Author: Breffni Banks

Three years of hard work: songwriting, music production, circus performance, & film making… all of it has been leading to this moment!

The start of September is the Start of Something Blue! Nathan Mac is releasing his debut, Cinematic-pop album on the 2nd of September in the Workmans Club, Dublin. Combining Circus, Music, & Cinema, he’s spent three years pouring his heart, soul & savings into this breakout piece of work.

The 12-track album includes Ireland’s first ever Circus-Musical film: ‘Learning Curve’. With a combination of songs from the album, Nathan’s circus artistry, & the dramatic skills of an entire cast, this film exemplifies the greatest parts of ‘Once’, ‘Moulin Rouge’, & ‘The Greatest Showman’.

“To be a part of something so brilliant is astonishing. No matter what happens, I’ll always have the songs… & the ability to say: that’s me.” (from Nathan’s Artist Journal)

So, with two big events packed into one, & with some of the industry’s finest, Nathan has crafted this live show to launch his musical, circus-filled, & cinematic career!

‘Start of Something Blue’ & ‘Learning Curve’ will be available to stream & download from the 2nd of September.

If you would like to join Nathan & his team for the album/film launch, you can purchase tickets here.

nathanmacmusic.com

This Saturday, September 3rd,  RTE Concert Orchestra presents the world premiere of ‘Room’ with live score.

The screening with live score will be performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, under conductor Gavin Maloney at the National Concert Hall.

Director Lenny Abrahamson, composer Stephen Rennicks and author/adaptor Emma Donoghue will introduce the film, in conversation with John Kelly.

Adapted by Emma Donoghue from her own best-selling novel, ‘Room’, starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay, with Brie Larson going on to win the Best Actress award for her role in the film.

The score by Rennicks – one of Ireland’s top film composers and a regular Abrahamson collaborator – was described as ‘superbly empathetic’ by the Guardian.

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra by arrangement with STUDIOCANAL and Element Pictures 

Tickets for the NCH event, priced €32.50–€45, are on sale now with more details at: www.rte.ie/co.

National Concert Hall

RTE Concert Orchestra

Irish singer Méav and Les Rhapsodes Choir headline Québec’s 16th Celtic Festival with  a special commemorative concert on  September 10^th, 2022 at 8pm.

This year marks the 175^th Anniversary of 1847, the worst year of the Irish Famine, when  over 90,000 Irish refugees passed through the quarantine station of Grosse ile, Québec hoping for a new life in Canada.

The concert commemorates those who suffered  and died during the Famine, and the Canadians who welcomed many Irish refugees in their time of need. It is a celebration of our shared cultures through music, poetry and song.

The event is a free concert at the stunning outdoor Agora venue on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. No advance booking is  required.

Méav is bringing a band of Irish multi-instrumentalists with her and is delighted to be reunited with the fantastic 35 member choir Les Rhapsodes under their conductor David Rompré for this unique event.

Well-known local raconteur Steven Burke will narrate.

The concert  features traditional  songs and contemporary songs by many Irish composers including Brendan Graham, Declan O’Rourke, John Spillane, Conor O’Reilly and Ronan McDonagh.  It will also feature the premiere of a new song by Méav Ní Mhaolchatha and Ronan Scolard entitled North Star. Canadian composers including  Mychael and Jeff Danna  and Gilles Vigneault are also featured.

https://festival-celtique.com/en/agora/

On September 9th 2022 Doctor Millar will release Ruining Everything, his sixth solo album and the follow up to C48 (2013).

On Ruining Everything Doctor Millar delivers his rootsiest record yet, with contributions from such luminaries as Donal Lunny (on Look what she threw away and Unhappy woman), Liam O Maonlaí (The Hothouse Flowers frontman plays piano on Communion Money and Danny McCoy) and Bill Banjo Whelan. All while still keeping his habitual dry and dark lyrical take on the contemporary life. ‘Hot Press, State Magazine and the RTE Guide’ have all described Doctor Millar as “Irelands best lyricist”. While the Irish Times called him “..an Irish National Treasure”.

NOTES FROM THE DOCTOR

I have always been a folk musician.

If you know me and my career you’ll know that my two biggest influences are planxty and The Velvet Underground. Lou Reed started out as a folk musician. I just don’t think that when I sing, That I have to sound like I’m within an established tradition.

This album was recorded during lockdown, during a difficult time personally, while I stumbled from health crisis to health crisis against the backdrop of the pandemic, lockdown and what was being predicted as the possible end of the live gig scene.

Like so many, I was cut off from my family and my friends and my way of life. So I wanted to make an album that felt like I was playing in someone’s front room. Like I was with the listener, right there. I was listening to the incredible string band a lot, and I think the album is probably most influenced by them. The way they jump from American to British stylings without feeling they have to explain or mediate that.

Lesley Keye the producer brought in Donal Lunny to play on Look what she threw away, but Donal liked the vibe of the songs and started putting down Bouzouki on a few tracks. It changed the feel of those songs in a way I loved.

I’ve known Liam o Maonlai a long time and I’ve always loved his piano playing, the way he combines American rootsy styles with Irish folk music. It was a pleasure to get him on Communion Money and if you listen hard you can hear him softly humming along on the chorus as he played.

Bill “banjo” Whelan is such a great player and I love his American Old Tymey feel. I’ve listened to and played a lot of that kind of music and I love it.

These musicians and the others Les brought in, all helped create an atmosphere of roots-folk as opposed to Irish folk.

I’m always impressed with how bands like Greenshine can seamlessly do Bob Dylan, old country and Irish trad.

For me that’s the music that Doctor Millar references.

Some of the songs:

The title song is about the feeling I had when I was a teenager that I was “wrong”. That there was something inevitably flawed about me, and that everything I did would end in disaster. That I was “the problem” with everything. That I talked too much, laughed too much, felt too much.

Look what she threw away is about realising, too late, as you age the possibilities you had as a young person.

Communion Money, is about being a sibling, and that deep innate love. Its based on an actual dream I had.

Danny McKoy, is written about meeting a boy I was in school with and the epic journeys we had each been on since we met, and the assumptions we all make about people we know.

Cork musician N’D recently released her debut single ‘O.N.N.T.’

Speaking about her debut release, Nichole says;

“I am so excited to present my first ever single and music video release O.N.N.T. The goal was to release something unique , colourful and fun. I know a lot of people who know me will be so surprised as I usually sing love songs , country and anything depressing. The video is a bit of an alter ego, In fact it reignited my own confidence in myself ,it was so empowering and I want everyone that listens to feel the same !

The song and video represents a woman’s ego and choice in her love life. The innocent reserved side and the sensual confident side with a sprinkle of fun. How love can feel so right but change so fast. The main message in the song and video is that whether we love or not we should always choose to love ourselves first . Do not wait for a significant other to make you feel confident and sexy. Do that for ourselves.

I have been working with an amazing producer Coco from M5 Sound Studio here in Cork. We started to work together in 2021 and accidentally came up with ONNT. It was Christmas 2021 and we were talking about another new song I had just finished recording. We were talking about who we could include in the video and in passing I said “Oh no that was like a One Night Nearly Thing” Coco laughed and said “Nichole that’s a catchy chorus” Before I knew it Coco sent me a demo of the chorus and I began to write the verses. And Boom ONNT was born .We had so much fun making this track and the video. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and I couldn’t be happier with the end result. We genuinely had so much fun. Seeing everything come together has been an amazing experience.”

N’D’s Musical Journey

“I have been singing since I was a little girl from singing the little mermaid songs to sleeping beauty. I have a distinct memory of watching Grease at my Aunt’s house when I was around 7. I remember being in awe of Olivia Newton John’s scene singing “Hopelessly devoted” .This is the moment I thought wow I want to sing and I can actually hold a tune! This is when I began to believe I could be an artist. From here I started to listen to everything from Destiny’s Child to Carrie Underwood. I love all types of music ,it usually depends on my mood! I do love country and RnB if I had to make a choice.

My music experiences didn’t start in the usual artist way .Mine was more in my room using it as self therapy because I was absolutely terrified of singing in front of people. As I grew older I began to embrace my voice and the overwhelming feeling of emotion when I sang. I started to enter competitions and audition for shows as a teenager. I hit another curve of self doubt and anxiety .I wanted to tackle this fear and not let it stop me from chasing my dreams. So I threw myself on open mic stages, busking in Cork City and started doing more covers on my social media. I slowly got over my self doubt and nerves, I began to enjoy singing. Since then I have started singing at weddings  and it’s going strong. I began to crave the energy from a crowd if even just a few. Then Covid hit and all my live singing dreams went into lockdown. So in the meantime I began to work with Coco. We started to write and record ONNT and we had so much fun . ONNT is only the beginning for me , I have another song ready to be released soon. The next song is very unique, not your usual pop fusion vibe! It’s like Arianna Grande, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera all met up for cocktails and wrote a song together with a 90s tint! I will be releasing this track in a month’s time.

I am very excited to start this journey and to see where it will take me. I want to challenge myself musically and most of all just have fun in doing so.”

From Wednesday 26^th – Sunday 30^th October, the National Concert Hall, together with the Arts Council, presents the 10^th instalment of the Tradition Now series, exploring innovation in traditional music today.  This Autumn’s edition features English folk dignitaries The Unthanks, acclaimed singer-songwriter Luka Bloom, founding member of The Bothy Band, Paddy Keenan, contemporary vocalist and visual artist Ceara Conway, Breton guitarist Soïg Sibéril and Liam O’Flynn Award-winner Louise Mulcahy.  

The series, which has garnered a growing audience over a seven-year period, has evolved into an increasingly popular bi-annual event celebrating innovation in traditional music while staying true to its roots. This Autumn’s edition celebrates the voice from sean-nós to folk from the North-East of England as well as instrumental innovations from Ireland to Brittany.  
Amongst the many highlights of this autumn’s Tradition Now are English folk outfit The Unthanks (Sun. 30^th October 8pm) whose record Mount the Air was 2015’s BBC Folk Album of the Year. Since then, they have both scaled up to symphonic levels with Charles Hazelwood and the BBC Proms and stripped down to the unaccompanied singing they grew up with, for Diversions Vol 5.   

At the nucleus of this constantly evolving unit is the traditional upbringing of Tyneside sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank and the arrangements and writing of composer, pianist, producer and Yorkshireman, Adrian McNally. Using the traditional music of the North-East of England as a starting point, the influence of Miles Davis, Steve Reich, Sufjan Stevens, Robert Wyatt, Antony & The Johnsons, King Crimson and Tom Waits can also be heard in the band’s unique sound.  

Their Tradition Now appearance, which follows two years off the road, sees them showcasing music from their forthcoming new album, Sorrows Away, alongside favourites such as ‘Magpie’, ‘The King of Rome’ and ‘Mount the Air’.   

Joining them as guest on the night is recipient of the 2022 Liam O’ Flynn Award, renowned uilleann piper and flute player Louise Mulcahy, who brings together an exciting collaboration from the uilleann piping, harping and singing traditions of Ireland. Louise will be joined by wire-strung harper Paul Dooley and neo-Irish harper and multi-instrumentalist Michelle Mulcahy. This special project takes inspiration from Liam O’Flynn’s incredible legacy and his mastery at evoking soul-stirring music.  

Making a welcome return to the NCH, renowned singer-songwriter Luka Bloom (Sat. 29^th October 8pm) showcases music from his latest album Out of the Blue – which features RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Award-winner Susan O’Neill and multi-instrumentalist Jon O’Connell (The Walls/Ultan Conlon) – and well-known gems from over the years. Created during lockdown, he says of his latest confection: ‘The tunes are uncomplicated, the only way I know. Each one resonates with me deeply, because of the time that was…. An invitation to play these tunes in NCH is just a huge honour.’  

Also, on autumn’s Tradition Now bill is founding member of The Bothy Band and Irish Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Paddy Keenan (Thurs. 27^th October 8.30pm). Following the demise of the seminal outfit who changed forever the course of folk music in Ireland, Paddy went on to release a number of solo and collaborative recordings, and continues to tour both as a soloist, and with a range of other artists. Dubbed the ‘the Jimi Hendrix of the pipes’ by Donal Lunny, Paddy’s style of playing is often compared to great Travelling pipers such as Johnny Doran. For his National Concert Hall performance Paddy is joined by uilleann piper Colleen Shanks, Clare-based bouzouki player Cyril O’Donoghue and Éamonn de Barra (Damien Dempsey/Moya Brennan/Brian Eno) on flute and tin-whistle.  

Exploring the voice is integral to autumn’s iteration of Tradition Now and the voice is central to the artistic expression of another featured artist, Ceara Conway (Wed. 26^th October 8.30pm). Ceara is known for her unique use of traditional song and lament in contemporary art, for this performance she collaborates with musicians Kevin Murphy (cello) and Ultan O’Brien (viola, fiddle) of Slow Moving Clouds and Sean Mac Erlaine (clarinet, electronics, piano) to bring you a collection of sean-nós and world music songs that explore the beautiful sounds and sentiments of love, loss and longing, found in traditional praise songs, lullabies with core emphasis on the traditional Irish ‘caoineadh’, lament.  

On Sunday 30 October, the second strand of autumn’s Tradition Now – instrumental innovations – is to the fore for a special performance by Breton guitarist Soïg Sibéril (Sun. 30^th October 6pm). Soïg is known for his rich, dense, colourful style of playing and for this concert he takes us on a musical journey through the sunken paths of the Celtic countries, from Kreizh Breizh, through the country of Vannes or Redon. To get off the beaten track, he is joined by fellow Breton, bass player Alain Genty.  

FAMILY CONCERTS   

TREEHOUSE is Ceol Connected’s unique big band music and puppetry performance for children ages 3-7 and their families that is sure to have everyone singing along. With mesmerising original music and songs by some of Ireland’s finest musicians and performers, you can look forward to a wonderfully interactive show that will have audiences of all ages hooked. Event also includes launch of SongTales presents TREEHOUSE album!   

Join The Whistleberries in the treetops where a toe-tapping, tale-telling, hip-shaking hooley awaits (Sat. 29^th October 12pm and 2pm). TREEHOUSE is produced by Ceol Connected with support from the Arts Council and presented by the NCH, the Arts Council and Song Tales Produced by Ceol Connected with support from the Arts Council.  

Tradition Now is an initiative of the Arts Council and National Concert Hall and is supported by The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.    
 

TRADITION NOW AUTUMN 2022  

CAOIN by Ceara Conway – Wed. 26th October at 8.30pm, Tickets €15  

Paddy Keenan – Thurs. 27^th October at 8.30pm, Tickets €15  

TREEHOUSE – Sat. 29^th October at 12pm and 2pm, Tickets: Young Maestro €8, Child €10, Under 2s Free, Family Ticket €37 (family of 4 with maximum 2 adults)  

Luka Bloom – Sat. 29^th October at 8pm, Tickets €22, €27.50  

Soïg Sibéril – Sun. 30^th October at 6pm Tickets €15  

The Unthanks and Louise Mulcahy – Sunday, 30^th October at 8pm, Tickets €25, €30  

For more information click  here 

Tickets On Sale Now  

10% Discount for Friends of NCH  

www.nch.ie  

Inspired by the words of Walt Whitman, Scullion will take to the open road this autumn

​‘Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.’

For 2 years we isolated from each other. Many were anxious and alone.

Throughout these lonesome days, music and songs were a salve and an inspiration.

During this time, Scullion recorded an uplifting and inspirational collection of songs for the head and heart and will take to the highway, collapse distance and bring us back together in the halls, front rooms, back rooms and bar rooms of Ireland.

Their compelling new album, ‘Time Has Made a Change in Me’, will be shared 30^th September 2022, coinciding with an album launch tour across the country.

TOUR DATES:

Sept 21^st – The Greyhound, Kilkee, Clare

Sept 23^rd – Levis’ Corner House Ballydehob

Sept 24^th – The Everyman, Cork

Sept 25^th – Pavillion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire

Oct 8^th – Unitarian Church, Dublin

Oct 9^th – Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick

Oct 15^th – Theatre Royal, Waterford

Oct 22^nd – The Inkwell Theatre Tracton, Cork

Oct 29^th – Solstice Arts Centre, Meath

Oct 30^th – The Court House, Down

Nov 18^th – Siamsa Tíre, Kerry

+ more to be announced

Philip King of Scullion says “Songs shift, change shape and come alive in magical ways when shared live. The electricity generated is palpable and energising. To head out on the road with these songs  this Autumn, bring them to life and share them with audiences around the country is going to be a real delight. Can’t wait.”

Formed in the mid-1970’s, Scullion are revered and feted as one of Ireland’s most innovative, original and brilliant live bands. Their upcoming new record emphasises the band’s musical curiosity and like all of the band records, it breaks new ground.

James Joyce, Bob Dylan and Sufjan Stevens are also woven into the DNA of this record, with the inspirational music of Sonny Condell beating at the heart of the thing.

Scullion’s new album “Time Has Made A Change in Me” is due out 30^th September 2022. Pre-order the album, and listen to recent singles, here: https://linktr.ee/scullionband

For 2022 live show dates and tickets visit:

https://www.scullion.com/tour

SCULLION SOCIALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scullion

Twitter: https://twitter.com/band_scullion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearescullion/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjdLKh3WkZpOdrccumDkkBA

Photo: Richie Gilligan

John Gallen follows up to his debut single ‘Positive Attitude’ with the title track off of his No.1 debut album ‘1970s’. A perfectly formed slice of sophisticated adult pop-rock that transports you to a different time, with it’s infectious and uplifting chorus.

Once again produced by Grammy nominated Billy Farrell, ‘1970s’ belongs on radio and is both retro yet fresh in its’ delivery. Lyrically John occupies that same space you would find iconic artists like The Talking Head’s David Byrne or Peter Gabriel in. With his second single ‘1970s’ John sets off on a path to carve out his very own unique plot of land in which to exist and grow within the Music Industry.

Speaking of ‘1970s’, John said ‘the track is a mirror back to an easier time, when the pressures of life were less pronounced and the work-life balance was more secure. ‘1970s’ calls on the listener to escape to that easier time as it draws on TV and advertising memories from that period.’

JOHN GALLEN SOCIALS

Instagram // Facebook // Spotify

Dublin musician Local Boy has shared ‘Int’l Biking Anthem’ ahead of the release of his highly anticipated debut album ‘Local Boy Climbs the Ladder’ due September 16^th 2022. The track is a celebration of the therapeutic power of a long cycle on a sunny day, a go-to activity for the Dublin artist to clear his head when he’s feeling down.

Across the song’s duration, we see Local Boy delivering his now trademark tongue in cheek lyricism over an instrumental that captures the energy of the sweltering heat wave we’ve been experiencing – booming drum loops drive forward a musical haze of RnB guitars, intricate basslines and the playful glockenspiel hits that have peppered Local Boy’s recent releases.

Local Boy is set to hit the road with Int’l Biking Anthem as he embarks on a set of dates across Ireland in the coming months in Limerick’s Record Room tonight (August 26^th) and Workman’s Cellar, Dublin (September 22^nd).

“As you may have guessed from my perpetually melancholy lyrics, I’m not the most mentally stable individual a lot of the time,” Local Boy says. “But one of the few tools that consistently helps me function day to day is dropping all obligations to wander aimlessly on my bike.”

“On this new album I’m trying to capture an honest an overview of my life and experiences at the moment, so I had to pay homage to one of the few activities that I find can help when things get tough”

Local Boy Biography

Local Boy is a Dublin based musician who creates highly idiosyncratic pop music which he oversees entirely from inception to mastering – having spent years honing his abilities as a producer and an engineer despite his young age. He invites listeners into his sonic and lyrical world packed with hip-hop beats, colorful guitar chords and creative wordplay.

In the short time he has been releasing music under the Local Boy moniker, he has racked up millions of Spotify streams, supported international acts such as Easy Life, Hobo Johnson, and Open Mike Eagle, sold out his several headline gigs in both Dublin and London. In 2022 he signed a lucrative publishing deal with industry giant Peermusic for his original compositions and his burgeoning crafts of production and songwriting.

Following up on the successful release of the ‘Local Boy Helps Himself’ EP in summer 2021 which saw several tracks added to high-profile Spotify editorial playlists such as ‘New Music Friday’, ‘Our Generation’, and ‘Peach’ – Local Boy then returned with his well-received 2022 single Reality, an honest rumination of the artist’s mental health struggles.

Local Boy is now gearing up for the release of an album which will complete the trilogy he began with his 2019 EP release. The album expands on the themes explored in Local Boy’s previous releases, with several songs critiquing the difficulty of making a living in modern Ireland – Local Boy however never loses his optimistic outlook throughout the record with several tracks including lead single ‘Milkshake Pilltaste’ celebrating life’s simple pleasures.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LocalBoy3000/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/localboy3000 / @localboy3000

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/local_boy3000/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/34Ze0nb54KG3gietZGFZIj?si=8-o0SwDiRka99CQCMDVBqw

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ie/artist/local-boy/18474169

Singer/songwriter Larissa Tormey is set to release her 5th studio album next month. The multi-talented, genre-crossing artist from Kilbeggan will reveal the eponymously titled Larissa with a listening-party launch night at the Bewley’s Cafe Theatre in Dublin on September 8th.

That evening will also feature an exclusive ‘live’ acoustic performance of a selection of songs from her new long-player, with Larissa being joined by musicians Kevin Whyms on guitar and by Padraig Kilbride on piano. Describing this collection as “the ultimate me”, Larissa is excited about sharing more of her original material.

“Both as a musician and as a music-lover, my heart goes in so many different directions, and always has done. As people know, country music has become a huge part of my life since making Ireland my home, but I also adore pop, and I love gospel, and the freedom of jazz and the emotional depth of the blues. And I am a trained classical singer, of course. So this album, more than any other record of mine, shows or hints at almost all of those sides of me. That’s why – when we were trying to think about what we should call it – it suddenly became clear that because it was literally more me than me than anything else I’ve done before, it should just be called after me too…’LARISSA’…nice and simple!”

Preceding the album’s official release on all platforms on September 9th, Larissa will share one of the record’s stand-out moments, a song called Dolce Far Niente on August 26th. An idea born in Italy, and brought to life through a United States and Norwegian collaboration, Dolce Far Niente is the perfect illustration of what is a unique international aspect to Larissa’s music.

“I got this idea while on holiday in Italy”, she recalls,  describing the moment the idea for the song first came to her. “I was sitting at the table staring at the beautiful sea and a gentleman next to me who was also admiring the view and enjoying the sense of peace told me that in Italy they call this state of mind ‘Dolce Far Niente’, which means ‘sweet nothing to do.’ Straight away the artist in me fell in love with this idea, and even the sound of those words. As I sat there, it got me thinking about how much we all miss this in our busy lives, so I decided to write a song about it.”

Some time after this Larissa was interviewing the Norwegian producer Frolin for her show, My Music and My Story. Frolin, who writes and produces instrumental meditative music, told Larissa that he regularly writes songs with two writers from the United States, Randy Morrison and Lindsay Siddal, and he invited Larissa to join their team.

“I shared my idea with them”, recounted Larissa, “and this beautiful song was born a few months afterwards.” For this album, Larissa and her producer Kevin Whyms recorded a new version of the song, one arranged to better fit the overall ‘feel’ of this set of songs.

A limited number of tickets are available to the public for next month’s album launch listening-party, with those lucky enough to find themselves planning their trip to Dublin also getting their hands on a signed copy of Larissa’s new album at the same time. Tickets can be purchased from Larissa’s official website – www.larissatormey.com – or by going to www.eventbrite.ie and searching ‘Larissa Tormey’.

The ALBUM LAUNCH LISTENING-PARTY for LARISSA, the brand NEW long-player from LARISSA TORMEY, takes place in Bewley’s Cafe Theatre on Grafton Street in Dublin on September 8th (tickets are available NOW from www.larissatormey.com and/or www.eventbrite.ie). 

LARISSA will be available on all platforms from September 9th, and is available to PRE-ADD/PRE-ORDER NOW here:https://ditto.fm/larissa