin SouthWest (track of the week) Red FM and many more. Working with renowned composers such as Gavin Murphy, she is going from strength to strength. However, she is continuously evolving her sound and 2023 looks like it will be an edgier sound with her recent release ‘Replace Me’  which dropped in late May and is now set to be followed  by ‘Blame’ coming August 4th  with her EP dropping this Autumn which have been said to have had elements of the singer Fletcher and Rebecca Black.

She works with LA producer Killian Cruiser (Sony, Interscope, X Factor, BBC etc) and German based Christoph ‘Hadl’ Hassel (Sony, BMG, Fox, Universal, Warner etc). Micah herself has carved out a sound that is linked to performers such as Tove Lo, Loreen, Halsey and Fletcher. With artists, such as John Gibbons already supporting her efforts.

Micah is very much about being authentic and real. All her songs come from a true heartfelt place, dealing with life struggles and communicating them in a way only she can.

She will be playing a headline show at Dublin’s Whelans on August 19th.

MICAH – Whelans Tickets

Heaven and Hell (H&H) Micah’s first release from her EP dropped in March 2023 (playlisted on TodayFM, 2FM, Spin 1038 and so on), debuting on the Dutch Top 40 chart.

Which is closely followed by  ‘Replace Me’ (May 2023) and  now ‘Blame’ (August 2023). Her headline show in Dublin’s iconic Whelans will culminate with the release of her newest tracks and her upcoming EP.

Her music is based around a variety of themes: finding faith, falling for someone, struggling with anxiety, depression, passive aggressive bullies and so on. However, it is Micah’s live vocals that have always captured audiences from events such as the ‘Rose of Tralee’. She is a vocal powerhouse and so it will be a show not to be missed.

For Micah, these songs are influenced by Kate Bush, Fletcher, Halsey, Evanescence and Sia. It is a darker turn for the singer, but one which the crowd anticipates as ‘Heaven and Hell’ was just the beginning…

BLAME

This new release sees Micah discuss difficult situations with  friends, workmates etc. It highlights parties not being able to take accountability for their actions and trying to bully the other side without recognising such toxic behavior.

The song was produced by  German based Christoph ‘Hadl’ Hasse who has worked with Sony, Interscope, X Factor, BBC, Universal, Warner, Fox TV etc.  Hadl has a polished pop ear, with an impeccable talent for vocal and arrangement and that’s only the cliff notes.  Now Micah is leaning into her rockier tendencies and you’re sure to get hooked on another of her earworm choruses.

Micah on the track:

“Blame” is a song that addresses the challenges of dealing with a controlling and bullying individual within a difficult environment. Through the song I am urging  this individual, who will remain nameless,  to be  introspective, ‘’I am not here to take from you in any way’’. However this person passive aggressively bullied me and made my life very difficult. I eventually recognised the motivations behind their actions and they were projecting onto me. This song resonates deeply with me as I nearly internalized those negative aspects and blamed myself for the situation. However, upon reflection, I realized that it was their issue to bear, and I made a firm decision not to let them hurt me any longer. ’’

“Micah is definitely one of those artists that you need to keep your eyes and ears on” – ICK Mag

“With a vocal range similar to that of Sia, Robyn and Lady Gaga, Micah’s fresh and authentic take on pop has garnered her plenty of radio plays and Spotify streams” – HotPress

“This is quality!” – DJ John Gibbons

“One To Watch” – Sarina Bellissimo SPIN 1038

“Track of the week”– Chris and Ciara, 2FM

“One of the hardest working women in music” – Keith Walsh, 2FM

Connect with Micah

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

Outsider Music Volume One is the new album from Eamonn Dowd.  It’s his first since Songs From The Fever Ship, his 2019 collaboration with Horslips drummer & lyricist Eamon Carr.

This new album see’s the return of Fever Ship guitarist Thomas Pontén who took time out from his own band Love On Drugs to provide some fantastic solos and licks reminiscent of a young Keith Richards. Elsewhere his vital mandolin playing brings magic to the ballad ‘Crystal Clear’ which was voted one of the Top Five singles of 2022 by Global Texan Chronicles. Available initially as a download single exclusively through Bandcamp it’s now here on disc for the first time, as is the albums opening track, the 4 minute 40 second rocker King Of The Dive Bars.

Elsewhere The Last Soul’s Rickard Yxelflod swaps bass for electric guitar on the memorable ‘Light Up The Night.’

The upbeat and almost cheerful country rocker ‘Can’t Remember’ offers some light relief with trademark slide guitar and top notch rhythm section.

Lyrically, Dowd’s bleak observations on addiction, long lost dreams and wasted years cast a dark cloud with little or no respite.

The closing track, a gothic americana take on Hank Williams* ‘Lost Highway’ bookends a startling return to form from a true outsider.

Catch Eamonn Dowd on Tour

Sat Aug  12     BERLIN (Germany) Revolte Bar

Sun Aug 13     BERLIN (Germany) Artliners – Lazy Sunday Session

Thu Aug 17     SCHWERIN (Germany) The Scotsman Pub

Fri Aug 18       LUBECK (Germany) MacThomas

Sat Aug 19      LUBECK (Germany) MacThomas

Fri Sept 1        GÖTEBORG (Sweden) KoM Musik Bar

Thu Sep 21     TILBURG (Netherlands) Paradox Club

Fri Sep 22       BRUSSELS (Belgium) Toogenblik

Sat Sep 23      ANTWERP (Belgium) Moby Dick

Sun Sep 24     HERSELT (Belgium) Pallieter Sessions

Fri Sept           LOENHOUT (Belgium) Café de Zwaluw

Sat Oct 28       ASSENDELFT (Netherlands) Tapperij DeVerwachting

Sun Oct 29      HAARLEM (Netherlands) De Waag
___________________________________________________________________________

* Written by Leon Payne in 1948. Recorded and made famous by Hank Williams the following year.

Outsider Music Volume One by Eamonn Dowd is released August 6 2023.

available CD/DL via Bandcamp, Amazon, I – tunes, etc and select record shops. See eamonndowd.com for a list

Spellbound SPCD14.

Buíoch announces the launch of their debut album, available now.

Buíoch is an Irish Traditional Music band stemming from the Midlands of Ireland, composing of Ruaidhrí Tierney (accordion), Dale McKay (guitar & percussion), Kurt Dinneen Carroll (whistle & pipes), and Dave Harte (Double Bass).

Buíoch composes and arranges all their own melodies, which gives the band a traditional yet progressive sound that is unique and energetic. Buíoch is the Irish word for ‘Thankful’. This group typifies the meaning behind their name, they are deeply grateful and humbled to play music and perform.

Beidh tú Buíoch iad a chloisteáil and feidhmiú! 

Listen to Buíoch’s self-titled album now:

Connect with Buíoch

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok