Author: Breffni Banks

The Irish-American actor, producer and musician John C. Reilly– recently named as the International Guest of Honour at this year’s national St. Patrick’s Day Parade – features on the new album by leading Irish traditional group Téada. Singing the classic Percy French song ‘Eileen Óg’, the Oscar and Tony Award nominee can be heard alongside resident Téada vocalist, Séamus Begley on the acclaimed group’s sixth studio release. In addition to their continued performances at festivals around the globe, Téada’s latest release – entitled ‘Coiscéim Coiligh –As the Days Brighten’ marks a further high point for the group as they celebrate 21 years together.

Oisín Mac Diarmada says “Back in early 2019 when visiting Ireland to promote the release of the Stan & Ollie movie, Chicago-born Hollywood actor & singer John C Reilly struck up a friendship with Séamus Begley, inspired by their mutual love of Irish songs and of course Kerry!” Later that year in Los Angeles, John C. joined Séamus and Oisín on stage when they finished their Christmas tour in Hollywood, and a collaboration idea for the new Téada album was born. Pandemic restrictions made the process of recording John C.’s vocals trickier than normal, but the stars finally aligned in Spring of 2021 when John C. made it into a Hollywood studio to record the Percy French song – Eileen Óg. The song provides the ideal tapestry to blend John C.’s rich theatrical vocal talents along with Séamus’ unique sensitivity and nuance.

A traditional band with a truly worldwide reach, Téada has appeared as a frequent headliner at major music festivals throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Russia, the Middle East and Australia. Highlights include a 30,000-capacity stadium concert in Brittany, along with performances at Penang World Music Festival in Malaysia, Edmonton Folk Festival in Canada, Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe, and Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo. In 2014, the band performed to 40,000 people during an extensive 7-week tour of Japan / Taiwan, and continue to have a strong touring presence in the United States, where Téada has toured actively since 2001. May 2022 brings the release of the band’s new album on the Gael Linn label, featuring the brilliant vocals of Begley along with the band’s customary reenergising of rare tunes from the tradition

Available for sale (CD format) and digital download now at www.teada.com and www.gael-linn.ie

Photo Credit: Damien Stenson

Irish singer-songwriter Davie Furey’s new single, “History,” is an anthemic slice of Celtic-folk-infused, synth-bolstered jangle pop begging to echo off arena walls. It’s a sound as big as its carpe-diem call to action:

Stand up straight with your eyes wide open … If you’re not with me get outta the way … Now’s not the time for hard luck stories, now’s not the time for former glories …  It’s our time, to make a bit of history

Initially, Furey says, the song was written for his friend, Irish boxer Michael Conlan—the fiery former olympian who just challenged for the WBA world featherweight title.

“While I was working on ‘History,’ Michael was in my head,” Furey says. “To have him fighting for the world-championship belt, I thought it was something to be proud of. But as songs often do, it evolved into something much broader than that. It came to represent the last two years, which have, of course, been difficult—covid has changed us, changed our attitudes. A lot of people were on their own during the pandemic, and when you’re alone you have a lot of time to think. People picked up new hobbies. They reconnected with their families, their pets and nature. Whether that persists as we get back into the normality of life, I don’t know. But for a lot of people, the experience changed the course of their lives. And that’s what ‘History’ reflects upon—the restoration of our lives.”

Furey’s new single brims with immediacy and urgency for a reason. The lyrics and melody hit him like lightning, and within two days of writing the song, he was at JAM Studios in Kells, County Meath, laying it down with producer-engineer Martin Quinn.

Furey and Quinn have a solid history themselves at this point. They worked together on Furey’s 2015 debut, Easy Come Easy Go, as well as his most recent record, 2021’s Haunted Streets.

Furey handles lead vocals, as well as electric and acoustic rhythm guitars on “History,” with Martin’s brother Andrew Quinn on drums (a “brilliant drummer,” Furey says). Everything else you hear on the track was played by multi-instrumentalist Martin.

Davie Furey’s new single, “History,” is out May 4th.

From Strabane, Co Tyrone Brian has played support to numerous Irish artists including Paul Brady, Declan O Rourke, The High Kings, Donna Taggart, Tommy Flemming, The Fureys, Bagatelle, The Whistlin’ Donkeys, Sharon Shannon, Donal Lunney and Colfin, Brian Kennedy, Sinead Lohan and Frances Black.

He has also opened for international artists including The Overtones, The Drifters, Smokie, The Beach Boys, Dr Hook, 10CC and Jose Feliciano.

His first album “Tales from Home” received favorable reviews in The Sunday Times and FolkWord and tracks received airplay both locally and nationally.

Described vocally, as a cross between Brian Kennedy and Tommy Fleming or as Mike Love from the Beachboys said “like listening to a new Dan Fogelberg.”

Brian has played throughout Ireland in venues including The Waterfront Hall, Vicar Street, The Ulster Hall, The National Concert Hall and numerous theatres and has also performed at various festivals including Belfast/Nashville, The Acoustic Yard, The Foyle Festival and Celtic Connections in Glasgow.

This has now been followed up with the release of “Lets Dance”, an album featuring 10 tracks, eight of which were released as singles during lockdown and “Back to Basics”. an acoustic album featuring 10 tracks.

“Tales from Home” “Lets Dance” and “Back to Basic” albums are available from all usual digital platforms.

Brian will launch the new album at The Alley Theatre, Strabane on Thursday May 5th.

www.brianhassan.com

https://brianhassan.hearnow.com/back-to-basics

https://brianhassan.hearnow.com/lets-dance-album

Dimple Discs (who have released groundbreaking Irish music from Telefis, Cathal Coughlan, Keeley, Eileen Gogan with Sean O’Hagan, and more) are thrilled to announce the new single from revered Irish composer/musician Ger Eaton (pronounced Jair, short for Gerard).

A multi-Instrumentalist, Songwriter, Hair Stylist and Retro-Vintage Aficionado, this iconic and stylish gentleman is most recently known as keyboardist/guitarist for Dublin alt-rock heroes The Pale. Indeed, Ger has been a mainstay of the Irish music scene for many years as a member of Premonition (EMI), Las Vegas Basement (Columbia), Les Marionettes, Pugwash, The Carnival Brothers and many solo and collaborative recordings. Throughout this time he also recorded and toured extensively with, among others, Mundy, Duke Special, Jack L and Fionn Regan, playing everywhere from Glastonbury Festival to the ‘Later With Jools Holland’ TV Show.

“Phoenix (Reborn)” continues to explore Ger’s fascination with and mastery of retro-60s influenced chamber pop styles, first illustrated on his debut EP “Three By Ger Eaton” last November.

On the creation of the new single Ger notes…”So… although I never liked the sound of the Descant Recorder being played by thirty 10-year old boys in my Dublin classroom back in the 1980’s, I always had a liking for the ‘Recorder Ensembles’ used in certain Pop Hits of the ’60’s. So when a new idea, the song “Phoenix (Reborn)”, began to form, I knew it was my time to bring the Recorder back once more! Working again with my great friends Duncan Maitland & Sean Coleman, we drew on our combined love of all things ‘Acid Folk’. Using 4-Track Tape machines in Sean’s ‘Workshop’, we combined a rhythm played on my newly acquired Tabla drums, with a blend of our own Mellotron Flutes and my brother Kieran’s ‘real’ Flute and Recorder skills. Adding in our usual musical ‘weapons of choice’, and the Trumpet riff I wrote for Ronan Dooney, and we felt we had created something special…a sort of ‘Renaissance Pop’ if you will…My music…the Phoenix (Reborn)…”

Follow Ger Eaton on social media:

Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  YouTube  Spotify  Bandcamp

Dublin / Galway duo Gorgeous Wrecks continue to promote their particular brand of vintage, synth, indie rock with the fourth release from their stunning debut album Gentle Art of Persuasion.

An up-tempo, synth heavy, rocking number, ‘Society’ sits on top of a danceable groove and once again showcases the unique vocal stylings of Gorgeous Wrecks frontman Flinders as he understatedly provides the listener with his particular observations of the world around us.

The band’s debut album Gentle Art of Persuasion – a mixture of rock, electronica and synth pop – was produced and mixed by Ger McDonnell (U2, The Cure, Kasabian, Martha Wainwright) in Dublin, and mastered in Abbey Road Studios in London by Frank Arkwright, and was released at the end of last year.

Gorgeous Wrecks are currently in the rehearsal room trying to figure out how 2 musicians can take this eclectic mix of instruments and sounds on the stage and will be in a venue near you during the summer.

Following the contemplative rumble of Beach Light, Axis Of drop their follow-up single in the form of the galloping Blackcomber. No less pictorial or pensive in lyrical exploration, Blackcomber tackles existential woes, worries and imagery. The pace has quickened and there’s an assured vitality to proceedings with intricately woven guitar lines complementing the thudding rhythm section, only relenting as we reach the songs hopeful and soaring crescendo. Blackcomber is yet another convincing declaration from Axis Of’s third studio album Bella Pacifica.

Axis Of is Niall Lawlor (guitar, vocals), Ewen Friers (bass, vocals) and Ethan Harman (drums); friends raised on Ireland’s north coast, between the tourist towns of Portstewart, Portrush and Portballintrae.

They grew up with the Atlantic Ocean in front of them, a remarkable coastline with all its beauty and power a constant. Scenes which influence their music still. But it was travel and exploration that informed this album most. The references to Scottish islands and Irish seas which often formed the backbone of the band’s first two albums have not been replaced but have been joined by Australian plains and Canadian skies. Bella Pacifica is an album that looks outward, a celebration of existence. It is personal, the songs are about “us” says Niall.

After the band’s second album they took time away from their primary musical project, but an innocuous fall while in Canada led to a lengthy period of serious ill-health for Niall. A reliance on medication – to counter symptoms which hadn’t yet been fully explained or understood – forced Niall to withdraw further from work, friends, music and life. Niall describes how that time in his life often “felt endless”, but slowly – with better diagnosis and help from family and friends – things improved. Ewen states how “Music can be helpful and healing. I remember going to see Niall and his illness was finally plateauing. At some stage I remember thinking ‘he’s getting a bit better’”.

Before his return to Ireland, Niall had sent Ewen some demos recorded in a snow-covered cabin in Canada. These would be the foundation from which Bella Pacifica grew. Ewen remembers seeing Niall’s gradual improvement and it giving him extra drive to finish those songs off. He added lyrics when he could “to give something, any kind of distraction, to Niall”.

Eventually Niall and Ewen found themselves in studio on a remote Scottish island tracking a record for which the writing process spanned many of the most exciting and joyful times, through to some of the bleakest and most hopeless. It is a journey reflected in the triumphant music and often heartbreakingly personal lyrics.

Niall explains how much of the new album is about endurance “it has sad songs…but it is hopeful that there can be good times again”.

The band have refocused, consciously removing much of the stress that comes along with making and releasing music. The goals have changed. “The album was created not knowing if anyone would ever hear it” says Ewen, and when Niall talks about the measures of success for the album he says there are none “The success is existing in the first place”. Isn’t it just.

 www.axisof.net

Robocobra Quartet announce their biggest headline show to date in their hometown of Belfast to celebrate the upcoming album Living Isn’t Easy, out June 17.

Moving On Music & Powerline Agency presents:

Robocobra Quartet + special guests

The Empire Music Hall

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Friday 7th October 2022

Chris from the band said “We’ll be coming out of a busy summer of festivals and it will be a special moment to have a proper celebration of the album in a venue we’ve always wanted to play right here in Belfast.”

Tickets on sale Weds May 4th at 11:00am

£14+ booking fee from Eventbrite

Tickets HERE

“Living Isn’t Easy” is out 17 June 2022 on First Taste Records on LP/CD/DL – Pre-order HERE

Follow Robocobra Quartet: 

Facebook |  Instagram |  Twitter |  YouTube|  Spotify Website

Photo Credit: Colin Armstrong

Sephira, the Irish Rock Violinists, took to the stage at a packed Madison Square Garden this past weekend.

Sisters Joyce and Ruth O’Leary were invited to “design, create and perform” the music for Katie Taylor’s weigh-in ahead of the historic fight against Amanda Serrano, the biggest fight ever in women’s boxing.

🥊🇮🇪We had the absolute privilege of being asked by @MatchroomBoxing to design, create and perform the music for @KatieTaylor‘s ceremonial weigh-in at @TheGarden! SO unbelievably proud to stand along side Katie for this magical historic moment. #KatieTaylor pic.twitter.com/yxOLZ1GqsI

— Sephira – The Irish Rock Violinists (@Sephira_Music) May 2, 2022

Sephira – The Irish Rock Violinists comprises of sisters Joyce & Ruth O’Leary -two classically trained musicians who have forged their own musical niche. The unique sound of Sephira has been compared to the emotional swells of a movie, sensational, dramatic, and filled with the full sweep of human passions.

Vesperella is a new side-project of Cavan-based musician Elena Duff where she puts her focus on writing and producing electronic dance music tracks. Until this point Elena’s music has been primarily acoustic with songs written and performed on guitar and ukulele. However, the 6 years Elena spent living in Berlin – a city is infused with techno music playing in every pub, club and café – gave her a real love and appreciation of electronic music and Vesperella is where you’ll find her own electronic music compositions.

‘A Spell on You’ is the first track off a planned 4-track EP. The song has a chilled, downbeat, hypnotic vibe, perfect to zone-out to.

Find and follow Vesperella on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/vesperellamusic/