Dublin Alt Rocker The Stoles are thrilled to announce the release of their highly anticipated debut album titled “Age Of Deception”.
The album will be out on iTunes, Spotify and other major digital stores on Friday February 9th 2018 on US largest indie label Spectra Music Group.
The album was written by The Stoles and recorded at Red Lake recording studio, produced & mixed by Modest Prophet and mastered by Masterlab; Artwork by Massimiliano Veltri.
After a phenomenal 12 months with 3 singles released, 2 tours across Ireland’s best venues and getting playlisted on numerous Irish and European radio stations, The Stoles finally release their highly anticipated debut album “Age Of Deception” in the grand social on Friday February 9th 2018.
Come join them for an unforgettable night of some of the best rock coming out of the Ireland!
Support on the night comes from Sarah Deegan, Key & Pearl / Doors 8 pm / Adm €10 (students €6) Strictly over 18s
Every ticket purchased online will include a physical copy of the group’s forthcoming album.
Multi-platinum international music sensation, Celtic Woman returns with their brand new live CD and DVD: ‘Homecoming – Live From Ireland’.
Recorded live at a stunning show in Dublin, Ireland in September 2017, Homecoming features the angelic voices of Susan McFadden, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon and the breathtaking new violinist Tara McNeill.
Since its debut, global musical sensation Celtic Woman’s concerts continue to touch the hearts of a huge audience that spans the globe.
Both an accomplished recording ensemble and a world-class performing collective, Celtic Woman celebrates Ireland’s rich musical and cultural heritage, while continuing its remarkable legacy of introducing some of Ireland’s most talented singers and musicians onto the world stage. It’s a universal celebration of life. It’s both traditional and contemporary.
Following its debut on PBS in 2005, the group has achieved massive success encompassing twelve chart-topping albums, eight DVDs and nine public television specials leading to sales of over ten million albums, with platinum success in nine countries. Each of its CDs – including 2016’s Destiny which was also nominated for a Grammy – has debuted at #1 on Billboard’s World Albums chart. The group has been named Billboard Magazine’s #1 World Albums Artist six times.
Celtic Woman continues to transcend national and cultural boundaries to celebrate the timeless emotion of Ireland’s centuries-old heritage. A one-of-a-kind live act, Celtic Woman combines the country’s finest musical talents with epic stage production to present a uniquely inspiring live experience. As a touring powerhouse, the group has performed for over four million fans across 23 countries and six continents, with an especially devoted following in America. The show is renowned for its high-quality entertainment, exceptional musical performances and stunning visual productions, enthralling audiences of all ages.
‘Homecoming – Live From Ireland’ captures this chapter of their extraordinary musical journey in this stunning live CD and DVD.
Tracklisting:
STANDARD CD
Homecoming Lament
Mo Ghile Mear (My Gallant Star)
My Heart Will Go On
Walk Beside Me
Dúlaman
Danny Boy
For the Love of a Princess
Fields of Gold
Westering Home
Water Under the Bridge
The Voice
Sean Nós Songs: Ard Ui Chuain / Sadhbh Ni Bhruinneallaigh
You Raise Me Up
The Kesh Inn
Téir Abhaile Riú
The Parting Glass
DVD
Homecoming Lament
Mo Ghile Mear (My Gallant Star)
My Heart Will Go On
Across the World
Walk Beside Me
Dúlaman
She Moved Through the Fair
Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
Danny Boy
Fields of Gold
Westering Home
Amazing Grace
For the Love of a Princess
Ave Maria
Floorplay
Sean Nós Songs: Ard Ui Chuain / Sadhbh Ni Bhruinneallaigh
The Voice
Time to Say Goodbye
You Raise Me Up
The Kesh Inn
Téir Abhaile Riú
The Parting Glass
Wyvern Lingo continue to fan the flames of anticipation as the release of their debut album grows ever closer. Following the success of ‘I Love You, Sadie’, which was Nialler9’s 2017 song of the year on his website, the Bray trio open their 2018 account with the smouldering R’N’B ballad ‘Maybe It’s My Nature’.
Featured vocalist Karen Cowley says of the song: “Maybe It’s My Nature is about having a wandering eye, and the feelings of guilt that come with that. The song addresses three different people: a partner, a dead poet, and myself.” She adds – “I find that female characters in a lot of popular media still seem to lack sexual agency or fall into age old stereotypes. I wrote this song at a time when I was particularly fed up of hearing and seeing the same depictions that don’t resonate with how I feel.”
Wyvern Lingo’s long-awaited, self-titled debut album is out Friday 23rd February on vinyl, CD and download on Rubyworks. The band will be on tour in Ireland, the UK and Europe in support of the album release.
Tour dates:
23rd Feb, The Button Factory, Dublin
24th Feb, Glor, Ennis
25th Feb, Connolly’s of Leap, Cork
1st March, McHugh’s, Belfast
2nd March, Dolan’s, Limerick
3rd March, St Luke’s Church, Cork
8th March, Mike The Pies, Listowel
9th March, Roisin Dubh, Galway
10th March, Source Arts Centre, Thurles
11th March, Spirit Store, Dundalk
14th March, Sound, Liverpool
15th March, The Mash House, Edinburgh
16th March, Stereo, Glasgow
17th March, Think Tank Underground, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
18th March, The Castle Hotel, Manchester
20th March, Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
21st March, Louisiana, Bristol
24th March, Prinzenbar, Hamburg
26th March, Privatclub, Berlin
27th March, Studio 672, Cologne
28th March, Upstairs at The Paradiso, Amsterdam
IMRO would like to extend their condolences to the family, friends and band mates of Dolores O’Riordan, who passed away suddenly yesterday, 15th January, while recording in London.
Limerick born O’Riordan rose to international fame as lead singer of The Cranberries with their 1993 debut album ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’. The band went on to sell over 40 million records worldwide and were responsible for hits such as ‘Dreams’, ‘Linger’ and ‘Zombie’, instantly recognisable thanks to Dolores’ unique haunting vocals. After releasing five original albums, the band took a break in 2003. During this time O’Riordan released two solo albums before reforming with the band in 2009. The Cranberries released a new album entitled ‘Something Else’ in April of last year, featuring acoustic versions of their hits along with three new songs.
A statement on the band’s social media read:
“We are devastated on the passing of our friend Dolores. She was an extraordinary talent and we feel very privileged to have been part of her life from 1989 when we started the Cranberries. The world has lost a true artist today. Noel, Mike and Fergal”
A. Smyth has just released his debut single. ‘Into The Darkness’.
Sometimes you just need to tear it down in order to build it back up again. A. Smyth reached that point 18 months ago. He needed to rip up his past in order to put some imprint on his future.
That’s where this song comes from, sacrificing the past and present in order to carve out some future hope. Instant gratification, transient fame, rolling news cycles, instability, fast-paced lifestyles, social competition, high stakes and even higher expectations perforate the soaring collection of songs that make up A. Smyth’s forthcoming debut album. ‘Into the Darkness’, a kaleidoscope of a release, is the first cut. Propelled by the drums of Dennis Cassidy (Selk) and the bass of Dara Higgins (The Jimmy Cake), the debut single sees A. Smyth mine his love of classic guitar-based songwriting, as he tears down soaring, infectious melodies and meshes under the watchful eyes of producer Darragh Nolan (Asta Kalapa).
Smyth has been writing and performing music under different guises for more than a decade. His last band, Vann Music, achieved notable success, appearing at Ireland’s biggest music festivals (Electric Picnic, Longitude), scoring a commercial radio hit (‘Tina’), featuring on prestigious TV shows (Other Voices) and working with some of the biggest names in the music industry (Stephen Hague, producer – Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Robbie Williams). Smyth wanted to explore the impact these pressures were having on both him and his relationships with those around him, rather than feed these experiences as he had done through Vann Music’s often high-octane and hedonistic music. As a result, his new songs delve into a shared experience – a sort of millennial burnout.
His debut release was recorded in Dublin and Wexford with drummer Dennis Cassidy (Selk), bassist Dara Higgins (The Jimmy Cake) and producer Darragh Nolan (Asta Kalapa)
Irish electronic act 1000 Beasts releases his latest single ‘Lord (It’s OK)’ (featuring Janet Grogan) on 23rd February. This is the third single from 1000 Beasts, following on from his debut ‘Wonderland’ (featuring Briony) and ‘Got This Feeling (Remix)’ (featuring Ryan O’Shaughnessy), both released in second half of 2017.
‘Lord’ is a broken-hearted love ballad reminiscent of Bon Iver, Francis and the Lights, and Cashmere Cat. A compelling vocal performance from Janet Grogan, ‘Lord’ culminates in a sparse yet emotionally powerful vocoder climax at the two-and-a-half minute mark. The video for ‘Lord’ was shot in Birmingham, directed by Lochlainn McKenna, and stars Beth Antonia and Ray Bethley as the warring couple at the centre of the song.
1000 Beasts is Cian Sweeney, a well-established Irish musician, pianist and producer who has worked with many household names in the Irish music industry including Bressie, Una Healy, Damian McGinty, Declan O’Rourke, Moya Brennan, the RTE Concert Orchestra and Bryan Adams.
Inspired by all the talent that surrounded him in his professional career, it wasn’t long before Cian conceived the idea of 1000 Beasts, a project where he could collaborate and write electro-pop with this talent; the name itself pays homage to these “beasts”. Despite only releasing his debut single during the summer of 2017, 1000 Beasts is already receiving consistent national and regional airplay from stations across Ireland.
Like many people, Cian first became aware of Dubliner Janet Grogan when she took part in The X Factor UK in 2014. Janet was one of the most talked about contestants of that season and her controversial elimination even prompted Simon Cowell to say that he had made a mistake in letting her go. However, when a Dublin based international music publisher initially introduced Cian to Janet, the duo became a formidable team, writing pop songs for major label artists across the world. It wasn’t long before they co-wrote ‘Lord’ together, specifically for 1000 Beasts.
1000 Beasts is lauded for his energetic live shows combining electronic beats with acoustic instruments, live drums and live visuals, and he has already performed at Hard Working Class Heroes 2017 and at a headline show in Whelan’s in Dublin last Autumn. He is set to perform at this summer’s festival circuit, with Indiependence Festival 2018 the first to announce.
1000 Beasts is currently putting together tour dates for 2018 as well as developing fresh collaborations and new music, some of which is expected to be released before the summer. For all this news, gigs and more, follow @1000Beasts across social media.
1000 Beasts have announced the following shows:
Fri. 23 Feb The Stormy Teacup, Limerick
Tue. 27 Feb The Workmans Club, Dublin as part of WeBloom
“Now we’re gonna set fire to last year Say goodbye to the songs and old dreams we held dear.”
Irish brothers Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor embrace the new year with the release of their brand new single ‘Run With Me’, on Friday 12th January.
‘Run With Me’ is the long-awaited follow up to Irish radio smash ‘Feel It Again’, which was one of the biggest airplay hits of 2017, and has clocked up over 2 million streams so far. Like ‘Feel It Again’, ‘Run With Me’ was produced by Ryan Hadlock, best known for his work with Lumineers and Vance Joy, and mixed in Dublin by Ruadhri Cushnan (Mumford & Son, Ed Sheeran).
Hudson Taylor worked closely with Dogs Trust Ireland on the video for ‘Run With Me’. Speaking about the video the band said: “‘Run With Me’ is about those friends that are by your side at all times and lift you up whatever you’re going through. Dogs are often that exact type of friend for people and we wanted to make a video that was uplifting and fun but also delivered the message that there are so many dogs in shelters and rescues around the country that just need loving homes. We absolutely loved making this video and we hope people not only enjoy watching it but also consider giving a rescue dog a home and having that dog give them their unconditional love and friendship in return.”
Suzie Carley, Executive Director, Dogs Trust, said: “We are thrilled to join up with for the launch of their fantastic new single! Both Alfie and Harry are huge dog lovers so we were delighted to welcome them to our Rehoming Centre recently, where they shot some scenes for their brand new music video and met some of our beautiful furry residents! It’s so important to raise awareness about adopting instead of buying a dog so we were delighted that the boys asked us to be a part of spreading this message through their video. We all had an amazing experience working with Alfie, Harry and their wonderful team – especially our dogs, who couldn’t resist lots of cuddles and kisses in between takes!”
The new release tees up Hudson Taylor’s exciting touring schedule, which will see the duo and their crack band of amazing musicians on the road through until spring time.
20th January – O2 Institute 3, Birmingham SOLD OUT
21st January – Academy 3, Manchester SOLD OUT
22nd January – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow SOLD OUT
24th January – The Fleece, Bristol SOLD OUT
25th January – The Scala, London
30th January – Bitterzoet, Amsterdam, NL
31st January – Simplon, Groningen, NL
2nd February – Privatclub, Berlin, DE
3rd February – Molotow Sky Bar, Hamburg, DE
5th February – Hagges Musik Bar, Tonder, DK
8th February – Dexter, Odense, DK
9th February – Vesthimmerlands Naturfriskole, Farso, DK
The lads and their band then embark on their biggest Irish headline tour to date.
27th March – Elmwood Hall, Belfast
28th March – The Olympia Theatre, Dublin
29th March – The Opera House, Cork
31st March – Radisson Hotel, Galway
1st April – The Big Top, Limerick
As ‘Run With Me’ says….
“We’re all in it for the long run We’re all in it for life.”
Life in 2018 is looking good for Hudson Taylor, run with them.
IMRO would like to extend their condolences to the family and friends of composer Brent Parker who passed away peacefully, in his 85th year, at University Hospital Galway, surrounded by family and listening to his own music.
New Zealand born composer and pianist Parker had lived in Ireland for more than forty years. He taught at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin from 1974 until his retirement to Achill Island in 1998.
He will be mourned by his many former students and colleagues, friends, neighbours and musicians who played his symphony, two piano concertos, orchestral and choral works, and pieces for classical guitar, strings and piano in Ireland, England, France, Spain, Greece, China, Russia, the United States and New Zealand.
Introducing Dublin singer songwriter Marc Kavanagh who is set to release his debut Single ‘Find A Way’, produced by Cian Boylan, on 16th February. The track was produced in Camden Recording Studios run by Niall Breslin (The Blizzards) Niall Horan (One Direction) and Cian Boylan.
Singer-Songwriter from Dublin, Ireland, Marc has had a passion for music and song writing since he was 16 years old. A self taught guitarist and singer, Kavanagh’s music is inspired by the music of David Bowie, U2, Pink Floyd and Chris Cornell.
In May 2015 Marc started to work on his debut album ‘As We Rise and Fall’ at Camden Recording Studios in Dublin, from which the Debut Single ‘Find A Way’ is taken. It was there were Marc developed his skills songwriting with pianist and producer Cian Boylan. After six month’s writing the music for ‘As We Rise And Fall’ they built up a beautiful collection of songs with the finest musicians including; Conor Brady (guitars), Keith Farrell (bass), Guy Rickarby (drums, percussion) and Ben Castle (saxophone).
“Well the single ‘Find A Way’ is about meeting someone who has that inner glow and are full of life” Marc explains, “It’s about asking questions of yourself. Will you become what you want to be? Will you find a way?”
Boylan is also one of the Co Writers on his Forthcoming Debut Album due for Release in March 2018.
The start of the new year tends to get most of us thinking about our hopes for the year ahead, for our own lives and for the world around us.
Recent years have seen tremendous turmoil on the global stage – the war in Syria, Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, the rise of global terrorism, and a refugee crisis that has touched many countries, including the ongoing exodus of Rohingya people from Myanmar. Globally, more than 65 million people are currently displaced from their homes – that’s almost one in every 100 people on earth.
Limerick-born musician, singer and songwriter Susie Q, also known as Susan Quirke, is a co-founder of the A Lust For Life organisation alongside Bressie. In her debut track ‘Home’, she takes on some of the challenges facing the world and offers a powerful appeal for peace and understanding.
The stirring new video for the song, released on 2 January, features footage from around the world, expressing some of the chronic suffering that has emerged from the war in Syria and the resulting refugee crisis. It also blends in images of faces from people across the globe, all accompanying a song whose message is reminiscent of John Lennon’s seminal classic Imagine.
Susie Q said: “It’s a reminder that whatever your race or religion, we are all one people, and together share this planet as our home. I think it’s important to remind ourselves of our shared humanity during these turbulent times. It can sometimes be easy to see each other as separate, but fundamentally we are all connected.”
The song features Irish indie veterans Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Graham Hopkins, Justin Carroll from the Frames, and ex Lír duo Rob Malone and Colm Quearney, who co-produced the track with Susie Q. It was mixed and mastered by Grammy award winner David Odlum.
Susie Q says she wrote the song in response to feeling disturbed by news reports of unaccompanied children who fled their homeland and ended up living on the streets or in refugee camps. Though she understands that war and conflict can be complex, she says: “There is nothing complex about having empathy for another human who is suffering. There is no example in human history of fear or hatred bringing joy to people – love is a more powerful force, and is the truest expression of our shared humanity”.
“There are people who are violent with many different agendas but the world is mainly made up of decent people who end up suffering as a result. In many ways, today’s refugees across the world are not unlike those who fled the famine in Ireland on coffin ships in the 1800s. I think it’s important to remember that whatever our beliefs might be, most people in the world crave peace, safety, a home, an education, and decent lives for themselves and their children. In general, Irish people have a good sense of this and we’ve shown our compassion in many ways which is so important especially during a time when there is so much fear and division.”
You can watch the video on YouTube and listen to the track on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp or on her website at www.susieqmusic.com. Susie Q’s debut album Into the Sea will follow later in 2018.
