Irish up and coming Neo-Trad band Strings & Things are set to release their third installment off their highly anticipated Re: Works EP, “Take The Time”.
“Take The Time” tells a story of a musician’s perspective of being a band on the road. It talks about how sometimes even when you are out and about, doing what you love. It can also take its toll on you both mentally and physically. It also speaks quite freely of the wonder that the gigging road holds. Seeing new places, meeting new people and just enjoying the world as it’s being presented to you. The single will be the third edition of the band’s current project. “Take The Time” originally featured on the first original album, Turbulence in 2017.
With the meaning behind the lyrics of the song, I felt that it deserved a bright, wholesome sound. I found using the guitar as my guide in the middle, and pairing it with a warm bass tone and sharp mandolin tone that it would sit evenly in the mix, and it did!
My favorite part of the whole track is just before the last chorus where everything is in full swing and how the mandolin, which I used light distortion on, paired with the “Oohs” really helped to deliver a totally magical music extravaganza.
Band Percussionist and backing vocalist Eoin Shelly says “This song was an interesting one to write. Mainly because it was written while sitting on the side of a lonely road on a very rainy night as I waited for a music session to finish up. I just sat back a thought about my gigging life at the time and it’s amazing when you start putting pen to paper, how quick the story unfolds’’
Keep up to date with everything Strings & Things are up to on their Facebook page or website;
Singer and songwriter D. Cullen releases his new single ‘I’m Not Leaving’ on 16 September, the latest single taken from his forthcoming album Sing My Story, Tell My Song .
With a haunting chord structure and a dynamic piano track, the song tells the story of someone who is fully committed to their relationship, despite mistakes or doubts: ‘I’m not leaving, I’m right here where I belong.’ Produced by Ivan Jackman, D. Cullen played all instruments and backing vocals were provided by Sinead McConville, a close collaborator.
Cullen explains, ‘Musically, I’m obsessed with the chords in this song; it’s all major 7ths and add 2s. I just love the sound of them. Lyrically, it’s just about committing to someone, which is the most beautiful and terrifying thing you can do.’
Cullen is otherwise known as Darragh Cullen, a twenty-seven-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Dublin. Despite his young age, D. Cullen has already had significant success in the music business, releasing his first album when he was just fifteen, which lead to him being named Male Solo Artist of the Year 2011 by Jackie Hayden of Hot Press . In 2019 D. Cullen released ‘Alright’ which debuted with a performance on The Late Late Show, and quickly became one of the most played songs on RTÉ Radio One. It was followed by The Rising Tide EP .
After a slew of single releases in 2020 and 2021, D. Cullen is set to release his album Sing My Story, Tell My Song on 23rd September. The twelve-track album has been a long time in the making: writing started in 2018, with recording sessions with Boo Hewerdine and Chris Pepper in 2019, and the album was set for release in 2020 when it was derailed by Covid lockdowns.
During lockdown D. Cullen hit upon a wellspring of creativity and couldn’t stop writing. He taught himself how to produce and record and thus began a two-year process of recording demos, drafting in musicians for remote sessions, sending files to Roger Bechirian, Conor McLoughlin and Chris Pepper, and essentially making a whole new album’s worth of songs. When the time came to finally release the album, he had over forty songs to pick from and the cream of the crop made it onto Sing My Story, Tell My Song. D Cullen is incredibly proud of the album and can’t wait to debut it at the live shows he has already scheduled.
Cullen tours Ireland;
Wed. 7 Sept Sunflower Pub, Belfast (co-headline w. Javier Martinez)
On Sunday 18th September, Singer/Songwriter Brian Duffy will be releasing his much anticipated third solo album, ‘The Walk’ in Matt Molloy’s Yard Bar.
The contemporary Irish folk musician started working on this latest release during the lockdown and says “the music I have created on this album is a testament to persistence and not giving up on your dreams. I found a new creative space during lockdown, which leads to this new CD”.
“During the pandemic I ran a series of online concerts called ‘SOFA SO GOOD’, which helped me maintain a connection with others and my music and through the online encouragement I received and the gratitude in the messages that were left for me, inspired me in creating this new album. The music is a mixture of many different feelings and emotions that would have occurred for a lot of people during lockdown. The songs describe everything from family loss to dealing with illness and songs of love and hope which I feel will help the listener to overcome trials of everyday life. Music for me is a healer and can be a source for helping other people, a place of meditation, a distraction from the normal which I feel is necessary for everyone.”
This is the second collaboration with producer Donogh Hennessy based in Dingle, who has helped Brian craft these songs to their ultimate potential. A fusion of renowned musicians from both Ireland and abroad have contributed in the creation of this body of work, from Mexico to Dingle, Wales and back!
Brian describes his music as a mixture of contemporary traditional Irish influenced with a mixture of Latin and Asturian folk music, from the Northwest of Spain, where he spent a number of years performing.
The launch takes place on Sunday 18th September at 9pm in Matt Molloy’s Yard Bar, Bridge Street, Westport, Admission Free. Special Guest on the night is singer/songwriter Tony Reidy followed by Brian who will take to the stage with his full band and says he is “really looking forward to sharing his new music with everyone”.
Brian’s previous two albums, I Am So (2012) and Something In A Melody (2016) are available on his website: brianduffymusic.com.
Secret Sessions is a brand new collective showcasing the very best of local Irish talent.
They are curating nights with exciting Irish artists and keeping the line-ups a complete secret, until the acts introduce themselves on stage.
They’re giving audiences the opportunity to discover new music in the best possible way – seeing the acts perform right in front of them in Dublin’s favourite venues.
Secret Sessions was created with the belief that gigs in which you don’t necessarily know the artist playing can often end up being the best craic and can lead to you discovering a new favourite artist.
With Secret Sessions, they are capturing the essence of discovering an artist or band in an ongoing series of one night events.
The event is non-profit and will be donating funds raised to the Musical Youth Foundation. The Musical Youth Foundation is changing lives through music education and we are delighted to support a fantastic charity that provides access and opportunity to kids across the country. Every gig-goer knows what music means to them, and to provide a base of musical instruments, lessons and knowledge to the kids that need it most is something we are very proud to support.
If you want to support the growth of Irish talent after a difficult last few years for the arts industry, if you want to support an important charity for the growth of music in Ireland or even just come for a good night to brighten up your week – join us at The Sound House on Thursday 22nd September to support the launch of a series of events that will not disappoint!
“Perfect”, Rowlette’s third release of 2022, is a vulnerable and intimate folk-pop track. The song explores the relationship with one’s body and our tendency to chastise it, despite all the amazing things it enables us to do.
Nowadays we are bombarded with beauty ideals that are often unattainable. “I find it crazy that the beauty ideals we are being sold can be so contradictory. For example in Ireland and the UK we are sold fake tanning products and sunbeds, yet in parts of Asia they’re being sold skin whitening bleach and they’re covering up on the beach.” said Rowlette.
“I think it’s definitely something that most girls have gone through at some point, and presumably most guys too. Phases where you look at food as some kind of enemy, rather than nutrients that fuel your body. Or where you look in the mirror and all you can see are the things you want to change, rather than this incredible vessel that does so much for you.”
There’s plenty of statistics to back up the songwriter’s observation – with a large UK government study finding that “61% of adults and 66% of children feel negative about their body image most of the time” and several smaller scale irish studies describing similar findings.
The track is an acoustic pop-ballad produced by Dave Skelton and mastered by Aidan Foley. The singer’s distinctive vocals sit beautifully on top of her trademark acoustic guitar, alongside piano and some orchestral elements mixed with modern pop percussion and bass.
The artist acknowledges that the mindset shift isn’t easy; “The song is very much about doing your best to accept yourself, but acknowledging that it’s a work in progress. There will be good days and bad days, but it’s important not to beat yourself up on the bad days.”
In terms of what the artist hopes for the song, it’s to inspire people to be a little nicer to themselves. “I want the listener to reflect on how they talk to themselves, and think if it is serving them, really. And if not, try to change it a little, day by day.”
Rowlette, currently based in London, has been busy since the world of live music has returned. She recently hosted a packed out headliner in the British capital with fellow musician Faraway Martin. As well, she’s back in Dublin frequently, performing at venues such as Workman’s and The Soundhouse.
As a solo performer with an acoustic guitar, Rowlette is recognised for her powerful vocals, inspirational lyrics and captivating performances. Hailing from Co. Mayo, she has a distinctive writing style, known for her storytelling ability.
Rowlette’s tracks have received radio play across Irish radio stations and abroad, was added to several Spotify editorial playlists as well as coverage across many media outlets, such as RTE 1, Golden Plec and Hot Press.
Lea is well known for her relatable heart-felt pop anthems, her music focusing on issues of youth, love, heartache and all that is in between. Her brand new single ‘Happier’ takes Lea into a more mature and expressive era.
About the song Lea explains ‘Happier is a super personal song for me written from my own experiences with males in my life – the song is deeply emotional and describes a relationship that is now gone from my life and ended in heartache. It wasn’t written during the angry, heartbroken stage after a relationship ends. It was the moment I realised I was stronger without that person in my life – I felt freedom, excitement and empowerment. ‘
The last two years have been huge success for a practically unknown artist, releasing her debut EP, ‘Older’ being certified Platinum, ‘A Million Goodbyes’ featured in Love Island, opening for Picture This across multiple shows and selling out her own two headline shows in the Academy, Dublin. The list of incredible successes go on …
After a busy two years, Lea took some time out to do some writing sessions in London and Sweden, experimenting with new sounds. Discovering who she wanted to be as an artist, leaning away from the light pop of her past releases, which represented the time she was in when they came out but now having some more life experiences post Covid, and being influenced by artists she grew up listening to – Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, Sinead O Connor, Paramore, P!nk, Lady GaGa, Catfish and the bottlemen and The Killers. Artists she relates and looks up to with their incredible story-telling with pop-rock production in all their music.
‘Happier’ was written with talented writers Conor O’Donohoe, Aiden Halliday and Joseph Wander and was sent off to Canada to be produced by Jacob Bitove.
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, but combine hard-hitting lyrics with other musical influences to create a rich, contemporary sound. Today, he announces his debut solo album, due for release 10th November 2022, and shares the title track ‘The Deepest Breath’.
Recorded, mixed, and produced by Alex Borwick at Hellfire Studios and at his own studio, the song features Eoghan on vocals, concertina & flute; Ian Kinsella on guitar & vocals; Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz on cello & vocals; and Alex Borwick on harmonium & piano.
Speaking about the song, Eoghan says:
“I was trying to write this song for a while before I got to it. I wanted to write about art and freedom and dreams, the attack on all of these, and the need to fight for them. Ultimately what sparked it was reading about a woman called Annie who died in homeless accommodation in Churchtown, half a mile from where I grew up. She left behind her two children.
It made me think about how growing up you’d hear bullshit like “you can do anything you set your mind to”, or “follow your dreams” – hyper individualistic stuff that ignores the system and the social reality so many people are living in. Ultimately it promotes a vision of success that sees the individual climb the ladder, and to hell with everyone underneath.
For me the song is about rejecting that, but reclaiming dreams that are deep, collective, and genuinely meaningful.”
Eoghan’s forthcoming album is a collection of songs he’s 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 ultimately 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 trad or 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.”
Acclaimed Irish electronic musician Daithí releases his third L.P. today, Friday, 9th September via Strange Brew. He also shares the focus track ‘Keep It For The Next One,’ featuring Neil Dexter. The dancefloor-ready pop single keeps the listener on their toes, the sublime melody transforming as buzzing, Daft Punk-esque synths come in.
As for the album, I’m Here Now starts where it must—at the end.
A sunset stretches out, led by the commanding presence of long-time collaborator Ailbhe Reddy. ‘Sunset’ serves as the closing of one journey—2019’s critically acclaimed, RTÉ Choice Music Prize-nominated L.O.S.S., an album that found Daithí O’Dronaí confronting his most personal questions up to that point in his life—and the start of another.
I’m Here Now, Daithí’s new album, is an exploration of the past, present and future. It speaks to where Daithí is in his life at the precise moment you’re reading these words, in addition to his experience of the past two years; a time that challenged just about every living creature on the planet in ways nobody could have imagined.
For Daithí, having closed out his twenties during this period, it was crucial to capture as much lost time as possible. ‘Sunset’ and the initial genesis of I’m Here Now was indeed born out of isolation, but it was more of a shared, purposeful tranquillity as Daithí decamped to his own artist’s hideaway—The Beekeepers in his native Clare. It was here that the cast of supporting characters that make up his newest cinematic vision came together – Ailbhe Reddy and Sinéad White (‘Sunset’), David Tapley of Tandem Felix (‘Polypoly’), Uly (‘Like The Water’), and Neil Dexter (‘Keep It For The Next One’).
The overall approach also meant finding a place for long-standing, dust-gathering documents, like when Daithí travelled to Slieve League in Donegal in 2015 to record the surrounding local harmonies—you’ll hear the creak of a heavy, rattling farm gate on the title track, for instance, ultimately used as a punctuation mark.
“It felt like I was holding onto that sample forever,” says Daithí. “I could just never figure out where to put it. This record was the first time where I knew, ‘This is the exact place for it to go’.”
Throughout the album, Daithí takes the time to honour the legacy of those who carved out the path he now strides. His grandfather Chris Droney, revered in Irish traditional music circles as much for his personality as his signature playing style, is very much present in Daithí’s decision to use a concertina on the title track—the instrument that his grandfather was rarely seen without.
“He was the real leader of the family and had been for his entire life—he was referred to as ‘The Boss’ right up until he died,” Daithí says.
“If you were doing anything in music, you would run it by him and he would let you know, in his way, whether it was the right or wrong thing to do.”
“When I first went into music and started playing electronic and dance, I didn’t think he would approve,” Daithí recalls, “But he was so happy that I was doing something in music, and something new with it, too. He was, and is, a massive, massive inspiration.”
Also providing fresh encouragement—the idea of truly testing oneself; as a musician, as a storyteller, as an individual who has really come to appreciate the value in letting these songs speak for themselves in a way they hadn’t before.
This attitude is reflected most prominently in the one-two punch of ‘Polypoly’ and ‘Like The Water’, two movements that find Daithí—and guest vocalists David Tapley and Uly—finding liberation in letting go.
“There’s a hypnotic poly-rhythm that drives ‘Polypoly’—the hope is to unsettle the listener’s expectations a bit, to force them not to be in control so much and not to know where the next note is coming from,” Daithí says.
“‘Like The Water’, then, takes that idea and brings it to an extreme. You start off with a quiet, calm acceptance but as it progresses, we build it out, just getting bigger and bigger, layer upon layer until it eventually explodes. You have to reach that side of it—there’s a danger to completely giving up control, after all.”
‘Joined’, which serves as I’m Here Now’s plaintive, Burial-adjacent interlude, adds uncertainty to the album’s narrative.
“When you’re really unsure of yourself and you don’t know where to go and it’s quite upsetting and you’re genuinely super-scared by it—that’s this track,” notes Daithí.
A range of emotions filter through the nine tracks on display here. Quickly, those aforementioned fears melt into a heartfelt sense of self, one that guides the author—and so too the listener—to a place of solace that holds excitement for the future.
Playfulness abounds, and confidence with it. Take lead single ‘Familial’, for example, and its beautifully-realised video accompaniment courtesy of award-winning New Zealand filmmaker Ayla Amano. The video, a short film in and of itself, presents the well-worn fractures of a family through the strains of a father-son relationship, culminating in a cathartic release that ‘Familial’ totally comprehends, not least when Daithí taps into—and updates—a notably old sean-nós recording to both ground and elevate proceedings.
“There’s a culture in the west of Ireland where it’s accepted that you hide your feelings, a very male, old-Irish way of life,” says Daithí.
“Ayla was really taken with the huge amount of similarities between Irish culture and Pacific Island culture, particularly how men interact with one another. She thought it would be interesting to draw ties between two wildly different worlds and showcase the connections between them.”
So, how do you bring the curtain down on this record? You look to the next adventure, of course.
‘Moonlight’, a seven-minute instrumental rush of euphoria that looks to redefine the term ‘sky-scraping’, was born out of something very simple though nonetheless crushingly painful – the disappearance of live music. Locked out, frustrated and crestfallen at the lack of being able to stand on a stage in front of people and deliver his music to them, Daithí ensured that he would have an impeccable shimmering ace up his sleeve when he got back to work. ‘Moonlight’ is that new calling card for the live arena, and a hell of an album closer.
“It’s a shock to the system,” says Daithí.
“It’s supposed to set you off, to jump you out of the album. I love that we start with ‘Sunset’ and then, a little over 30 minutes later, you’ve reached ‘Moonlight’ and it’s almost like you’re arrived at the after-party following a great show.
“You’ve gone through all of the things that people think will be the highest points of the night – but it’s the moments afterwards, the people you meet when you’re not expecting to, that you remember.
“‘Moonlight’ isn’t a complicated piece of music – and that’s the point. Sometimes, the best moments in music are the simplest, sometimes music lets you know that.”
Everything said, and everything left unsaid.
The record’s singles ‘Familial’ and ‘Sunset’ have already garnered praise from Irish media.
Nialler9 dubbed ‘Sunset’ one of their favourite songs of June, and the track has surpassed 900,000 radio impacts.
Daithí has long been an indie darling on the Irish music scene; his 2019 record, L.O.S.S., received a glowing four-star review from the Irish Times and the record, as well as his album released as one half of HousePlants (with Paul Noonan), were both nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize.
Kaya T serves up a slice of superior pop with her debut track ‘Flight Mode’. An authentic Pop & RnB bop that wouldn’t feel out of place on an Ariana Grande album, this refreshing debut from Kaya T feels instantly familiar with the delivery and production levels of an established pop princess.
Speaking of Flight Mode, Kaya T said “Flight Mode is about the detrimental effects of social media to someone who is struggling mentally. I wanted to write a song that gave my experience & how it can be a scary place when you’re not sure where your life is going. Seeing people only post the best versions of themselves can be hard to watch when you feel like you’re stuck in a rut or not feeling good about yourself. The lyric “I hope the stars hear me calling up above and they say what’s up don’t sigh now we’ve got your dreams on file now you’ll be alright”, is me picturing the stars having a filing cabinet of everyone’s dreams when they “wish upon a star” and that feeling of relief to know they had my dreams in their files now and that things would essentially be ok.
ARTIST BIO
24 year old Dubliner Kaya T has been performing since she was five on some of the biggest stages in the country including The Olympia Theatre. She taught herself how to play the guitar aged ten and sights her father as her biggest musical influence. “My dad was always the musical influence in my life, he showed me all the best bands and we would often sit and play guitar and drums together for hours singing our favourite songs”. A huge fan of classic musicals like “Annie” Kaya T has a natural stage presence that elevates her above her peers.
