Author: Breffni Banks

Following on from her stand out performance at this year’s Electric Picnic, singer ELLYD will join forces with chart-topping Davie Furey for an acoustic tour later this month.

After lending her vocals on Davie’s recent hit single ‘Secret Light’, which hit the number one spot in the Irish singer-songwriter charts, the duo have decided to combine their unique voices and hit the road to play at some of the most intimate and unique music venues across the country.

Already a well-known name on the traditional folk and contemporary music circuit, Davie is excited to share the stage with ELLYD for the tour.

And he said his soul-stirring single ‘Secret Light’, which was enhanced beautifully by the Dubliner’s silky vocals, will be just one of the many duets music lovers will have to look forward to at their gigs.

Davie, who counts Hollywood acting legend Jeremy Irons amongst his fans, said: “We will be doing a lot of our own material but will also be doing a few duets that I’m sure people will enjoy. There will be a few surprises there for sure too. We gel well together on stage and I just love performing with her, it’s going to be cracking tour.”

As well as coming together for a few collaborations on stage, ELLYD and Davie will also be performing some of their own best known songs.

Davie’s last release, an eleven track album entitled ‘Easy Come Easy Go’ was very well received in live venues across the country when he took it on tour.

Since its release the album has already been showcased by RTE, BBC Radio and a number of other stations both home and abroad and resulting in a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music.

Meanwhile, ELLYD debuted her new material in Berlin last year, playing various stages across the city she describes as one of her favourite places in the world.

After her successful travels to Germany, she released her EP ‘Rise’ in May 2016, which was recorded, mixed and mastered in Jam Studios with Martin Quinn and reached number 8 in the iTunes charts.

ELLYD started 2017 recording new material and her latest single ‘Lucky’ has received rave reviews with one claiming it was “her most confident and memorable song yet in 80s pop atmospherics.”

The duo will be kicking the tour off at renowned Boyles Pub in Slane, Co Meath, on September 21.

They will then travel across the country hitting a number of top music venues including Sardino’s in Derry before ending the tour in style when they play the Battle of the Lakes which is set against the breath-taking backdrop of Achill Island in Co Mayo.

ELLYD, whose vocals have been likened to Blondie’s Debbie Harry meets Irish Songstress Gemma Hayes, said she can’t wait to hit the road and said those attending the gigs will have a lot to look forward to.

She said:  “We’ll be doing a few songs together, some original music and some special covers. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we promise to make it a night to remember for those who come along. I can’t wait to hit the road and see places I’ve never been before. I’m looking forward to playing so many gigs in a row and being on the road with friends.”

For further information check out www.ellydmusic.com, ELLYDMUSIC on Facebook and twitter or www.daviefurey.com or Davie Furey on Facebook/twitter.

The Coronas release their new single ‘Give Me a Minute’, the third single to be taken from their number one album Trust The Wire. ‘Give Me A Minute’ has been a huge fan favourite at The Coronas shows this summer; it’s an epic emotive ballad in the same vein as previous hits ‘Someone Else’s Hands’ and ‘The Long Way’. Lead singer Danny O’Reilly explains, “It’s about giving yourself some credit, trying not to let negative thoughts overcome you and giving yourself a break.” 

In addition the band has just announced two Christmas shows in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on 5^th and 10^th of December. This follows on from their hugely successful sold out Irish gigs this year, including their biggest headline show to date, playing to an audience of 15,000 in The Royal Hospital Kilmainham. They’re now about to hit the road to promote Trust The Wire with shows in Europe, the UK, Canada, the USA and Australia.

The Olympia is of course a very special venue for The Coronas and they wanted to finish up their tour with two homecoming gigs there. The first is on the 5^th of December and then, on the 10th, the band are going do something a little bit different. It’s been ten years since the release of their debut album Heroes or Ghosts and to mark the anniversary the band are going to play a special gig, celebrating that album.  This will be a must-see for Coronas fans. The band said, “We’ve had so many special nights in the Olympia over the years and we know that these shows will be no different!”

It’s the perfect way to finish what has been a stellar year for the band. From sold-out shows to a number one album, 2017 has been a year they will never forget!

http://thecoronas.net/

Declan O’Rourke announces the October release of his new album “Chronicles Of The Great Irish Famine”, followed by a full band tour across Ireland in December 2017.

Fifteen years in the making, this epic song cycle combines the best of traditional Irish music and the heart of modern song-writing to present a series of extraordinary true tales from the most dynamic period in Ireland’s history.

Inspired by John O’Connor’s book “The Workhouses of Ireland” O’Rourke wrote ‘Poor Boys Shoes’ the first song of the collection, and recalls, “The hair stood up on my neck when I read the lines: ‘The man who carried his wife from the workhouse to their old home, mile after weary mile, and was discovered next morning dead, his wife’s feet held to his breast as if he was trying to warm them…’ I had stumbled into a chapter of history I knew almost nothing about. I wanted to be a witness, to share these stories the best way I knew how, through music.”

Known as the Great Irish Famine, An Gorta Mór was by far the most impactful era in the recorded history of Ireland. The effect on the population was so devastating that seven generations and 170 years later, Irelands population is still far from where it was in the 1840s. The Famine marked the beginning of a boom in Irish immigration resulting in over 80 million across the world claiming Irish heritage today.

The album covers hyper-real photo illustration features O’Rourke and band members re-enacting a scene from one historical tale. Following the ambush and shooting of the landlord ‘Manning’ in Co. Westmeath, locals formed a mob, found Manning’s body, hacked the corpse into pieces and threw them into a ditch.

In another story from 1849, the 23 year old captain Curry Shaw abandoned his passengers and made off in the only lifeboat when ‘The Hannah’ struck ice in the frigid waters off Newfoundland. He left them to their fate. In an age where people are still fleeing their homelands en masse, struggling to escape tyranny and poverty, too often in vessels unfit for human transportation, these stories are as relevant as ever and speak to us of our own humanity. Says O’Rourke, “The songs in this project are an attempt to bring fresh air to an unhealed wound, and to remind the Irish people of what we have overcome.”

Nine of the album’s musicians will tour the new compositions across Ireland in December, including Mike McGoldrick, Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke, Jack Maher, Chris Herzberger, Catriona Frost, Rob Calder and John Sheahan.

The winter of 2017/18 will mark the 170th anniversary of the peak of this most significant series of events.

‘Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine’ will be released in October 2017.

Tour Dates | Ireland | 1-22 December 2017

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Fri 1 Dec : Hotel Ballina, Ballina, Co.Mayo
Sat 2 Dec : Blackbox, Galway
Sun 3 Dec : Number Seven Duke Street, Warrenpoint, Newry
Thurs 7 Dec : Westport Town Hall, Co.Mayo
Fri 8 Dec : St. John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co.Kerry
Sat 9 Dec : St. Lukes, Cork
Tues 12 Dec : Theatre Royal, Waterford
Thurs 14 Dec : Vicar Street, Dublin
Fri 15 Dec : Dolans Warehouse, Limerick
Wed 20 Dec : Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, Derry
Fri 22 Dec : The Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo

2017 has been a busy year for  Warsaw Radio. After the release of their much-praised (BBC 6 Music, RTÉ Radio) debut single ‘After Eve’ earlier in the Spring,  and  UK and Ireland dates including a main stage slot at Beautiful Days Festival alongside The Levellers & The Waterboys, the group arrive with new single  ‘Whispers’ – a track showcasing the group’s unique sound foregrounded by singer-songwriter and musician Brían McNamara’s baritone vocals and violinist  Nikki Bates’ rich string performances.

McNamara moved to Brighton from Limerick in 2013, and it is a small moment in time in the seaside resort town that sparked the creation of the new song. He explains: “Two friends, a guy and a girl were deep in chat about the guy’s relationship…. the girl kept repeating to the guy “She doesn’t want to be your bore…. just adored”…. from there the song was born”. An observant and attentive depiction of young love, each verse is carried by a sturdy rhythm section and descending melodic line before segueing into an almighty chorus in which McNamara passionately calls the song’s main lyrical refrain.

With an upcoming debut album with Mercury Award-nominated producer Jag Jago (The Maccabees, Florence + The Machine) and live gig dates this coming October, the future is looking bright for the heartfelt and powerful quintet.

‘Whispers’ will be released independently on 27^th October, and will be available via Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms. W.R will be announcing their 2018 Irish dates in the coming weeks.

Facebook.com/warsawradio 

Twitter.com/warsawradio   

www.warsaw-radio.com

After a Choice Music Song of the Year nomination for her debut single ‘Love No More’ and over a million Spotify streams of her latest single ‘Troublemaker’, Soulé stands at the forefront of a new wave of Irish electronic pop, hip-hop and R&B. The fast-rising Dublin-based, London-born musician builds on her growing acclaim by sharing her brand new track ‘What Do You Know’.

Recorded at the ascendant production house Diffusion Lab, ‘What Do You Know’ is an exuberant cocktail of rhythmic bass, flourishes of world music and a sassy topline that recalls the best late 90s R&B divas. It could well be the track that elevates Soulé to the next level.

Lyrically ‘What Do You Know’ works as a second chapter to ‘Troublemaker’. Whereas the character in ‘Trouble- maker’ discovered that she was being cheated on, ‘What Do You Know’ is about celebrating your independence in the aftermath of those events. As Soulé explains: “There’s no point dwelling on that situation, that negativity, or the bad things that he did to me. I’m going to reclaim my confidence and my good vibes and just chill with my girls. No amount of begging or calling or texting is going to get me back!”

Between ‘Love No More’ and the follow-up ‘Good Life’, Soulé defined herself as a vital new talent to watch, but the huge success of ‘Troublemaker’ is beginning to open doors. Blessed with a powerhouse vocal, her tracks touch on 2-step, R&B, neo-soul and vibrant pop but Soulé would rather not pigeonhole herself too tightly. Electronic pop is the closest definition that she’s happy with, but if you imagine a young Erykah Badu for 2017 with production by MNEK or Mura Musa you won’t be too far away.

Having recently played festival sets at Electric Picnic, Forbidden Fruit and Longitude, Soulé stands alongside the likes of Hare Squead, Jafaris, the Rusangano Family and Loah, as a core part of a new breed of Irish artists who are just a step away from making a major international breakthrough. Also proud to stand up for female empowerment, Soulé’s cocktail of talent, determination and fierce individuality is the perfect blueprint for any emerging artist. As her star continues to ascend, it won’t be long before Soulé is considered to be a role model in her own right.

http://souleofficial.com/

CANALPHONIC is back , slightly different to last year and because of certain shenanigans on the canal, there won’t be a live music stage there this year  a small outdoor area at The Plaza in Rathmines, though along with 14 stages, the festival will host over 50 acts the weekend of 22-24 Sept starting off with Culture Night on the Friday .

CANALAPHONIC will be kicking things off gently on Friday 22nd with some Culture Night activities, followed by a full day of water activities on the canal alongside Urban Markets’s Canal Bank Market Fair, they’ll be putting a lot more effort into their kids zone in St. Mary’s College and to that end they’re delighted to have Recreate Ireland involved there along with loads more. They’ll also have a small stage at Swan Leisure and some cool fun activities inside too, literary events in Rathmines Library, pop up music and spoken word performances in their usual coffee shops.

The main Making Waves Stage will now be in Whelan’s on both Saturday and Sunday, where they also have the front bar and upstairs venue for the weekend. Saturday night sees a range of entertainment in key live music venues with a vast array of sounds in Copan, Blackbird, The Bowery, Mother Reilly’s, Rody Bolands and Bernard Shaw.

Finally CANALAPHONIC will wind down gently on Sunday back at Portobello Harbour with the last gigs in Whelan’s that night.

http://canalaphonic.com/

Whelans:

Saturday 23rd September
Main Room – Making Waves Stage
Vernon Jane
Synk
Tanjier
Caz9
Dasha Dag

Upstairs
Not Monsters
Rob Walsh and the Panik Attaks
Ross Breen
Molly Sterling

Front Bar
Kicking Bird
N.c. Lawlor

Sunday 24th
Main Room – Making Waves Stage
Jem Mitchell Music
Scoops
Military Road

Front Bar
Beef Supreme

All other venues are Saturday 23rd only!

Rathmines Library: 2.30-4PM
Stephen James Smith
Davina Brady & John Cummins
Tobin & Boyle
Old Ratmines & it’s environs – Local memories through photos and print.

The Bowery – Emerald Haze Takeover

Early Show 4-8PM: Rock The Bowery
Sub Motion
Vulpynes
Slouch
Bayonets

Late Show 8PM-12AM: Beyond The Ninth Wave
Malthusian
From The Bogs Of Aughiska
Raum Kingdom
Destriers

The Bowery Presents – 12 til close
WOLFF

Copan

Word Up Collective
Tebi Rex
DJ R3B
JyellowL
Anti-One
Sequence

Blackbird
DREAMING OF JUPITER
Special Guests – TBA

Slattery’s
The Kitchen Table presents

Rody Bolands
The Skatuesques

Mother Reilly’s
Marcas Carcas and the Trail Gang
Roisin El Cherif
Kolumbus
JaXon

Swan Leisure – 12PM Midday Zumba 
Gin ‘N’ Juice

Swan Plaza Stage 2PM
Mutefish
Dasha Dag

Cafe Moda 3PM
Curtis Walsh
Melvin
Miriam Donohue

Alan Hanna’s Bookshop, Dublin 3PM
Grainne Hunt Music
Mikey McDonnell Music
Laura Keane

‘Always You’ is the brand-new single from The Stunning. It harks back to the 1980’s and the beats and bass lines of Joy Division, The Cure, New Order and Prefab Sprout amongst others – giving a good insight into the band’s musical roots. The song was recorded in Grouse Lodge studios as part of a new album to be released in spring 2018.

‘Always You’ also features the vocals of Danielle Harrison, who was once upon a time, the lead singer with Irish electro-rock band Skindive . This is the first time a female vocalist has ever appeared on a Stunning song……ever!

Unusually for The Stunning, ‘Always You’ is a love song. Not since 1989’s ‘Half Past Two’ has the band released a song on this theme.

The band’s last single ‘Brighten Up My Life” has picked up over a thousand plays on Irish radio since its release last May.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Cashel Arts Festival – Sept 23^rd (acoustic show)
Westport Arts Festival – September 29^th (acoustic show)
Dublin – The Olympia Theatre – October 6^th    SOLD OUT
London – Nell’s Jazz & Blues – November 11^th

Website: thestunning.net
Facebook: facebook.com/thestunning/
Twitter: twitter.com/TheStunningBand
YouTube: youtube.com/user/TheStunningTV

Track Dogs are neither sleeping, nor letting themselves lie.

Barely off touring their previous album, ‘Serenity Sessions’, the Madrid-based acoustic four-piece are straight back on the road with “The Deep End”. The undeniably danceable and latin-soaked tune would fit right in on a Calexico album or the soundtrack of Narcos and straddles itself over the musical Rio Grande with nods to Mexican mariachi, Colombian and Tex-Mex roots. So much so that the band’s first port of call was to have it presented to the people behind the music to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

A funny thing happened on the way to Madrid:
“We were stuck on an Easyjet flight with the prospect of a 3 hour wait to take off so we took out our instruments to have a jam, as you do! A video of us playing went viral and as a result a Spanish bus company asked us to do the same on one of their routes, resulting in a bit of a weird sweaty bus ride to a small provincial town outside Madrid. Our bass player Dave Mooney (Wicklow) couldn’t make it so we had a dep play and it was almost like a scene out of the movie Ishtar when I mentioned we’d thrown him in at the deep end and immediately proceeded to pick up the guitar and pretty much play the first few bars of the song.”

Robbie K. Jones (Ohio) further adds:

“As with a lot of Track Dogs songs the uptempo, feel-good music disguises a rather darker lyrical theme which depicts a hopeless situation with very little escape, although there is a glimmer of hope and a chance of escape from the deep end.”

“The Deep End” treads new turf pairing lead singer Garrett Wall (Dublin) and Jones’s voices, recorded together into a single condenser microphone, as well as featuring irreverent ukulele (Wall), motown-inspired vibraphone bling (Jones) and Bill Chase/Lew Soloff-influenced trumpet from Howard Brown (Sheffield) all lying back over a rotund Tequila-dipped bass line (Mooney).

But don’t take our word for it! 

“Their lively, melodic music has a strong American/Latin sentiment, a strong sense of fun and an abundance of sunshine”. Folkradio.co.uk 

““Groovy” is not a word I often use in this column, but that’s just the adjective I need to describe Madrid-based Irish band the Track Dogs…Released at the end of last year, the album is rhythmic, soulful and simply cool…The band’s music is, like the band of ex-pats, an eclectic cultural crossover.
The Irish Echo, New York

“This band turned out to be a total discovery, with vocal harmonies on a par with groups like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, America or the most melodic style of, for example, the Eagles mixed in with the graceful irreverence of The Pogues.”Renacer Eléctrico Music Magazine, Spain 

“Sumptuous harmonies and toe-tapping rhythm…” 
Hot Press, Ireland 


“The antidote to a bad day” Maverick, UK ****

“Never in danger of overstaying their welcome” R2
 UK
****

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD | SPOTIFY 

Dublin-based 6 piece, The Crayon Set, specialise in upbeat, alternative pop using a diverse range of instruments with an array of singers and vocal harmonies.

The band released their self-titled debut album in April 2013. It was co-produced by Nick Brine (Teenage Fanclub, Super Furry Animals) and was critically well received. Single ‘No.1 Fan’ received airplay on Today FM and BBC Radio 6 amongst other stations. Several tracks appeared on Irish TV.

The Crayon Set are an accomplished live band and have played many of the leading Irish festivals including Indiependence, Camden Crawl, Sea Sessions, Vantastival & Hard Working Class Heroes. Their dynamic live shows feature tight vocal harmonies, instrument swapping and occasionally some giant inflatable crayons …

The band have just finished recording their follow-up album, ‘Lost Languages’, with producer Gavin Glass. It is scheduled for release on 10th October 2017. The album is a move away from the indie pop of their debut and is in part a homage to many of their favourite ‘Americana’ artists – “Tom Petty on LSD” is what they had in mind when entering the studio. The songs seem to deal with a number of interlocking themes: growing up in Ireland, trying to make sense of modern life and relationships, dealing with changes and failures, love and loss, identity, communication and expression.

“Looking back now the songs deal seem to deal with a number of interlocking themes: growing up in Ireland, trying to make sense of modern life and relationships, dealing with changes and failures, love and loss, identity, communication and expression.

The album was also partly our attempt – an Irish Indie Pop band – at making an ‘Americana’ album. To this end we asked our producer Gavin Glass to help make us sound like “Tom Petty on LSD”. We embraced the sound of lots of the ‘Americana’ artists we’ve loved – The Band, Tom Petty, The Jayhawks, Springsteen, Drive-By Truckers, Wilco, Arcade Fire, Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, R.E.M. –  to see where this might lead. We were always open to taking some detours and to having some fun along the way.”

The band will be hosting a special launch gig in Bello Bar, Dublin on Saturday 21st October withore Dates to follow.

Official Website: www.thecrayonset.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecrayonset
Twitter: @thecrayonset
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecrayonset​

Entries are now open for the annual IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition 2017 which takes place in memory of one of Tralee’s most famous sons. Songwriters are invited to submit an audio link for their entry by email to membership@nullimro.ie before the deadline of Friday 29th September (NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL AUDIO FILE ATTACHMENTS).

Ten finalists will be selected to perform their song at the live final of the contest on Saturday 4th November in The Ashe Hotel, Tralee, Co. Kerry, with the winning songwriter being presented with a cheque for €1,000 courtesy of IMRO. A runner up prize of €300 will also be presented on the night.

A Tralee native, Christie Hennessy began his music career at a young age when he moved to London, playing in clubs by night and working on building sites during the day. He started writing songs at the age of 23 and went on release numerous platinum selling albums.

Christie’s songs were later recorded by artists such as Christy Moore (“Don’t Forget Your Shovel”), Frances Black (“All The Lies That You Told Me”), Moya Brennan (“Oh Jealous Heart”) and Nizlopi, who reached Christmas Number 1 in UK and Ireland in 2005 with their hit “JCB Song”, sampling Christie’s lyrics from “Don’t Forget Your Shovel”.

Previous winners of the IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Contest include Paul McDonnell, Dave Molloy, Alan Kavanagh, Enda Reilly / Christine Deady, Míde Houlihan and Katie O’Connor.

The deadline for entries is Friday 29th September and successful finalists will be notified by Monday 9th October.

CHRISTIE HENNESSY SONG COMPETITION 2017

RULES OF ENTRY
1. The lyrics and music must be the original work of the songwriter (s).
2. The competition is open to all types of song, in any style – ballad, country, pop, rock etc.
3. Songs may be entered in either the English or Irish language.
4. The competition is open to national and international songwriters.
5. Songwriters may only enter one song for consideration.
6. Entries will not be returned – all songwriters should retain a copy of their song submission.
7. Entries can be submitted via an online link to your song to membership@nullimro.ie (NOTE: Please do not email audio file attachments) or on a CD by post to the address below. All entries must be accompanied by a copy of the lyrics; typed or clearly written.
8. Finalists will be notified by Monday 9th October 2017.
9. The provisional adjudication will be on the basis of the tracks submitted, from which 10 finalists will be chosen.
10. Each of the 10 finalists will be invited to take part in a live concert in Tralee on Saturday 4th November 2017. Backing tracks are not permitted for this performance.
11. Each songwriter will be responsible for providing the singer and/or group for his/her entry in the final at his/her own expense.
12. A first prize of €1,000 will be presented to the winning songwriter on the night of the final. A runner-up prize of  €300 will be presented to the second placed finalist.
13. Final adjudication will be on the night of the final. Decisions of the adjudication panel will be final.
14. Entry for the contest implies acceptance of all the rules.
15. Postal entries should be sent to:

IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Contest 2017
C/o Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO)
Copyright House
Pembroke Row
Lower Baggot Street
D02 HW59
Ireland