Debut single from Ann Marie Walsh & Mark McCorry
Single launch – Whelans Upstairs, Friday 28th March
Doors 8pm. Special Guest: Lily. Tickets €12.50 on sale now here
Novatone will release their debut single ‘Spotlight’ on Fri 28th February followed by a full band launch gig on Fri 28th March at Whelan’s Upstairs, Dublin. Mark McCorry and Ann Marie Walsh are based in County Wexford and are originally from Kilkenny. Having written and performed as an acoustic duo for many years, they played their first full band electric Novatone gig in November to a full house in Little Whelans. On Friday March 28th they will launch their debut single ‘Spotlight’ on a bigger stage – Upstairs in Whelan’s, Dublin. The special guest is Lily and tickets are on sale now.
‘Spotlight’ is an apt song for Novatone to release as their debut single. At just over 2 minutes long, its theme is stage fright, something that has been a limitation for Ann Marie in the past. The lyrics ‘and the lights go down and the spotlights on me, and the faces in the crowd are searching in my soul’ portray what it’s like when fear takes hold as the spotlight illuminates the performer – and leads to the question of what brings an artist back into the spotlight again to conquer it. As Ann Marie explains “Writing music and crafting songs is a wonderful thing but in the past I focused too much about the nervousness of performing and not enough about the joy of sharing music I’ve created. Something clicked in both Mark and I last year – maybe it’s a result of reaching a certain vintage! Music and creativity makes people feel good, it makes you want to sing along at the top of your voice no matter what’s going on in the world. With Novatone now, we’re shifting our focus to being brave by releasing our debut single and playing with a band – getting out there, sharing our music and to hell with the fear!”
Having played their first gig as a four piece band in late 2024, ‘Spotlight’ is the first step for Novatone this year – with plans underway for a follow up single in the summer and an EP in the autumn. These songs are the fruit of recording sessions in Co Kildare last winter featuring Áengus ‘The Goose’ Samuel-Maher on drums and Dylan Bailey on bass with recording and mix engineer Chris Byrne at the desk.
Previously, Novatone have played Workmans, Cobblestone, Whelans, Seamus Ennis Centre and they ran a successful long running singer/songwriter event ‘Tuesday Night Music Club’ in Dublin featuring Declan O’ Rourke, Mundy & Duke Special. Mark was a member of acclaimed Kilkenny band Kaydee who signed to EMI Records, released an album and toured in the UK and Ireland (3 Arena, Olympia Theatre, Cork Opera House). Ann Marie is a radio presenter who also works in audio creation and Arts PR but who began her career as a musician and music booker.
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