Author: Danny Carroll

Dublin-based singer-songwriter Colin O’Shea has released his highly anticipated second album, “Bright Yellow Shiny Gold.” Following the critically acclaimed success of his debut release, Colin continues to showcase his artistic growth and musical versatility, and is set to captivate listeners with an eclectic blend of genres.

Almost 6 years since his critically acclaimed debut album, Bright Yellow Shiny Gold has been 5 years and again produced by the talented David Prendergast (Overheard the Albatross, Kodaline). This album fuses elements of pop, rock and electronic, with O’Shea delving into themes of love, loss and redemption, intertwining them with his infectious melodies and richly layered arrangements.

From the heart-wrenching ballad “The Man Who Forgot To Cry” to the infectious pop anthem “Hollywood On Fire,” that earned him ‘Track of the Day’ from Hot Press magazine, each of the 10 tracks on the album will resonate with a diverse audience.

“Bright Yellow Shiny Gold” is out July 7^th, 2023, and will be available on all major streaming platforms. To celebrate the launch, O’Shea will be hosting an intimate album launch event on July 12^th, at the Vintage Room located within The Workman’s Club, Dublin’s Live Venue of the Year IMRO winner. Tickets priced €10 are on sale now at Eventbrite.

Irish DJ Jazzy has become the first Irish Female Artist to hit #1 on the Spotify Ireland Top 50 Chart, since the streaming platform was launched in Ireland in 2012. Achieving this incredible milestone with her debut single “Giving Me”, Jazzy knocked Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s “Miracle” off the top spot this week.

“Giving Me” was released in March and has already been streamed 1.7 million times in Ireland and been certified PLATINUM.

Arriving on the solo stage with a bold statement, Irish-Jamaican newcomer Jazzy’s debut single “Giving Me” is starting to soar in the Irish and International Charts.

“Giving Me” is a club-ready slice of Irish house with lyrics that see Jazzy relinquishing the responsibility for the hurt experienced from a past relationship and getting back out on the town after having healed from all “the sunshine in the rain”. The tracks accompanying visuals reflect the light-hearted sentiment of the confident dance record and showcases further why Jazzy is well on a trajectory to be one of the most exciting new voices in the dance world.

On writing the record Jazzy shares “my solo debut has been a really long time coming, so we made sure that we edited and tweaked the track until it felt perfect. I’ve been anticipating this moment for some time now and am buzzing to share “Giving Me” with you all”.

Jazzy is no stranger to the dance music scene. Having already graced massive collaborations with the likes of Irish dance-duo Belters Only on their hit singles ‘Make Me Feel Good’ and ‘Don’t Stop Just Yet’; Jazzy’s entrance into the music world is one that has turned heads and connected internationally. With over 1.2million monthly listeners on Spotify, as well as a Top 5 Platinum certified single in the UK, it looks as though this will be the year that see’s Jazzy bring Irish house music to the masses. Having already built a community around her sound through consistent releases of her ‘GEWAH’ DJ mixes on Soundcloud, the release of ‘Giving Me’ see’s Jazzy entering a new sonic chapter; one that will see her create a musical legacy of her own.

‘Upside’ is the new single by Kildare songwriter Col Patterson and the follow up to the Radio hit “Bedford Falls”.

Col says: “Upside is all about overcoming adversity. In my case, it is about overcoming challenges like social anxiety and agoraphobia. Believing in the ability of all of us to overcome our fears.”

The song is produced by Col’s long-time producer, Martin Quinn.

His previous single, ‘Bedford Falls’, was performed live on Irish TV on “THE LATE LATE SHOW” in December and featured on several radio stations, including RTE Radio One, Newstalk, Today FM, NOVA, KFM, BBC Merseyside, KCLR, Beat 103, Celtic Music radio, Midlands 103, Dublin City Fm and Northern Sound among others.

‘Upside’ will be available on iTunes, Spotify and on all digital platforms as well as on Bandcamp from 5th May 2023.

More new singles and an Album, ‘Dare You Come to Mind’, will be released in later in 2023.

In 2015, along with his cousins, Col formed ‘The Vinylheads’ and recorded an album with legendary Irish producer Martin Quinn at Jam Studios. The Album ‘Kicks’ was released that year to critical acclaim, with songs receiving airplay on RTÉ Radio 1, Newstalk & BBC 6Music, the title track being Tom Robinson’s personal “Recommends” pick. Col and his cousins played the ‘Fortstock’ festival in Monaghan on the same bill as Midge Ure.

In 2017, Col Patterson released his debut album ‘Hangover Moon’ under his own name. Singles such as ‘Glide’, ‘Hard To Believe’ and ‘Angels on the Wave’ were championed by John Creedon, Cathal Murray and co on RTE Radio One, and once again reviews were very kind!

The ‘Hangover Moon’ Album received 4/5 stars in a review by Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times:

“Hangover Moon is Patterson in a solo capacity, and it’s a much more private experience, as the songs touch on acutely personal topics (including loss, injustice, love, mental health, family). The narrative load, however, is lessened somewhat by a collection of remarkably poised, crisp, and light-fingered tunes that will have you whistling away without permission. There are many highlights, including Angels on the Wave, Woodshed, Hard to Believe, the title track and Big Lie World, each of which have a sunburst pop finish that belies their sober, saying-it-like-it-is lyrics.”

This new release from WEEKEND SPECIAL was inspired by the closing scene of the movie, “The Help”. Aibileen (Viola Davis) is finally retiring from a lifetime of domestic service in a racist society. She leaves the house forever, reminiscing about the events that brought her to this point. She reflects that telling people how she felt about her life made her feel free, and that her (recently deceased) son had always said that they would have a writer in the family. She supposes that it will be her.

The exact lines in the script are very moving – “God says we need to love our enemies. It hard to do. But it can start by telling the truth. No one had ever asked me what it feel like to be me. Once I told the truth about that, I felt free. And I got to thinking about all the people I know. And the things I seen and done. My boy Trelaw always said we gonna have a writer in the family one day. I guess it’s gonna be me.”

Weekend Special is a songwriting and production supergroup whose members have worked in studio or on stage with the likes of Nick Cave, INXS, Mary Black and Leslie Dowdall (In Tua Nua). The band consists of Rohan Healy (guitars, additional instrumentation), Al Quiff (upright and electric bass), David Virgin (vocals, guitar) and Seán Silke (pianos, strings). Kylabelle is the featured vocalist on this recording.

Weekend Special’s songwriting powerhouse is Seán Silke. With hundreds of compositions to his name, Seán’s work is recognised for its mature and imaginative lyrics, aligned with strong hooks and melodies.

The production team behind the Weekend Special sound is Beardfire Music, consisting of brothers Rohan and Al Healy, and their father David Virgin. They have a combined experience of 75 years on stage and in studio, adding up to over two thousand live shows across the globe, including appearances on Irish, French and Australian TV and The Voice UK in England, five number 1’s on the Australian indie charts, and hundreds of production and session credits and awards.

Beardfire productions have generated impressive streaming numbers through artists like RUNAH and Patricia Lalor. Their recordings have graced international radio, including numerous RTE playlists. And their artists have been signed by international labels like Motor Music, PR Records Label Group, Bonfire Records, and Atlantic Records (Warner Music Group).

Kylabelle is a talented singer/songwriter who has generated a major following in Dublin, busking in the city centre. From a young age she has performed in plays and musical productions at the National Concert Hall, the Olympia Theatre and the Bord Gais Energy Theatre. She has also provided support vocals to Paul Carrack and Finbar Fury on the ‘The Late Late Show’.

Rising Pop/RnB Artist Maria Petrisor is set to release her highly anticipated new single “Picky” on May 11th.

Produced by Alex O’ Keeffe, “Picky” is a fresh take on the age-old struggle of finding the right romantic partner, set against the backdrop of popular culture’s influence on modern dating.

“Writing ‘Picky’ was an opportunity for me to take a different perspective on a love song and the uncertainty of finding someone new” says Maria.
The powerful beat of the song complements Maria’s dynamic vocals, leaving the listener humming the tune long after the music has ended, while the song’s thought-provoking lyrics offer a unique perspective on the challenges of modern love.

Maria says, “Collaborating with Alex on ‘Picky’ was a great experience, and as we continue to work on my music, I’m enjoying the process of discovering my own sound and sharing my story through my writing.” 

“Picky” will be available on all major streaming platforms on May 11th.

Sena Dee is now gearing up to release his highly anticipated new single, “Come Around” a collaboration with Cian Sweeney (1000 Beasts). The track features his trademark smooth vocals and infectious beats, “Come Around” is set to be one of the biggest hits of the year and is set to solidify his place as a rising star, and is sure to be one of the biggest hits of the year. The track will be available on all major streaming platforms on May 12th.

Sena Dee is a rising star in the Irish music scene, known for his soulful vocals and genre-bending sound. With a unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and Afrobeat influences, Sena Dee has quickly made a name for himself as one of the most exciting new artists on the scene.

Born and raised in Galway, Sena Dee developed a passion for music at a young age, and has spent years honing his skills as a songwriter and performer. His debut singles “Lonely” and “On Read” were met with critical acclaim. Since then, he has released several successful singles and continued to build a dedicated following on Spotify, where he has featured in playlists such as Alternative Ireland, Fresh Finds Uk & Ireland, Alte Cruise & New Music Friday UK.

Among his inspirations he lists Bakar, Van Morrison, Loyle Carner, Thin Lizzy and J.Cole. With a string of releases planned for 2023, the future looks promising for this young artist.

Dublin singer songwriter, Ken O’Duffy will release a new single on Friday, May 12 ^th entitled The Willow Tree , It is the third single to be taken from Ken’s new album Sing the Songs which was released on April 14th with a sold-out launch show at Whelans, Dublin. The song features ex-Saville/Pugwash drummer Joe Fitzgerald, and was recorded by Mark Healy (Skanger, The Josephs) at his Sound Yard Studios in Dublin. Sing The Songs was written and recorded during lockdown and is the follow up to Ken’s 2019 critically acclaimed debut solo album The Last Night At The Gentlemen’s Club .  The Willow Tree is available from Bandcamp, and all streaming platforms from this Friday, May 12 ^th .

“My first musical memory is of Ronnie Drew singing ‘Weile Weile Waile’ and The ‘Willow Tree’ is in the tradition of a story song with a beginning, middle and end. I wrote three different endings for the song including a murder ballad dénouement, but this less melodramatic version sees the lovers in the song using the knife to scratch their names in the Willow Tree”. Ken O’Duffy

Along with the likes of  Bren Tallon   Ger Eaton , and Waterford’s now sadly defunct  O Emperor , Ken is a part of a coterie of Irish pop classicalists who’ve kept the nation safe for the sanctity of the song. Alan Corr

Ken has been making music with various bands (including The Experiment and a stint in Light a Big Fire) since the mid-1980s. In the noughties Ken released three critically acclaimed albums with Dublin band Saville, the last two being released on the legendary Reekus Records label. In 2014 and 2016 he released Songs of Absolution and The Autumn House with The Citizens (featuring Tosh Flood of The Divine Comedy/Pugwash).

Over the past five years Ken has been playing solo acoustic gigs, and in August 2019  released his first solo album entitled The Last Night at the Gentlemen’s Club . The album made album of the week on RTE Radio 1 and received favourable reviews from various publications upon its release.

Moon Looks On is releasing an album of true to the bone contemporary folk and roots music.

‘Four Miles As The Crow Flies’ is the first single from this eagerly awaited new album which was recorded and produced by acclaimed producer Bill Shanley and the opening track is due for release in early May on Cauldron Records.

The imagery behind the track reflect the two years Moon Looks On spent writing music in a small converted Barn in South Sligo, a place brimming with songs and folklore, great surf, & breath-taking scenery where the hills and the mountains stretch out towards the sea’ and the tunes are carried on the wind.

Over the past few years singer/songwriter Stephen Gormley has been carving out a name for himself on the Irish & international music scene, with appearances at music festivals and venues such as, Glastonbury, Electric Picnic, All Together Now, 2000 Trees Festival, & The Ruby Sessions to name but a few, along with performances on the renowned TV show “Other Voices” on Irelands premier broadcasting channel RTE.

Moon Looks On has also had tracks from his album ‘Razor Wire Skies’ added to the much sought after “New Music Friday” Spotify playlist whilst amassing over a quarter of a million streams on Spotify. His music videos and tracks have also premiered in Hot-press magazine, Irish Independent & Golden-Plec and on both Irish and UK Radio stations such as 2FM ,Today FM, RTE 1, 2XM, & Radio X in Manchester.

The album features contributions from seasoned musicians Laura Ryder (keys), Aisling Bridgeman (violin), Martin Ditcham (drums), as well as additional instrumentation from producer Bill Shanley and mix engineer Andrew Holdsworth.

‘Misneach’ is the kaleidoscopic third album from Seán Mulrooney and his Ireland meets Berlin ensemble. Recorded mostly in Berlin at Impression Studios by Robbie Moore, who also plays in the main four-piece studio lineup with Mulrooney, Earl Harvin (Tindersticks) and Iain Faulkner (who helmed additional recording in Dublin at Sonic Studios), the album also features Pól Brennan from Clannad and Irish troubadour Damien Dempsey. ‘Misneach’ is an album of ecstatic folk-psych that fully embraces the natural world and living ancestry, through joyful experimentation and deeply rooted sonics. An inspired soundscape that echoes eclectic and eccentric atmospheres: traditional Irish folk, outsider pop, global sacred music and drone rock.

Titled after this concept of bright bravery, ‘Misneach’, is the third full-length from Ireland’s Tau &the Drones of Praise. Following on 2016’s ‘Tau Tau Tau’ and 2019’s self-titled album, as well as2020’s widely acclaimed ‘Seanóirí Naofa’ EP, it is a next-stage realization of the traveller-folkvision of principal songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Seán Mulrooney, whose travels invariably inform the songs being written. That’s nothing new for Tau, now officially Tau & the Drones of Praise, who have in the past engaged with folk traditions stemming from Mulrooney’s Irish homeland as well weaving in the teachings of the indigenous first nations people from Turtle Island, the continent of America. Recorded like its predecessors mostly in Berlin at Impression Studios by Robbie Moore, who also plays in the main four-piece studio line-up with Mulrooney, Earl Harvin (Tindersticks) and Iain Faulkner (who helmed additional recording in Dublin at Sonic Studios), ‘Misneach’ is nonetheless the boldest and farthest-reaching work Tau & the Drones of Praise have done, stepping beyond expectation born of their past and into a reimagined future of interaction with the natural world both within and outside ourselves.

‘Misneach’ is a homecoming for Mulrooney, who, even as the arrangement of opener “It’s Right to Give Drones and Praise” seems to reference Screamadelica-era Primal Scream, establishes Ireland as the backdrop on which the songs are built. Mulrooney recently told HoPress magazine that his return to Ireland from Berlin in 2019 found him “reconnecting to the magic, the mystery and the myth of Ireland … I’m learning to play the fiddle. Trad and our old customs are new to me – but I feel an ancient recognition of them. For me, the great thing about traditional music is that it has to evolve. It’s constantly evolving with respect to the authenticity of the origins, in a very natural way. “Heralded Irish folk troubadour Damien Dempsey and Pól Brennan from the legendary County Donegal band Clannad are just two of the more than 16 guests featured on the album. Engineer Robbie Moore calls it “adding to the party,” a process where an organic interwovenness is joyfully unleashed. But in the hands of Mulrooney – and the significant company he keeps – ‘Misneach’ is also the clearest and most live-sounding that Tau & the Drones of Praise have been yet.

The songs are brimming with energy but are never overblown or melodramatic, even as grand ideas coincide with arrangements that, despite their depth, remain wholly unpretentious and earthed. Cultures, languages and gods tie together. In terms of perspective, it can be no coincidence that the first words on ‘Misneach’ are “I am the tree,” and the last is “hope” in the song of the same name(“ón chré”- the Irish word for hope).It is an album of ecstatic refrains and a search for wisdom. Wiry electricity and living ancestry. In the same interview in Hot magazine Mulrooney noted: “We have so much knowledge here, and it’s good to honour that, as well as the landscape and our sacred sites. With the wisdom of our ancestors at our back we can move forward. As John O’Donohue said, the ancestors are pulling boulders out of your way on your path – and you don’t even realise it. They’re always around. “Quite a party, indeed. And the party is beautiful. Not blind to past woes – the trees in “It is Right to Give Drones and Praise” have of course been cut to build the Queen’s warships – but still daring to move forward towards joy. The party celebrates existence and connectedness. Experimentation and timelessness. The party is Misneach.

Irish music artist 1000 Beasts released his latest single “Reflections” on April 28th, 2023. The song, which features the soulful vocals of English singer Rosie P, is the third track to be released from 1000 Beasts’ upcoming sophomore album. “Reflections” offers a chill indie-electronic sound with lo-fi drums and a soulful guitar loop that is reminiscent of the early beats of Chet Faker. Rosie P’s smooth vocal adds a layer of emotional depth to the track, making it a must-listen for fans of indie and electronic music alike.

Arguably one of the most prolific producers to come out of Cork in years, 1000 Beasts released his debut album ‘Naruda’ in April 2022. Featuring collaborations and co-writes from an eclectic mix of artists such as FeliSpeaks, Célia Tiab, LENII, Arthur Valentine, April and Orla Gartland, and with well over 6 million streams amassed on the project already, 1000 Beasts has established himself as an artistic force that straddles the line between indie, soul & electronic music.

The concept behind 1000 Beasts is simple. One producer who writes & collaborates with different artists (the “beasts”) on each track to create music greater than the sum of its parts.

Based in Bath (UK), Rosie Patton is a 23-year-old singer, saxophonist and songwriter. Primarily rooted in

neo-soul and R&B, Rosie’s diverse musical portfolio spans her solo work as Rosie P; songwriter and bedroom producer, CURA; 3-piece collective marrying the sounds of vocal Soul, modern Jazz and 90s hip-hop, and Jealous Tina, which she fronts with soulful vocals and saxophone.

Rosie has established herself as a sought-after collaborator and has had the privilege of working with top-tier artists and producers such as edbl, 1000 Beasts, and Jackson Clark (Doghouse Outhouse), a testament to her musical passion. Her music is regularly championed on the airwaves of BBC Radio, and her performance with Jamie Cullum in the world’s first 5G live streamed musical event is a cherished memory that underscores her talent and versatility as a performer.

As a session player, Rosie can be seen performing live with various bands, including the South East 7-piece Doghouse Outhouse. Her early career saw her playing gigs across the South of the UK, including London, Bristol, Bath, Hastings, Brighton, and Cornwall. With such a varied range of musical skills and collaborations under her belt, Rosie P is undoubtedly an artist to watch in the contemporary music scene.