Skip to main content

Month: November 2016

Public Vote Opens for IMRO Other Voices Other Room

The top five acts for the IMRO Other Room OPEN CALL 2016 have been announced:

Ailbhe Reddy
Meltybrains?
Basciville
Jafaris
BARQ

The winner will play in the IMRO Other Room during the #eirOtherVoices festival this December. The performance will be recorded and included in the 2017 broadcast of Other Voices on RTÉ2.

In December 2015, for the first time, the IMRO Other Room was filmed in front of a live audience as part of the Other Voices Music Trail. In July 2016 an hour long special on the Other Room aired on RTÉ 2, featuring performances from Saint Sister, Talos, Gavin Glass, Bitch Falcon, HAWK and 2015 Open Call winner Saramai.

You have until Friday 11th November at 1PM to cast your vote for your favourite act via the link below:

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Emma O’Reilly Live At Volt Studios November 18th

After a year of recording, and gigging in the UK, Lithuania, Canada, the U.S., Alternative Singer-Songwriter Emma O’Reilly is back on Irish soil and will be performing in the intimate setting of Volt Studios on Friday November 18th, with special guest Sive. Tickets are on sale NOW on Eventbrite for €15/€12.

In addition, Emma recently premiered the music video for her new song “Shake” on The Last Mixed Tape. You can check it out below, and the song is available from Spotify and iTunes

From an early age, Emma has been singing and performing in a range of styles and contexts, going on to study music at Trinity College Dublin, majoring in Music technology. Since graduating, she’s been gigging with lots of different bands and groups, recording and producing several EPs and stand alone singles herself before stepping into the studio in 2014 to create PURGE, a short collection of songs with an orchestral sound, which saw her compared to the likes of Kate Bush, I Have a Tribe, Tori Amos and Cathy Davey. Before hitting the road earlier this year, Emma went to Arad studios to record the follow up EP, which explores a sound much closer to her live shows, and digs into her alternative rock influences. The result is alternately introspective and ferocious, vulnerable and dramatic, intricate and engaging.

For more information you can follow Emma on Facebook and Twitter

Paddy Dennehy and The Red Herring Announce Their New Single ”Hard Times”

The last three months have been a whirlwind for Paddy Dennehy and The Red Herring. Having completed a string of high-profile dates, they have been busy bringing their soulful live performance to an enviable list festivals and venues around the country. The group have been pulling on the heartstrings of the audiences from the luxurious surrounds of King John’s Castle in Limerick as the support for Rockabilly chanteuse, Imelda May, to the outlandish Trailer Park stage of Stradbally’s Electric Picnic.

Hot on the heels of a fantastic summer, Paddy Dennehy and The Red Herring, release brand new single ”Hard Times”, a powerful track exploring longing, love and fear of disappointment, released on Reckless Records recently. The accompanying video is directed by Mario Beck and Dominik Kosicki featuring band members, Paddy Dennehy himself and singing partner Johanna O’Brien.

Paddy Dennehy & The Red Herring are a group who draw influences from as far back as the early 1900s right up to the present day. You can hear hints of Tom Waits’ theatrical warble; feel the passionate intensity of Louis Armstrong’s delivery; and be stirred by poignancy reminiscent of that of Hozier and Mick Flannery. A variety of influences then; all of them blended to form a live performance that is at once unforgettable and utterly unique.

You can follow Paddy Dennehy and The Red Herring on Facebook for more information.

Paul McDonnell Announces His Live Performance And New Single ”Be All You Can Be”

PAUL MCDONNELL’s new single ‘BE ALL YOU CAN BE’ is the third single & video from his acclaimed current album ‘A Sweeter Confusion’. Catch Paul & his band live on Wednesday November 16th upstairs at Whelans, Wexford Street, Dublin €12 WAV Tickets/ 1890 200 078.

The song is no stranger to high praise – in 2014 ‘Be all you can be’ won the IMRO Christy Hennessy Award for Songwriting, an award which Paul McDonnell has won twice in a 15 year songwriting career – Paul is the only double winner of that award. ‘Be all you can be’ is also the theme song for the acclaimed US film ‘37’.

‘BE ALL YOU CAN BE’ was written by Paul with long time collaborator Dave Molloy (Cellar Club) & American film music composer Cathleen Flynn who will be performing with him at Whelans. A deeply poignant song, Paul outlines the theme “When a loved one is saying goodbye to you & the world, their parting wish is that you find a wonderful new life without them. I lost my parents in recent years & after the pain subsided I found a sense of release in saying goodbye, even though a part of me felt ashamed by the freedom it created”.

His third album ‘A SWEETER CONFUSION’ was released in August and chronicles Paul’s search for love, connection & truth. The album received acclaim with Hot Press calling it “instantly appealing”. Previous singles ‘Storm Chaser’ & ‘Lovers on the lawn’ were playlisted on Radio One and Ocean FM and the album was selected by BBC Radio Ulster’s Late Show as ‘Album of the Week’. Over his 15 year songwriting career, Paul has written in the songwriting epicentre of Nashville and composed for DE DANANN, TOMMY FLEMING, LISA LAMBE, LEAH MCFALL. His songs have been placed in films, on TV and used in advertising campaigns internationally.

“Lyrically very clever & musically beautiful – terrific” Pat Kenny, Newstalk

“This is simply stunning!” Paul Power, KFM Radio

“instantly appealing…classy stuff” Hot Press

“Heartfelt” *** Irish Mail on Sunday

“Every song on the album is such an eloquent story so wonderfully told” Musician.ie

‘Album Of The Week’ Late Show, BBC Radio Ulster

For more information on Paul’s music, you can visit his Website or follow him on Twitter and Facebook

IMRO member Donal Coghlan sadly passes

IMRO are sad to learn of the passing of acclaimed songwriter and valued member Donal Coghlan who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis for many years.

Along with Gerry Leonard, Donal was one half of Hinterland who signed to Island Records in 1989. The renowned Dublin based duo signed to Island records in 1989 and released the much-acclaimed Kissing the Roof of Heaven album in 1990.

IMRO would like offer its condolences to Donal’s family and friends at this sad time.

The IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition 2016 – Live Final

The Christie Hennessy Song Competition takes place as a tribute to the life and music of one of Tralee’s most famous sons. The ten finalists below were selected from over 200 entries and they will perform their original song in front of a live audience and a panel of expert judges. The winning songwriter will be presented with a cheque for €1,000 on the night, courtesy of Tralee Credit Union while the runner up receives a cheque for €300.

Featuring a special guest performance from John Spillane

Saturday 26th November 2016
The IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition 2016 Live Final
In association with Tralee Chamber Alliance, Tralee Credit Union & The Rose Hotel
Venue: The Rose Hotel, Dan Spring Road, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Time:8:30pm / FREE ENTRY
Further information at www.imro.ie / 01 661 4844 / E: events@nullimro.ie

Finalists – 

Carrie Haskins – Hell On Wheels

carrie-haskinsCarrie Haskins is a young singer, songwriter and musician from Kildare who describes her musical style as ‘country crossover’.
Carrie Haskins (moniker of Carolann Haskins) has ‘listened to and been inspired by country music’ since she was a child. While her style is rooted in an ‘honest blend’ of American Country and Pop, her palette of influences range from Brad Paisley to Tammy Wynette. Carrie ‘emits a beautiful and emotionally real sound that wins over many listeners’.

Carrie has studied music for a total of six years. Commencing her musical education at the Ballyfermot College of Further Education, her studies continued at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) Dublin, where she recently completed the song writing stream graduating in 2015 with a B.A Honours Degree in Commercial Modern Music

Celebrating the release of her Debut EP ‘Country Spirit’ in 2014, Carrie’s records can be described as a mix of upbeat and more relaxed ballads. Musical gems like “The Letter Goodbye” (released as a single and video), “Country Spirit”, “Don’t Wanna Dance”, “Mine” and “Revenge” make for a captivating and rapturing listen. Her arrangement of lush instrumentation intertwined with rich vocal lines and harmonies from her opening track ‘Country Spirit’ right through to the closing track ‘Revenge’ transport you (the listener) through a journey of emotional highs and lows, lyrically, melodically and instrumentally.

In 2011, Carrie received major accolades and recognition appearing on and reaching the battle stages of “The Voice” in Ireland.

You can follow Carrie on Facebook

Elaine Goddard – Change

elainegoddardpicElaine hails from Dublin and has been singing, writing music and playing gigs for many years. Her musical influences range from Nirvana to Jeff Buckley, Joyce to Bishop to her family and friends. When she is not playing music, Elaine writes poetry and paints. Her Debut album, ‘The Clay We Stood Upon’, is due out in the New Year.

 

 

Katie O’Connor – Just Too Young

untitledKatie O Connor, is 18 years old, and is currently living in Raheny, Dublin.

Having just started her first year studying music in BIMM, she has been singing and writing since the age of 12.

Her dream is to become a professional singer/songwriter, and at the age of 15, she wrote a song for her cousin who was diagnosed with very serious cancer aged 5. The song is available on iTunes and you can view the video on YouTube.

Katie, has performed her song live on various radio and television shows including – TG4, The Pat Kenny Show and Radio Nova to name a few. As well as performing live on radio, Katie also performs her original songs live, in various well known venues around Dublin.

You can follow Katie on Facebook

Leo Capper – Memories Just Remain

leo-cLeo Capper is a Songwriter and Music Producer, based in Dublin, Ireland. Over the last 5 years he has won two Songwriting Awards and has been writing and producing music seriously since 2010. Music has always been a passion since his childhood.

He has featured in music magazines, such as Hot Press and Future Music. Leo enjoys writing in multiple genres of music, from Pop & Dance, Urban/ Hip Hop to Ballads and Tropical House. His talent was enhanced by attending Songwriting camps and this has led to numerous successes, i.e: entry into Ireland’s Junior Eurovision (2015) and music placements on MTV USA.
He is currently working world wide, collaborating with Songwriters in Los Angeles, Italy, Berlin, London and Sweden.

In August 2015 he travelled to Hollywood, California to work with other Songwriters, which has led to further placements.

His latest release was issued from Berlin under Sony Music and Warner Music and is a Dance track called “Sing Forever”. It was released in summer 2016, the song is featured on 5 Dance compilation CDs, currently charting at No.2 in the Dance charts in Germany. Following on from this success, he is continuing to work on future releases. Eva Campbell who is Leo’s cousin will be performing ‘Memories Just Remain’ at the final. Both Leo and Eva reached the final stages of the Irish Junior Eurovision last year.

You can follow Leo on Twitter 

Louise Bolger & Sian Hanley – Heal

louseandsianpicLouise Bolger and Sian Hanley are a duo of songwriters based in the southeast of Ireland, who have been collaborating since the end of 2015. Unified by their shared love of all things indie folk, influences include Gregory Alan Isakov, Laura Veirs, Damien Rice and Leonard Cohen.

Previously, Sian produced tracks for Australian YouTuber Thommy Wilson and co-wrote with South African RnB artist Casey Leigh van Rooyen. Louise has written songs with Liam McCabe (currently the bassist with Heroes in Hiding), as well as being a regular performer at local gigs.

Both Louise and Sian have day jobs which keep them from pursuing their passion fulltime. Nonetheless, their goal is to continue to write whenever time permits and to release their upcoming Christmas song in time for 2016. Their style has been described by other musician’s as falling somewhere on the indie folk spectrum.

Neil Moran – In Time

neilmoranpicNeil Moran is a singer songwriter from Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath. He has been writing songs since his mid-teens and has been performing in venues around Ireland for the past 4 years. Artist’s influences include Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, and Mick Flannery.

2015 was a breakthrough year for Neil. He performed as a supporting act in the Olympia Theater, Dublin in February, followed by a small summer tour along the west coast of Ireland.

Currently he is working on the final touches of his debut EP titled ‘In Time’ which is set for release December 2016.

You can follow Neil on Facebook

Pine The Pilcrow – Don’t Need Me

pinethepilcrowpicPine The Pilcrow write stilling, lullaby-esque music compromising of piano (Kevin Murray), cello (Robert Campbell) and fiddle (Hannah
Ryan) with a combination of gruff and angelic vocals. Melancholic melody lines evoke emotion as they drop onto your ear and cause a ripple
of reflection.

Formed in spring 2015, Pine the Pilcrow has enjoyed a busy and warm reception to the Dublin music scene. They quickly found themselves rising in demand as they were chosen to perform at The Hard Working Class Heroes Festival, Smock Alley’s Scene & Heard arts festival, Vantastival and a record four stages at this year’s Electric Picnic.

They have supported Anderson and Inni-K nationally and were named by The Ruby Session’s Conor Donovan in The Irish Times as one of his top 3 highlights of 2015. Their recent debut EP has received widespread critical acclaim.

They have just been nominated as Best Newcomer at the 2016 Pure M awards and are looking forward to an exciting 2017.

You can follow Pine The Pilcrow on Facebook

Robert Grace – Talk to Me

robertgracepic‘TALK TO ME’ may have been Robert’s debut solo release, however, this all rounder from the beautiful town of Graiguenamanagh in Co. Kilkenny is no stranger to the studio, or the charts!

In recent years Robert has developed into a songwriter/producer/performer of note. Robert wrote three and co-produced four tracks on (Louis Walsh – boyband) Hometown’s recent chart topping album released on Sony Music. He has also co-written with some of the best-known songwriters in the UK including: Dan McDougall (The Wanted, The Shires), Blair MacKichan (Paloma Faith/Sia/Lily Allen), Phil Thornalley (Natalie Imbruglia/Pixie Lott), Josh Wilkinson (One Direction / 5 seconds of Summer) and David Munday (Tina Turner/Pixie Lott/Belinda Carlisle)

In his capacity as writer and producer, Robert has helped other artist’s music achieve chart success.

It seems righteous, therefore, that his own EP, ‘Talk To Me’ entered the iTunes album chart at No 2 on its release in May, and that the title track from the EP has garnered strong airplay across the country since its issue. Indeed, ‘Talk To Me’, the radio single, was the most played song on RTE Radio 1 this June.

You can follow Robert on Twitter

Shane O’Fearghail – Push


shaneofearghailpicIrish Singer Songwriter and multi instrumentalist Shane Ó Fearghail has his own take on being a full-time traveling musician. “Writing strong songs and delivering them with even stronger performances”, is how he assumes the mantle of the performing songwriter.

Shane, has learned a thing or two over the years and has the mileage to prove it! Between playing more gigs than there are days of the week and working with songwriting collectives throughout Europe, you would think that this Irish singer songwriter would have no time to fit more in. Think again! Having just managed to add another great title to his ever growing list of albums – ‘They Might See Dolphins’ – album number three, has made its way quietly and effortlessly out into the world!

You can follow Shane on Facebook

Without Willow – Sail My Direction

withoutwillowpicWithout Willow are a folk musical duo from Co Donegal, Ireland. Consisting of Karen Kelly and Simon McCafferty, the pair write and perform their own material, amassed from a wide variety of influences, they blend various styles of music to craft a unique sound that is truly their own.

Together they weave songs of love, loss and hope with enchanting vocal melodies, harmonies and a subtle yet intricate guitar style that sets them apart from their contemporaries. The pair have performed together numerous times, including at Clubeo, hosted by Moya Brennan of Clannad, The Swell Festival, Earagail Arts Festival and have supported Declan O’Rourke, Eddi Reader and most recently Vieux Farka Touré.

You can follow Without Willow on Facebook

Bap Kennedy (17th June 1962 – 1st November 2016)

Belfast singer Bap Kennedy, passed away on Tuesday, the 1st of November, following his battle with bowel and pancreas cancer.

A statement on Bap’s Facebook page said, ”We are devastated to announce that Bap passed away this evening. Bap was extremely brave until the end. We would like to thank everybody for their kind messages of support over the past few months, these meant a lot to Bap and Brenda and helped Bap stay positive throughout his illness. We are also extremely grateful to all the staff at the Marie Curie hospice for their kindness and warmheartedness during his stay.”

He will be remembered for his long term presence on the Belfast music scene, and for the music that he has left behind. During his time he has worked with great musicians like Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison, Steve Earle  and Shane MacGowan along with many other great artists. Having formed the bands 10 past 7 and Energy Orchard during 1980’s, his career went from strength to strength spanning four decades and leaving us with lots of great music and memories.

Sound Of Belfast 2016 Starts Today!

The Sound of Belfast is back! An exciting 10 day programme for 2016 will return on Thursday 3- 12 November 2016 and will feature 31 events including awards, gigs, showcases and industry events. The events will take place across 8 venues including The Mandella Hall, The MAC, Voodoo and The Empire. Sound of Belfast 2016 is presented by the Oh Yeah Music Centre in partnership with Live Music partner Blue Moon.

The event begins with the Help Musicians UK Launch Party taking place at the Oh Yeah Music Centre (03 Nov). This year, Help Musicians UK will use the occasion to announce ambitious plans for Northern Ireland. This leading charity for musicians of all genres are set to open a dedicated office and will start to deliver health and welfare support (including Music and Depression and #hearformusicians) plus new creative funding schemes.

The highlight of Sound of Belfast 2016 is the Northern Ireland Music Prize and the presentation of an Oh Yeah Legend Award to the band Ash (Nov 11).

Expect performances from top Northern Irish acts Ports, Ryan Vail, The Bonnevilles, Robyn G Shiels, Girls Names, Hot Cops, Jealous Of The Birds and many other native rising musicians.

Charlotte Dryden, the new CEO of Oh Yeah says, “Sound of Belfast is our way of celebrating all that is great about local music. From showcasing new talent to celebrating legends in venues across the city. What is really special is the opportunity for people to participate in some of our youth and older people events. It’s also great that we are able to keep talking and discussing opportunities and solutions for our industry, musicians and audiences through events like The Music Cities Afternoon and the Breaking Into Music Conference.”

Sound of Belfast 2016 event listings:

03rd Nov | Help Musicians Launch Party | Oh Yeah Music Centre
04th Nov | Meet Help Musicians NI | Oh Yeah Music Centre
04th Nov | The Bonnevilles, The Couth, Los Reyes, The Strange Museum | Oh Yeah Music Centre
05th Nov | Family-friendly Acoustic Picnic | Oh Yeah Music Centre
05th Nov | Volume Control: Clash of the New Breeds- Live Final | Oh Yeah Music Centre
05th Nov | Malojian | The MAC
06th Nov | Ready to Roll: Studio Time for Young Bands | Start Together Studio, Oh Yeah Music Centre
06th Nov | A Day of Rest | Oh Yeah Music Centre
08th Nov | Breaking into Music Youth Conference | Oh Yeah Music Centre
08th Nov | UK Music- ‘Wish You Were Here’ Report | Oh Yeah Music Centre
08th Nov | Matua Trap & The Thin Air DJs | Lavery’s Back Bar
08th Nov | Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations Club | Voodoo
09th Nov | Over The Hill Music Collective Album Preview and Discussion | Oh Yeah Music Centre
09th Nov | Belfast Urban Affinity 2016 | Oh Yeah Music Centre
09th Nov | Robyn G Shields, Waldorf and Cannon, Junk Drawer, Hatchet Field | Belfast Empire
10th Nov | Music Cities Afternoon | Oh Yeah Music Centre
10th Nov | Vokxen, Bosco Ramos, Petty Youth, Search Party, Emer Maguire | Oh Yeah Music Centre
10th Nov | Hornets Molarbear | Eglantine Bar
10th Nov | Tuskany, Strength, Civil Simian, Jess Edlin | Belfast Empire
11th Nov| The Northern Ireland Music Prize in Association with Blue Moon | Mandella Hall
11th Nov | The Oh Yeah Legend Award | Mandella Hall
12th Nov | #HMNITAKEOVER HMNI Bus Tour | Various pop up venues across Belfast
12th Nov | The Belfast Music Bus Tour | Begins at the Ulster Hall
12th Nov | Spectrum 2016: Mojo Fury, Gascan Ruckus, Hot Cops, Bad Fit, Life Goals, Gnarkats, Rachael Boyd, Brash Issac, Joel Harkin | Elmwood Hall
12th Nov | Back Track Soul Night with DJs: Liam Quinn, Tony Harpo Doyle, John Creaner and Dee O’Loan | Oh Yeah Music Centre

Programme and tickets available from Sound of Belfast

For more more information you can visit Sound of Belfast’s Website, Facebook and Twitter

Miriam Donohue Announces Launch Gig For Her Highly Anticipated Debut Album ‘Paperscapes’

Miriam is a singer songwriter from Galway, who is based in Dublin. Inspired by the likes of Regina Spektor, Paul Simon and Suzanne Vega, her music is a blend of modern folk, pop and jazz that is brought to life by her enchanting voice. A natural raconteur Miriam breathes music into her stories with her well crafted lyrics and velveteen vocals.

Miriam has performed at a number of festivals across Ireland such as Electric Picnic, Body and Soul and Castlepolooza, as well as at other venues throughout Europe including well known folk venue Club Voltaire in Germany.

In June of this year she appeared on the RTE stage at the Bloom Festival and went on to feature on the Late Date with Fiachna O Braonain.

She’s appeared in the same line up as acts such as Martha Wainwright, Nina Persson (The Cardigans), Mark Geary, John Spillane, Jack L, The Lost Brothers, Rose Cousins and The 4ofUs.

Miriam launches her debut Debut Album – Paperscapes in The Workmans Club on Dec 11th @8pm

You can follow Miriam on Facebook  and Twitter for more information

Daithi Announces His New Single ”Falling For You” Ahead Of His Forthcoming EP ”Holiday Home”

Daithi will release a new EP Holiday Home in March 2017 and ahead of that will come the single “Falling For You” on November 3rd. This will be the follow-up to his hugely successful Tribes EP which came out earlier this year and gave us the big single “Mary Keanes Introduction”.

Speaking about the EP, Daithi says:“At the start of 2016 I bought a field recorder and started recording the sounds of the west of Ireland in an attempt to build a library of samples completely unique to me. I started renting out houses along the coast for weeks at a time, bringing a make-shift studio with me to islands like Achill and Valentia. Once I had some music together, I brought some of my favourite vocalists out to the west, away from the pressure of the normal recording studio environment. The result is Holiday Home, a 5 track EP built completely in the west, using sounds from the west.”

And on Falling For You: “Falling For You was one of the first tracks I wrote using my own natural samples. The sea sound is from Inch beach in Cork, the bell sounds are cut up samples from a wind chime I found in an Airbnb in Achill. Sinead recorded these vocals on Valentia with me, and I think it’s my favourite vocal I’ve ever worked on. It’s so undeniably Irish, but feels modern at the same time, which is kind of my buzz.”

Daithi is an electronic music producer obsessed by the culture of Ireland. The two-time Choice Prize nominee combines nature recordings, old Irish samples and analog synths to create a unique type of house music that’s soaked in Irish culture. A mainstay in the Irish gigging scene, his live show is an improvised performance, creating on the spot dance music using synths, drum machines and live fiddle. Last year, Daithi found a forgotten recording of his grandmother, where she talked about how she met her husband, and what it was like living in the west of Ireland for the past 90 years. Daithi sampled this recording to create ‘Mary Keanes Introduction’, a track which captured the imagination of millions of Irish people across the world, and became one of the most successful Irish singles that year, staying no.1 in the spotify viral charts for 6 weeks. It proved Daithi’s mantra on music: Every sample should have a back story, and every song should be personal.

Daithi’s played over 40 shows since the release of Tribes including festival slots on Castlepalooza, Body & Soul, Sea Sessions, Longitude, Indiependence Electric Picnic and many more.

Tracklist
Falling For You (feat. Sinead White)
Aeroplane (feat. Sinead White)
Holiday Home
Coral
Wrap Up Tight (feat. Elaine Mai)

Tour Dates
Thursday 8th December – Brubakers, Dundalk
Friday 23rd December – Opium Rooms, Dublin
Tuesday 27th December – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Sat 31st December – Róisín Dubh, Galway

You can follow Daithi on Facebook and Twitter

Keep up to date with IMRO news and events

Please select login