Author: Breffni Banks

22 year old Jack Keeshan gives listeners a taste of what’s to come. ‘Blue Murder’ is the first track from the Roscrea native’s soon to be released debut long player. Lyrically Keeshan explores the loss of authentic connection that is becoming increasingly evident in our overly digitised world.

Melancholic words are amplified by rumbling drums and mournful guitar that places Jack firmly in the lineage of Eddie Vedder, Mick Flannery and Elliott Smith. Three Artists that have had a profound and audible influence on Keeshan’s songwriting.

Accompanying the track is a music video directed by another rising talent, Director Nathan Campion.

The single, produced by Shayne Thomas Byrne (Sleeping Bears, Maithiún) is available to stream and download from all good digital outlets on September 28th 2018.

The Debut Album ‘Red Stories’ is due out in late 2018 on Carlow based label Ragged Company Recordings.

“For someone so young, Jack Keeshan’s writing prowess is beyond his years. A cacophony of sound coupled with Jack’s hypnotic vocal makes ‘Blue Murder’ a very listenable song”– Roddie Cleere – Irish Music Show KCLR96fm

https://www.facebook.com/Jackkeeshanmusic/
https://raggedcompanyrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/blue-murder
https://www.instagram.com/jackkeeshan/
https://raggedcompanyrecordings.com/jack-keeshan

On the 29th of November 2018, three piece Ambi-Groove band Dreaming of Jupiter will release their debut EP ‘Fading’ in the The Button Factory, Dublin. The EP will reveal the music the trio have been working on for the past year and will include four tracks. During the show, the band will be joined by renowned Dublin-based visual artist and NCAD graduate Jessie Hopkins, who will create a work of art in real-time with the band on stage during the live performance of the EP title track ‘Fading’. Jessie uses full body participation in the creation of her work, using the music as her muse, her painting will manifest as a visual representation of the energy shared between her and the band during their performance of the song. The performance will lead to the creation of a one-off very unique painting, a visual representation of the energy of the show.

The track itself, ‘Fading’, is a dark, electro-pop anthem with a strong groove presence and deep textural palette, reminiscent of the likes of Massive Attack and Little Dragon, with a dark soulful twist. The lyrics, which float between English and Spanish, deal with various themes including memory, grief, self-worth and sexuality among others.

Other tracks on the EP include releases from this year ‘Let Me Down’ and ‘Right Kind of Love’. Both tracks received very positive critical reviews from the likes of Ireland’s Nialler 9 Blog and the UK’s Clash Magazine, who when reviewing Dreaming of Jupiter made the following statement:

“Dreaming Of Jupiter seem to make each step count. The rising trio have a soulful sound, one matched to effervescent pop and an ability to side-step trends. Carving out their own path, each new release represents a step forward, with Dreaming Of Jupiter continuing to excel.”

The fourth and final track from the EP will be ‘Solace’ – a melodic and melancholic slow-jam which deals with the release and peace creativity gives an artist when dealing with loss and grief. The band regularly make reference to the solace they find through composition and performance – ‘no matter what goes right or wrong in life – music will always be the creative outlet that brings us back to life, it gives us purpose, it helps us uncover who we are, what we are feeling and how we deal with living’.

Having worked with staff and students from Dublin’s Sound Training Centre for the Searchlight Showcase back in early 2018, Dreaming of Jupiter have collaborated with a team of professionals to create a visually stunning show for ‘Fading’, including top of the line lighting and visuals for the production.

Doors will open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8.30pm, with support from ROE.

Following extensive nationwide radio play of the first two singles, and live radio performances on Radio Nova and LMFM, Terry will mark the launch of his new album with a cracking live set on the 27^th in The Bowery, Rathmines, which will include a live performance of ‘Little Darling’, a duet with his daughter Aedín which is receiving a rapturous response from radio media and public alike!

Ten years singing with the RTE Philharmonic Choir, along with many more years involved in performance and production, led Terry Hackett to start writing his own material. Performing works wide and varied from Bach to Beethoven to Mahler, typically to a full National Concert Hall, along with his production and musical skills, influenced the writing and recording of his solo albums.

‘Little Darling’, is the second single to be released from his forthcoming album ‘Kookoo City’ coming hot on the heels of ‘The Music Makers’ which received a healthy dose of airplay nationwide, thanks to KCLRFM, RTE2XM, and Galway Bay FM amongst others. The song is a duet with his daughter Aedín and is about the bond between parent and child; part fact, part aspirational and part acknowledgment of not being the perfect parent! Out now on all download and streaming platforms.

With an extensive background in the areas of performance, recording and production, Terry’s original involvement with music was as a drummer, playing and touring with several acts from the late 80’s through to the 00’s. At the same time, he became heavily involved in recording and production, both in studio and on the road. His work either behind the drum-kit or the mixing console has included artists from a wide range of genres including Picturehouse, The Wilde Oscars, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Lunasa, B*witched and Danny O’Donoghue & Mark Sheehan from The Script in their boyband days with MyTown. After ten years singing with the RTE Philharmonic Choir, Terry was inspired to start writing and recording his own material leading to his debut release ‘One Over Eighty’ in 2013, described by MondoTunes as “a record boasting gorgeous unique instrumental and pop compositions alike.”

All of his productions are self-recorded and produced.

RTÉ has announced today that it will livestream at this year’s Wexford Festival Opera for the first time, as part of its collaboration with European public service channel, ARTE. The collaboration will see Wexford Festival Opera’s production of Saverio Mercadante’s Il bravo (The Assassin) livestreamed internationally on RTÉ’s online Culture platform, RTE.ie/culture.

In April 2019, the opera will also be broadcast on Arte’s digital on-demand culture channel, Arte Concert as part of ARTE’s 2019 Opera Season in which 22 operas from opera houses across 14 countries will be broadcast free-of-charge to audiences across the world, creating a special online service for lovers of classical music.

This latest collaboration has been facilitated by a close partnership between RTÉ and ARTE as part of a pan-European public-service initiative which sets out to promote European culture by offering European cultural content and events on-demand and free-of-charge to audiences worldwide on the digital platforms of partner broadcasters.

International audiences will now get to experience this leading Irish cultural event, Il bravo (The Assassin) by Saverio Mercadante, live from the National Opera House as part of Wexford Festival Opera on www.rte.ie/culture on Saturday 27th October. This performance will then be available for catch-up on RTÉ Player.

In addition, RTÉ lyric fm will broadcast Il bravo (The Assasin) live on Saturday 27th October as part of Opera Night with Paul Herriott and will also be streamed around Europe courtesy of the EBU Premium Opera Season. Two additional operas will be recorded for future broadcast: The European premiere of William Bolcom’s, Dinner at Eight will be broadcast on Saturday 3^rd November on RTÉ lyric fm and streamed around Europe as well, courtesy of the EBU Premium Opera Season; while the double-bill of L’oracolo and Mala vita will be broadcast on RTÉ lyric fm on Saturday 10^th November.

Ann-Marie Power, Group Head of Arts & Culture, RTÉ, said:  “I’m delighted that RTÉ’s partnership with the Wexford Festival Opera is further enriched this year and that our close relationship with ARTE continues to bear fruit. Arts and culture is for everyone and this visual spectacle, along with RTÉ’s Culture Night events and the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, is part of a series of exciting arts events which RTÉ is livestreaming and bringing to our audiences, wherever they are.”

ARTE will stream the performance on its bespoke online culture channel, ARTÉ Concert, from April 2019. ARTE’s Opera Season invites audiences to experience outstanding new productions from magnificent performers by leading European opera houses every month. These will be available on-demand, worldwide, and subtitled in six languages.

From the outset, Wexford Festival Opera has set itself apart with a bold and unique vision: to introduce audiences to the ‘Hidden Gems’ of the opera-world by staging rarely performed operas to the highest artistic quality. It is a vision to which the Festival has held fast for 67 years and one that continues to give Wexford Festival Opera its distinctive character. The 67th Wexford Festival Opera runs from 19^th October – 4^thNovember 2018. For more information and full programme, visit www.wexfordopera.com.

David McLoughlin, Chief Executive of Wexford Festival Opera, says: “Ten years on from RTÉ broadcasting live on terrestrial television from the National Opera House on its opening night, a new and exciting chapter in Wexford’s partnership with RTÉ has commenced with the national broadcaster live streaming across the globe one of this year’s main opera productions. This venture forms a crucial part of Wexford’s digital strategy, enabling its already large international audience expand even further by virtue of this new opportunity for audiences anywhere to view and enjoy a Wexford production live online.”

ARTE Opera Season, which has been developed in partnership with broadcasters all over Europe, including RTÉ, RTBF, YLE and RTS, will begin with the live streaming of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) from The Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie, Brussels, on September 27th

For more visit, www.rte.ie/culture and arte.tv.culture.

Come join Soul singer and songwriter Jesse John Heffernan and his big band as they release perform music off his debut album “Late Night Attention” on September 28th in The Sugar Club.

Jesse John Heffernan has been making waves and breaking boundaries in Ireland over the last two years as the go to soul singer and songwriter, performing on the major television broadcasters headline show “The Late Late Show”, playing countless radio stations and selling out two shows in Dublin since December 2016.

His latest single ‘Shelter’ was featured in the newest Irish feature film ‘Dublin Old School’ and has been played on radio stations throughout the country.

His latest appearance on RTE Radio 2xms Studio 8 session has been views almost 5k times in the last two weeks and is growing momentum everyday.

With a live show that emcompases classic performers like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield, from which he models himself under, and great songwriters and vocalists like Van Morrison, Aaron Neville and modern idles Alan Stone and Hozier, plus his live recordings which are based by the “one take” module of the Motown era, his debut album (which is currently unreleased) becomes a fantastic blend of classic American soul, Irish folk and RnB.

He has supported acts like Lee Fields, Curtis Harding, Roy Ayers, Jake Clemons, Brian Deady, The Blades, Saun & Starr plus others, and worked with members of The Dapkings on some tracks off this record, plus most recently performed an intimate set at Sofar NYC.

Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/JesseJohnHeffernan/
Launch event page – https://www.facebook.com/events/242317409753847/

TradFest, Dublin’s annual musical extravaganza which takes place each January, have released online a new version of the iconic ‘On Raglan Road’.

Produced and arranged by Mike Hanrahan and Gavin Glass this iconic Dublin song is performed by a number of artists who have all, over the years, performed in TradFest – Paddy Casey, Davey Cashin, Eleanor McEvoy, Loah, Sive, Sibéal NíChaside, Sean O’Sé, Luan Parle, Phelim Drew and Daoiri Farrell. This video set out to capture and celebrate the essence of TradFest. From the outstanding artists involved, to the historic location it was filmed in, St Werburgh’s Church, it celebrates the broad spectrum of talent, eclectic mix of styles and gorgeous venues which make TradFest such a unique Dublin experience.

As the Festival celebrates Trad without frontiers it was decided that this recording should be free and accessible to everybody to enjoy.

According to Festival Director and Temple Bar Company CEO, Martin Harte, “We felt that many music festivals are as much about the fringe elements as they are about the music, in TradFest we wanted to focus on what we are all about, the music, the artist, the tradition, and wonderful historic hidden places where the festival happens. ‘On Raglan Road’ was first penned in 1947, a different Dublin then, however the song is given new life with this extraordinary collection of performers, all of whom have played an important part not only in the evolution of TradFest, but in traditional and folk music generally. We ask that people listen liberally, share and enjoy.”

TradFest 2019 will take place from 23-27 January. For more see tradfest.ie

Raglan Road credits:
Produced and arranged by Mike Hanrahan and Gavin Glass
Filming by Killian Broderick
Creative concept by Mr & Mrs Stevens
Location St Werburgh’s Church, Dublin

Badhands is the musical project of Dublin songwriter and musician Dan Fitzpatrick. His recently completed debut album, entitled ‘Predictable Boy’, began as a collaboration with producer and bass player Tom Cosgrave (The Minutes), then quickly evolved in to a more expansive project with the enlistment of multi-instrumentalist Aoife Ruth, drummer Ken Mooney, and engineer Chris Barry. The end result is a collection of vivid, textured songs that range in tone between dark and brooding to frantic and energetic, with moments of genuine euphoria weaved in to the mix. With a strong focus on lyrics and vocals, the album echoes at times the likes of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Leonard Cohen, and Villagers. The record is beautifully intimate but also has an accessibility that will quickly capture the imagination of the listener.  

The brand new single ‘Monday Morning’ whimsically describes a bout of laziness and anxiety, where the somewhat tongue in cheek self-pity and hopelessness of the lyrics are contrasted with the upbeat exhilaration of the music. The song will be released on October 5th, with the release of the album to follow on November 9th. The band will play a Dublin launch gig at The Workman’s Club on November 17th and embark on a nationwide tour that month. 

Badhands’ debut single ‘Waves’ was released in November 2017, and was soon followed by an impressive run of live gigs, namely a performance at the Whelan’s Ones to Watch festival, a packed headline show in The Workman’s Club and a sold out gig at Vicar Street supporting Michael McDonald.

“Bear Creek To Dame Street brings together four new songs we wrote and recorded in Bear Creek Studios in Seattle and four older tracks recorded at the Olympia Theatre on Dame Street in Dublin earlier this year. We’re very proud of the new songs and we’re excited to see what the response is like.

To our own surprise, we’ve never officially released any live recordings from our own gigs, even though we’ve played one hundred gigs a year for the past five years; so it’s good to finally have something live being released as well!” – Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor

Following the success of the ‘Feel It Again’ EP, which has enjoyed over ten million plays on streaming platforms, and spawned two of the biggest Irish airplay hits of the last year in the title track and ‘Run With Me’, Hudson-Taylor are proud to release ‘Bear Creek To Dame Street’, an eight-track album which captures the best of the brothers in both studio and concert settings.

Building on a year of extensive touring, including a sold-out UK and European tour at the beginning of the year, which then led to a debut US tour with Gabrielle Aplin followed by a non-stop summer of Irish, UK and European festivals; ‘Bear Creek To Dame Street’ coincides with a full-on autumn and winter schedule for Hudson Taylor, taking in a US tour with Hozier, four US headline shows of their own, plus another UK and European headline tour ending with a residency at Whelan’s in Dublin the week before Christmas.

Harry and Alfie add – “We’re looking ahead to the end of the year and the most packed schedule we’ve ever had, and we couldn’t be more excited. We’re chuffed to be opening for the wonderfully talented Hozier on his North American tour, and we’re bringing the whole band so there’s a real buzz building in the HT camp.”

Bear Creek To Dame Street track listing:

Bear Creek side

One In A Million
You Don’t Wanna Know
I Love You And You Don’t Even Know
Shot Someone

Dame Street side

Care (live)
World Without You (live)
Don’t Know Why (live)
Battles (live)
Chasing Rubies (live) (bonus digital track)

‘Bear Creek To Dame Street’ will be released by Rubyworks on vinyl, CD and streaming on Friday 21st September.

Hudson Taylor on tour Autumn / Winter 2019

US / Canada with Hozier (unless noted)

18th September – L’Olympia, Montreal
19th September – Rebel Complex, Toronto
21st September – Riviera Theatre, Chicago
24th, 25th, 26th September – Beacon Theatre, New York City
28th September – The Loft, City Winery, New York City – headline show
30th September – Haymarket, City Winery, Boston – headline show
1st October – House Of Blues, Boston
2nd October – Lincoln Theatre, Washington
3rd October – The Fillmore, Philadelphia
4th October – Songbyrd, Washington – headline show
8th, 9th, 10th October – Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles
12th October – Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles – headline show
14th October – The Marquee, Tempe
15th October – Observatory North Park, San Diego
16th October – Fox Theatre, Oakland
18th October – Paramount Theatre, Seattle
19th, 20th October – Roseland Theatre, Portland
22nd October – Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver

Ireland / UK / Europe – headline tour

26th October – Spiegeltent, Wexford
27th October – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
28th October – Anderson’s @ Sligo Live
7th November – Doornroosje, Nijmegen, NL
8th November – Rotown, Rotterdam, NL
10th November – Rolling Stone Weekender, Wangels, DE
11th November – Loppen, Copenhagen, DK
12th November – Obaren, Stockholm, SE
14th November – Musik & Frieden, Berlin, DE
15th November – Luxor, Koln, DE
16th November – Rolling Stone Park, Rust, DE
18th November – Les Etoiles Theatre, Paris, FR
22nd November – The Wardrobe, Leeds, UK
23rd November – Club Academy, Manchester, UK
24th November – St. Luke’s, Glasgow, UK
25th November – Think Tank, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK
27th November – O2 Institute 2, Birmingham, UK
28th November – KOKO, London, UK
29th November – The Haunt, Brighton
17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st December – Whelan’s, Dublin

Hear it, See it, Live it at Rocktober!

Stolen City, Deep Sky Objects, Feuds, & Enemy II Lines will raise the roof in The Grand Social on Wednesday, October 3rd, door tickets €15 and opens at 7:30pm.

Four immensely talented up & coming rock bands, each equipped with a unique and visceral sound to be heard firsthand in Dublin’s finest live music venue. Rocktober is celebrating some of Ireland’s best new live music acts and is being organised by Applaud.

Applaud is an online marketplace for booking musicians. Created by musicians, for musicians, it provides secure payments, customizable profiles & a bookings management system to help revolutionise the music industry.

Tickets: http://fatso.ma/uXbL

Band Profiles:
https://applaudevents.com/performers/stolen-city
https://applaudevents.com/performers/deep-sky-objects
https://applaudevents.com/performers/feuds
https://applaudevents.com/performers/enemy-ii-lines

New Irish supergroup, Weekend Special are back with their second single from the acclaimed 2018 album ‘In The Heart Of The Castle’. Having garnered praise from the press and public alike, with Roddie Cleere of KCLR stating: “From the first song to the last, the listener is drawn in and captivated. Tasty, enticing, luscious, ‘In The Heart of a Castle’ from Weekend Special is a joy and the best in its genre so far this year”

The group are back with another excellent tune, this time an upbeat number with a summery feel, while touching on the poignant topic of coming to terms with the loss of someone close.

Can we be contacted by the dead? Can we console ourselves in times of grief with the thought that death does not mean extinction?

In the movie “Ghost Town”, Ricky Gervais plays a sour dentist in Manhattan who – as the result of a mishap when receiving a local anaesthetic – suffers a near-death experience and acquires an unwanted and unusual talent. He can see and talk to the ghosts that haunt the city. These ghosts, condemned to live in limbo before “moving on”, latch on to Gervais, hoping he can help them find closure.

In Neil Jordan’s novel, “The Drowned Detective”, one of the storylines deals with the rescue by the hero of a woman (Petra) who falls into the river near the distinctive city bridge. Petra turns out eventually to be a ghost even though so many of the places and events that touch her life seem so tangible and real.

The new Weekend Special single, ‘Remember The Good Times’, speaks to similar themes. A single mum dies in Peru in 2013. As the months pass, there is something very striking about the state of mind of her friends and family. They behave as if she is a living presence. Some speak of regular dreams where she “visits” and speaks to them. Her mother sees her on a bus journey into the city.

Another friend comments: “Our loved ones are still here as a vivid presence: we keep them alive by means of our memories of the good times”. This conscious decision to keep a loved one alive by speaking of her in everyday conversation and refusing to let her go demonstrates a profound understanding of death and loss. In the song, “Remember The Good Times”, composer Seán Silke uses the device of having the “dead” person sing the lyrics, communicating a message of love and hope from the “other side”.

‘Remember The Good Times’ is available now, along with the rest of the Weekend Special Album ‘In The Heart of the Castle’, on all major online stores and streaming services.

Website: http://www.weekendspecial.ie/