Author: Breffni Banks

The culmination of a trilogy of releases starting with 2019’s “Local Boy Ruins Everything” – “Local Boy Climbs The Ladder” sees the prolific Dublin artist closing the page on his locally loved bedroom-pop project with 10 tracks he has carefully crafted over the past year.

Local Boy aims to give listeners a look into his day-to-day life on the album, with each track serving as an honest exploration of the issue he and his generation face. The album’s opener “Tax Haven” is a critique of the hopelessness endemic amongst young people in Ireland faced with a housing market that is hostile to their needs. Track 9 “Panopticon” focuses on Local Boy’s frustrations with the pervasive encroachment of technology and social media into every aspect of modern life.

Local Boy invites two new voices into his world on “Control” and “Stability” with up-and-coming Drogheda indie artist hotgirl on the former and Dublin electronic artist Boyfrens on the latter. “Control” is the first released collaboration of Local Boy and hotgirl who work with each other extensively – Local Boy plays bass in her live band and is working on production for her upcoming debut release.

As with all releases under the Local Boy banner, the album was painstakingly crafted by Dubliner Jake Hurley who handles all writing, production, recording, mixing and mastering duties for the project – a process that he feels makes the music as direct an expression of his daily life and thoughts as possible. This factor he feels is the key to the success of the Local Boy project.

“I just can’t relinquish control on this project to another creative voice in the mixing or mastering stage,” Local Boy says. “My entire mission statement for this project is that it gives as honest a look into the life and struggles of myself and by extension young people as a wider group. I feel every step of the creative process is one where this honesty can be displayed and if not handled correctly, lost”.

“This release feels like closing the page on the book I started back in 2019,” the Dubliner continues. “I really want it to feel like an exciting moment in my discography because it’s the final appearance of Local Boy in his current form. I’m not settled on my next steps in music right now but I know it’s going to be something of a reinvention of the character I’ve built over the past several years”.

“This project has been the centerpiece of my life over the past several years, it’s landed me international gigs, a publishing deal, and got me through a global pandemic. So I really wanted to do the Local Boy character justice and close out the trilogy in a way that builds from the previous two releases.”

‘Local Boy Climbs the Ladder’ is out now:

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Niamh Dunne of “Beoga” fame is releasing her first solo project of self penned songs on September 30th. Ahead of this, Niamh releases a second track from the album ‘Did You Ever Love Me?’ this coming Friday, September 23rd.

This is Niamh’s first solo project in ten years and her first ever album made up entirely of self penned songs. The album is in 2 halves; one based on story songs inspired by traditional Irish songs and the other half based on singer-songwriter style, introspective songs that look at lived experience, feminism, family, history and connection. Both halves are a reflection on her life as a musician, from her traditional roots with the Traveller family The Dunne’s right up to writing with contemporary acts like Foy Vance and Ed Sheeran in recent years. This album is a chance to lend her own voice, with all its contradictions and nuances, to the musical landscape.

‘Did You Ever Love Me?’ follows up Niamh’s successful single ‘The Raven, which was released in late Summer. The genesis of ‘Did You Ever Love Me?’ comes from the Goddess Boann. She has an affair with the Dagda , who impregnates her. To hide the pregnancy the Dagda casts a spell making “the sun stand still” so no one will know of her infidelity. Boann tried to hide her infidelity with the Dagda  by washing herself in Nechtan’s Well, but when she approaches it, it overcomes her, and she drowns and becomes the Boyne.

The legend has so many parallels with how we treated women in this country for generations; make the earth stand still for 9 months, locked away in Laundries and Institutions, shamed and vilified. Even the almighty Goddesses are punished for not knowing their place, for not toeing the line.

After Beoga’s six albums, a shortlist for a Grammy and numerous international tours, Niamh is no stranger to reaching a wider international audience as a result of a chance encounter with Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance and Johnny McDaid. This led to the band co-writing Ed’s massive hit ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Nancy Mulligan’ from his album Divide. They also performed as Ed Sheeran’s only special guest on his headlining Glastonbury 2017 performance and supported him on his record-breaking Irish stadium tour in 2018.

Niamh’s debut solo album ‘Tides’ is released on September 30th 2022

A beguiling vocalist with a storytelling approach to songwriting, Sarah Buckley captured an immediate audience with the release of her debut single ‘You’ve Got Me’. With a national TV performance, national airplay (1.3 million radio impressions), festival appearances and growing industry interest, it was no surprise when she was nominated for the title of Best Newcomer by Pure M magazine, and was listed as a One To Watch by legendary venue Whelans.

‘On the move a lot at the time, Magic Powers is about meeting someone that made you feel you could stand still following a restless period. It talks about how the company of the right person can make the mundane seem special and the tricky parts of life more manageable.’ – Sarah Buckley

Hailing from Cork, and describing herself as an ‘indie folk singer songwriter’, Sarah built on this early success by collaborating and recording with some of Ireland’s leading music producers, Karl Odlum (David Kitt, Gemma Hayes), Darragh Nolan (Ailbhe Reddy) & Richey McCourt (LAOISE, Will Young) over the past year. The results of this will be released as two sister EPs in the coming months. Balancing themes of nature & mysticism, with relatable and razor sharp lyrics, the collections allow Sarah’s infectious and haunting vocal style to shine through.

With residency support ranging from Tommy McLaughlin (Villagers, SOAK), to Rocky O’Reilly (Gary Lightbody) it’s no great surprise that Sarah’s music has already started to earn domestic and international attention, with two of her compositions becoming semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition and a sponsored spot on a Nashville songwriting trip during summer 2022.
In an industry that stacks the odds higher for female artists, through sheer talent and individualism Sarah Buckley is positioned to become everybody’s new favourite singer songwriter.

Patrick stefan is an Irish-Dutch singer and wayfarer; born in Co. Clare now based in Dublin, he’s travelled & lived in different corners of the world from Scandinavia, Brazil to Africa. Inspiration for his songs come from a colourful background of experience: learning tribal songs in Mali, jazz guitar in Boston, folk singing in Helsinki and drumming in north Brazil. His songs have been compared in sound to Paul Simon, Jose Gonzalez, Sufjan Stevens, Nick Drake, James Blake, Milton Nascimento and Peter Broderick.  After much wayfare, Patrick Stefan shares his debut album, out now 23^rd September 2022, & accompanying new live video for previously released single ‘Drinking Alone in the Moonlight’

LIVE VIDEO “Drinking Alone in the Moonlight”

Speaking of the album, Patrick says:

“My earliest memories are of moving, journeying, suddenly being in a new place. Now as an adult I recognise that every time I travel I lose a small part of myself only for it to be replaced by something bigger that I couldn’t have imagined existing before. Wayfare is my debut album of songs and it’s about my journey as a man and a musician.

I’ve been making music with different people around the world for 10 years and it took the pandemic for me to stop and dive into my own journey to understand my roots as a folk singer’s son and as a citizen of the world, from Brazil, to Finland, Mali, USA & Europe.

I had amassed lots of skills and performed on big stages in different countries with big artists and it took this time to understand what I wanted to sing about and what I wanted people to feel – so Wayfare is about the course of journeying, like looking back behind you and realising how far up the hill you are. It’s freeing, terrifying, exhilarating.

Wayfare references my 16^th century Dutch ancestors who were whalers, some went on several year-long expeditions to gather fuel for pre-industrial cities. The album references the book Moby Dick and its archetypes as I see them reflected through me; Ishmael’s wanderlust, the ambition of Captain Ahab, the mixed crew of Americans, Europeans & Africans, the timeless wisdom of the nourishing, lurking Whale.

Wayfare comes to terms with my mixed heritage and reveals pockets of references to family heirlooms, childhood memories, wisdom scars, my shadow self, west African Rhythms & Brazilian percussion. The album quilts together tones, expressions and rhythms into a well-fitting suit, as if made of different sized & coloured threads.”

The songs have been compared in sound to Paul Simon, Jose Gonzalez, Sufjan Stevens, Nick Drake, James Blake, Milton Nascimento and Peter Broderick.

Wayfare was funded by the MISP album grant administered by First Music Contact.

Out now, Friday 23^rd September 2022

Stream/Buy: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/patrickstefan/wayfare

Mickey Joe Harte is back with a brand new single ‘Derry Girl’ – his first in 3 years – and is currently working on pre-production for his next album.

‘Derry Girl’ is released across all digital platforms from September 23rd through Swerve Music Limited.

Mickey Joe Harte has been a mainstay of the Irish roots and popular music scene for 20 years. He has recorded 4 Albums to date, Mickey Joe has had multiple Platinum records to his credit including No 1’s and top 10 singles.

‘Derry Girl’ is the first single Mickey has released in 3 years following his last long play record ‘Me Two’ released in 2018. ‘Derry Girl’ was recorded in Attica Studios with producer/engineer Tommy Mc Laughlin and mastered in London with John Davis. This upbeat single tells the  story of dating a girl from the wrong side of town, religion or beliefs shouldn’t matter when it’s love…

Best known for his single ‘We’ve got the World’ released in 2003 Mickey Joe has gone on to tour the US, Australia, Europe and Dubai making a career in a business that few have the opportunity to stay in, Mickey has played 100’s of concerts with his band and solo and has retained a loyal audience across the globe.

Mickey has written with writers in Nashville, London and Sweden as well as collaborating with Paul Brady, Rory and the Island, Kieran Goss and Jack Tempchin. His voice has become familiar to the 3 million weekly audience on German RTL TV Show ‘Lets Dance’ that tune in each week as Mickey Joe sings versions of Metallica, Peter Gabriel to alternative indie swing versions of 21 Pilots ‘Stressed Out’.

Outside of his recording and touring Mickey Joe has been working on a local project ‘Music to your Ears’ for men bringing them together through music and tackling isolation and loneliness. They have now put on over 9 shows in the North of Ireland celebrating the talents of its never too late to take up music.

‘Derry Girl’ is released on all digital platforms from September 23rd and released through Swerve Music Limited.

The Indie Folk artist on everyone’s watch list; Cormac Looby is  back at it with his latest single; Lobsters.

Riding off the back of the success of his debut EP; “Things We Don’t Control”, the Cahir native has toured both Ireland and the UK, finishing up with an array of sold out gigs in Dublin venue’s Whelans and The Soundhouse.

Cormac, is set to become a household name with the release of his paradoxal and folky new single, with even more new music to be expected later this year.

‘Lobsters’ is Cormac’s most recent release, a song which seeks to epitomize the paradoxical nature of the Irish, using old folk tales as a storytelling medium.

The track marks Cormac’s definite foray into the realm of indie pop, with influences from the likes of Sam Fender felt throughout. Having recorded and produced the song alongside artist Rory Ryan at his studio space in Galway, Cormac was eager to make Lobsters a collaborative effort.

 The title premise behind Lobsters was to reflect on an old Irish tale about a lobster tank. At a seafood restaurant in the west of Ireland, a customer approaches the tank to decide which lobster they would like to eat. “That pot is very shallow…”, they say, “surely the lobsters would be able to escape?” Overhearing this the perplexed owner responds; “Sure howdya mean? These are Irish lobsters – if one tries to get out the others will drag’em back in.”

Cormac’s newest single epitomizes the paradoxical nature of the Irish. There is an innate reluctance to disturb the status quo and to support those who do. At the same time, Irish people have proven themselves as some of the most compassionate people on the planet, and if they truly care about you, will support you no matter what.

This track features Cormac Looby (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), smythy (Electric Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals), Shane O’Connell (Drums, Acoustic Guitar) and Rory Ryan (Keyboard). The song was also produced by Rory Ryan.

2022 saw the release of Cormac’s debut EP ‘Things We Don’t Control’.The singles from the EP ‘Patriot’ and ‘Hard-wiring’ featured on the BBC Introducing Mixtape and the RTE Radio 1 Recommends playlist. This was followed by a tour of the UK and Ireland, including gigs in Leeds, London, the Róisín Dubh (Galway) and two sold-out shows Upstairs at Dublin’s iconic Whelan’s venue.

Follow Cormac Looby

CormacLooby.com // Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // Youtube // Spotify // TikTok

Mary Black, one of Ireland’s favourite artists, is regarded as one of the most important Irish vocalists of her generation, with multi-platinum selling albums and a string of achievement awards to her name. Mary’s enduring success has proven that her depth of talent and love of singing transcend the generations.

Mary was delighted to be back on the road again – her first live performances in two years were last October and as she said herself “it was magical to be back”. She continued into 2022 with more live dates and also found time to film for ’The Heart of Saturday Night’ and ‘The Restaurant’, while also featuring in a documentary entitled ’The Flourishing’ (all to be aired over Christmas).

Mary will perform with her band, featuring Bill Stanley (guitar), Pat Crowley (piano and accordion), Nick Scott (double bass), Richie Buckley (saxophone), and Liam Bradley (drums & percussion) playing favourites from her back catalogue, including songs we know by heart from ‘No Frontiers’ to ‘Song for Ireland’, ‘Past The Point Of Rescue’, ‘Carolina Rua’, ‘Katie’, ‘A Woman’s Heart’ and many more. Her Cork Opera House show is part of the 43rd Cork Folk Festival, running from September 29 – October 2.

MCD presents Rachel Mae Hannon’s headline show in The Workman’s Main Room on 1st of October, 2022 plus special guests Still Blue. Tickets are available from ticketmaster now. This event will launch her new single ‘Breathe’ out on the 23rd of September.

Rachel Mae Hannon is a soulful vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer from Monaghan, living in Dublin. Her sound can be described as where electro pop meets neo-soul. The low range of her vocals and her eloquent use of harmonies as well as instrumentation gives her a distinctive soul pop sound.

This year has been an exciting one for Rachel as she has not only supported HAIM at the Trinity Summer Series, Tom Odell in The 3Olympia, and Eloise in The Sugar Club she has also played the main stage at Sea Sessions 2022, Kaleidoscope 2022, Indiependence 2022, and We’ve Only Just Begun 2022. Her successful set at Electric Picnic 2022 on the main stage of Mind and Body, ended the festival season on a high note.

With more to come, Rachel also recently dueted with Danny O’Reilly from The Coronas as part of RTÉ’s The Main Stage, ‘Unseen Songs’. Video here.

Her new single and video ‘Work It Out’ were released on the 6th of May and are available on streaming platforms now.

Rachel Mae Hannon is very excited to transfer all this energy to the live stage alongside guests on Saturday the  1st of October, 2022.

You can find Rachel Mae Hannon on all socials here.

Photo: G Bollard at Indiependence 2022

James Daly, Dublin singer/songwriter releases his new single called ‘It’s Killing Me Inside’ which will be released on Friday 23^rd September.

The song covers the story line of liking someone, but you can’t ask them out because they’re already taken.

The song takes on a Country style Blues, Americana direction which was co-written by James and Keith McLoughlin. It was recorded at Beardfire Studio giving the full sound of guitars, bass, drums.

James has been performing for many years on the Dublin singer-songwriter scene at the likes of The Brady’s Sessions etc..

James Daly: Vocals, Guitars, co-writer

Keith McLoughlin: Co-writer

Beardfire Studio: Recorded at with Rohan Healy, Al Quiff, David Virgin

‘Dream About You’ is the latest offering from new Irish dance artist Slaney.

It’s an extremely catchy and energetic dance song, an absolute dance floor filler.

Carlow-born singer and actor, Slaney is now based in London where she will be working closely with her new live agent Sol Parker.

Sol’s other clients include Billie Eilish & Rita Ora.

Slaney has recently signed with Paradigm Talent Agency for worldwide live representation.

“Dream About You is a song I wrote with my producer and collaborator Michael Hopkins.

It was inspired by an emotional break up and the inability to let someone go, obsessing over them and allowing them to completely take over your mind.

We wanted to marry the sadness from this experience with an upbeat dance song “