Author: Breffni Banks

Irish R&B singer-songwriter and television personality Zeinab releases new single ‘Swim Good’

• The singer was named in Hot Press Magazine’s ‘Hot for 2022’ list of emerging musical talent and Dublin Live’s ‘10 musicians set to make it big in 2022’;
• Frank Ocean-inspired ‘Swim good’ explores complex themes of romantic baggage, guilt and suicide;
• Single will be released on Friday, 10 March across all platforms;
• Zeinab comment: “‘Swim Good’ is a soulful, stirring and vulnerable ballad that erupts with distressed raw emotion”

Irish R&B singer-songwriter and television personality Zeinab, releases her first single of 2023, a soulful, stirring and vulnerable ballad that erupts with distressed raw emotion.

Zeinab’s soulful, powerful and velvet voice with deep bass and wandering guitars, take listeners on a deep journey. Listeners are transported to Zeinab’s deep emotional abyss, and eventual release.

Building on a breakout 2022

Zeinab’s music career gathered particular momentum in 2022. She was named Hot Press Magazine’s ‘Hot for 2022’ list of emerging Irish musical talent and Dublin Live’s ‘10 Dublin musicians set to make it big in 2022’. The singer-songwriter is also a presenter on Virgin Media’s ‘Six O’Clock Show’.

The single, her first of 2023, will be released on Friday, 10 March across all music platforms.

A therapeutic release 

Reflecting on the song, Zeinab said:

“When I sing this it feels like an outer body experience. I’m taken away to a deep and buried place that’s just me, my thoughts and my heavy emotion. Feelings of not being enough, guilt for my sadness, trying to escape my anxiety (“Imma try to swim from somethin’ bigger than me”), and how nobody can pull me out of this pit of turmoil.

“The song explores the topic of romantic baggage, guilt and suicide. Lyrically, the song expresses a narrative about a person who, burdened with many failed relationships, ends their life by driving into the ocean. The track explores tropes of the tragic love story and suicide.

Frank Ocean-inspired

Originally by Frank Ocean, Zeinab fell in love with his music after the album ‘Channel Orange’:

“It was after this that I found Swim Good. It instantly struck a chord with me. This song spoke to me as at the time when I was struggling with my mental health. The song surrenders to sadness and pain, and singing it live has always had a therapeutic quality for me.

“My reason for stripping the song back is to let the lyrics speak for themselves. It’s an exposing vulnerable song and so I wanted my vocals to ring out in the hope that other listeners will relate and connect to it.

“Musically, 2023 is going to be a big year for me, and therefore it felt fitting that it would be my first single of the year.”

Hawk Jupiter collaborated with Zeinab as the producer on this track having previously collaborated on 2021’s track “Oasis’. Hawk Jupiter and Zeinab have been collaborating for a year, and have scheduled to release a number of further tracks in 2023.

Italian artist Massimo Simigliano created the single’s soul-searching artwork, with the vast ocean and the big orange moon, a nod to her favourite album Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’.

Connect with Zeinab

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Podge Lane has announced the release of his sophomore album Common Country Misconceptions on March 10th, 2023 via Teip Records. Celebrated for melding his country instrumentation within alternative arrangements, Lane has created a rich narrative that flows throughout the 10 track
record.

Explored in his debut album in 2021, Outer Monologues, Lane gave a glimpse into one bad night in the life of the author, ending with the promise of things getting better. Now Lane introduces Common Country Misconceptions and asks us ‘what comes after happily ever after’? As a lifelong fan of country music, Lane listened to the great tales of heroes overcoming evil, winning the loves of their lives and riding off into the sunset. As the credits roll, Lane stays to explore the next chapter.

With his recent singles off of Common Country Misconceptions garnering attention from IMRO, Hot Press, American Songwriter Magazine, and GoldenPlec, to name a few, Lane’s vivid storytelling is clearly at play throughout the album, with Hot Press commenting ‘it essentially flips the silent country masculine singer trope and turns it on its head.’

Lane explores the common themes of country music and challenges the idea of the ‘happy ending’. Once we find happiness in our lives, we can put so much pressure on ourselves to never feel down again. Lane reminds us in Common Country Misconceptions, that even when your dreams do come true that you are still human, and that’s actually a pretty good thing.

Lane comments on the album as: “facing the daunting challenge of accepting happiness with the knowledge you have nothing left to blame for your problems.”

The release of the album will coincide with a launch show in Cork’s Winthrop Avenue on March 10th 2023. Beginning on his 2023 Tour, Lane will be performing in Little Whelan’s, Dublin and DeBarra’s Cork supporting US duo Damsel, with album Launch shows in Cork, Dublin and London to follow.

Paddy Dennehy is a folk singer-songwriter, originally from Limerick, now based in Cork. He recently announced a new album ‘Love and Be Brave’, to be released 25^th May 2023, and today shares a new track from it, ‘If I Can’t’.

Speaking of the song, Paddy says:

‘If I Can’t’ is almost like a checklist of how you feel at the end of a relationship that means something to you but I didn’t want the song to be another woe is me, paint by numbers, break up song so I tried to be a little more playful with some of the lyrics – “I’m just a freak, without the show. I’m just a mirror, without the smoke” and so on. The chorus is the sad realisation that, at the end of a relationship, you can’t be comforted by the person that has hurt you, no matter how much they would like to be there for you at that moment. “Don’t hold me like that, if you won’t hold me tomorrow. Don’t kiss my back if you’re gonna turn yours”

As a child Paddy would rush to get a guitar or play the piano very loudly in the hopes that you might hear it and request a song before you left. He was not imbued with a keen sense of subtlety or restraint but he has been working on this over the years.

His first real sense of feeling a connection to music was listening to Mick Flannery perform ‘Evening Train’ on the ‘Late Late Show’. From here there is a clear trajectory of influences – Mick Flannery led him to Tom Waits. Tom Waits led Paddy to Randy Newman, who would lead on to  Nick Cave. Other influences would surface in later years but Flannery, Waits, Newman and Cave have formed the bedrock of Paddy’s music.

When he started writing his second album, Paddy lived alone on his father’s small farm in County Limerick. It was a long way from anywhere and afforded him plenty of time to think, write and play with everything on full volume. It was both cathartic and challenging. His forthcoming album is called ‘Love and Be Brave’, and that’s it. That’s the point of the album. Love bravely, never passively and don’t take love as a given thing in this world. It must be earned and protected fiercely.

If you make it to one of his shows be sure to come and say hi afterwards and tell him who you’re listening to at the moment.

His second album will be released on the 25th of May 2023. The latest single ‘If I Can’t’ is out now:

‘Love and Be Brave’ is the title of his second album to be released in the spring of 2023.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Sunday 28th of May: Coughlan’s, Cork

Saturday 3rd June: Upstairs Whelan’s, Dublin

Sunday June 4th: Upstairs Dolan’s, Limerick

Friday July 1st: LiveStock Festival, Galway

+ more to be announced

“Little Light is a captivating, heart-wrenching showcase of how powerful folk music can be.” – Hotpress Magazine

“This man is a rare talent.” – Rolling Stone France

“You really couldn’t wish for a more impressive debut album” – FortitudeMagazine.co.uk

Connect with Paddy Dennehy

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify

Anna Stafford D’souza aka Thursday’s Child is a singer / songwriter based in Wexford.

Having started writing songs during lockdown, they are relatively new to the song writing scene. Just over lockdown, they started writing poetry and lyrics, next thing they were humming melodies.

Anna’s songs have been recorded in Wexford with the assistance of the talented musician, Mick Egan.

Their background is in graphic design, which has helped to create some of the artwork for the releases. They try to be as self-sufficient as they can be. Of her song writing, Anna says:

“This was a whole new avenue of creative expression for me, writing lyrics and melodies.”

Nothing Special:

‘Nothing Special’ has a darker, more raw rock sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9FL57X8Au0

Feels like a Dream:

The lyrics to ‘Feels like a Dream’ are like a nostalgic love letter to my teenage years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSx5aKOIdJ4

You can find Thursday’s child on YouTube using:

https://www.youtube.com/@thursdayschild9682

And Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/277yU6PZR3wUAUFdps8gIc

Sina Theil is a German born, Irish based singer-songwriter who the people of Ireland have taken to their hearts, while Caitríona a native of Tralee, Co. Kerry, is also a singer-songwriter and known to many as a resident judge on TG4’s hit country music show ‘Glór Tíre’ for the past 19 years.

Neither one a stranger to television, the pair were brought together by none other than the world famous Daniel O’ Donnell to sing on his TG4 show ‘Opry le Daniel ar Thuras’ in July 2022. It was there that Sina and Caitríona hit it off with a mutual admiration of each other’s musical talents during the show.

They decided to collaborate with each other on a track to coincide with International Women’s Day 2023. Out on iTunes and all streaming services on Sunday March 12th, what better track to record than the timeless Irish Ballad ‘The Fields of Athenry’. Offering a fresh female perspective with the first ever female duet version of ‘The Fields of Athenry’, Sina and Caitríona, a mother herself, were struck by the story of the mother in the song as well as the love story. Many see this song as the testimony of a man sent to prison on Botany Bay and overlook the powerful female story told between the lines – a young mother’s struggle as she is left alone to provide for her young children during the time of the Great Famine. A topic that is sadly still very relevant today.

Sina and Caitríona were delighted to be asked by the Irish Music Magazine to premiere their music video as part of the Nashville based transatlantic virtual festival Music City Irish Fest on St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th alongside acts such as Altan, Cara Dillon and Kildare artist Dan McCabe. The festival will run for two days (March 17th and 18th) and can be viewed on the Irish Music Magazine Facebook page (@TRADIMM). Their video will also be released on YouTube internationally on Mother’s Day, Sunday 19th March.

Fresh from the success of her concert programme “Live at THT Galway” which was recently aired on TG4, Sina recorded ‘The Fields of Athenry’ with Caitríona in Athenry. Both artists have had a string of number 1 singles in recent years on both the main Irish iTunes charts and the Irish country music charts.

Sina is presently enjoying touring with renowned Irish ballad singer Dan McCabe (dates and tickets at https://www.danmccabe-music.com/) and Caitríona is busy recording for her own music show stateside which will be aired in the coming months. Exciting times ahead for the two talented singer-songwriters and they hope you enjoy their version of this timeless Irish ballad.

‘The Fields of Athenry’ performed by Sina Theil and Caitríona O Sullivan – available on iTunes and all streaming services Sunday March 12th.

Connect with Sine Theil

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Cork band, Greenshine, have just released their latest single BIG BLACK BAG in aid of AWARE, that amazing not-for-profit organization that does such brilliant and loving work to support those suffering from DEPRESSION, BI-POLAR DISORDER and STRESS RELATED ILLNESSES. There are very few families unaffected by mental health issues and it’s wonderful that there’s an organisation out there that really cares and deserves support.

In spite of the seemingly dark subject matter of BIG BLACK BAG (which was written in the middle of a long sleepless night) it’s a song of empowerment and a bit of a rocker.

Greenshine are joined on the track by their great friends Martin Leahy on drums and David Murphy on pedal steel.

Big Black Bag is taken from Greenshine’s forthcoming album NEW MOON ON FRIDAY and the song is available now on all the usual streaming platforms and here.

Greenshine will tour the new album around the country in the coming months and it will be officially launched in Cork at 6pm on Saturday 22 April.

Sat 11 March COLIEMORE, THE ARTIST’S HOUSE, COBH with Special Guest Meadhbh Hayes

Sat 25 March THE CHERRY TREE, WALKINSTOWN Sold Out

Sun 26 March AFTERNOON EXTRA SHOW ADDED THE CHERRY TREE, WALKINSTOWN. with Special Guests WILLIE HEADON and Friends

Sat 1 April EILEENS’ TEA ROOMS, CASTLEBLANEY, CO. MONAGHAN

Weds 12 April KATTY BARRY’S, WATERFORD

Sat 22 April 6pm, OFFICIAL LAUNCH THE CORNER HOUSE, CORK with band and special guest JACK O ROURKE

Stamped with an individuality and high style of her own Cork born BIMM Dublin graduate Chubby Cat has already been making waves in Ireland and the UK with her earlier singles, Not a Vibe, Baby Blue & Ache picking up exciting support at radio, press and across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music etc

Her most recent release Not a Vibe was included on Spotify’s New Music Friday, Fresh Finds & New Pop UK playlists while the song was ‘Track of the Week’ on Spin South West and received significant play across 2fm, Today FM and a host of other Irish and international stations.

Not a Vibe was also critically acclaimed by Nialler9, Golden Plec, Atwood Magazine, Lock Magazine, GCN etc and was included in the influential ‘Now Hear This’ playlist on the Independent UK.

Chubby Cat is undeniably one of Irelands most exciting new artists and set to make big waves internationally in 2023.

Connect with Chubby Cat

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InBetween Honey are an indie rock band, formed in June 2019 and come out of Gibstown, Co. Meath. The band is composed of five school friends who met in O’Carolan College, Nobber.

They are heavily influenced by bands such as Catfish and The Bottlemen, Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Killers.

During their writing process, they are influenced by real life stories from within the band and transform them into big sounding indie rock anthems.

The name of the band came about when the lead singer Dylan Hickey was listening to a song by Bleachers when the lyrics “woke up I’m in the InBetween Honey” was said in the first line of the song and they decided then it was a great name for a band.

Having released five singles under their belt, they have received airplay on Radio Nova, RTE 2FM and FM104 as well as having played sold out shows in Whelan’s and the Workmans Club, and performed at Electric Picnic in 2019.

The band has gone from strength to strength since their inception.

With their forthcoming debut EP set for release in March 2023.

The EP was recorded in the Clinic Recording studios in Dublin. The songs were engineered and produced by David Anthony Curley and mixed by Simon Francis.

This year is shaping up to be a monumental one for the band.

InBetween Honey are Dylan Hickey, brothers Matty and JohnPaul Melady, Blayne Moran and Darragh Muldoon.

Ludlow Street EP

In the band’s hometown, around the age of 18, most young romances started in an establishment on “Ludlow Street”. It was a place where you go out in the hope of finding that perfect catch and the events of this EP show how a relationship transpired over what can be a short space of time.

Going to the south of Spain with your partner to “Sunny Banus” in the hope of having the time of your life to suddenly realising you both need a “Little More” from one another and maybe you’re not meant for each other.

When at the end of your holiday you end up in a stranger’s house on a different planet with your significant other and somebody else takes a liking to that person. 

“Pingin’”, this fool tries it on, and you are the “InBetween” between your partner and him.

This collection of songs is about a young couple’s journey through their early adult life, consisting of real-life stories gathered by members of the band. They are hard hitting indie rock songs made for arenas and stadiums.

Ludlow Street Focus Track

‘Ludlow Street’ is a song about youthful romance. It deals with the idea of meeting ‘the one’ and losing them on the same night out. Giving a retrospective view of seeing that person again and wanting to relive the slice of happiness you had from the first night but being too afraid to stand up and say something.

With punchy drum and bass, exciting guitar riffs, electrifying synths, and relatable, catchy lyrics the song takes you on a journey of what it’s like to lose something special and desperately want it back.

Connect with InBetween Honey

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