Author: Breffni Banks

Paddy Dennehy is a folk singer-songwriter, originally from Limerick, now based in Cork. Today, he has officially announced a new album ‘Love and Be Brave’, to be released in Spring 2023, and shares the first song from it, ‘Heaven Not Far’.

Speaking of the song, Paddy says:

“This is my little humanist prayer. I’m not shying away from any of the problems that I think we all face – accepting death, the search for hope, the search for love, social media – but I wanted the main theme of the song to be the incredible potential to make something wonderful, wherever you happen to be, right now.”

ABOUT PADDY DENNEHY:

As a child, Paddy Dennehy 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. It was often requested of him to play more quietly or to stop ‘hitting’ the piano. Another frequent suggestion was that screaming the notes that he found difficult to sing did not make them sound any better. He was not imbued with a keen sense of subtlety or restraint but he has been working on this over the years.

He has always loved songwriting and was blessed with a wonderful piano teacher that would stay late to hear what he had written that week. He studied classical piano but it was the extra bit at the end of the lesson that he lived for every Thursday for almost fifteen years. He got to learn about music theory, the shape of songs, how a melody worked and didn’t work, why you had to learn your scales.

It may come as little surprise then that Paddy followed his mentor into teaching. It sometimes calls for late nights rehearsing, writing or driving back from a gig after putting down a day’s work – but it has been worth every minute of sleep lost. There is nothing like a five year old child telling you, not asking you, to tie his shoes to keep you in line. Neither is there anything like feeling that you have connected with an audience.

Paddy’s musical influences have changed greatly over time. Boyzone do not retain the place they once held in his heart. He grew up listening to whatever his parents, sisters and brother would leave unguarded around the house. His first real sense of feeling a connection to music was listening to Mick Flannery perform ‘Evening Train’ on the ‘Late Late Show’. The very next day he walked into HMV in Limerick with his walkman and bought that album. He listened to it all the way home and for weeks afterwards again and again. 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.

Paddy’s first album ‘Little Light’ was released in June of 2020 to both critical acclaim and a well-documented pandemic. He received glowing reviews from Hot Press Magazine in Ireland, Folk Radio UK, Rolling Stone France, to name a few and learned how to teach children whilst wearing a FFP2 face mask. The songs on that album and his lucky stars have allowed Paddy to share a stage with the likes of Mick Flannery, Glen Hansard, Imelda May and Lisa Hannigan.

‘Love and Be Brave’ is the title of his second album to be released in the spring of 2023. When he started writing this 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. By the time he had finished the last song that would go on the album, Paddy was lucky enough to get engaged and move back to Cork. His forthcoming album is a collection of songs that discuss what it means to fall in love, loneliness and the search for hope.

UPCOMING LIVE DATES (with full band):

Monroe’s Galway – 28^th October https://monroes.ie/products/paddy-dennehy

Upstairs Whelan’s – 11^th December https://www.whelanslive.com/event/paddy-dennehy/

Upstairs Dolan’s – 17^th December https://www.dolans.ie/gigs-events-live-music-listings/2022/12/17/paddy-dennehy

Connect with Paddy Dennehy

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify

Following the mammoth success of ‘Edge of Seventeen’ , which achieved over 1 million streams across all platforms, garnered 28.5m global radio impacts, hit Top 10 in the official UK commercial dance charts and held 14 weeks on the Irish National airplay charts and 13 weeks on the Top 10 Irish Homegrown charts.

LYRA has announced today the release of her new single ‘ 29 Box’. The Cork native coined the term ‘29 Box’ which references the most common size dimension of Snapshots used to create the perfect aesthetic on social platform sites. The announcement follows her mesmerising performance in the Electric Arena at this year’s Electric Picnic Festival in Stradbally Co. Laois, where the record had its debut outing to a full capacity tent, the fan reaction has been incredibly positive.

Written by LYRA, mixed by UK music producer Ash Howes ( Kylie, Jack Savoretti, Ellie Goulding, Dido), ‘29 Box’ fuse’s LYRA’s dynamic powerhouse vocals that lean into the dark narrative of the record. Revealing her truth and experiences of being critical of one’s self online, LYRA taps into the awareness about the pressures of authenticity and the wider consciousness of portraying one’s internet self, verses reality.

Expanding on this, LYRA explains “while social media is an invaluable tool and networking system, it can consume you and a small percentage of people can make it a dark place. I feel like we live in a world with two lives, our glossy online self, when in reality we all have our own pressures. I wanted the record to resonate with my fans, we need to celebrate our individuality”.

“I never feel good enough, I am always second guessing myself
I never know what I know, cos I’m always comparing to somebody else”.

‘29 Box’ is a slow tempo sonic sound with woven dance elements and makes for a track that’s as infectious as it is heady. Thought provoking, the music matches LYRA’s emotions captured within her lyrics.

This winter promises to be an unforgettable run for LYRA with her own Irish Tour commencing this October including a headline show at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre November 9th , followed by news that she will support WESTLIFE on their UK Arena Tour.

Upcoming 2022 Irish tour dates:

*OCTOBER 2022 *
Thursday 27th – Spiegel Tent, Wexford
Friday 28th – Cyprus Avenue, Cork – Sold Out
Saturday 29th – Cyprus Avenue, Cork * Extra Date added

*NOVEMBER 2022*
Thursday 3rd – Monroe’s, Galway – Sold Out
Friday 4th – Limerick Big Top, Limerick
Saturday 5th – Monroe’s, Galway – * Extra Date added
Sunday 6th – INEC, Killarney
Tuesday 8th – The Olympia Theatre, Dublin
Thursday 10th – Limelight, Belfast
Friday 11th – The TLT, Drogheda
Saturday 12th – Set Theatre Kilkenny – Sold Out
Sunday 13th – The Haven, Waterford

Connect with LYRA

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify | TikTok

Today, Friday 7th October 2022, Farah Elle releases her long-awaited debut album Fatima.

The Libyan-Irish songwriter and composer will play her first headline show in years on Thursday 8th December at The Workmans Cellar, presented by Singular Artists.

Tickets are €15 in advance / €20 on the door, on sale now from Ticketmaster.ie here.

On Fatima, Farah Elle’s powerful cadence is a commanding force amongst the instantly captivating cinematic soundscapes. She makes timeless music with a modern edge, reminiscent of Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Kimbra and Aṣa.

The album’s focus track ‘Silk’ has gained almost cult status in Irish music circles, but this is the first time it will be available to stream across DSPs and buy online. That the song’s subject matter is so timely, even years after she penned it, is another a reminder that we still have a lot work to do in creating a world where we can speak openly about identity, religion and human rights.

“I was 19 when I wrote Silk, after my family was recovering from a particularly difficult two years post Libyan revolution,” says Farah. “We were all struggling with our mental health and had such strong feelings of displacement, trying to assign ourselves to some form of identity. The truth is that every person knows what it’s like to struggle with wearing a “veil” – some more than others. The truth is that we are all so much more than where we come from and the cultures we grew up in.

“More than anything, the song is an emotional response to the ways that oppression and colonisation have affected our internal states as people. How we all behave as if we are so divided at times, how controlled and fearful we became of each other and our true nature – and how this applies cross-culturally to all faiths and people of this world. Our violent behaviour is not a reflection of who we actually are by essence. For this knowledge, I am so grateful. For my faith, which keeps me going and helps me structure my self-belief and my intuition while choosing to not be oppressed by it. My open hearted spirituality and celebration of how the culture clashes are what brought me to where I am. Music is a beautiful space within all of the chaos, and it continuously gives me a sanctuary to reside in when I need it.”

On Fatima, named after her mother, Farah explores themes of displacement, identity and culture as well as celebrating nature, love and friendship on an album that Farah describes as a “coming of age record,” one across which she hears herself “unfolding in the songs.”

“I’m not even the same person I was when I begun writing this album, which is probably why I’m so fricken excited to set it free. It represents a lot of lessons I learned in the past, nursing intergenerational wounds and all that deep shit – it’s a gift to share those lessons with other people with the dream of positively making a difference to them. Today, I’m so focused on building my present and future based on all the valuable things I’ve learned along the way.”

Farah’s devotion to music developed at an early age. Watching her older siblings playing together, she was inspired to pick up a guitar and experiment unselfconsciously. Soon after, she penned poetry, singing her words to a piano accompaniment. These moments of self-taught musical expression were hugely cathartic for her. Sitting at the piano gave Farah a space to examine pivotal moments in her life with an unfiltered defiance across her delivery: “I do this to remove it from my bones,” she sings on ‘Play It By Ear.’

The album takes the listener through the breadth of Farah’s talent, from her smoky whisper on ‘Curfew’ to the stunning vocal highs of ‘Howl.’ Her piano playing can be delicate, like something out of a music box, on ‘Lunar,’ or as powerful as it is on the fiery ‘Rajeen.’

Songs like Lunar and Sunblock are direct salutes to the Moon and the Sun, how nature plays such a huge role in her life. “We sometimes take it for granted, but hey, we’re human,” she says.

“Hey look, I know that FATIMA is not an album of “club bangers” (or maybe it is). One thing I do know though, is that these songs have allowed me to express myself, unfiltered, during a period where I really needed the chance to do that. If any person gets any kind of release from hearing these expressions, then my work here is done. I just want people to know that they are being understood.

“Most of the tracks are about my family and friends. They are songs from my heart to theirs. Naming the album after our mother only seemed fitting, I needed to honour her and all that she sacrificed for us, her community and the world. Here’s to setting Fatima free! Alhamdulillah.”

Connect with Farrah Elle

www.farahelle.com

Rachel Grace has quietly established herself as one of Ireland’s most promising songwriters, and at only twenty years of age. Her music is a melting pot of soul and pop with a vocal style that captures the mood of generations past, echoing the soulful voices of artists like Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse and Eva Cassidy.

Having been writing and performing in the music scene from the age of twelve, she has played some of Ireland’s favourite venues and festivals and supported acts such as Gavin James, Paddy Casey and Wallis Bird.

Her last single ‘Cry Me An Ocean’ was a hit with both audiences and airwaves, placing on the RTE Recommends List and earning her a place on Irish Jam’s Top 10 Artists under 21 List. She is currently in the process of recording her debut album, set for release next year.

Rachel Grace is Ireland’s best kept secret, and people are starting to catch on.

ROUGH PATCH

Steeped in the organic sounds of soul with raw and powerful vocals, Rough Patch is another well-crafted example of Rachel’s magnificent song writing. With smooth grooves and a luscious full band texture throughout, Rachel takes us on a captivating journey of realisation that a relationship isn’t going through a tough time, but is reaching its end completely. It was produced by Gavin Glass in Orphan Recording Studios.

Connect with Rachel Grace

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Ways of Seeing is a Kerry musician releasing the latest single from his forthcoming debut album ‘End Comes To Light’. Inspired by the remote roads of his home place and a sense of loss, ‘Every Night’ is about trying to escape a memory or thought that torments you when you are alone.

“The scariest feeling from my youth had always been walking the roads at night as I was told so many terrifying tales of the Pooka, Banshee and Dullahan by my grandmother and uncle. The narrow roads were dark and filled with unknowns, a place in the shadows where anything was possible. I slowly realised that these journeys were a psychological test, fears to be overcome in order to move out of the darkness. Often, we can imprison ourselves in a narrative that is detached from reality, a narrative we cannot escape despite going against our usual logic. We learn coping mechanisms to help us recognise and deal with such moments. Nevertheless, sometimes a memory or thought can be so strong that it traps us in that foreboding sense of walking the roads at night and I fear there might even be a part of me that enjoys it.”

Ways of Seeing – Artist Bio

Ways of Seeing is the project of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James O’Donnell. This is his first solo project after previous musical ventures with bands ‘Hush War Cry’ and ‘Dear Desert’. This new project started in the attic of his childhood home in Kerry where his musical journey began many years before. After converting the attic into a home studio, the unfolding pandemic provided time to flesh out years of voice notes and musical sketches.

The name “Ways of Seeing” came from the idea that songs could reveal parts of the self that might otherwise never have been revealed. In an attempt to capture the subconscious, melodies and lyrics were kept as they came out on first takes of recording. The songs exist as dreamlike stories where the subconscious voice inhabits a world of lush panoramic soundscapes.
Ways of Seeing aims to use musical ideas to dig deeper into knowing one’s self while observing the world from new perspectives. Song-writing can allow us to see the world in ways we never could have imagined, for Ways of Seeing this is just the start of that journey…

Connect with Ways of Seeing

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Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin is a Dublin-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical roots are in sean-nós singing – the style of his father – and he grew up listening to the likes of Sorcha Ní Ghuairim, Seán ‘ac Dhonncha, Colm Ó Caoidheáin and other greats from the tradition. He is also influenced by folk singers from the English language tradition such as Liam Weldon, Luke Kelly, Anne Briggs, Margaret Barry and Thomas McCarthy.

Eoghan is a member of the Dublin-based band Skipper’s Alley, he has worked with Mary Ann Kennedy from Scotland, and Ruth Keggin from the Isle of Man on their Aon Teanga: Un Chengey album (2015). He has performed with folk/electronica band Jiggy, and has featured on both their albums, Translate (2017) and Hypernova (2020). He also collaborates with Clare fiddle and viola player Ultan O’Brien, their debut album Solas an Lae won best album at the RTÉ Folk Awards in 2021.

Over the past few years Eoghan has come into his own as a solo artist and songwriter. His songs – written in both English and Irish – build on his sean-nós singing foundations, yet combine hard-hitting lyrics with other musical influences to create a rich, contemporary sound.

Following on from his recent single ‘The Deepest Breath’, Eoghan shares ‘Anáil na hOíche’, the second taste of his forthcoming debut album.

Speaking of the song, Eoghan says:

“This song and the last song on the album, Bánshoilse (First Light), are kind of sister songs. They have the same melody and some lyrical crossover but a very different arrangement.

The song is about a time in my life where I was experiencing a lot of mental turmoil. The first song is in the middle of that turmoil. The sister song is about emerging from that.”

‘Anáil na hOíche’ | Single on Bandcamp

‘Anáil na hOíche’ | Streaming platforms

The bones of this came when I was rehearsing for something else with Ultan (O’Brien). He had his viola tuned to a strange tuning (6-4-3minor) and he plucked a few notes. I’d been wanting to write this for ages, whatever it was about Ultan’s playing just sort of burst a dam and most of it came out. We worked on it with Kaitlin (Cullen-Verhauz) then afterwards. I think her vocals add a real wildness to the song.”

This song, and record, was recorded, mixed, and produced by Alex Borwick at Hellfire Studios and at his own studio.

Eoghan’s forthcoming album is a collection of songs he written over the past few years, both in English and in Irish. “Writing them has been quite a cathartic experience for me – many of them were songs that I probably wanted to write for a while before I got there. They brewed and stewed for quite a bit before they emerged. The writing process is often like this for me – something bubbles under the surface for a while, but ultimately when I sit down to write, most of it just comes out in a kind of a flow.”

“The Deepest Breath is not really a sean-nós album, but sean-nós singing is the foundation for my singing and I think it affects my writing too, in both languages. I learned my singing language as a child from my father first, then as a teenager and young adult listening to lots of different singers. Now in the last few years I feel as though I am able to build with it and develop my own melodies and songs.”

The Deepest Breath, the debut album from Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin comes out November 10^th 2022.

Connect with Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin

Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

West Cork native Molly O’Mahony’s power lies in her ability to feel deeply and to convey that feeling through her words and her voice. Her main mark on the music of Mongoose, both in writing and performance, is the raw emotion at its core.

The pandemic gave rise to an opportunity, when she returned to her home place of Ballydehob after a decade of living in Dublin, with nothing but time, a guitar and a broken heart.

With a back pocket full of personal songs – extensions of her compulsive journaling habit and products of all the life she had lived – she was compelled to step out, strip it all back and make an album that reflected her particular emotional experience of moving through the world.

The House of David is the product of her two years under lockdown, during which time she wrote, honed and recorded the songs which tell the turbulent story of her twenties; a journey through living, loving, failing and creating in the city that made her the artist she is.

Sound boarded against the musical ears of her siblings, Matilda & Fiachra, and utilising their complimentary voices to sit alongside hers, the arrangements were carved out with vocals at the fore. The rest of the textures came when it was time to record the album properly in the summer of 2021, with producer Alex Borwick at the helm, and musicians Shay Sweeney and Ailbhe Dunne, chosen to fill out the rhythm section. The tracks were recorded in a concentrated haze of musical alchemy at Black Mountain Studios, Dundalk, over the course of just a week.

Finally, after a big crowd-funding effort and a timely bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland, the album was made manifest.

Molly has released three singles from the record so far – Remember To Be Brave, Brother Blue and Her Song – samplings which reflect the broad span of influences in her songwriting, her verbal virtuosity and her ability to convey pure feeling.

VIDEOS:

Remember to Be Brave – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dzYGphoOM0

Brother Blue (Live) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7M0cK6FcwQ

Molly will unveil her highly anticipated album, ‘The House of David’, in its entirety on November 10th. It will be available to buy on CD and vinyl via Bandcamp. Pre-order on Bandcamp: https://mollyomahony.bandcamp.com/album/the-house-of-david

Molly’s Irish/UK tour begins two days later.

THE HOUSE OF DAVID’ ALBUM TOUR DATES:

Nov 12^th – The Duncairn Befast*

Nov 13^th – The Loft, Galway**

Nov 18^th – Alfies, Ennistymon*

Nov 19^th – The Commercial, Limerick*

Nov 20^th – Workmans Cellar, Dublin**

Nov 23^rd, The Green Note, London*

Nov 24^th – Coughlan’s, Cork** (Quiet Lights Festival)

Nov 26^th – Levis Ballydehob, West Cork**

(Performances by *Trio ** Full band)

MORE ABOUT MOLLY O’MAHONY

Molly O’Mahony has been paving her own unique creative path over the past decade. After three years immersed in music, theatre and literature at UCD, she formed art-folk group Mongoose with three friends upon graduating in 2012. Within this container, she explored her abilities as a songwriter and instrumentalist, and honed her distinctive singing voice, holding the position of lead vocalist, guitar player and in later years, drummer, in the band.

The group released two albums and two EPs over an eight-year span, sharing stages with artists like Glen Hansard, Eddie Reader, and notably, jazz singer Mary Coughlan, and played venues ranging from Vicar Street, Dublin to Centre Culturel Irlandaise, Paris.

With a strong love of harmony, the group centred vocal arrangements in their songs. This became a hallmark of their sound, along with lush, layered instrumentation and a certain irreverence for form. Colour and theatricality defined their live performances.

“..a charming hodgepodge of colour, sound and vibrancy” -Lauren Murphy, Sunday Times

This marriage of musicality and theatricality led the band into theatre project ‘Woman Undone’ in 2018, a collaboration between theatre company Brokentalkers and singer Mary Coughlan. This production gave Molly the opportunity to flex her performance muscles in a way she hadn’t properly since her university days, as she stepped into the role of Coughlan’s father in the show. It was also a welcome opportunity to exercise her skills as vocal arranger and technical singer, as the band worked closely with celebrated composer Valgeir Sigurdsson, in creating the intricate vocal score for the piece. The production went on to tour nationally in 2019 and earned the group a nomination for ‘Best Sound’ at The Irish Times Theatre Awards, along with Coughlan and Sigurdson.

Molly is currently working with Brokentalkers once again on their new show ‘The Boy Who Never Was’, which is currently premiering at this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival (Sept 29^th – October 16^th).

Connect with Molly O’Mahony

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Gary Ó Nualláin is a songwriter from Dublin, Ireland. He is a writer with a strong emphasis on narrative, be it the universal truth, or political influence from the working class grassroots of Ireland.

He first came to national attention in Ireland, when an encounter with a pay-to-play promoter went viral. This led to him forming the Unsigned Irish Collective, a collective where grassroots musicians could get advice without being taken advantage of. Off the back of this, he was approached to correspond with government ministers on behalf of music rights groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ó Nualláin is a 100% independent musician, releasing under his own label Dalkin Records. He’s as comfortable performing solo as he is with his full 6-piece band The Wildflowers.

He is currently touring his debut release Divide & Conquer, due for release on January 20th 2023.

His latest single ‘Teenage Memories’ is a song he traded for a chocolate fudge cake that he never received. An old friend from his teenage years asked him why he never wrote a song about her. She had since become a professional chef, and he asked her how come she had never made him a chocolate fudge cake. So they agreed to trade. It’s a look back at the youthful naivety of adolescence.

Ó Nualláin is also a successful applicant for the new Basic Income for the Arts scheme due to begin in the coming weeks.

The ‘Teenage Memories’ single launch gig will take place in The Sunflower, Belfast, on Saturday October 22nd at 8pm. Tickets are available now from: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/gary-o-nuallain-teenage-memories-single-launch-tickets-427313595467

German-Irish singer songwriter Sinéad Ann evokes wistful, mystical, breath-taking music influenced by the stunning misty landscapes of Ireland. Sinéad Ann’s music casts light upon the shadows through juxtaposing, ethereal melodies. She was awarded the Irish Youth Music Awards BIMM Bursary in 2017. She then went on to study a BA in Commercial Modern Music in BIMM Institute Dublin, graduating in 2021. Her career was elevated by her performance in Irish language duo Muirsiné alongside fellow musician Muireann Ní Bhaoill. Muirsiné won the GRETB award of Excellence and Achievement in 2016. She directed the Youth Chorus of Paper Boat, an opera commissioned by Galway 2020 collaborating with the Irish National Opera and MFG. Sinéad Ann’s new music is due to be released in Autumn 2022 and she is certainly one to watch with her impressive, remarkable, lucious, distinctive vocals that stand out from the crowd. Her music is full of colour and she is bound to make a name for herself in the music industry as she embarks on her journey with her debut release.

Tackling identity, intuition, and naivety in her new song, German-Irish singer-songwriter Sinead Ann releases her Alternative Folk debut, Lemonzest. Through juxtaposing grim lyrics and uplifting instrumentals, Sinéad captures the initial sting of biting into a lemon and the bitter sweetness of seeing true colours. Sinéad blends harmony and dissonance to illustrate her frustration with superciality and its dark consequences. Lemonzest takes listeners on a journey through Sinéad’s development as a musician and artist, learning to trust her intuition and break the cycle of self-sabotage.

The musical accompaniment inspires imagery of Irish landscapes and creates a mystical hypnotic effect, almost making the acidic lyrics sound sweet. Lemonzest exudes that tart feeling you get when you realise someone’s true thoughts and intentions about you. This profoundly emotional song is about refusing to entertain what does not serve you and embracing the freedom of trusting your instinct. The word ‘gorgeous’ has lost value, and the backhanded flattery  no longer holds its charm.

Sinead Ann’s stunning, memorable debut ‘Lemonzest’ released October 5^th 2022.

Connect with Sinéad Ann

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Paul McCann is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Cavan, Ireland. Paul has played many high-profile gigs around the world including the Cavern Club in Liverpool, Nashville, multiple appearances at the Electric Picnic festival and much more. Paul has also performed with Rufus Wainwright, Pugwash, The Strypes, Duncan Maitland (Picturehouse), Sandy Kelly and Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson Band/Beach Boys), among others.

Following many years of performing with numerous artists and bands (backing songstress Aine Cahill and touring Ireland’s Prisons with Johnny Cash tribute ‘Get Rhythm’), Paul has been carving a solid solo career for himself since 2015. Following two acclaimed EPs (The Magician in 2015 and Beginning to End in 2017) and the wonderful murder ballad single ‘Widow Maker Blues’, Paul released his debut album ‘Here Comes the Rapture’ in 2018. The album was met with praise from many reviewers, with The Irish Times’ Tony Claton Lea citing: “with his debut offering McCann comes into his own… 10 exuberant songs…. Here Comes the Rapture has flawless influences…McCann delivers a collection of taut tunes…. numerous dingers here that well and truly hum”.

Paul’s music draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources, from Jeff Buckley to The Beatles, Kate Bush to Johnny Cash, Queens of the Stoneage to and beyond. The songs included on these releases cross a wide variety of genres, including Power Pop, Folk and Alternative Rock.

Paul draws inspiration from the life around him. Paul was featured on the ‘Best of Power Pop’ compilation, compiled by the legendary Bruce Brodeen (Not Lame Recordings).

With his upcoming album titled ‘Alter Ego’ (due in 2023), Paul chronicled his grief following the sudden death of his father in late 2019. Where previously McCann had played most of the instrumentation himself, the format of the second album is somewhat different and features guest appearances from a number of high profile musicians including Jason Falkner (St. Vincent, Beck, Paul McCartney); Roger Joseph Manning Jr (Beck, Jellyfish, Air); Charlotte Hatherley (Ash, Bat for Lashes); Gary Lucas (Jeff Buckley, Captain Beefheart) and many others.

Lost in this Moment is the latest single from Irish songwriter and musician Paul McCann. Following several successful singles from his debut album in 2018, Paul McCann returns with his latest taste of power pop with Lost in this Moment.

Lost in this Moment comes from the mould of the great love songs and talks of the love and adoration of romance, in the form of an upbeat toe-tapping pop song. The idea for the song is based around a guitar run written by McCann who is an accomplished guitar player.

Once the song was demoed at McCann’s home studio, he sent it to his friend, power pop maestro Jason Falkner. Apart from a successful solo career, Falkner has played with the likes of Paul McCartney, Beck, Jellyfish, Elton John, and is currently on tour with St. Vincent.

Paul McCann entered JAM Studios outside of Kells, Co Meath and recorded the song with Engineer and Co-Producer Martin Quinn, working remotely with Falkner, who laid down the song’s driving bass line.

In the Power Pop traditions of The Beatles, Wings, Jellyfish, Brendan Benson and the Raconteurs, Lost in this Moment charges a melodic pop tune for 4 minutes with no messing around. Martin Quinn’s expertise and passion for this genre shines through in the song’s excellent production. Lost in this Moment also features several Irish musicians on backing vocals including McCann’s ‘The Plan’ band mate Brendan Scott; and, frequent collaborators Majella O’Reilly; and Tony Smith.

Of the song, McCann said:

“I am really excited to release this song. It was amazing to finally get to work with Jason Falkner on some tunes. I’m really proud of how it has all turned out, vocally, musically, sonically, …. everything. Hats off and thanks to Martin Quinn for his incredible work on this”.

The song is accompanied by the visually spectacular Promo Video which was conceived and directed by Aidan Farrelly (Bad Apple Films). The video stars McCann and up and coming actress Siobhan Aislinn, who is currently filming her first feature film ‘Am Fear Liath’.

In addition to Album Version and Radio Edit, streaming sites also include two additional versions of Lost in this Moment: The Crypto Karma Remix is a reimagining of the song by Crypto Karma; and a live version of single from Third Man Records’ Recording Booth in Nashville. Third Man Records is an independent record label founded by Jack White.

Connect with Paul McCann

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