Irish indie-rock band Fake Friends return with their second single, “Girlfriend,” released on July 5th. The infectiously catchy, upbeat track is the second offering from the Kerry/Carlow duo.
Fake Friends is a project between actual friends Cathal Flaherty and Patrick Kelly, born out of lock down in 2020. Both musicians have been writing together since and along with some other friends have been recording in Dublin Studio Hub since 2023. The duo along with their full band headlined a sold-out Whelan’s in Dublin in July 2023 and have since then signed a massive €300,000 deal to AMA Music Agency and Song City Records. 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the duo from Kerry and Carlow with more singles on the way and more gigs to be announced.
“The chorus came to me quickly, but I struggled with the verses,” Flaherty explains. “I finally finished it during a rough patch in my relationship, which inspired the song.”
Fake Friends recently signed a three-year deal with Song City Records and are working on more music with producer Larry Hogan at Dublin Studio Hub, set for release later this year
SNOW PATROL release new song ‘This Is The Sound Of Your Voice’ July 5th via Polydor Records/Universal Music Ireland. It is the second track to be shared from the Northern Irish band’s forthcoming new album ‘The Forest Is The Path’, which is set for release on September 13th and marks their eagerly awaited return after six years, following 2018’s ‘Wildness’. It is produced by Fraser T Smith (Adele/Dave/Stormzy) and the band. Now comprising the trio of Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid, Snow Patrol offered the first taste of their extraordinary new album with recent single ‘The Beginning’, which remains radio focus.
After recently announcing details of an 8 date UK and Ireland Arena tour in 2025, Snow Patrol will kick off a summer of live performances today when they play Rock Werchter in Belgium. On July 12th they headline Thomond Park Stadium in Limerick where they will play to over 25,000 fans.
‘The Forest Is The Path’ was written by Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid and features twelve tracks. Fraser T Smith, Will Reynolds, Roy Kerr and Troy Van Leeuwen (QOTSA) also contributed to the writing on some of the songs on the album. The album and single artwork features paintings by Gary Lightbody.
‘The Forest is the Path’ is an album rooted in reflection, introspection and interrogation. One of its key building blocks, says Gary, was the idea of love from the distance of time. “I haven’t been in a relationship for a very long time, 10 years or more, so love from a distance to me meant the way a relationship sits in your memory from a distance of, say, 10 years. That’s not something I’d previously thought about as away to write about love. So it’s like, when you’re in love, you’re standing in the lobby of the Empire State Building. When you’ve broken up with that person, you’re out in the street. You can still see the building, but you’re not in there anymore. And when it’s 10 years later, now you’re standing in Brooklyn looking at the Manhattan skyline.”
Rising urban artist Awesimon, known for his dynamic presence in the Irish hip-hop scene, is set to captivate hearts and minds with his latest single, “Finer Things.” This Afrobeat love anthem showcases his unparalleled talent and emotional depth, reaffirming his status as a versatile and compelling artist.
His latest offering “Finer Things” delves into the complexities of love and trust, telling the poignant story of a man deeply in love but facing emotional barriers with his significant other. Through captivating rhythms and evocative lyrics, Awesimon portrays a heartfelt journey of patience and unwavering determination. The track resonates with anyone who has experienced the trials of love, painting a vivid picture of vulnerability and perseverance.
“I believe music is more enjoyable when it’s relatable,” says Awesimon. “I wanted to paint a picture of the possible issues people might face in relationships. I drew inspiration from stories I’ve heard and my own experiences to bring this song to life.”
Awesimon‘s approach to music is defined by his dedication to authenticity and emotional honesty. His introspective nature and willingness to embrace the messiness of human emotions set his music apart in an industry often dominated by polished personas. Through his work, Awesimon aims to remain humble and grateful, staying true to his roots while continually pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression.
Awesimon’s music is often compared to artists like Big Sean and Baby Keem, yet he prides himself on his unique sound. His influences are clear, drawing from the versatility of Drake, the innovation of Kanye West, and the vocal prowess of Chris Brown. Awesimon’s distinctive style is further enhanced by his creative process, which thrives in solitude and low-lit environments, allowing his imagination to run wild.
Recently, Awesimon has been collaborating with renowned producer Chris Kabs, a partnership that promises exciting new projects on the horizon. Awesimon‘s humble and grateful approach to his art shines through, endearing him to fans and newcomers alike.
With “Finer Things” Awesimon not only solidifies his place in the urban music landscape but also promises a bright future filled with innovative and heartfelt music. As he continues to evolve and inspire, one thing remains clear: Awesimon is an artist to watch.
Quiet Music Ensemble is delighted to announce the release of ‘…we return to ground…’, a double album of works composed especially for the ensemble by Irish composer Karen Power. The double album will be available from San Francisco-based label Other Minds as a CD or download.
The three works of the album – Instruments of Ice, Sonic Pollinators, and …we return to ground… – pairing natural sounds with musical instruments, were written for Quiet Music Ensemble over a period of 8 years, creating an ongoing sonic dialogue between the ensemble and the natural world. Power describes these works as “uniquely shaped by QME and written knowing and trusting their ears and interpretative skills.” Through this collaboration with Quiet Music Ensemble, Power invites listeners to immerse themselves in unique sonic ecosystems, offering time and space for individual interpretation and exploration.
“What we are hearing is not reducible to ‘music’ and ‘nature’; there is an acknowledgement that the senses are not separate. They are fluid, sometimes interchangeable in their perception of worlds, and those worlds overlap, become each other.” – David Toop, album liner notes.
‘It Takes One to Know’ is an anthemic, summer rock hit that combines the highs of a sunny blurry holiday with friends with the lows of heartbreak in your early 20’s. A blend of dance-inducing pop verses and hard hitting rock-driven choruses ARREN paints a picture of a rollercoaster emotion-filled summer. Produced by industry veteran Gary Duncan of Red Lake Studios and accompanied by Toby Shane Roys of Static Vision on instrumentation, ‘It Takes One to Know’ promises to be a summer anthem. Available now on all streaming platforms.
ARREN is a Dublin based, Limerick born artist who intends to blend the scale of iconic 90’s rock bands with the intimacy of singer-songwriter, having inspirations including Radiohead, Oasis, Hudson Taylor and U2. ARREN also combines his music with strong visuals using lyric video visualisers, music videos and acoustic session videos, all of which are planned to accompany the track in the weeks following the release.
Commenting on the single, ‘It Takes One To Know’, ARREN said, “I hope this song teleports listeners to that one summer trip abroad where you drank a bit too much trying to forget about that one that got away. This song and my upcoming debut 12 track album, ‘Dark Earth’ have been 5 years in the making and explore the ups and downs of your early 20s that I think all of us have in common. I’m looking forward to sharing ‘It Takes One to Know’ with the world and taking listeners back to that messy but electrifying time in their life.”
To celebrate the release of ‘It Takes One to Know’, ARREN will be performing as a featured artist at a number of acoustic sessions across Dublin such as, Whelan’s Song Cycle, The Zodiac Sessions and at 4 Dame Lane, both of which are free entry.
Dublin 6-piece Silverbacks return with new single “Selling Shovels“, recorded with Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox. It’s their first release since 2022 sophomore effort Archive Material (Full Time Hobby).
Scrappy guitar harmonics usher in a rolling slice of wonky guitar pop, atop which vocalist Daniel O’Kelly’s delivers a staccato admission to a natural impatience / morbid curiosity.
As he explains: “The idea for these lyrics came from a habit I have – maybe everyone does it? When reading ahistorical figure’s Wikipedia page I often lose interest and so I jump straight to the ‘personal life’ and ‘death’ part of the page to see how they died and the circumstances they were in at the time. The lyrics flicker between mundane distractions and fairly horrific images of war. Selling Shovels is a reference to ‘selling shovels during the gold rush’.”
This desire to head straight to the meaty bits echoes Silverbacks’ lean approach to slacker indebted art-rock; a startling dexterity allows the sextet to traverse styles without wasting a note.
Updating the 90s/00s sound of Pavement, Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo and Yeah Yeah Yeahs and instilling it with a very particular brand of 2020’s angst, Silverbacks punctuate tongue-in-cheek moments and surreal lyrics with sudden lucid points.
Across two acclaimed releases-2020 debut Fad and 2022 follow-up Archive Material the band have picked up a slew of champions across press and radio. A transatlantic appeal has seen this bear out across the Irish, UK, and North American landscapes (Stereogum, PASTE, Brooklyn Vegan; The Sunday Times, The Quietus, NME, 6 Music).
With “Selling Shovels” Silverbacks continue on the course set out by their two albums to date. However, with some distance now from the pandemic which these records sandwiched-and had an unintentional and unfortunate formative effect-the band have clearer air, and a lighter touch, born of a combination of musical and personal settling down.
“Selling Shovels“-the new single from Silverbacks – is out now via Central Tones / Cargo.
Silverbacks are Daniel O’Kelly(Vocals/Guitar), Kilian O’Kelly(Guitar/Vocals), Emma Hanlon(Vocals/Bass), Paul Leamy (Bass), Peadar Kearney(Guitar) and Gary Wickham(Drums).
Live Dates:
August 23-25th – Féile Na Gréine, Limerick
October 19th – Workman’s Club, Dublin
October 20th – Coughlan’s, Cork
October 24th – YES Basement, Manchester
October 25th – Sidney& Matilda, Sheffield
October 26th – Shacklewell Arms, London
This week Charles Boulevard release a new video “White Water”.
The video is a promo to showcase their recently released second album “Where The Bell Tolls Free”.
The song is a nod to blues singer Charley Patton and his song “High Water Everywhere” about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, recorded in 1929.
Lyricist Dermot Condron explains “I saw a documentary about this historic weather event and it struck me that a song recorded almost 100 years ago is as relevant today as it was back then. We thought it would be interesting to pay tribute to this song that goes all the way back to the folk tradition of those early recordings.”
The song builds to a swell from the get go, opening the flood gates to lead vocalist Pavel Holada’s pulsating 6 string bass, driven by Berny PB’s infectious rhythm section. Open ended guitar chords are cleverly interwoven with that menacing bass to create a big soundscape, conjuring up in the mind’s eye the vast expanse of a flooded landscape.
The band have been busy in recent months playing several live shows and writing new material. They will start recording a third album in the autumn scheduled for release in 2025.
“White Water” is now available on all digital platforms.
In collaboration with F.O.W.L, ’20 Million Andrew Tates’ takes the distinctive punk folk WvHs’ sound, mixed with electronic overdubs to produce an up-tempo, yet dark indie track.
Lyrical references to toxic role models and ideologies, ’20 Million Andrew Tates’ addresses issues of macho wealth, sex peddling, greed, online trolling and cyberbullying. This track calls out the widespread hate, misogyny, homophobia and objectification and is a disturbing reminder of social isolation, identity loss and viral obsession.
Gaining a reputation on the live circuit for their high octane performances, WvHs are an anarchic mix of drums, bodhrán, whistles, punk poetry, songs and beats, featuring punk poet, drummer and guitarist Carl Antony Plover and singer, bodhrán and whistle player Linda Plover.
In a previous incarnation, the husband and wife duo performed under the name Chunky Planet, releasing a number of tracks and receiving ‘Pick of the Fortnight’ in Hot Press magazine for their single ‘Pensioners Watch TV’ in 2004.
Initially a solo project, WvHs punk poet/drummer, Carl Antony Plover has shared the stage with some of Ireland’s and UK’s well-regarded performers and lyrical geniuses, including John Cooper Clarke, Christy Moore, Whipping boy, Jinx Lennon, Scroobius Pip and a daring opening set for The Fall. As a musician, he has released an album and single with 80’s Avant Garde band 4,000,000 Telephones, with critical acclaim in the UK national press and making the playlist on BBC radio’s John Peel show.
‘20 Million Andrew Tates’ by Wasps vs Humans ft F.O.W.L. will be available to download through the WvHs’ band camp page from Friday July 5, 2024, as well the usual online platforms.
As part of the Creative Communities on a Shared Island initiative, two of Ireland’s most best known intimate venues from opposite corners of the island have teamed up to explore their mutual creative links in a project called ‘The Ties that Bind’. Over the past 6 months, local artists from each community have taken part in residential exchanges, swapping the rural picturesque village of Ballydehob for the Inner City hustle and bustle of North Belfast, and vice versa. Already, the artists have formed lifelong friendships, collaborating together on new work and impacting on the local communities through outreach, performances and workshops.
The highlight of this Shared Island project will be two ‘takeover weekends’; the first of which will see The Duncairn curate a mini-festival at Levis’ Corner House in Ballydehob from 11th- 14th July. Over 20 artists from the North will travel 500km to take part in an action-packed programme showcasing the work that the Duncairn does and the creative community that it serves.
Among the events planned, on Friday 12th July (traditionally a significant date in the North), the Duncairn’s famous ‘Club Fifty’ will feature a cabaret of music, poetry and cinema from artists of both traditions in Belfast. At communal tables, tapas-style sharing food will be provided; friendly discussion is encouraged between artists and audience about the diverse backgrounds, reconciliation and the common grounds that exist.
On Saturday 13th July, the main evening concert will showcase The Duncairn’s Creative Collective. Half of The Duncairn’s pioneering, 30-strong group of young artists from across Ireland will perform original music that they have composed together. Artists from Cork will take part as well; a demonstration of exactly what can happen when young people are given the time, resources and a framework to develop cultural and creative connections.
The weekend will round off with a re-creation of one of Duncairn’s biggest successes, ‘The Super Sunday Session’. A free, family-friendly arts event featuring a concert, kids crafts and storytelling for everyone aged 1-100, it will be an afternoon focused on community, creativity and connection.
Across the weekend, there will be a variety of smaller events by Belfast-based artists including poetry, cinema, trad sessions, visual arts and pop-up musical performances taking place throughout Ballydehob and surrounding areas. It will be a showcase of Belfast’s creative scene in the heart of West Cork, with a large turnout expected to join in the celebrations. Tickets are available from http://theduncairn.com/levistakeover and www.leviscornerhouse.com
“Creative Communities on Shared Island” is part of the Shared Island dimension to the Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027, supporting cross-border creative projects to inspire connections between people, communities and places. “The Ties that Bind” project between Levis’ Corner House and The Duncairn is facilitated by Cork County Council and Belfast City Council.
Sensational reaction to her early singles ‘The Pressuresof the Heart’, ‘Double Cherry‘, ‘violence’66‘ & ‘Fish‘ with support from BBC Radio 1, BBC 6music, Radio X, NME, Dork, DIY, So Young, The Fader, 2FM, Today FM, SiriusXM, BBC Introducing, Nialler9, Hotpress, Goldenplec etc alongside inclusion on over 25 Spotify editorial playlists.
Dublin newcomer Annie-Dog releases captivating new single ‘The Car’ on Wed 3rd July as impact track from her debut EP via revered UK based indie label Dance To TheRadio. The follow-up to hypnotic debut singles ‘ThePressures of the Heart’, ‘Double Cherry’, ‘violence’66’ and ‘Fish’. Annie-Dog’s latest material sees her delve further into the shapeshifting pop landscape, incorporating the influences of Grimes and Pinkpantheress within her own sublime self-production, attracting several early plaudits in the process. Taking her moniker from a Smashing Pumpkins deep cut (and receiving praise from the band themselves across social media), the indie riser has already won early nods of approval from key tastemakers including NME, Dork, DIY, So Young Magazine, The Fader, Nialler9, Goldenplec, Hot Press and The Line Of Best Fit, in addition to BBC Radio 1 (Jess Izatt), BBC 6Music (Deb Grant, Tom Ravenscroft, Emily Pilbeam), Radio X(John Kennedy), and RTÉ 2fm (Dan Hegarty & Jenny Greene).
Annie-Dog – EP Quote – I wrote this EP over the course of like, two years. I only really started recording and producing the songs last year. I feel each song is its own thing. Any cohesiveness probably comes from the fact that I produced it myself. I don’t know. It’s hard to say exactly what it’s about, or pinpoint any themes because the songs are quite different from each other. I do often find myself writing about love and relationships, which I did on this EP. I’ve always been more emotionally drawn to the abstracts of love, and therefore want to write about that, more so than whatever is happening in the news. Maybe I’m selfish, but the rent crisis just doesn’t turn me on enough to consume an Instagram info-graph and create. I’ve been renting in Dublin City for nearly five years now. It’s terrible. But I tend to want to forget all about that, and inflation, when I’m making music.
Partland is Galway based singer songwriter and artist Thomas McPartland. Partland has gigged in various countries such as Canada, Germany, France, Scotland and England over the years, including support slots with the likes of Mundy, Damien Dempsey, Ham Sandwich, Pádraig Jack, Picturehouse and Heathers.
Forthcoming album ‘The Empty Atlantic’ will come with quite a unique feature, in that the songwriter has also created a music video for each song. This gives an extra cinematic dimension into the storytelling of each song, creating a visual world in addition to the listening experience.
This will be the follow up to his first album, ‘Sing Me to Shore’, which was featured as Internationally renowned songwriter Charlie McGettigan’s Album of the Month on his radio show.
His most recent singles ‘Last Chance Hero’ and ‘Don’t Shoot Me Those Baby Blues’ picked up support in HotPress, RTE Entertainment, RTE RADIO ONE,InMusic, Near FM, Dublin South FM, Shannonside FM,This Is Galway,Flirt FM, The Beat, RTE 2XM and many more making the Galway native one to watch.
Now with his new album on the horizon, Partland is now set out to make an even bigger name for himself as he hopes to keep building up momentum.
‘Hope to Love Again’ (Album Version) is the second single to be released from the new Partland album ‘The Empty Atlantic’. An early version was released as a teaser for the project, and this reworked version sits in at track 5 on the new record.
This live favourite has become Partland’s signature track, demonstrating his penchant for delicate vocals and powerful choruses. The lyrics deal with the helpless inevitability of getting older and recounting failed relationships of the past, while remaining hopeful for the future. The music video was directed by Andrew Thomas and written by Andrew Thomas and Thomas McPartland. The track was produced and recorded by Canadian producer Robert Kelly both in parts in Galway, Ireland and Newfoundland, Canada.
In May, BIMM University launched the first episode of their brand new podcast BIMM Tastemakers FM; a radio and podcast hybrid dedicated to celebrating the music, ingenuity, talent and industry leaders from across the BIMM Campuses.
The second episode is presented by BIMM Dublin student Rachel Berry. She is the newly appointed Music Development Officer of Music Generation Longford, as well as a radio presenter on 8Radio.com. This episode includes the latest releases from Neckbreakers, Loulia, Thanks Mom, Jarki Mono, of all living things, Pier and Bastet featuring BNMO and Megan Wroe. This month’s top tips come from BIMM Dublin graduate Emily Jane O’Connor – lead vocalist/songwriter of Vernon Jane – Team Lead of Distribution and Membership Services ofIMRO and we also have an interview with Kieran McGuiness (Music Generation Dublin City/DC Sounds Bandcamp lead at BIMM Dublin).
Produced by BBC Radio’s Phil Taggart (Slack Panda) and Ann Marie Shields (BIMM Creative Futures), episodes will be released monthly and will be presented exclusively by BIMM’s students. Each episode will highlight a selection of undeniable talent from all BIMM campuses across UK, Ireland and Europe. Episodes will also include regular industry-led insights and live sessions, as well as gig guides, interviews and top tips features.
BIMM University provides an extensive range of courses in modern music, performing arts, filmmaking, and creative technology to over 8,000 students across 14 schools in the UK, Ireland, and Germany. BIMM alumni include the likes of Fontaines D.C., Mimi Webb, George Ezra, Izzy Bizu, Black Honey, IDLES, James Bay and Lime Garden to name a few.
