Time: POSTPONED

Date: Tuesday 29th March
Location: IMRO, Copyright House, Pembroke Row, Dublin 2
Free entry | Bookings via IMRO at events@nullimro.ie
Featuring a live performance and an IMRO Award Presentation in recognition of their recent No.1 Irish Album
Widely known for their explosive live performances, Keywest are a 5 piece Dublin based rock band comprising of Dublin & London born lads. Dublin members include singer Kav ( Andy Kavanagh ) and Glove ( Andrew Glover ) who plays Keys and rhythm guitar. After starting the band as a two piece and playing in pubs around Dublin, they took the name Keywest after a trip to Florida for a gig. English lads Sam Marder on bass, Jimi Lock on lead guitar and drummer H ( Harry Sullivan ) were added following a similar trip to Los Angeles where the lads became good friends and stayed in contact.

After making the decision for the English trio to move over to Ireland, other obstacles became apparent to the band. One such obstacle was how a difficult move to Ireland could work, financially. Gigs were few and far between for a new band so Keywest in traditional fashion, avoided the slow gig scene and took to busking on the streets. Wise or unwise the band began honing their sound and style on the streets and quickly became famous for busking on Shop Street in Galway and Grafton Street in Dublin.

In 2012 the band released their debut album “The Message” which has since been awarded Triple Platinum Status. Now a mutli-award winning band including Hotpress Magazines award for “ MOST PROMISING “, Keywest’s fanbase have grown to 60,000 strong on facebook. Their highly anticipated follow up album “JOYLAND” was released in September 2015.

The theme of the new album perfectly echoes the sound of Keywest as you hear them on the streets. Raw and Rhythmical. Dark and moody Americana songs along side acoustic- driven, floor-filling festival sing alongs!!

This album was written on the street and with those experiences behind it. Songs designed to make you stop and listen. Songs like “Joyland”, “Reaper at the Door” & “Soldier On” tell of the bands journey while tracks like “iGeneration”, “All My Mistakes” & “ Carousel” will have a crowd singing back on the first listen.

Irish alt-pop duo Hvmmingbyrd are proud to launch their new single ‘Out of My Head’ in Whelans Upstairs on Saturday, 2nd April with support from I Am Niamh, Saramai and Lauren Ni Chasaide.

The single, produced and engineered by Aisling Jarvis, premieres Hvmmingbyrd’s new alt-pop sound and line up. Deborah Byrne, original founder of Hvmmingbyrd, was joined by singer/songwriter/pianist Suzette Das in January 2016 and as a duo, they plan to build on Hvmmingbyrd’s reputation for complex vocal arrangements and harmonies while introducing the use of loops and electronic samples to their live performances.

The single was released on Friday 25th March on Bandcamp, Spotify and iTunes.

You can also follow Hvmmingbyrd at Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud.

The video is directed by Ciaran Mahre and features rising MMA star Richie Smullen, along with UFC fighters Paddy Holohan and Aisling Daly, who fight out of Conor McGregor’s Straight Blast Gym Ireland.

His approach builds on the cinematic sounds that has been de Burca’s inspiration from a young age with electronic sounds such as Jan Hammer, 80’s Synth and at certain points, John Hopkins.

The single is available to download on Will’s Bandcamp page.

You can follow Will de Burca on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.

Big Shot The Musical has released a video for What’s A Man To Do. And have just announced that following it’s USA premiere last summer, original Irish Musical Big Shot will take to the stage of London’s Irish Centre this August.

Written and composed by 22 year old Dubliner Lauryn Gaffney, Big Shot received outstanding critical acclaim at the San Diego International Fringe Festival last year.

Described as an ‘absolute success’ by the festival organisers, Big Shot the musical was awarded the admired ‘Spirit of Fringe’ Award. The ‘Spirit of the Fringe’ award is the most prestigious award, given to the show that embodies the essence and ethos of the festival, demonstrates dedication and commitment to their work.

Following 5 incredibly successful nights in California and one night in Mexico the Irish cast were also part of World Theatre History by being part of the first ever Bi-National Fringe Festival.

Big Shot tells the story of one Jeremy Crocker, a savvy defense lawyer thriving in New York City’s bustling legal profession. Despite his ambitions, Crocker falls in love with Carrie, a struggling Irish artist who works in Crocker’s go-to café in Downtown Manhattan. Although the two become ever more infatuated by each other, this threatens to derail Crocker’s career, with regard to the dubious new defense case he has taken on. Does Crocker follow his heart or stick with his legal client obligations? The theme of the story is love, justice and living in the moment.

With a blend of energetic and poignant songs and a suitable amount of drama one would expect of a Broadway-style musical, Big Shot is an exposition of original Irish composition and writing that simply cannot be missed.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bigshotthemusical
Website: www.bigshotthemusical.com

This coincides with the announcement that the band have signed their self-titled debut EP with Big House Publishing, a New York based independent company.

Fresh from supporting The Strypes at the sold out Olympia Theatre in January, Travis Oaks will have much more to celebrate come Wednesday 15th June, where the four-piece rock outfit will headline (main room) Whelans, Wexford Street.

Speaking about the worldwide deal, A&R of BHI Music Group Shane Galvin said: “We are thrilled to add Travis Oaks to the Big House family. We adore the reckless abandon of their debut EP and believe they are poised for massive things in the very near future.”

Travis Oaks front man Mike Paterson added: “We’re obviously delighted to be working with Big House, this really is exciting for us. In fact it’s an exciting step for any musician or songwriter. We’re looking forward to what the future holds.”

Originally introduced as a three piece band in 2013, Travis Oaks fast became known on the Irish music scene, when playing a number of festivals across the nation, despite no official release at the time.

Soon after the release of their self-titled debut EP in November 2014, not only did the Mike Paterson (vocals), Aran McGillick (bass), and Killian McCourt (drums) earn a new member in guitarist Taran Plouzane but also a well-earned reputation as one of the best live bands the current music scene has to offer.

Known for their wild, energetic, live performances that compliments their powerful, hook-driven original style of rock n’ roll – it is safe to say no two shows are the same when it comes to the Cavan/Dublin four-piece.

Travis Oaks have been invited to support big names such as The Riptide Movement, The Hot Sprockets , ASH and most recently The Strypes, at the sold out Olympia Theatre, one of Ireland’s biggest venues.

In as little as 3 years, Travis Oaks have reached an overwhelming status; playing major venues in Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Scotland and UK, receiving national media attention, regular radio airplay and a loyal following.

With many already in high anticipation for a debut album, Travis Oaks continue to tease their fans in the form of a 6 track EP due for release this year, followed by a numbers of shows across Europe.

To coincide with a new release Travis Oaks have joined the Big House Publishing roster after a recent signing with the New York based company.

So yes, you can expect bigger things to come from Travis Oaks, the band you will never forget.

You can follow Travis Oaks on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud

Ergodos launches David Collier’s Smacht at the Dublin’s Lutherhaus, with a performance by the string quartet of Aoife Ní Bhríain, Adrian Hart, Robin Panter and Kate Ellis, and a new film by director Bob Gallagher. Admission is free.

Smacht is now available to pre-order here: ergodos.ie/shop/records/smacht/

This debut release from David Collier is an engrossing sweep of the Irish composer’s recent work. The nuanced and expansive meditations of the string quartet Smacht are presented together with the pulsating brilliance of Dusk, a dazzling work for four percussionists. Collier’s compositions – sharp-focussed and sincere – radiate warmth and vitality, and are presented in a beautiful vinyl edition with artwork by Louise Gaffney.

Smacht, performed here by the all-star string quartet of Cora Venus Lunny, Adrian Hart, Robin Panter and Kate Ellis, grew out of a workshop with the band This is How We Fly in 2011. “I came across videos of fiddle player Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh performing his solo material with a loop pedal and loved the hypnotic feel to his music,” says Collier. “I started playing with droning on one string of a violin while changing the notes on another and hit upon the seed that would become Smacht.”

Collier wrote Dusk during a percussion course at Princeton University, where he also met the New York percussion group Mobius Percussion, who later recorded the work. Dusk brings together delicately balanced strains of diverse instruments – glockenspiel, crotales, triangle, wood blocks, cymbal and bass drum – in an ambience where time is at once frozen and in constant adaptation.

The final track on the record is a remix of Smacht by Seán Byrne, a radically different take on this potent material. “So many of songs I loved when I was younger were remixes,” says Collier. “For me they were a portal into the less commercial side of the musical world and really opened my ears.”

Collier’s evocative work is already the basis of a breathtaking film by Irish filmmaker Bob Gallagher, with Smacht as its emotional, tonal and structural bedrock. “I came to Bob with the idea of doing a film about travelling the breath of Ireland in a single night to watch the sun set in the West and chase across the country by night to watch it rise again in the East.” Gallagher took this idea of travel and adapted it to a new narrative. “Together we travelled along the west coast of Ireland following a man as he journeys to the edge of the earth to scatter his father’s ashes.”

The Smacht release tour reaches Amsterdam, Dublin and New York in 2016.

To coincide with the launch of Smacht, Collier has commissioned a limited edition set of handkerchiefs created by textile designer Ruth Doorley at Dublin textile studio Print Block. “The design is part of an enso which comes from Japanese Zen Buddhism, a circle that is hand-drawn in one uninhibited brushstroke to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create,” explains Collier.

“The circle may be open or closed. In the former case the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. I was really interested in Japanese aesthetics at the time I was writing Smacht and just afterwards, particularly the aesthetic of wabi sabi which is the beauty of transience and imperfection.” The handkerchiefs are for sale with a digital download of Smacht.

David Collier is an Irish composer based in Amsterdam. His music is inspired by minimalism and ambient electronica and has been described as “aurally stunning” (Totally Dublin) and “conceptually elegant” (I care if you listen). Performances of his pieces have been given by ensembles and musicians including orkest de ereprijs, Ensemble Avalon, So Percussion and Kate Ellis. His music has been featured at international festivals including New Music Dublin at the National Concert Hall, Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Young Composers’ Meeting.

For further & tickets, visit; www.eventbrite.ie/e/david-collier-smacht-album-launch-tickets

www.davidcollier.ie

The Dublin based rock band have already received excellent reviews, and have even been named Dublin Concerts – Irish Band Of The Week for this week.

NVW have already played all the major Irish festivals and it’s definitely worth catching them while they are on the road!

March 17 – Whelans, Dublin

April 14 – Dolans (Die), Limerick

April 23 – Thirsty Scholar, Waterford

May 14 – Sin É, Dublin

May 28 – Brewery Corner, Kilkenny

June 24 – Sea Sessions, Donegal

October 12 – Roisin Dubh, Galway

You can follow New Valley Wolves on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud

THE MIGHTY STEF – FINAL CONCERT

MAY 13TH – BUTTON FACTORY – DUBLIN

SPECIAL GUESTS: KNOXVILLE MORNING / A LAZARUS SOUL

While no individual member of the group is retiring from music, everyone will be getting back on the horse pretty soon with some new and exciting projects but for a number of different reasons, some personal, some business but nothing too dramatic.

They will release their last single: CAPRI SUN on Good-Friday, March 25th which is taken from 2015’s Year Of The Horse Album.

You can follow The Mighty Stef on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud

New Single ‘Temple Bar’ Available Now

Out April 29^th on Decca Records DECCA RECORDS

“Carter’s live shows arouse something approaching mass hysteria” – Irish Post

“Carter has been quietly filling venues across the UK and America and while doing so has been quietly outselling most indie darlings” – Guardian

Irish country music phenomenon Nathan Carter announces the release of his new album ‘Stayin Up All Night’, on April 29^th through Decca Records.

The 26 year-old household name has had three #1 albums, two #1 singles and two #1 live DVDs in Ireland. His last album ‘Beautiful Life’ has been certified 4-times platinum and he even had his own Christmas TV special on RTE last year.

From the age of 4, when he started learning the accordion, to being head chorister at Liverpool Catherdral, to Fleadh gold medals and singing for the Pope, music has always been at the heart of Nathan’s life. Inspired by the country music his parents’ loved – Johnny Cash , Waylon Jennings , Don Williams and Dolly Parton –Nathan’s passion, talent and infectious personality took him from working men’s club gigs to number one in the Irish charts – with his cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Wagon Wheel’ – in short order. National TV, sold out tours and the top of the charts have been his domain ever since.

Stayin’ Up All Night features 13 tracks of Nathan’s trademark modern country sound, and will be preceded by the single ‘Temple Bar’, a paen to the streets of Dublin’s famous district, on March 18^th.

Balanced with mid-tempo numbers like Island Town, Buy Me A Rose and Liverpool, there’s a gentle side to the album, with a touch of nostalgia to ease you though the morning after. Don’t Know Lonely is a huge ballad, while Banks of the Roses is a traditional stomper, revealing Nathan’s fiddles-and-accordion Irish folk roots. The album rounds off with the beautifully personal Thank You.

New Single ‘Temple Bar’ Available Now