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IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards 2024 Shortlist Announced

The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) is delighted to announce the shortlist for the IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards 2024. The awards recognise Irish venues that deliver the very best standards in live music entertainment. Hundreds of venues across Ireland qualified for the awards and more than 20,000 IMRO members were asked to nominate their top choices in an online poll. Venues were judged on their ambience, staging, sound/lighting facilities, diversity of music programming, accessibility for people with disabilities, venue staff and management and the work they undertake in promoting the venue and its programme of music events.

The IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards acknowledge the immense efforts made by music venues across Ireland, through the provision of world class entertainment for their customers, their vital contribution to local economies and the significant role they play in providing a public platform for songwriters, composers and performers.

Along with one overall award for National Live Music Venue of the Year, awards will be presented to the leading live music venues in the following regions: Dublin, Leinster (excluding Dublin) Connacht, Munster and Ulster (covering Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan). In addition to this IMRO members nominated their top music festival choices.

IMRO are now offering members of the public the chance to have their voice heard in the 2024 honours roll. The shortlist for the Overall IMRO Live Music Venue of The Year Award is drawn up from the IMRO member’s poll and music lovers across Ireland are invited to nominate their favourite Irish venue from the list below.

VOTE HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/imrovenueawards

The ceremony will also see the presentation of the award for Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year via The Readers Poll which is contributed to by Hot Press fans.

Venue: The Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 ET97
Date: Tuesday 5th March
Time: 7.30pm – 11.00pm
MC: Paul McLoone

Featuring live performances by: Big Sleep, Qbanaa, EFÉ and DJ Maria Lawlor.

We have a limited number of guest list places available for this event. If you would like to attend please email: events@nullimro.ie with your name(s).

CLOSING DATE FOR VOTING: 5PM, SUNDAY 3rd MARCH

IMRO LIVE MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR AWARDS SHORTLIST

Dublin

Vicar Street
The Grand Social
3Olympia Theatre
The Button Factory
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

Rest of Leinster

The Set Theatre, Kilkenny
Bob’s Hideout, Durrow, Co. Laois
Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny
The Chambers Bar, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

Ulster

The Chasin’ Bull, Bundoran, Co. Donegal
McCafferty’s Bar, Donegal
The Imperial, Cavan
McGinley’s Bar, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Joyce’s of Carndonagh, Inishowen, Co. Donegal

Munster

Dolan’s, Limerick
Coughlan’s, Cork
Theatre Royal, Waterford
Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
Glór, Ennis, Co. Clare

Connacht

Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo
The Quays Bar, Galway
Gracie’s Bar, Sligo
Taylor’s Bar, Galway
Tigh Chólí, Galway

IMRO Small Music Festival of the Year Award

Beyond the Pale
Other Voices
Another Love Story
Féile Na Gréine
Kaleidoscope Festival
Sligo Live
Dublin Bowie Festival
Life Festival
Rockathon
Earagail Arts Festival

IMRO Music Festival of the Year Award

All Together Now
Electric Picnic
Body & Soul
Sea Sessions
Longitude
Fairview Park Concert Series
Forbidden Fruit
Galway International Arts Festival
Trinity Summer Series
St. Patrick’s Festival

IMRO Tech Crew of the Year Award

Vicar Street
The Button Factory
The Grand Social
Electric Picnic
3Olympia Theatre
Beyond The Pale
Sea Church
The Academy
National Concert Hall
The Civic Theatre

Final chance to secure €3,000 worth of funding to translate songs

BELEM, an EU-funded project comprising 15 leading music companies, is giving artists and labels a chance to translate their songs into another language — and paying them €3,000 to do so!

The latest Open Call runs until February 10 and invites artists and labels to submit an application online to translate their works. Requiring just a few details to ensure they qualify for the funding, the selected artists will then work with translators to translate their work for meaning.

Once recorded in another language, the translated works will be distributed by the project team to streaming platforms such as Deezer, and distribution services like LyricFind– enabling the artist and label to earn money from the new recording.

BELEM is an EU Creative Europe funding project including music labels, publishers, streaming platforms and distribution services, working to break down cultural barriers and help artists earn more money from their existing songs.

Find out more and apply today!

Hairpin Bends: A Resilient Symphony of Fate and Music – Bren Berry’s Musical Journey Continues with Chapter 2

Following the release of the lovingly received Winter Song, the majestic debut solo single from Bren Berry, comes chapter 2, another richly woven guitar-pop earworm entitled Hairpin Bends.

The evidence is mounting, Bren Berry is a hopeless Rickenbacker romantic, a perennial starry-eyed pop-kid, a true believer. The one-time member of The Coletranes and Revelino, has spent a lifetime as a music fan, a musician, and a concert promoter, soaking up inspiration from the artists he’s worked so closely with. It took a while (shall we say) for him to start writing his own songs but once inspiration finally struck, the floodgates opened.

The latest fruits of Bren’s latent songwriting spree is Hairpin Bends, a song which reflects lyrically on fate and mortality. For someone who has approached songwriting tentatively, experimenting with humble lo-fi home demos, the finished recording is a lush and lavish wrap-a-round pop song, awash with strings and harmonies. Just like its predecessor, Bren’s great strength here is tenderness. It also features stellar production from Gavin Glass and another magnificent string arrangement from Cormac Curran, performed by the Orphan Quartet.

“I wrote Hairpin Bends when I was recovering from coronary heart surgery, but I would like to think that it builds and shines with a sense of conviction and the joy that I feel about rediscovering music. It is a celebration of resilience and recovery and reflects on sadness, self-doubt, dead-ends and turning points with a bitter-sweet sense of optimism and hope. Sometimes we need to walk away from things, but we can also find our way back, even the longest way – in my case, I have found myself back making music over 20 years after I walked away!”

The accompanying video features the work of one of Bren’s favourite artists, Steve Simpson.

“I first fell in love with Steve Simpson’s art when I discovered his work ‘On Raglan Road’ through the good people at Dublin’s Damn Fine Print. I’m really drawn to the ‘heart’ imagery that is a regular feature in his work and really felt it would be the perfect visual representation of the song. I am beyond grateful to Steve for giving me permission to use his stunning trilogy called ‘A Journey To Mindfulness’, which is centred around the ‘palpitating heart’ and is about personal turmoil, the search for answers and healing. I’m also extremely grateful to James Hyland & Mark Rizzo at Global Tour Creatives for producing such a stunning video.”

Bren’s debut single Winter Song received widespread enthusiasm from the music world as an unexpected release in November 2023. It became a radio favourite and most importantly, it went straight to the hearts of lovers of indie guitar music and good songwriting.

Hairpin Bends is released on Friday 2nd Feb 2024 – stay tuned for Chapter 3!

Leagues O’Toole, Jan 2024

 

 “Winter Song” reviews:

“Winter Song has the vibe of a stone cold classic.” Ralph McLean, BBC Radio Ulster
“Luminous… gorgeous new track.” Hot Press
“Fantastic, I absolutely love it.” Tom Dunne, Newstalk
“A magnificent song, beautiful production.” Philip King, South Wind Blows
“Beautiful.” John Creedon, RTE Radio One
 “Shimmering slice of melancholy….a storming guitar solo.” NoMoreWorkHorse
“Stunning track” Eddie Rowley, Sunday World
“Gorgeous stuff.” Lillian Smith, RTE Radio One
“Isn’t that a beauty!” Fiachna Ó Braonáin, RTE Radio One
“A voice much loved by the 8Radio massive!” Simon Maher, 8Radio
“The debut single from Bren Berry is something you really should listen to. Soothing strings, crunchy ice-under-foot guitar” Tony Clayton-Lea

HAIRPIN BENDS – CREDITS:

BREN BERRY – Vocals, Guitars, Backing Vocals, Glocks & Vibes
GAVIN GLASS – Guitars, Piano, Lap Steel, Keyboards, Glocks & Vibes
PAUL ‘BINZER’ BRENNAN – Drums & Percussion
CIARAN TALLON – Guitar
SIMON FARRELL – Bass Guitar
RACHEL GRACE – Backing Vocals
Strings arranged by CORMAC CURRAN
Strings performed by THE ORPHAN QUARTET:
LYNDA O’CONNOR – Violin.
PAUL O’HANLON – Violin.
GERALD PEREGRINE – Cello.
CARLA VEDRES – Viola.

Produced by GAVIN GLASS & BREN BERRY @ ORPHAN RECORDING STUDIOS.
Mixed by GAVIN GLASS @ ORPHAN RECORDING STUDIOS.
Mastered by DANIEL JAMES GOODWIN @ THE ISOKON, NY.
Photography by FIONA MORGAN.
Cover art by COLM NOONE.
Video art by STEVE SIMPSON – “JOURNEY TO MINDFULNESS” Series
Video produced by MARK RIZZO at GLOBAL TOURING CREATIVES.

How To Write An Album A Year With Ease – Songwriting Tips for Singer-Songwriters

Thurs 1 Feb, 8pm AEST  (90 mins workshop)
Venue: ONLINE LIVE MASTERCLASS (on Zoom)

Tickets: FREE

Reservations Essential – LINK

Want to write songs prolifically and abundantly week after week with ease? Want to write and release a new album every year? Want to become a prolific songwriter?

In this free and live masterclass webinar, discover four essential tips to songwriting that will change the way you write songs forever and empower you to become the artist you’ve always wanted to be. With over 25,000 songs and entire albums written using these simple songwriting tips, you will have no more excuses to stay stuck and struggling with songwriting.

Taught by the founder of the revolutionary online songwriting club, I Heart Songwriting Club, this inspiring session will offer you practical tools for overcoming songwriters’ biggest blocks and barriers once and for all. Be inspired to tackle writer’s block, time management, and perfectionism and become creatively free!

This is for you if you want to get past blocks and write more songs than ever before, play your songs on stages and have people love them, record and release your songs and so much more!

IMRO Welcomes The European Parliament’s Adoption of Music Streaming Market Report

The European Parliament has called for EU rules to ensure the music streaming sector is fair and sustainable, and promotes cultural diversity.

In a resolution adopted by 532 votes to 61 and 33 abstentions, MEPs ask for the imbalance in revenue allocation from the music streaming market to be addressed, as it currently leaves a majority of songwriters and performers with very low compensation. They insist on a new EU legal framework for the sector, for which currently no European Union rules apply, even though streaming services are the main way that people access music.

Despite the massive consumption of music online, the availability of more than 100 million tracks on streaming platforms and the exponential growth of music streaming on pure-play, social media or user-uploaded content platforms, the market leads to precariousness for most music creators instead of providing them with fair remuneration through which to build a sustainable career. The report highlights the current imbalances in revenue allocation, the insufficient growth of the overall revenue pie, fraudulent and unfair practices in the market that disfavour creators, and the imminent threat to cultural diversity deriving from harmful streaming manipulation practices and the proliferation of AI-generated content. The report suggests initiatives at Union level, calling on the Commission to propose legal provisions to ensure the transparency of the algorithms and content recommendation systems of streaming platforms, as well as positive obligations to assess and ensure the visibility and discoverability of European works.

IMRO Chairperson, Eleanor McEvoy said “The European Parliament’s Music Streaming report underlines the importance of songwriters becoming members of CMO’s which are crucial for the effective management of repertoires on streaming platforms. CMO’s are formed by music creators and work to ensure appropriate remuneration, cultural diversity and equal access to the music market.”

GESAC, representing 32 European authors’ societies (CMOs) and over one million authors in diverse artistic fields such as music, audiovisual, visual, literary, and dramatic arts, enthusiastically added their support to the European Parliament’s strong commitment to addressing creators’ concerns.

GESAC President Gernot Graninger said: “By adopting the report on the Music Streaming Market the European Parliament sends a strong signal of recognition and understanding of the needs of creators. The issue of fair remuneration in the streaming market needs to be resolved – not only for the benefit of the creators but also for culture to remain a significant driver of the European economy.”

GESAC General Manager Véronique Desbrosses said: “We congratulate the Rapporteur MEP Ibán García del Blanco for concluding this highly anticipated report with great success, and warmly thank all the MEPs who worked on the file and adopted it with a vast majority. The European Parliament  clearly stands on the side of authors by showing its support to their legitimate request for fairness. The music streaming market needs to properly reward those who are at the core of its success and reach the high standards of cultural diversity that Europe expects. It is now the time for action at Union level and we count on the European Commission to take the next step and table the needed legislative proposals.”

Calling All Creatives: Soft Gut Song Camp 2024 Kicks Off its First Session at the Acclaimed Analogue Catalogue Studios!

Soft Gut Song Camp have just announced the launch of their first song camp of 2024, taking place at the fantastic Analogue Catalogue Residential Recording Studios from March 15-17. Applications are welcome from artists and producers alike.

Devised to encourage, cultivate and support a community of creatives across the Irish music industry and beyond, Soft Gut Song Camp is an opportunity for music artists and producers from all backgrounds to work alongside new creators: forging relationship, sharing experiences, mentoring and promoting a unified and exciting community.

Produced by Irish music industry expert and enthusiast Nikki MacRae and award-winning artist and songwriter Ciaran Lavery, this fully immersive multi-day song camp takes place at the award winning Analogue Catalogue Residential Recording Studios in the heart of the Rathfriland countryside. A stunning and excellently equipped venue which has produced albums from artists such as King Creosote, Lankum, Fionn Regan, The Vaselines and Duke Special.

“We are thrilled to partner with IMRO on a series of Soft Gut Song Camps taking place throughout 2024. Working alongside the leading performing and copyright agency in Ireland, as well as a constant champion of creatives in Ireland and worldwide, we feel very privileged to strengthen our Soft Gut ethos of cultivating and supporting a community of music creators with the support of IMRO.”

Previous attendees have included Eve Belle, Roe, Lemonade Shoelace, Winnie Ama, Moon Landing, Chris Ryan (of Robocobra Quartet) and Reevah.

“An opportunity to escape and create […] the experience has broadened the network of musicians I now collaborate with” – Reevah

“Soft Gut Song Camp was such a joy to be at. It’s a laidback and friendly environment that’s really worthwhile” – Roe

“An amazing experience and the perfect way to grow as a songwriter / musician!” – Moon Landing

Apply here : https://linktr.ee/SoftGutSongCamp
Contact : info@nullsoftgut.com

RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2023 – Shortlist Announcement

The shortlist for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2023, in association with IMRO & IRMA, was announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show.

The shortlist is as follows:

Grian ChattenChaos For The Fly  (Partisan Records)
CMATCrazymad, For Me  (CMATBABY/AWAL)
John Francis FlynnLook Over The Wall, See The Sky  (River Lea Recordings)
Kojaque – PHANTOM OF THE AFTERS  (Soft Boy Records)
Lankum – False Lankum  (Rough Trade Records)
Rachael Lavelle – Big Dreams  (Rest Energy)
Soda Blonde – Dream Big  (Overbite Records)
The Murder Capital – Gigi’s Recovery  (Human Season Records)
The Scratch – Mind Yourself  (Perrystown Music Limited)
Ezra WilliamsSupernumeraries  (Ezra Williams / AWAL)

As part of RTÉ’s continued commitment to promoting Irish music, 2FM again celebrates the announcement of the shortlist across its schedule today with All Irish All Day from 6am to Midnight.  2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show will continue to broadcast a week of Choice Music Prize announcements and activities, including further details on the additional prizes and Irish Song of the Year.

Irish Artist of the Year – shortlist Tues 9th January

(winner announced 7th March at Vicar St)

Irish Breakthrough Artist – shortlist Wed 10th January

(winner announced 7th March at Vicar St)

Classic Irish Album – further details Thurs 11th January

(winner announced a week or so before the live event)

Irish Song of the Year 2023  – shortlist Fri 12th January

(winner announced 7th March on 2FM daytime)

The public vote for SOTY will open on Friday 12th January.

Commenting, Adam Fogarty, Head of Music, RTÉ 2FM, said 2FM is delighted to continue our partnership with the RTÉ Choice Music Prize for the 8th year running. The RTÉ Choice Music Prize is an important annual event in the wider Irish music landscape, and we’re delighted to be able to continue to celebrate all that is great about Irish music and Irish artists. The inclusion of the ‘Irish Artist of the Year’, ‘Irish Breakthrough Artist of the Year’ and ‘Classic Irish Album’ categories for the 2nd year running, coupled with the longstanding ‘Irish Song of the Year’ and the preeminent ‘Irish Album of the Year’ prizes allow us to more broadly represent the incredible past, present and exciting future of Irish music. 2FM will continue its support as the flagship partner station with content and promos across our platforms over the coming months, and this will be reflected more widely across the entire organisation as we get closer to the awards night.”

The Irish Album of the Year 2023 will be announced live from Vicar St on RTÉ 2FM in a special show 7-11pm on Thursday 7th March. The show will feature live performances from some of the shortlisted acts, further details on the line-up to be announced soon. Tickets are on sale now via https://www.ticketmaster.ie/choice-music-prize-tickets/artist/1541435

The 19th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music.   The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The list of judges is available via http://www.choicemusicprize.ie

The winning Album of the Year act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.

RAAP, Culture Ireland, First Music Contact, Minding Creative Minds and Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet are also official project partners of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize.

What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music – A New Book by Toner Quinn

On 1 February 2024, Toner Quinn, founder and editor of the award-winning Journal of Music, will release his new book, What Ireland Can Teach The World About Music.

  • What can folk music tell us about our society?
  • How do we create a deeper public discussion around music? How do we support music in our villages, towns and cities?
  • And what can Ireland teach the world about music?

For over two decades, Toner has been writing about these questions and more in the multi-faceted world of Irish music. In this book, he gathers a selection of his essays and articles.

From Martin Hayes to Jennifer Walshe, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin to Sinéad O’Connor, and from the impact of the economic crash to the fallout from the pandemic, this collection provides a unique insight into Irish music in the twenty-first century.

Rich in ideas, What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music explores what makes this culture unique, and the challenges it faces into the future.

What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music will be published on 1 February 2024 and will be available in selected bookshops and from www.journalofmusic.com

Toner Quinn is a musician, writer, editor, publisher and lecturer. Born in Galway and raised in An Cheathrú Rua and Bray, Co. Wicklow, he began learning traditional Irish fiddle with Tom Glackin and subsequently studied music in Waterford and publishing in Scotland. In 2000, he founded the Journal of Music, the Irish music publication that won the 2010 Utne Independent Press Award for arts coverage. As well as editing the Journal of Music, Toner is highly regarded as a writer on music and has made a significant contribution to public discussion on Irish music over the past two decades. He was also Project Officer for the Special Committee on the Traditional Arts, which produced the report Towards a Policy for the Traditional Arts in 2004, and, in 2014, he was commissioned by the Arts Council to research the Irish harp, which led to the publication Report on the Harping Tradition in Ireland. In 2013, Toner released a fiddle duet album with Malachy Bourke, Live at the Steeple Sessions, which was selected by the Irish Times as one of the traditional music albums of the year. Since 2008, Toner has been a part-time lecturer in publishing at the University of Galway.

Cuimhní Rúnda | Hidden Memories

Discover the enchanting world of Cuimhní Rúnda, a musical journey curated by Nodlaig Ní Bhrollaigh, a gifted singer and musician hailing from Dungiven, County Derry. Nestled on the shores of Lough Swilly in County Donegal, Nodlaig brings to life a compilation of original, contemporary music in her latest release, ‘Cuimhní Rúnda,’ available since November 2023.

Renowned for her critically acclaimed debut album, “Under a Pale Moon,” released by Wren Records in 2004, Nodlaig’s new creation promises to be both life-affirming and a poignant reflection on what’s lost and hidden beyond our imagination, as expressed by Robert McMillen of the Irish News.

This musical odyssey spans two decades of inspiration, weaving together classical and traditional influences into a seamless tapestry. From the mellow tones of the Irish harp to the soulful saxophone melodies echoing in Fanad Lighthouse, ‘Cuimhní Rúnda’ transports listeners through time and place. The Roe Valley suite, a highlight of the album, melds ancient and evocative melodies from County Derry, creating a unique and captivating sonic experience.

The album not only pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of Ireland but also delves into personal experiences of love and loss. As a golden thread, the revival of harping and the Gaelic language is intricately woven throughout the compilation.

Guest performances by celebrated musicians from the North West, including Derry Saxophonist Gerard McChrystal, fiddlers Martin O’Kane and Plunkett McGartland, guitarist Jonny Toman, cellist and piper Paul Gillespie, and harper Lucy Kerr, add depth and diversity to this musical masterpiece.

Immerse yourself in the beauty hidden in landscapes and the human experience with ‘Cuimhní Rúnda.’ Available on all major streaming platforms and for purchase on the official website nodlaig.com

Josh Doubles Up on You Raise Me Up

In 2003, rising star – and David Foster, protégé – Josh Groban first recorded Rolf Løvland’s and Brendan Graham’s, You Raise Me Up, as the single from his second album, CLOSER.

Little did singer (or the songwriters) know, the trajectory to which the Irish/Norwegian composed song, would propel him. You Raise Me Up made the young American an international star, giving him 6 weeks at No.1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, a Grammy nomination and garnering 6 x Platinum US sales for CLOSER.

The song would also lead Groban to perform it at the interval of Superbowl 2004, and live at Oprah’s 50th Birthday celebration, etc. The song became for the singer, as producer Foster described it ‘a career song’. Now twenty years later it is still the singer’s signature song.

Now, Warner Records has released CLOSER – a special 20th Anniversary Edition of the original hit album for Josh Groban.  It features some new editions of the originally recorded songs. However, one of the key features of the album re-release is that it includes two versions of You Raise Me Up – the original hit single version with one verse and an extended 2-verse, version of the song and previously unreleased by Groban.

‘It was a great surprise’ lyricist Graham says ‘and unusual to have two versions of one’s song on the same album by the same artiste…but a compliment to the song’s endurability…as brought by Josh to such a wide audience’.

The songwriter explains: ‘The song, as written always had two verses.  In turn that seemed to have given it ‘two lives’ – the mainly ‘pop’ recordings with just one verse and multiple choruses, and then the versions, choral …and otherwise that maintained the second verse’.

Rolf and I are truly delighted with this latest ‘’life of the song’’ from Josh’.

 

National Concert Hall presents You Raise Me Up – The Songs and Stories of Brendan Graham with the National Symphony Orchestra

You Raise Me Up – The Songs and Stories of Brendan Graham, with The National Symphony Orchestra (Conductor, David Brophy) Cathy Jordan, Seán Keane, Camille O’Sullivan, Eimear Quinn, Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan, Anthony Kearns, Róisín O’Reilly, Feargal Murray, Neil Martin, Denis Carey, members of the Dublin Gospel Choir.

Date: National Concert Hall Sat 20th/Sun 21st Jan 2024

Tickets: https://www.nch.ie/news/national-concert-hall-presents-you-raise-me-up-the-songs-and-stories-of-brendan-graham-with-the-national-symphony-orchestra/

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