Author: Breffni Banks

Daly (Aaron Daly) is a hip-hop artist from the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. He started out as a busker in Dublin City Centre and worked his way up to performing at festivals such as Electric Picnic. He has been active in the Irish Music scene for the past eight years and is the Co-Founder of The Secret Sessions.

Daly has had the privilege of sharing the spotlight with some of Ireland’s most celebrated Rap and Hip-Hop artists like JyellowL, Aaron J, Jafaris, and many more. His music has received over 20,000 Spotify streams, and he has built a loyal fanbase over the years, which he hopes to expand on with the release of his second EP, ‘Forget Me Not’  released April 5^th 

Beginning the writing process during the first year of Covid-19, the Forget Me Not EP has been in the works for three years.

Daly watched friends and family go in and out of relationships and addictions. One is usually the cause of the other. After going through it himself and quickly getting out of it he knew exactly the project he wanted to create. He wanted to write something different, something important. Not the ‘love story’ not the ‘I miss you’ or ‘I hate you’ but the part in-between that holds all the real confusion, reaction and emotion. Daly focused on encapsulating the part between the end of an ‘us’ and the beginning of the ‘you’.

You can stream Forget Me Not below:

Dopplers winter single “Wait A Long Time For You” was on heavy rotation on Irish radio and made the RTÉ Radio 1’s Recommend List for several weeks and was consistently in the Top 5 of the Monthly Airplay chart throughout November & December. John Creedon played the track on his show 2 nights in a row and compared their sound to that of The Waterboys. Coincidentally Doppler played a sold out Ballina Arts Centre alongside The Waterboys legendary fiddle player Steve Wickham in recent months as well as playing support for Alabama 3’s Irish tour. International dates and festival slots for 2023 are on the horizon for the 6 piece Alt-Irish Folk act. Doppler’s previous release “It’s Your Fault Too” spent last summer receiving massive airplay across all major Irish radio stations ( RTÉ Radio 1, Today FM, 2FM to name a few) as well as being featured on Hot Press, RTÉ Culture, RTÉ Entertainment, JOE.ie, Irish Times & several print publications and music blogs here and internationally.

After Hot Press premiered Doppler’s debut single “A Memory” the video sparked a “phenomenal reaction” according to HP’s A&R Dept main man Stuart Clark. The Specials guitarist Horace Panter also struck an unlikely connection with Doppler and is now a legit fan after stumbling across them. “A Memory” spent several weeks at the top of the RTÉ Monthly Airplay Chart and the track has since amassed over 125,000 plays on Spotify. Doppler signed a publishing deal with the Dublin based music publishing company The Nucleolus.

After an influential recording session in Clew Bay Studios in Westport with multi award winning & double platinum selling Polish producer Bart de Boer (EMI/Universal), Doppler’s 3nd single

“About You” was born. With well renowned Raph Dziubinski (Joe Cocker/ Average White Band/ Simply Red) on percussion and Kevin Donnellan (BRÍDÍN) laying his incredibly rich & diverse sound on fiddle, it was just a matter of days before the track was completed.

“The subject matter in “About You” attempts to address the complexities of love, life, death and melancholy, recurring themes for Doppler. “There’s an uneasy sort of feeling to this song. Myself and Mick were going through similar difficulties. We both lost our fathers within a 3 weeks period over Christmas. I actually became a father for the first time and lost my own father within that 3 week period. We’re still adjusting. There’s something about the tone of this song that captures our struggle I think. Coming to terms with the world around us and surrendering control “In reality I wait for a dream that I know will not come true”. Ultimately it documents the darker reaches of both our minds through this period and concludes that the people closest to us are the most important.” Mulrooney

Doppler have shared the stage with the likes of Gavin James, Alabama 3, Neil Hannon, Cathy Davey, Steve Wickham ( The Waterboys), The Blizzards & The Saw Doctors and have also performed with Oasis’ cult member Bonehead on several occasions. They’re also winners of the IMRO Clancy Brother Song Contest.

The video was filmed and produced by award winning Irish filmmaker Fionn Rogers.

The stunningly crafted piece features Peter going for a run.

He can’t seem to get Doppler out of his head…

“We just wanted to enjoy the process of making music videos and this is exactly what we wanted to create. We wanted to move in a slightly darker direction in the theme for this video but still maintain some comic touches.” explains Mick Dempsey.

“This feels like the start of something new for us both and we’re excited to see what people think of our new release as always.. We’re so thankful and grateful for the support we’ve received.” Dempsey

Media Contact and Socials

Facebook (4k+ followers): https://www.facebook.com/dopplerireland

Instagram (4k+ followers): https://www.instagram.com/dopplerireland/

Website: https://www.breakingtunes.com/doppler

Spotify: http://www.hyperurl.co/dopplerspotify

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DopplerIreland

For more information/interviews/sessions contact Jamie  dopplerireland@nullgmail.com

From the short film The Ballad of The Crimson Warrior

Mike – “I had the song written for the film, but I felt it needed another voice. In this song The Crimson Warrior is reawakened from 100 years of sleep to reconnect with a new Ireland. He is the voice of the Irish Cultural Revolution. I called my friend Sive and we spoke about the song. We share a mutual respect for this era of Irish history. Her reply to the Crimson warrior is exquisite. I think the song spans the century beautifully.”

Sive – “I was delighted when Mike asked me to collaborate with him on the Crimson Warrior. It was an opportunity to embody not only the feminine voice of Ireland, which was a huge part of this story, but more generally the voice of the new Ireland that has grown in the years since the Cultural Revolution. For me, that meant an Ireland with the potential to transform its trauma into empathy and embrace everyone who calls it home.”

With Mike and Sive are Seána Davey on Harp, Norah Constance Walsh on piano and Aldoc on whistles and percussion.

Recorded by Aldoc at Aras Chronáin and supported by Culture Ireland.

The film, written by Mike Hanrahan, filmed by Aldoc at Áras Chronáin  is now available on YouTube.

The Film, Inspired by the women and men of the great Irish cultural revolution, is a musical narrative of original songs and traditional tunes with stunning portraits of the revolutionary years created by acclaimed Irish artist Mick O’Dea.

Mike “Ten years ago I began a  journey exploring the songs of the Irish Cultural Revolution which spanned  a 30 year period from 1890 to the beginning of the Civil War in 1921. It was initially driven by a creative artistic community who began searching for their own lost cultural identity.  They were both rebel and innovator, writer and fighter who challenged a nation to reawaken its own spirit. This often turbulent yet extremely innovative period of Irish history is a fascinating study on the rebirth of a culture after centuries in chains. My film was inspired by songwriters, collectors, courageous men and women and so many important and decisive events.”

Thanks to Culture Ireland and Áras Chronáin for their support and encouragement.

Mike Hanrahan is a songwriter, author, musician and producer

Mike has been a central figure in Irish music industry for over four decades as writer and musician with the ground breaking contemporary Irish music band Stockton’s Wing, as producer/writer with the legendary Ronnie Drew, as an advocate on the front line for songwriters rights and in recent years as a very successful professional cook of all things organic and author of his critically acclaimed shortlisted memoir ‘Beautiful Affair, A Journey in music, food and friendship’  published by Harper Collins. He is back performing with Stockton’s Wing, Eleanor Shanley and Leslie Dowdall. He is currently studying a Fellowship on brain health and equity at Trinity College with The Global Brain Health Institute and working on a book of short stories on Dementia and Brain Health.

Sive is a songwriter and musician

Sive who was dubbed “one of the most inspiring and exciting artists of our time” by Female First UK. Combining haunting, multi-layered vocals with delicately woven musicality and undeniable charm, Sive has carved a truly compelling style of alt-folk that is not afraid to differentiate from the norm. Her latest album ‘We Begin in Darkness’ was released on VETA Music 2022 to critical acclaim across the board; it was named Album of the Week on BBC Radio’s Late Show, received a 9/10 review in Hot Press Magazine and was described as ‘hugely impressive’ by Paul McLoone on RTE Arena. Having been awarded funding under the Brigid 1500 initiative 2023, Sive is currently working on the composition of a song cycle for 3 voices exploring the folklore and mythology of the goddess and saint, Brigid.

Mick O’Dea is a painter and sculptor

Past President of the Royal Hibernian Academy, a member of Aosdána, an Honorary Member of the Royal Scottish Academy, a Fellow of the Anatomical Society, Chairman of the Stamp Design Advisory Committee for A Post, and a past member of the Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland.

Connect with Mike Hanrahan

Bandcamp | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Connect with Sive

Website | Patreon | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Songwriter Lorraine Nash returns with stunning new single ‘A Minute’ set for release April 7, 2023. The Kerry musician is thrilled to announce the release of her long awaited debut album All That I Can Be due out this summer alongside her first headline tour dates in Cork and Dublin.

‘A Minute’ is Lorraine’s second release in 2023 demonstrating her evolution as a songwriter and a hint of what her upcoming live performances promise. Showcasing Lorraine’s unique vocal with influence from Gillian Welch and Gabrielle Aplin, Lorraine allows herself to be her most vulnerable yet on new single ‘A Minute’.

Known for her image laden lyrics Lorraine arranges intricately interwoven harmonies with deceptively simple accompaniment. Her song writing has matured in the years since the release of her debut EP Wildflower in 2020. With a tone uniquely hers Lorraine’s vocal has grown in strength; displaying her ambition to continue to evolve as an artist and showcasing the potential that lies ahead for her. New single ‘A Minute’ offers a glimpse into the scope of her upcoming debut album All That I Can Be due out May 2023.

The independent release of her debut EP Wildflower in 2020 saw the multi-instrumentalist quickly become one of the most played female artists on Irish radio. As a creator Lorraine creates her own artwork and videos and used her skill on multiple instruments to self-record her eagerly awaited debut album alongside long time collaborator Pat Herring Ahern. Lorraine has wowed audiences at Cork Opera House, Tradfest, Right Here Right Now, (Indiependence presents) Autumn Air, Triskel Arts Centre,  Kinsale Arts Festival as well as industry events Your Roots Are Showing and Music Cork. She regularly performs alongside John Spillane, Jack O’Rourke, Stephanie Rainey and The Lost Brothers.

Headline Tour Dates

May 18 – Whelan’s, Dublin

May 19 – Coughlan’s, Cork

Praise for Lorraine Nash

“Irish folk is in ruddy good health thanks to the likes of Lankum, Ye Vagabonds and John Francis Flynn. Kerry’s Lorraine Nash will likely soon join their ranks. The young folk singer does a fine line in robustly penned compositions that are beautifully sung and sensitively arranged.” John Meagher, The Irish Independent

“The future is her oyster. It must be brilliant when you have one hit single where you can say ya I really nailed it….but when people produce one after the next you have to sit up and take notice.”  John Creedon, RTÉ Radio 1

“The release of Wildflower marks the 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist as a compelling new presence in Ireland’s thriving scene.” Hot Press Magazine

“Lorraine Nash is the real deal! She’s destined to be big.” Jason Collins, 8Radio

“Some really nice finger-picking country/roots here from Irish folk/singer-songwriter Lorraine Nash.” Tony Clayton Lea, The Irish Times

“Lorraine Nash is a skilled musician and talented lyricist who is developing her voice but deserves your attention now.” Americana UK

“For a debut EP we can only imagine that Lorraine will have big career in music, and Into the Melody are excited to watch and listen as she takes that journey and releases more music.” Into the Melody

Facebook: @lorrainenashmusic

Twitter: @lorrainemnash

Instagram: @lorrainenashmusic

For media enquiries contact mags@nullquestmedia.ie

Bríd Lyons is a Kilkenny born singer, songwriter and folk musician. Her acoustic sound is paired well with poetic lyrics that conjure images of nature and the human experience. Her work is influenced by artists such as Hozier, Lisa Hannigan, Saint Sister and Anna Mieke.

Bríd’s sound is Celtic and ethereal, and features everything from soaring a capella vocals to rhythmically complex acoustic arrangements. In the past year, she has been selected as one of the KCLR finalists in the Hot Press Local Hero talent search and has also played a number of prestigious gigs. These include the Ruby Sessions, Whelan’s Ones to Watch and has supported Irish folk giants such as Lisa O’Neill, Rónán Ó’Snodaigh and Myles O’Reilly at the beautiful St. Canice’s Cathedral and opened for Jerry Fish at Kilkenny Day 2021.

Bríd has been honing her craft as a composer and performer for the past 8 years, working both on her own and with other projects. Her single, ‘October’, which was released in late 2021, saw her delve fully into a solo venture.

Bríd’s second single, ‘Mother’, was released on November 10th 2022 and a gig was held in the famous Cobblestone venue to celebrate the launch. Mother received support from the likes of RTÉ Entertainment, Hot Press, The Last Mixed Tape, InMusic, iRadio, 8 Radio & many more! ‘Mother’ was also awarded as The Circle Sessions Song Of The Year for 2022.

‘I Must Go’ will be released on April 7th and will be the third single from her highly anticipated EP, Tied To The Truf, which is scheduled for release in early May.

I Must Go was born from the instinctive, visceral urge to step away from the safety of home and explore new pastures. It is the voice in our hearts that tells us that there is more waiting around the corner if we are brave enough to go find it. Afterall, they say life begins outside of your comfort zone. Bríd was very much inspired by the wonders of nature that she has experienced during her own periods of travel and the beautiful souls that she met along the way who brought meaning to those experiences.

“This song has been in the works for five years and I’m delighted that it will finally be out in the world this April. Since performing it live, I’ve realised that the audiences complete this song by bringing their own meaning to it, and I hope the same can be said for the recording”.

Since Bríd started performing ‘I Must Go’ live and audiences have interacted with it, it has taken on new meanings that weren’t intended at its inception. Themes of loss and grief have begun to emerge and some have taken comfort in the song since the passing of a loved one.

‘I Must Go’ was recorded between Ballyfermot Library Creative Studio and Beardfire Studio, Harold’s Cross. It was produced by previous collaborator, Sam Warmington and features strings by Ali Comerford and drums by Al Quiff.

About the recording process, Bríd said “I’ve always enjoyed playing this song live but the recording allowed me to realise the song in the way that I had always envisioned, with a fully arranged sound. The use of the library studios gave us the time and freedom to experiment in a way I hadn’t been able to before”.

Connect with Bríd Lyons

Twitter | Spotify | Instagram

Angie McLaughlin is a Scottish folk songwriter, vocalist and musician with strong connections to Donegal where her dad was from. She grew up in the west coast of Scotland and moved to Dublin for college. She then emigrated to San Francisco where she first focused seriously on her songwriting and vocals, learning operatic arias through The Community Music Centre in The Mission district.

On her return to Dublin in 2004, she joined forces with Gary Fitzpatrick and formed The Sick and Indigent Song Club who released four albums, ‘Live at the Ha’Penny’, ‘Inistioge Folly’, ‘Punch Drunk’ and ‘Shinbone Ally’ which received high praise from major publications such as The Irish Times, Hotpress and many more.

Her splinter group, Minnie and the Illywhackers allowed her to indulge in her passion for vintage pop and ukulele swing and the band released the album ‘Make Me Yours’.

McLaughlin marked the beginning of her first solo project at the start of this year with the release of her first solo single ‘Joy’ which was the first of 10 original songs which lead to the creation of her solo debut record ‘The Boy is Gone’ which will be due for release this summer.

What began as a cathartic expression and a means of healing following the sudden loss of her husband, turned into an album of rich and authentically raw songs. ‘The Boy Is Gone’ was produced by Martin Stephenson (of the Daintees). McLaughlin is drawn to genres strong in storytelling and the influence of folk, country and the blues is evident in her music and lyrics.

Her first single titled ‘Joy’ released February 10^th and picked up support in HotPress, Edgar Allan Poets, Dublin South FM, RTE Radio 1, Dundalk FM, Downaroad Radio, IMRO, The Goo, Near FM and many more and celebrated the release in Dublin’s The Wild Duck.

Stephenson said on working with McLaughlin:

“Working with Angie McLaughlin was a no brainer for me, having known her for many years and being a fan of her creative ventures, she is a class A roots vocalist and songwriter, a very tuned in, talented, sensitive human being. What’s not to like.” Martin Stephenson (2022)

Angie now hopes to keep her momentum building even more with the release of her new single ‘Every Day’ which is a more upbeat tune that is set to go down well on national radio.

‘Every Day’ releases April 7^th 2023.

Originally intended as a soothing, sorrowful, almost gospel style meditation, Every Day transformed into a (northern) soul style step towards hope. Stephenson’s addition of rhythm and brass create both emotional and physical movement giving witness to the desire for a release from the weight of grief, evident in the lyrics. Every Day is about recognition of how struggle and change sit with each other uncomfortably and harmoniously.  Imminently danceable, Every Day shakes off troubles, even if only for the 3 minutes and 15 seconds that the song lasts, while never denying their presence.

The influence of black American music is an expression of gratitude for the exposure to so many great black artists and a way of maintaining a connection to that culture.

Connect with Angie McLaughlin

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Peter Richardson is a 23-year old singer/songwriter from Dublin. An avid songwriter since the age of 15, Peter grew up surrounded by music. After testing the waters with his original songs at a college open mic, Peter began properly recording his music at home in the summer of 2020. A few months later in October he released his debut single, “The End of The World”, an indie folk ballad filled with choral vocals and stirring, apocalyptic lyrics and instrumentation.

Peter’s dramatic sound draws from a wide range of influences, drawing on the poeticism and varied sounds of artists such as Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Hozier, Lorde and Ben Howard among countless others. Peter also draws influence from great Irish folk singer-songwriters, such as Paul Brady and Declan O’Rourke.

Peter’s second single, “Please Don’t Believe Me” released in March of 2021, and further expanded his ambitious home-crafted sound. The “Gripping sophomore track” (Hot Press) was featured on RTÉ Radio 1 and Hot Press’ “Track of The Day” upon release. Indie Buddie remarked the track “oozes passion, compelling melodies, and cinematic appeal”, describing it as “a refined display of contemporary pop marking Peter Richardson an artist to keep an eye on.”

Working with prolific cork producer Cian Sweeney (1000 Beasts), Peter released his debut EP ‘Then & Now’ on July 10th 2023. This was followed shortly by his debut headline show in Whelan’s, which after selling out the upstairs venue weeks in advance was upgraded to the Main Room due to overwhelming demand, and his debut festival performance at Kaleidoscope festival. Following the success of his debut EP and headline, Peter has returned to the studio, this time with Drogheda-based producer Daniel DeBurca, and has been working over the winter on three new tracks, the first of which, ‘Emily’, will release this April.

In line with this series of releases, Peter is returning with his next headline show in the Sound House on April 7th. With his brand new music, and returning headline performance, Peter is looking forward to building momentum towards an even bigger summer than the last.

April 5th will mark the release of Emily, the first of a series of songs created by Peter and Drogheda-based producer Daniel DeBurca. Following a spell focussed on writing last summer after the success of his debut headline show at Whelan’s, the pair began working together in late 2022 on this next batch of material, and in the months since then Peter has been in JeJune Studios recording, honing his sound and taking his production to the next level.

The song is a stirring, emotional indie folk ballad reminiscent of honest, grounded singer-songwriters like Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne and firmly rooted in the folk roots that inspires so much of Peter’s music. The song is heavily influenced by these great singer/songwriters that are famous for painting pain and loss in a beautiful way and that inspire Peter, such as Declan O’Rourke, Hozier, Bon Iver, The Staves and countless others. In the track Peter utilizes his poeticism and powerful storytelling to bring to life a potent, fabricated story of heartbreak and loss, dropping the listener right in the depths of the narrator’s despair and wrapping us up in emotion.

The track features fellow Dublin artist Anna Leah, a ground-breaking singer/songwriter who with her stunning, delicate vocals brings an aching beauty to the track, blending with Peter’s strong vocal and instrumentation to further hammer home the tragic lyrics. The song will be released just a few days before Peter’s returning headline show in The Sound House on Friday the 7th of April, and is only the first step in what is next to come from this exciting artist.

Connect with Peter Richardson 

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Dollface is the music project of Dublin-born songwriter Aimée Rose.

She has been singing and writing songs since she was a young teenager. What began as after-school violin lessons quickly grew into something that would become a lifelong passion. Writing short stories and poems was her foundation, then she progressed to creating melodies and instrumentals, and finally songs.

“Finding other artists who I could relate to on such a deep

and intimate level and wanting to recreate that amazing connection in my work and my writing ultimately became my goal”.

“The songwriting process for me involves lots of pens and paper. Although I take notes on my phone whenever I think of lyrics, I don’t think I’ve ever written a song that hasn’t been born from multiple crumpled pages, different colour pens and lots of scribbles”

Dollface’s music deals with themes ranging from existentialism to feminism, her alternative and dreamy sound coming from harmony blends, soft synths and sweet guitar, described as shoegaze and dream- pop.

“Lyrics almost always come first for me. I would consider myself a lyricist over a musician, as it’s where I’m at my most comfortable and confident”.

DollFace has been featured on Nialler 9, She Said So, RaggedCast, Made In Ireland Playlist, Jeadaí Magazine, Sonic OverLook and many more with her previous two singles. Between her singles ‘Good Damage’ and ‘Tired’ she has almost 7,000 Spotify Streams.

Influenced by artists such as Lucy Dacus, Mitski, Soccer Mommy, Phoebe Bridgers, Paramore, The Cure, The Beatles & Lorde, Dollface’s unique sound aims to blend all aspects of the genres she loves, while still making sure she has something to say.

“I write songs when things make me feel so strongly that the only way to deal with them is to get them out of my head. I write songs about feeling frustrated about things I don’t feel that I can change, but maybe if I make other people aware of these things, then I won’t feel so alone. Getting these songs out into the world is like a form of therapy for me and I’m already starting to feel better.”

DollFace releases her upcoming single ‘Plastic Skin’ on April 7^th 2023 and is set to mark the start of an exciting year for the emerging artist.

Plastic Skin is Dollface’s first release of 2023.

The song deals with themes of feminism and disassociation, trying to highlight how some people truly think of women and their bodies. How women are forced to come to terms with what they think of themselves in an age where women hating themselves and who they are is so profitable, both monetarily and societally.

 “Plastic Skin (originally called Dolls) was a song I wrote a few years ago for a college assignment, after an interaction I had with a then-friend of mine.. It made me reconsider what it means for a woman to feel at home in her own skin. It can often feel like the idea of being comfortable with who you are and what you look like isn’t really yours. It has been marketed to you all your life. Like dolls, the more we are scratched and broken and played with, the more our value seemingly decreases”. 

Aimée worked with Daniel at JeJune Studios on the single. They kept the same keys and drums from the original version of the song.

“I programmed some simple bass and re-recorded all the vocals myself in my wardrobe. My friend Patrick added some lovely soft guitar to give the song an added flow. Taking inspiration from a Soccer Mommy song, we used a condenser to create a very cool spoken word effect in the bridge and outro, making it sound like I’m saying the words right into your ear”.

The message Dollface wants people to understand from this song is that it isn’t just a surface-level one about girls feeling bad about their bodies, it’s much bigger than that. This idea that women only exist to fit into pre-existing moulds that were created for them without their input, is embedded in our culture and our lives. Her hope is to make people aware of this, and make them aware of their biases when they consider what it means to be a girl.

Connect with Dollface

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify