Author: Zoé Piater

Emerging from the eclectic underground of the Irish and UK music scenes, New Zeeland Matt announces the release of their audacious debut album, ‘Follow Your Broken Dreams’, set to be released on May 19th. Fans of Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, The Smashing Pumpkins and The Dandy Warhols will find a new favourite in this compelling blend of raw energy and melodic storytelling.

The album kicks off with new single ‘Give Me All Of It’, a four-minute track that packs a punch with its punk rock roots and progressively unveils a pop undertone, highlighting singer and guitarist Barry Streek’s knack for catchy, evocative songwriting. The result is an addictive blend of sounds that sets the standard for the nine-song album.

Formed around the songwriting vision of Barry Streek, New Zeeland Matt is the result of a serendipitous jam session with Matthew Eyre on bass and Morgan Condon on drums that blossomed into a full-fledged musical project. The band members bring a rich history from their experience in notable acts like the underground Dublin band Zeel and the London-based power trio Motorcycle Display Team (MDT).

Recorded over four intense days in Barry’s shed with borrowed equipment, ‘Follow Your Broken Dreams’ epitomizes the DIY ethos. This album is a testament to the magic that happens when talent meets determination, captured in a raw, unfiltered sound that is as authentic as it is compelling.

“We wanted to create an album that we’d love to listen to, one that resonated with our lives and passions,” says Barry Streek. “It’s for the dreamers, for those who find beauty in the breaks and beats of everyday life.”

‘Follow Your Broken Dreams’ will be available on all major streaming platforms starting May 19th.

‘One of Irish music’s most captivating lyrical and sonic forces, carving out a wholly unique space within the country’s thriving folk community.’ – Hot Press

‘A vital voice in the country’s thriving alternative folk scene’ – The Thin Air

Today, Friday 3rd May, indie-folk duo Lemoncello share their long-awaited debut LP, a self-titled record to be released via the iconic Claddagh Records label. The album is available digitally, on CD and vinyl. Order here.

Honest and deliberate, yet beguiling and oblique, Lemoncello challenges both writer and listener to define the undefined, to channel the universal into the intimate. A fluid record that arrives and settles like good company, Lemoncello both ground and transport the listener through nine-tracks; chronicling the journey of learning how to hold your own in life, amidst the growth, ending and renewal of relationships with ourselves and with others.

Following the release of singles ‘Harsh Truths’ and ‘Old Friend’, the album is accompanied by focus single ‘Dopamine’, which tackles these same themes through the technologically dystopian lens of doom-scrolling.

This standout single from the record sees Quirke and Kinsella search for a sense of self amidst a deluge of brightly coloured distractions and deep-fried, sculpted nonsense. Harmonies fade in and out of focus, belaying the unsettling lyricism. Intense, growling acoustics blend with eerie synths and created sounds, giving weight to the posed question: “If I delete my face will my body disappear?”.

Pivoting from songs of tongue-in-cheek, off-kilter confrontation to unflinching openness and vulnerability, Lemoncello is an album of questions, not answers – asking how much one must give up to become whole. From the fantastical longing of ‘All The Good Men’, to the penitent liberation of ‘Sunflower’, the inimitable alchemy that occurs when Quirke and Kinsella sing together is a prominent force on the record –  the vocals forward and defiant cutting through a minimal yet dramatic soundscape of cyclical, finger-picked guitar and earthy, gritty cello playing. These elements linger and meld together in a seamless union founded in the pair’s long-standing friendship. Listeners are lured into these warm sonic hallways, lifted and pushed by strong dynamic string sections, poignant piano, dominant double bass progressions and compelling percussion – a singular sound embedded in Irish folk roots, led by the attitude of off-kilter-indie pop.

The chemistry and dynamic of the duo is captured and amplified by the record’s production at Analogue Catalogue Studios where they both recorded and mixed the album to 2 inch tape with producer Julie McLarnon at the helm. McLarnon, who has brought her analogue recording philosophy and approach to records by artists such as The Vaselines, Brigid Mae Power, Yorkston Thorne Khan, Lankum and Junior Brother left a distinctively raw, unvarnished and old-school stamp on the record.

The band says on the recording experience: “Recording the album on tape felt like the right way to capture the energy between us as a band. You don’t record to tape to make a really clean product – and that’s not what this album is – it’s an unfiltered document of a place and time. It was such a joy working with Julie.  We didn’t look at a computer screen the whole time making the record. The best part of recording to tape is the limitations that it brings. – so in this way we benefited from having to make choices quickly and trust instinct and feeling more than technical ‘correctness’. The magic comes when you put your trust in it.”

Previously nominated for Best Folk Song and Best Emerging Folk Act at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, the duo’s enrapturing performances have also led them to play in Dublin’s legendary Vicar Street, The Irish Arts Centre NYC, London’s Bush Hall, and to open for esteemed artists such as Lisa O’Neill, Sam Amidon, Glen Hansard and Cormac Begley.

Lemoncello have recently announced an extensive Ireland and UK tour including Whelan’s Dublin on the 15th of May, with tickets on sale now via lemoncelloireland.com.

Cormac Looby is a singer-songwriter from Co. Tipperary. He draws inspiration from a range of artists including Mick Flannery, Bell X1, Phoebe Bridgers and Sam Fender. Cormac combines elements of folk, pop, and rock; with introspective and honest song-writing.

Cormac’s debut single ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ was released in 2020, independently amassing over 20,000 streams and featuring on BBC Introducing and RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends. This was followed up by his second single ‘Feel Good’ that same year. 2022 heralded the release of Cormac’s debut EP, ‘Things We Don’t Control’, recorded with a full live band at the Black Gate Studio, Galway. The singles taken from it, ‘Patriot’ and ‘Hard-wiring’ also featured on RTÉ Recommends and BBC Introducing respectively.

In support of the EP, Cormac and his band toured extensively, playing venues such as Fiddler’s Elbow London, Róisín Dubh Galway and two sold-out shows Upstairs at Dublin’s iconic venue, Whelan’s. They concluded the year with a headline gig in the Workman’s Cellar, Dublin and a hometown show in Cahir, Co. Tipperary.

In the intervening period, there have been two more singles; ‘Lobsters’ and ‘I Don’t Want To Let You Down’. In February 2023, Cormac was chosen as a nominee for the Irish Music Month ‘Local Hero’ with Radio Nova for the latter of these singles. That same year, he played the renowned Ruby Sessions in Dublin, sharing the stage with Bombay Bicycle Club, as well as supporting folk musicians David Keenan and Maria Kelly. December 2023 saw their biggest headline show to date in the main room at the Workman’s Club.

2024 will see the release of his debut album; ‘A Perpetual State of Irony’. Consisting of ten brand-new tracks, Cormac and his live band have teamed up once more with the Black Gate Studio in his most ambitious and exciting project to date.

He’ll be sharing the stage with two of Ireland’s finest folk acts, Ye Vegabonds and Susan O’Neil on June 1st for When Next We Meet.

‘Angel, Baby’ delves into deeply personal themes of grief and anxiety. The inspiration behind the song stems from a poignant moment in Cormac’s own life: as he was being born, a relative of his was battling cancer.

“She affectionately referred to me as her “baby angel,” sent to save her. The track grapples with the painful realization of my inability to alleviate her suffering. This experience causes me to reflect on my own internal struggles with mental health issues and the profound sense of helplessness that accompanies them. Through the song, I navigate the complex emotions of longing, loss, and the profound desire for salvation.”

The track was recorded at Black Mountain Studios Dundalk, with strings tracked at Stiuideo Cuan, Spiddal, and guitar at the Clinic, Dublin. It was mixed and produced by Liam King from the Black Gate Studio, Galway. The song has been mastered by Pete Maher Mastering (U2, The Killers, Damien Rice).

Connect with Cormac via Social Media:

Instagram  Twitter  TikTok  Spotify

Today sees the arrival of “Where The Bell Tolls Free” the long awaited second album from Charles Boulevard. The band formed in 2020 with members from the Czech Republic and Ireland have been greatly encouraged to follow up on the success of their debut album “Rendez-Vous!” in 2021.

“Where The Bell Tolls Free” is a collection of 15 new songs that build on the eclectic sounds of “Rendez-Vous!” and marks a further evolution in their sonic palette.

“Where The Bell Tolls Free” is a curious mixture of classic 60’s pop/rock and harder elements of 70’s rock. However the introduction of 6 string bass infuses the sound with a new wave swagger which makes the music fresh and engaging. Tracks like “Steal My Fire” and “White Water” being a case in point. Also the introduction of steel guitar opens up the soundscape to those dreamy spaces on tracks such as “Find My Pride” and “Dream Number 19”. The trademark sound of 12 string electric guitar is still there on beautiful slices of 60’s inspired pop/rock like “Out of This World” and “Greenwich Mean Time” which are offset by the exuberance  of outstanding rockers such as “Do As The Romans” and “Say Amen”.

As lead singer and guitarist Pavel Holada explains “We wanted to keep the quality and move the sound forward, brining some new instruments, to add some extra colours. I learned to play steel guitar which was a bit of a challenge”.

A challenge it may have been but it works beautifully throughout the record on tracks such as “Moped Dream”. Pavel adds “Berny PB brought some additional percussion and even a jaw harp, which worked nicely. And singing with Dermot and Berny we arranged the vocal harmonies which was a lot of fun and a big part of the creative process.” Lyricist Dermot Condron adds “Writing the songs was as enjoyable and rewarding as the first record. We brought our stories to the table, stories we heard, or stories we lived,  there is always a story to tell”.

Charles Boulevard’s new album “Where The Bell Tolls Free” is now available on all digital platforms.

London based, Irish act Nixer finished up a creatively prolific 2023 with a UK support tour with Mary Wallopers along with the announcement of their second full EP ‘I hit the town and the town hit me back’.

‘Second Hand’ was the lead single from the EP.

Following on from the successes of ‘Pleasure’ & ‘Irish Dancer’, ‘Second Hand’ continues the act’s run of diverse singles, from both a sonic and thematic perspective.

The record focuses on themes of fraught connection and festering distrust as life unravels around the writer. The lyrics are delivered with defiance and anger as the author Seán Keenan shines a light on a situation through clever use of observation. The instrumentation mimics the vocals with hard hitting percussion, gnarly synths and punk-ish guitar perfectly complimenting Keenan’s delivery. Additional production provided by Simon Gardner.

Nixer began as a conversation online at the beginning of the Global Pandemic. What seemed like an ordinary catch-up back in April 2020 has turned into something far more profound. The pair’s debut EP ‘People Feel’ received BBC 6Music support from Iggy Pop, Lauren Laverne (her ‘While You Were Sleeping’ pick), Steve Lamacq (featured & interviewed as a ‘Spotlight Artist)’ & 6Music’s Introducing Mixtape. Nixer also received airplay from Jack Saunders as his ‘Next Wave’ on the BBC R1 Indie Show as well as featuring on Spotify’s New Music Friday UK. The first single of 2023, ‘Pleasure’ received support across BBC R1 from Jack Saunders, Tara Kumar & Gemma Bradley. ‘Irish Dancer’ was also met with critical acclaim with continued support from Jack Saunders as well as multiple spins from Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music.

“WOOOOOOW, I feel like I’ve just completely been smacked in the face. Yeah this is sick, I like it! There’s something really anxious about it, like you know you’re on a dancefloor but somebody has whispered in your ear that somebody on that dancefloor is gonna hit you, but you’re still having a good time but you’re just waiting for it. Yeah, that one’s a banger” ­Phil Taggart, BBC Radio 1

“I love that one. That was Nixer with Gentrification. I think it’s such an exciting listen, just a real certain energy to it. Big ups Nixer!” Gemma Bradley, BBC ATL Introducing

‘bittersweet shapeshifting pop that occupies a mesmerising world somewhere between Grimes and PinkPantheress’

Live Dates
16th May- Alt-Escape, Brighton
21st May – The Lexington, London
22nd May – Hope & Ruin, Brighton
25th May-Dot To Dot Festival, Bristol
26th May-Dot To Dot Festival, Nottingham
28th May- So Young Club Night – The Social, London
31at Oct – Whelan’s, Dublin (support to  modernlove.)

Dublin newcomer Annie-Dog releases captivating new track ‘violence’66’ on Wed 1st May via Dance To The Radio marking her 3rd release of 2024 since teaming with the revered indie label.

The follow-up to hypnotic debut singles ‘The Pressures of the Heart’ and ‘Double Cherry’, 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 Magazine, DIY, So Young Magazine, The Fader and The Line Of Best Fit, in addition to BBC Radio 1 ( Jess Izatt), BBC 6 Music (Deb Grant, Tom Ravenscroft, Emily Pilbeam), Radio X(John Kennedy), RTÉ 2fm (Dan Hegarty & Jenny Greene) and more.

“I’m absolutely obsessed”
Gemma Bradley, BBC ATL

“Earnest songwriting teamed with bright, hazy guitar refrains”
Indie Buddie

Dylan Flynn and the Dead Poets make songs that come from the heart. The Limerick group are aiming for pure communication – surging Indie-Rock that comes with a pop openness, their widescreen yet down-to-earth musicality has a viral appeal, yet remains DIY in origin.
2023 saw the band self-produce and release their debut album and take on their biggest shows to date – packing and selling-out rooms across the UK and Ireland. 1,000,000 streams later, support slots with the likes of NewDad and Kingfishr, and continuous radio support in the UK and  Ireland, has shown that these lads are one’s to watch for 2024.

At times they recall the buster of The War On Drugs, or the vitality carried by Gang Of Youths; there’s a nod to Radiohead’s raw emotion, or Springsteen’s surging passion – with their songs speaking to twenty-somethings living in a country that completely ignores them.
Part of a wave of energy within Irish music, the band have been nurtured within a close-knit creative community – yet are unafraid to speak with a singular voice.

‘not waiting on anything’ is an alt-country track that blends elements of Irish-Folk with Electronica production. This indie-twang story deals with themes of loss, emigration and addiction, following the meeting of two strangers at bar. A minimalist guitar, bass and drums, are glittered with saxophone and fiddle, that converse with each other like the characters of the song. The stripped back ‘not waiting on anything’ finds a band daring to take a song to its essence.

Flynn – “I suppose the song is about being forlorn and lost. That recurring theme of loss, that is consistently within our songs, is intertwined with an element of regret from your past. It’s more of a stripped back ballad compared to our other tracks. That softer side of us has always been there, and we wanted to lean into that a little bit.”

This is the 3rd single from the bands upcoming ‘ caught up in delusion’ EP, which comes out on May 31st . The track was written, recorded and self-produced from the bands small studio space in Limerick City, with long term collaborator from Mike Gavin (Windings). Mike co-produced and mixed the track, while Richard Dowling (Foo Fighters, Brian Eno, Villagers) mastered it.

Sick Love, led by frontwoman Rebecca Geary alongside Conor McLoughlin, Sean O’Connor and Cormac O’Neill, draw inspiration from the likes of Paramore, Blondie, No Doubt, Hole and Garbage, as well as pop influences like MARINA and Haim, through to hip-hop artists like Cardi B. The group spent the last two years writing and producing their first full-length record, having developed significant early progress with the release of their initial series of singles in 2023 which received strong DSP and critical support.

Scheduled for a 3rd May 2024 release on Paragon Records, they recorded and produced the album in a farm cottage in Ireland, pushing the boundaries creatively and sonically. The result is an album that feels authentic and true to the heart of who Sick Love is.

The band made their name initially via opening slots for We Are Scientists, Dashboard Confessional and Crazy Town, by playing Dr Marten’s Boot Room in London, Other Voices, The Great Estate Festival, Camden Rocks, Electric Picnic, Indiependence and a sold-out London headline in The Dublin Castle, London. The band have recently been snapped up by legendary rock brand Marshall for live bookings representation.

Bolstered by their single “Gun In Your Pocket” which featured on the hit TV show “The Young Offenders”, they released their highly praised EP “Baby It’s You”, which saw the band receive significant UK & Irish radio support and secured several major Spotify editorial playlists including New Music Friday UK, Hot New Bands, The Rock List and the hugely sought after ‘Walk Like A BadAss’.

Holly, Sucka, Orbit, Ricochet and Don’t Wait are the intoxicating pop/rock singles released so far from the album on the band’s label partner Paragon (distributed by indie champions Fuga) and they each continue to garner major editorial support across Spotify, Apple, European Radio and numerous other tastemaker outlets internationally.

‘Chill For The Summer was written as a response to rising violence and sexual assault against women. I saw a thread of hundreds of people sharing their stories of being attacked by men, all unprovoked and mostly because they rejected them. The line “She wouldn’t even give me her number” is the excuse of the attacker that it’s justified to target women just because they say no to you. We’re always told to “Just say no” when it’s not that simple, and can end up with someone being assaulted or even losing their life. Chill For The Summer is about women simply trying to exist without living in fear.’

Mick Flannery was recently presented an IMRO Award in recognition of his album ‘Goodtime Charlie’.

The IMRO Number 1 Award was introduced to acknowledge IMRO members who reach number 1 in the album charts here in Ireland.

Mick Flannery writes songs with fluency, expressing layered aspects of the human condition, its flaws, triumphs, and general uncertainty. Mick’s latest offering — Goodtime Charlie, marks his eighth studio album and  is no exception.

The last couple of years saw the release of an album inspired by the world’s most famous chess matches, and a duet album with Susan O’Neill that blossomed into In The Game- the biggest selling Irish independent album of 2021.  Now, a new collection of songs that summon up characters and scenes and give voice to emotions that have transformed into the album — Goodtime Charlie.

Goodtime Charlie has more collaborative songwriting on it than any previous records. “It sparks you out of your comfort zone,” Mick says, “It opens up new perspectives, you wonder ‘how would someone else do this?’” The result is the best album of Mick’s already stellar career. Whatever the other voices add, whether on the record or in the writing, it creates a suite of songs that twist and turn surprise and engage like no others in his career.

“It’s more fun too,” Mick notes, “I don’t take myself as seriously as I did when I was 20. Back then, you’re all about yourself. I’m open to more fun now, trying things, hence, Goodtime Charlie.”

The song ‘Goodtime Charlie’ the albums namesake, is  ‘Not a very serious song’ Mick says; “about a gambler who is liable to do anything at any time, as long as it’s a goodtime.”  It however, sets the tone for a game of two halves on this record, accompanied by ‘What They Say’, ‘Morning Rain, the aforementioned ‘Give Me Up’  and ‘Neon Tonight’  lend to a free-spirited, 70’s feels, a nod to the The Band and Van Morrison of the era.  There is a nostalgia weaved through these songs that juxtapose the deep and soulful ballads that make up the other half of this epic piece of work.

Goodtime Charlie was recorded in Cork with old friend, drummer and producer Christian Best and features long time musical companions Alan Comerford on guitar and Mikey O’Connell on bass. “They were sympathetic” says Mick, “It’s intuitive with them, they know me, we know each other.” It’s people who are used to playing together, have put in the hard yards together, shared stages, buses, dreams. With a song writer who knows his trade, better than ever before.

Photo credit: @pizza_egg

Looking to continue building momentum off the back of their successful first release, Dublin-based duo Geo Postal are returning with their latest track Steady The Hand. Their first single Planet Express got air time on stations across the country, including a shout as the 2FM Track of the Week, and was picked up and shared by one of the world’s largest post-rock channels and communities, WorldHasPostRock, with over 300k YouTube subscribers.

Steady The Hand is a more introspective, ethereal exploration of their post-rock sound, and is the next in a string of releases coming over the next few months. According to Sonny “Steady The Hand was the first song I wrote when I really began to find my passion in creating rich post-rock soundscapes, and is still probably the song I’m most proud of.”

The pair have a busy few months ahead, with three festivals lined up and two more tracks to release before the summer is ou.! They’ve also organised the inaugural night of White Noise, a new event in Dublin dedicated to all things post/prog/math-rock. The first night will take place on Sat May 4th in Sin É, with support from two other Irish acts Silverglass and Dazgak!

”We’re just big fans of post-rock, and we wanted a night to see who else is out there, and to help build a community that shares our love of this kind of music.”