Author: Breffni Banks

Trouble Pilgrims were formed after Philip Chevron’s illness forced him to retire from performing with The Radiators from Space. They were named after the band’s third album Trouble Pilgrim with a line-up of Pete Holidai, Steve Rapid, Johnny Bonnie, Tony St Ledger and Bren Lynott. They carried on working under that name after Philip Chevron’s sad passing. Trouble Pilgrims then released a now much sought-after debut 7” single which featured a version of Animal Gang Blues and stage favourite Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love.

The band then began to build a reputation for exciting, hi-energy shows at such venues as Whelans, The Grand Social, The Workman’s Club, Vicar Street, The Academy, The Olympia Theatre and at festivals such as Electric Picnic and Kilkenny Roots Festival. They either headlined these shows or supported such notable artists as The Undertones, The Boomtown Rats, The Blades and Tom Robinson.

Trouble Pilgrims began to focus on featuring all original material in their set and subsequently release two full length acclaimed albums on CD, Vinyl and download. Dark Shadows and Rust was followed this year by Blood, Glass and Gasoline. Both were critically very well received: This is a stunning debut from a band in complete control of their craft- Vive La Rock / It’s not just one of the greatest albums of Irish rock, it’s a milestone – Hope Collective / Peppering these tracks with killer riffs and nifty melodies – The Irish Times. Trouble Pilgrims have their own unique brand of energy fuelled rock ‘n’ roll – Entertainment.ie. (8/10) Punk Heroes – Hot Press. This album (Blood Glass & Gasoline) foregrounds roots, passion and life worn experience – Vive La Rock /

Trouble Pilgrims continue to bring their mix of influences including primal rock ’n’ roll, punk, space age sounds and killer riffs into the future and after a long break due to the pandemic they look forward to getting back to playing selected venues in the coming months.

About the Alternative Sunday Social Club

The Alternative Sunday Social Club was created so that music fans can enjoy some top tunes on the last afternoon of the weekend. Since we launched at the beginning of 2015 we’ve hosted gigs by Rocky DeValera (front man of legendry Dublin bands The Gravediggers and The Rhythm Kings), The Dubtones, Blood or Whiskey, The Business, Brush Shield’s Skid Row, Trouble Pilgrims (formerly The Radiators from Space), The Lee Harveys, Eileen Gogan and the Instructions, The Winters, The Hacklers, TV Smith (The Adverts), Strand, The Unelectables and The Outcasts. We’ve had music from right across the spectrum with rock, guitar pop, punk, Americana, blues and ska and we’ve grown our crowd by word of mouth with all ages dropping by on Sunday afternoons. For the band they get the kick of their early live shows and the audience gets to enjoy the music and the musician up-close and personal. It’s cheap, cheerful and above all fun for everybody who comes along. This isn’t 1000s of people in a converted warehouse; this is dozens of people enjoying music the way it was meant to be seen and heard.

www.facebook.com/Alternative-Social-Clubs

Trouble Pilgrims With The Thrash Blues

Sunday, August 28^th    Doors 4.00pm     Tickets €12.00

Tickets available at Eventbrite or on the door.

The Wild Duck, 17/20 Sycamore St, Dublin 2

Phone: (01) 5356849     Email: hello@nullthewildduck.ie     www.thewildduck.ie

Saltaire is an alt-folk trio consisting of singer/cellist Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz, guitarist Ian Kinsella and bodhrán/bouzouki player Conor Lyons. Together they create a rich tapestry of sound and storytelling, through a fusion of styles. They have garnered airplay across regional and national radio stations in Ireland, the UK, and the US, and have played to packed audiences in venues such as Whelan’s, The Duncairn, The Cobblestone Backroom, the Button Factory, to name a few.

The latest release from the group is a live cover of the Fairport Convention song, ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’ (out on all platforms on August 5th).

The sound you can expect from Saltaire is earthy sweet. The cello and bodhrán heartbeat within a lush tapestry of sound and storytelling; all the while guitar picking, resonant and meticulous, weaves around a heartfelt maple vocal. The use of the bouzouki on this particular track adds a stirring vibrance to the momentum of a song that is simultaneously melancholy and bright with hope.

“Deeply influenced by the singing and songwriting of Sandy Denny, we found ourselves naturally drawn to this song during a period of global stillness; the very meaning of time became warped, as fear and purposelessness simmered. 

Strangely, we find deep hope in the humanity of this song, arguably one of the most melancholic songs ever written. By the final verse, the ennui of time’s aimless march transforms into the warm glow of love, even (or perhaps especially) in the wake of loss.” 

We had the pleasure of using the beautiful St. Mobhi’s Church in Glasnevin as the location to record and film this track. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the community and surrounded by trees, the contemplative aura of the space combined with the warm, reverberant acoustics served as the ideal environment. 

Saltaire is set to go back into the studio over the summer to record with a full band, so stay tuned for what’s coming down the pipeline.

Catch their set at Vantastival on Friday September 16th

The 3rd HUTCH single “Fall Asleep” is set for release on Friday 5th August.

The first singles (Cave in / Cold Bones) from the new album “Trick of the light”, offered an insight into the sound for the new album ‘Fall Asleep’ offers another darker glimpse;

“Fall Asleep has had a bit of a weird trajectory. I wrote it when I was about 23, and when I wrote it I had the idea that it would be an upbeat, strumy folk-pop thing, probably not a million miles away from Mumford & Sons (which was the style at the time). So I had this idea in mind when myself and Shayne (Byrne: Producer/collaborator) went in to record the second HUTCH album. For whatever reason, though, the track just wasn’t working. So Shayne had the idea to break it all down to its raw elements and rebuild it as a sort of dark, minimalist, almost trip-hop thing, which I really like. We then had the idea to shift the chorus into something a bit brighter and more upbeat, onto which I added some slightly African-sounding guitars. I feel like the song has been given a new lease of life and really works as a single. I hope other people can connect with it too”.

‘Fall Asleep’ offers another darker glimpse into the sound of Hutch’s forthcoming album A Trick of the Light, out 2nd Sept 2022.

About the album:

We went about the recording “Trick of the light” in much the same way as the first album ( “Romance&Melodrama” ), by working remotely from our respective studios in Derry and Carlow, and bouncing sessions back and forth. We went through a few different stages in the making of this album, building up, breaking down and rebuilding the arrangements for the songs, changing direction a few times in the process.

At Shayne’s (Byrne: producer / collaborator) suggestion, We stripped the songs down to their bare bones, and rebuilt the songs using the guitar in a slightly different way to the first album. Since the songs are generally a bit darker in tone, I felt like it was important to reflect this in the music. I set about basing most of the songs around the electric guitar (as opposed to the acoustic-driven first album), taking inspiration from players like Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Andy Summers (The Police), and Geordie Walker (Killing Joke) in how I approached the use of effects and how to build an arrangement of guitars to create something a little different.

Hopefully it’s something that people will enjoy & connect with in a meaningful way. 

Connect with HUTCH

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One of Ireland’s most enigmatic and magnificent performers Jack Lukeman is set to release his brand new single ‘Sundogs in the Moonshine’, which is out 5 August across all digital platforms – alongside announcing his new album ‘Echo On’, which is set for release on 19 September. With a career spanning 25 years, he will also headline Dublin’s 3Arena on 25 November. Jack Lukeman is currently touring with Jools Holland and Sting throughout the summer.

‘Sundogs in the Moonshine’ the new single from Jack Lukeman aka Jack L is the Summer single we have all been waiting for. This soon to be Jack L classic is a homage to the sun hunters of the world and the ever-present full moon beach parties held in exotic places.

Speaking about the single, Jack Lukeman says: “During our recent times when travelling was restricted, I began to reminisce about some of the great travelling adventures I’ve had. ‘Sundogs in the Moonshine’ took me back to the beautiful islands of Thailand in the early noughties. There were full moon parties, half moon and no-moon parties every night. Where the sun dog tribe would dance till the sun came up and cheers it as it rose at dawn. The single has a little of that inspiration for Irish beaches this summer”

Fans can expect a spectacular live performance as Jack Lukeman is set to headline Dublin’s 3Arena on 25 November – with a show that will see him performing his greatest hits alongside live favourites. Tickets from €35 plus booking fee are on sale now from Ticketmaster.ie.

‘Sundogs in the Moonshine, the first single from Jack Lukeman’s upcoming album ‘Echo On’, is out on 5 August with the album due to be released on 19 September.

For More Information Visit:

www.Jacklukeman.com

https://www.facebook.com/jacklukeman

https://www.instagram.com/jacklukeman_aka_jackl/

https://www.twitter.com/jackllukeman

https://www.tiktok.com/@jacklukeman1

Seán Finn is a multi-instrumental songwriter releasing his debut album ‘Summer Is Over’. Conceived in the calm of rural Ireland, ‘Summer Is Over’ is a DIY effort through and through. With a few years of songwriting under his belt, Seán’s homespun style provides a warm and inviting soundscape for his listeners.

‘Summer Is Over’ is an album that oozes nostalgia. Finn’s presentation is to the point and relatable; heartfelt songwriting, tasteful arrangements and glimpses of sombre introspection. The album is confrontational yet romantic. It is lamentful yet determined. It delivers needed truths for the impending adult and colourful escapism for the child at heart. Throughout, Finn delivers an earnest portrayal of his early twenties; coming to terms with adulthood, nurturing the inner child, and a close to the seemingly endless summer of youth.

“‘Summer Is Over’ is not a concept album, but it certainly feels like one. I think that’s because all the songs were written during a pivotal time in my early twenties. Up until that point, I had been entertaining a very romantic view of the world; I was naive. It seems like I remained this way as long as I possibly could until the inevitable realities of life came crashing in, to such an extent that I could longer ignore them. It was an extremely disorienting time, it felt like my mind was being split in two. The album is all about that experience, the resistance to that change, the lament, the anger and the sombre introspection. Although that all sounds quite cataclysmic, I should affirm that my inner child is sprinkled throughout the album, and in a certain way I feel younger than ever.”

‘Summer Is Over’ will be released on the 5th of August, and it can be streamed here.

Social Media Links

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

Bandcamp: https://seanfinn.bandcamp.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4d0SiF7n5xZnQid5P4KOtw

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/se%C3%A1n-finn/1522551782

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHnbDBD0hSoHDZu0lzdzTQQ

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/seanfinnsta

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanfinnmusic

Upcoming indie/pop singer-songwriter RUE can be described to be angelic, edgy yet soulful, all at once. Coming from a small village in Northern Ireland, Rue songs are created from an honest place of raw emotion. Singing with a serene and calming tone, her unique tone and light-hearted charm will have you captured immediately.

Having had much success online and previously being crowned Belfast’s singer songwriter of the year emerging artist RUE promises to be “One to watch” RUE speaks of how most of her early musical experiences took place at home with her family. Her Mother, father and brother are musicians—her mom sang, and her grandfather, a guitarist and vocalist who performed classics, encouraged the family to sing with him.

“It was very normal for all of us to be together in a room, playing instruments and singing together. My love for music comes from my family.”

Rue is set to play her Headline show next month in The Sound House on Sunday 28^th August.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Today, Neil Dexter releases ‘I’ll Be Ready’, the final single and titular song from his forthcoming debut album due October 14th 2022. 

Along with the album announcement and single release, Dexter shares details for his debut headline show in Dublin’s Workman’s Cellar on October 20th. Tickets available through www.singularartists.ie now.

Dexter describes ‘I’ll Be Ready’ as a “Frankenstein composition comprised of three different ideas saved in one project file” that he’d been working on in his Dublin-based home studio. Expanding upon the demo with David A. Tapley (Tandem Felix) and recording engineer Stephen Dunne, Dexter notes that their guidance allowed him to approach the arrangement without artistic boundaries; layering textures and taking the song in different directions. Lyrically, ‘I’ll Be Ready’ confronts feelings of apprehension. 

Neil says, “I wrote the song when I was in my mid-to-late 20s, it’s about jumping into the next stage of your life and the fear of not knowing whether or not you’re ready to take those steps. In those moments, you try to reassure yourself by saying, ‘Ok, I’m ready. I’ll be able to do this,’ whilst simultaneously having a sense of uncertainty. I think at one point or another, everyone goes through this feeling of overcoming self-doubt.” 

The single shares its title with Dexter’s debut album which was written between 2018 and 2020, and co-produced with David A. Tapley and Stephen Dunne. This period welcomed a new chapter in his career, now making music as a solo artist following the disbandment of his former band Spies. Reflecting on a new creative approach, Neil notes, “The way I had previously contributed ideas to a project involved inserting particular textures here and there with other people’s ideas existing alongside them. Making I’ll Be Ready was the first time I was able to express – musically and lyrically – exactly what was in my head and explore those ideas with more time and focus. I hadn’t done that before and I really enjoyed the exploration and excitement of finding new ways of writing songs and not having a rigid framework to adhere to.  My memories of making the album are of a time of pure fun in experimentation with where you can take a song.”

Across the album are themes of feeling isolated in social settings (‘Alpha’), of longing and grief on ‘We’ll Be There’ and ‘I’ll Be With You’. Elsewhere, ‘Robert Wyatt’ captures Neil’s amazement at the legendary English artist’s album Rock Bottom after listening to it for the first time, while ‘The Electrician’ by The Walker Brothers provided inspiration for the eerie undertones permeating ‘Don’t Question It’.

Other influences underpinning I’ll Be Ready’s kaleidoscopic palette include Roxy Music, Brian Eno, and Perfume Genius. The recording of the album not only opened Neil up to experimenting with sounds and style, it re-invigorated the collaborative process for him. Featured across the album are contributions from Ryan Hargadan (Kojaque) (saxophone), David A. Tapley, (guitar, bass, piano, pedal steel, synthesizer, tape manipulation) Dylan Lynch of Soda Blonde (drums), Patrick Dexter (viola da gamba), Seán Dexter (french horn, ocarina), and Lola Dexter (vocals).

Speaking about the album artwork, based on a portrait of Neil made by Berlin-based artist David Hedderman, Dexter says, “It made sense to have David’s portrait of me as the artwork. I really like how David’s artistic practice with this series of work contains loads of layered sketches, each one is a study of a different pose. There’s a lot going on and I think his style of drawing reflects how I write music and how this album came together.”

To launch I’ll Be Ready, Neil Dexter will play his first headline show in Workman’s Cellar on October 20th. The performance will feature a full band and a special light design by Cian Finlay. Tickets will be available now on www.singularartists.ie

Connect with Neil Dexter 

Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube

Fresh off announcing her much anticipated forthcoming album, LILA, Marketa Irglova is sharing a third single and video with ‘Girl from A Movie’.

Irglova introduced the album with ‘My Roots Go Deep’, which she first shared in a live setting during the Once 15th Anniversary shows this past spring. More recently was the Bridgerton inspired, ‘The Season’ which she shared with an accompanying time period-like video shot in her native Czech Republic.

As the title implies ‘Girl from A Movie’, stands to be Irglova’s personal anthem as her penned reflection on what it was like literally being that “girl” from the film Once. A starring role that not only served as her introduction to many and garnering her an Academy Award for Original Song but continues to be an active entry point thru its cult-like following on streaming services and success as a Tony winning musical.

‘Girl from a Movie’ is also a meditative outlook on the cost of this unsuspecting instant fame which arrived at Irglova’s doorstep and how she has come to terms with it over the ensuing years. The song not only looks back at a specific time but also marks how she chose to move forward in life.

Irglova states, “It is about what being the girl from a movie has taught me about expectations, trying to live up to them, while also subconsciously projecting my own hopes and dreams onto others, catching myself in a funny, but often heart-breaking dance of projection and perception usually ending in disappointment.” She continues, “I have learnt that we can only truly know one another through our heart, not our senses, for the heart is where love is and love does not discriminate. It does not edit and photoshop. It does not reject you when you don’t play a part. Let us open our heart and truly see. The real you, the real me.”

For fans of Once ‘Girl from a Movie’ might feel like an epilogue to the story of ‘Girl’, when in fact it’s a continuation of the extraordinary journey Irglova has carved out for herself. Beginning with one of the greatest accomplishments in all of entertainment at merely 18 years old that has led her from girl to woman to mother to artist and beyond.

The accompanying video was put together by Irglova and creative partner Sturla Mio Thorisson with photos by friend and photographer Sion Fullana along with stills from Once photographer David Cleary. Documenting the creation of LILA and more recent periods of Irglova’s life, the two used an effect to give them an animated look complimenting the songs tone and narrative.

Irglova offers that “giving them an animated look illustrates how reality becomes distorted through our perception of it as we project our beliefs and expectations on everything and everyone. In our mind people might become better or worse but they always look somewhat different as seen through our filter and lens.” 

‘Girl from a Movie’ was recorded by Sturla Mio Thorisson in Iceland at Masterkey Studios, which Irglova and Thorisson own and operate together.

LILA will be available digitally world-wide on Masterkey Sounds on August 19^th

Pre-order the album here: https://lnk.to/Lila_MarketaIrglova

MARKETA IRGLOVA

https://marketairglova.com/

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