Author: Breffni Banks

Alternative R&B Soul artist Helen Murray has received critical acclaim for her previous releases ‘Thank You’ and ‘Move Me’, by the likes of Nialler9, BBC Introducing Across The Line, 98FM, Corks 96FM and many more.

Her release ‘Royalty’ has made impact on Today FM, RTE 2XM, Hotpress, Goldenplec, The Last Mixtape, and more. ‘Royalty’ is an Alternative Electronic R&B track, with emotionally driven lyrics and uplifting beats. Creating an unusual dichotomy within her music, that is powerful and honest.

The music video for ‘Royalty’ is based on experiences of working in the service industry and encountering incredibly rude customers. “The concept came from years of working in the service industry and interacting with extremely rude customers, who couldn’t seem to recognise that I was just like them. It’s something we have all come across in our working lives and I feel the lyrics of Royalty hone in on that perfectly, “your blue blood’s red, like the rest of us”.”

The video is over-the-top, sassy and energetic. The storyline is exaggerated and grandiose. Helen’s character is ‘good waiter gone bad’ through years of disrespectful customers, which ultimately leads her to poisoning the rude customer (played by Clara Sinclair). The video continues to watch Helen’s character enjoy herself in luxurious clothes and jewellery. However, ends with justice catching up to her.

Royalty was directed by Louis Maxwell of Gracepark Productions, whose previous credits include Pastiche, Rooue, Jack Rua. It features Clara Sinclair and set design credits to Ben Hackett and production manager Aliesha McCarthy. This was shot in Ardgillan Castle with special thanks to Tom Reilly and Conor Forkin.

To find out more about Helen Murray, go to: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |TikTok | Website

Galway singer and composer Anna Mullarkey releases her ethereal new single ‘Falling Apart’ today, Monday, 27 June 2022, via Strange Brew and shares the accompanying music video.

The musician has also announced her forthcoming debut album Falling, out on Friday, 19 August 2022.

Anna Mullarkey plays the Róisín Dubh as part of the Galway Arts Festival on Thursday, 14th July. Tickets €14 + booking fee on sale now. Ticket link.

On the single, Mullarkey uses her signature gossamer vocals to tell the story of a relationship collapsing. “‘Falling Apart’ is a song about the end of a relationship,” Anna says. “It’s about that moment you realise it is over and you have to let them go.”

The music video, directed by Mia Mullarkey, explores this narrative through contemporary dance with dancers Robyn Byrne and Emily Kilkenny Roddy as a couple as they find themselves both bound together while growing apart.

‘Falling Apart’ is underscored by Mullarkey’s dramatic piano, electronic drums, and synth. She arranged the song with Sam Wright, who contributed double bass and electric bass. The track marries Irish traditional music elements with modern production, making for an expansive, cinematic listen.

Collaborators on the song include Paul McClure on bodhrán and accordion, Ciara O’Connor on cello,  David Shaughnessy on drums, Dara Finneran on modular drums, and Luke Murray on backing vocals. The track was mixed by Frankie J. Pollard and mastered by Liam King.

Connect with Anna Mullarkey

BANDCAMP | IG | TWITTER | SPOTIFY

‘Everyone Should Have A Home’ is the latest release from Cork singer songwriter Martin Leahy.  The song is a visceral and fiery reaction to the current housing crisis in Ireland.  The track draws on a diverse mix of genres heavily associated with the protest tradition such as punk, hip-hop, folk and rock. All the instruments, production and recording are done by Martin and he is joined for the anthemic emotive chorus by Victoria Keating, Tim O Riordan, Aine O Gorman, Martin Minihane and John Neville. The compelling video was filmed and drawn by the amazing Cork artist and musician Eileen Healy.

‘The housing crisis has gone on for over a decade now – and has been pockmarked by a stubborn refusal by consecutive governments to ditch market ideologies and build affordable and social housing while homelessness and unacceptable Direct Provision arrangements continue to escalate. Martin Leahy is one artist speaking out – literally making the weekly trip from West Cork to Leinster House to register his protest in song. A deft piece of distorted pop that rings true and clear’ – Mike McGrath-Bryan Echo Live.ie

Martin Leahy has been releasing music as a singer songwriter since December 2020.  He released his debut single ‘Song For Kirsty MacColl’ and received extensive airplay and coverage nationally. The following year he released another two singles ‘The Wolves In The Valley’  and ’Brian’ which also received great airplay and made the RTE Radio One Recommends List resulting in lots of national airplay. He was selected as a finalist in the USA International Songwriting Competition reaching the final 16 in the lyrics category out of an overall number of 26,000 entries. He also played his first solo gigs and released a three track EP for SomeRiseSomeFall in aid of the charity ‘A Lust For Life’ . In January 2022 he collaborated with Leah Sohotra and released ‘The Valleys Of Her Mind’ which they co-wrote.

Martin has been playing as a session musician on the Irish music scene for about 25 years. Along with his recent successes as a singer/songwriter he has worked with some of Ireland’s greatest songwriters and musicians including John Spillane, Christy Moore (on his No.1 selling album ‘Listen’), Cormac O Caoimh, Ger Wolfe, Jimmy McCarthy, Greenshine, Noel Brazil, Declan Sinnott among many others. An accomplished multi instrumentalist, he has produced many albums including the most recent very successful album by Cormac O Caoimh called ‘Swim Crawl Walk Run’ which was awarded album of the week by many radio stations including RTE Radio One, RTE Lyric and BBC Radio Ulster. He also produced Ger Wolfe’s well received album ‘I Have Been Loved’. Other productions include Leah Sohotra, Blind Poets, Tim O Riordan, SomeRise SomeFall, John Neville. Lynda Cullen, Victoria Keating and Aine O Gorman. As a member of the traditional Irish group North Cregg he has toured the World playing many major festivals including Glastonbury, Cambridge and Milwaukee. As a songwriter he has collaborated with a number of writers including Leah Sohotra, John Neville, Mary Greene and more recently with Cormac O Caoimh on his successful single ‘Building My Ark’ which received substantial airplay around the country.

Kildare native Ross A. introduces his new single, Flowing To You, Flowing Through — a reflective track with a decidedly alt-indie folk tilt. The song’s arrangement is deceptively simple at first, before lifting off to explore new territory at its halfway point, where it is richly elevated by ethereal synths and a lush strings section.

Produced with Gavin Glass (David Keenan, Paul Brady, Mundy, Jerry Fish) at Orphan Recording in Wexford, the song expands on the easy-sounding template of Ross’ previous single Some Other Time, Maybe with its addition of a sumptuous string quartet arrangement by Cormac Curran (Villagers, Hozier, John Grant, Lisa Hannigan) and influences ranging through Bowie, Beck, Wilco, Bill Callahan and Father John Misty incorporated during its creation.

‘FTYFT’ acts as a natural successor to the dreamy-feeling Some Other Time, Maybe, a track which referenced artists like Serge Gainsbourg, Air, John Grant and Villagers alongside lyrical nods toward Leonard Cohen, George Jones, Patsy Cline and Bob Dylan.

Some Other Time, Maybe was hailed by fans and press alike, earning widespread radio play, including RTÉ Radio 1 play-listing and airtime in Spain and Canada.

“His vocals are sublime… A song rich in soul which shows an artist using the full array of his talents… a beautifully constructed piece of music and it ambles along at a really pleasing and relaxing pace. It’s a song you find yourself nodding your head to, getting your chilled groove on with.” – joe.ie

Ross A. is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer and voiceover artist who received the Agility Award 2022. Flowing To You, Flowing Through is his first release from a collection of work funded in part by the Arts Council bursary enabling artists and arts workers to develop their skills and practices.

Formerly Ross Breen, the Kildare musician grew his reputation as a respected songwriter through extensive radio coverage of his work (RTE Radio 1, Today FM, Radio Nova, Newstalk FM Songwriter of the Year),  TV appearances (RTÉ 1’s The Saturday Night Show) and consistent presence on the live scene and festival circuit (Electric Picnic, Body and Soul, Indiependence).

“This song is part of a collection developed during lockdown, a quiet couple of years for the artist community. Its first draft was actually shared in a WhatsApp group with some music pals where we’d send performances back and forth to each other in the absence of real-life sessions. I eventually brought it to the studio when normal service resumed. It was tracked with a live band at Orphan Recording in Wexford, where we also brought in a string quartet, who elevated it beautifully.

Flowing To You, Flowing Through deals with the nature of being an artist and why I do it. Songs that mean the most to me are those I feel I’ll be happy to leave behind. This is one. Although the lyric is explorative, its theme, that of valuing the permanence of love above all else, is uncomplicated. 

 In terms of sound, records like Neil Young’s Harvest , Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding and John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band were in my mind when creating this track. So much is brought to a song with a good band playing simply at its heart. More contemporary acts like Dawes, Wilco, Beck, Father John Misty and Bill Callahan also informed my approach. A Bowie-esque element has been noted too, particularly as the song becomes less grounded halfway through, evolving into something more celestial.

There is a lot of extraneous, oppressive noise in life, digital and otherwise, along with the common feeling of being overly-busy. Writing this was like creating a breather from modernity for myself”.

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This extraordinary, powerful and emotional recording was captured as part of the Love Colin Project which is a celebration of the works of the late Colin Vearncombe aka Black. Although Colin is mostly remembered for his worldwide hit ‘Wonderful Life’, he was a very proficient songwriter and the aim of the Love Colin project is to highlight his many other  songs by inviting  singers and musicians to re-imagine them in their own style.  https://colinvearncombe.com/love-colin/

Dogtail Soup, the band originally formed by Colin Vearncombe, Camilla Griehsel, Fergus O’Farrell and Maurice Seezer in 2007 along with some of the other members of Interference,  got together in August 2021, in the middle of lockdown, with nine guest singers to record some of their favourite Colin Vearncombe and Black songs.

Two Churches, written by Colin Vearncombe, first appeared on the 2005 album ‘Between Two Churches’, which was the first Black album since 1993. Produced by Calum MacColl and recorded at Radio Park Studio, Johannesburg and Intimate Studio, London. It featured Colin on guitar and vocals with Concord Nkabinde on bass guitar, Barry Van Zyl on drums, Calum MacColl on guitar and backing vocals, Simon Edwards on additional bass and Liam Bradley on percussion. The song also appears on the ‘Any Colour You Like’ deluxe edition compilation. This emotive and powerful re-imagining for the Love, Colin project was recorded during the Dogtail Soup sessions in August last year and features vocalist Geraldine Thomas. Recorded in Lettercollum Studios in West Cork, Ireland, Geraldine, a long standing family friend knew Colin well, took on the guest vocals with Dogtail Soup, the band he had formed with Fergus O’Farrell from Interference, the legendary Irish band he had become associated with while living in West Cork. Dogtail Soup is comprised of Colin’s wife, Camilla Griehsel, on vocals, Maurice Seezer on piano, keyboards and vocals, Paul Tiernan on guitars and vocals, James O’Leary on guitars, John Fitzgerald on bass guitar and vocals and Anthony Noonan on drums and vocals—all of whom are part of the Interference collective. The song is a long-time favourite of Colin’s family and took on a special meaning to them and close family friends since his untimely passing in 2016. Geraldine Thomas hails from Berlin, Germany living in Ballydehob West Cork, Ireland via Detroit, USA. She is the vocalist for First Class and Coach, a highly regarded powerhouse of a band in Ireland’s alternative music scene. With a well-received debut album under their belt and another on the way, FCAC is currently performing live across Ireland and can frequently be heard on the airwaves of the nation’s top alternative rock radio shows. The video was commissioned by the Love, Colin project and directed by Aoise Tutty Jackson with cinematographer Adrian O’Connell. ” Look at what came to be my journey, between two churches….”

Friday June 24th sees the release of the new single from Adrian and Ropes of Sand, ‘Moving Target’

Of the new song, Adrian said;

“Moving Target was recorded in La Sauna studios outside Varese by Italian producer Mr Henry, it features the now Berlin-based Adrian (guitar & vox), Luca (bass; backing vox, cello – not all at the same time) and Paolo (drums & percussion).

Moving Target follows on from their well received first release on OOAL (2020’s Another Lie). It questions our inner voice whose sometimes horrific view of ourselves we so often simply accept. Those accepted “truths” then send us down a path where we will never find what we need. The world itself is trying to fight its own moving target, but despite the destruction and loss we have seen, previously unknown levels of human goodness have been seen. This is surely a strong reminder of the benefits of treating ourselves well too.

Moving Target’s release is supported again by a lovely video from Italian musician and film-maker Alwaves, featuring shots of the region in northern Italy close to where the song was written and recorded. Mixing was carried out by the brilliant Pat Donne (The Floors, Azure Days, Paddy Casey) who by chance is from the same hometown in Ireland as Adrian (Carlow). Mastering was taken care of by John Davies at Metropolis Studios in London.”

Experience the sheer power and prowess of the band Soul Circle in their residency on board the brand new Tui River Cruise Ship “Isla”.

Traveling all across Europe, Soul Circle will be playing classic and new covers, as well as their own material. Catch them in the Observatory Bar from 9pm, 6 nights a week.

Their itinerary for this cruise is;

• • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Cologne, Germany
  • Koblenz, Germany
  • Rudesheim, Germany
  • Speyer, Germany
  • Strasbourg, France
  • Breisach, Germany
  • Basel, Switzerland

More information about Soul Circle can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/SoulCircleOfficial

https://twitter.com/SoulCircle_Band

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHHLE5-TzDkkP86YqKtwO9w

https://instagram.com/soulcircle_/

Soul Circle is made up of the once in a lifetime vocalist Zuzi from Hungary and mind blowing guitarist Phil from Ireland. They have been touring hard since their inception in 2016. 2016-Greece, Ireland 2017-Ireland, Greece and India 2018- India, Czech Republic and UAE(Dubai) 2019-UAE(Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and India(Bangalore and Chennai) Soul Circle welcomes all fans of truly created music and think they have something for everyone. This is certainly a band to watch for the future.

After releasing the well-received singles ‘Oscars’ and ‘I’m On Fire’ in the past few months, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Seba Safe (real name Michael D’Alton) has today shared another stunning track, the poignant ‘Spitfire’ and announced details of his new EP, Before I Remember You.

The third single off his upcoming new EP, ‘Spitfire’ is about moving away from your past. “This song is about moving on and not beating yourself up about things in your past you cannot change,” D’Alton says. “It deals with belonging and purpose.” The single captures Seba Safe’s tender vocals, demonstrating his growing songwriter abilities and knack for creating captivating and intricate melodies.

Out 5^th August, the new EP Before I Remember You is his first for his new label home Nettwerk, and first new material since the success of his debut Map Runner. One of the most interesting songwriting talents to emerge from Ireland’s shores in the last year, these new tracks mark a strong label debut, giving a glimpse on what’s to come from this rising Galway musician.

Before I Remember You Tracklisting:

1. Oscars

2. Spitfire

3. Stay

4. I’m On Fire

5. Blue Veins

See Seba Safe live;

Sun 2 Oct          Levis, Ballydehob, Cork

Wed 26 Oct       Winthrop Ave, Cork

Fri 28 Oct          Whelan’s, Dublin

Sat 29 Oct         McHugh’s, Belfast

Thu 3 Nov         Roisin Dubh, Galway w/ Malaki

Moving to the USA three years ago has made Enda Reilly re-define his identity as an Irish artist.

On that journey, Enda will be performing many of the songs from his latest release, Whisperings at Motor City, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Michigan Irish Music Festivals this Summer. Also on cultural stages his settings of WB Yeats poetry to music and his original Irish language songs.

Keeping it simple and letting the songs shine was the goal of the album, Whisperings. Self-produced in his Detroit home studio the singer/songwriter explores the folk-singer side of himself.

“Many of my previous releases have been songs I’ve written or co-written but it’s been freeing to explore and come up with my own versions of these classic songs.”
Whisperings now available endareilly.com/albums and Spotify.

Enda is an IMRO Christy Hennessy Songwriting Competition winner and co-wrote many songs with Aoife Scott including “All Along The Wild Atlantic Way”, a no.1 in Ireland and the title track from her album “Homebird”.

“Enda embodies what is best in Irish music. Firmly rooted in the past with an eye and ear for the future. His own works feel like they have been with us for a  hundred years. The real deal.” Rory Makem

“An intriguing alternative look at some of our best loved classic songs, which really inspires the listener to re-evaluate them, and enjoy some new perspectives on their significance.” Mark Lysaght – Irish Music Magazine