Month: February 2018

Relish are back with a new single, new album and live show at Dublin’s Vicar Street this May 2018.

After 3 albums and various hit singles over the years, brothers Kenny and Carl Papenfus, the nucleus and song-writing force of platinum selling band Relish, are back with a brand new single ‘Unbroken Light’ taken from their new album released on Friday 4 May 2018.

Kenny and Carl will celebrate the release of their new album with a live show at Dublin’s Vicar Street on Saturday 5 May 2018 performing their famous energetic show as a five-piece . Both felt the illustrious venue was the place to mark the release of their new album having performed at Vicar St as part of Sinead O’Connor’s band (as guitarist and drummer respectively) in support of her No1 album ‘I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss’.

Tickets for their Vicar Street show priced €30 including booking fee are on sale now from Ticketmaster and the new album, included in the ticket price, can be collected on the night.

After co-writing and performing the soundtrack for Oscar winning director John Carney’s latest Hollywood movie “Sing Street” (nominated for a Golden Globe in 2017), and touring the world as part of Sinead O’Connor’s band, (producing & performing her track for the Blind Willie Johnson Tribute album ‘God Don’t Never Change’), re-releasing of ‘Wildflowers’ and ‘Karma Calling’ through Universal Music, and making a big impact with the new track  ‘Got It Made’, Kenny and Carl have finally announced the release of a brand new album and return to  International stages including Dublin for their album launch in Vicar Street this May 2018.

Relish have a busy 2018 ahead as they are set to perform at this year’s Java Jazz International Music Festival in Jakarta, the biggest festival in southeast Asia, among other Asian and European live appearances in the Summer of 2018. Their full list of festival and headline tour dates will be announced over the coming months.

Having had pop hits and rock hits Relish have always blurred the lines between genres, but with success from Asia to the UK and supporting bands as diverse as U2, At The Drive In and Kelis, and admirers ranging from Brian May, to Sinead O’Connor, to Paul Weller, to U2, RELISH have created their own place to exist, breaking down musical barriers with every new release.

Previous releases saw Relish work with such acclaimed producers as John Leckie (Radiohead/The Stone Roses) and Al Clay (Stereophonics/The Pixies). Highlights have seen 4 chart-topping Irish singles, No1 in the Japanese airplay charts and even the unlikely request from Westlife to cover their single ‘Rainbow Zephyr’ reworked as ‘Hey Whatever’ which was a UK Top 5 and international hit. Past Relish releases have proven gold and platinum selling albums.

Though external projects outside of Relish have proved interesting, from playing lead guitar with Paul Weller to performing the lead role in Julian Joseph’s jazz opera “Tristan & Isolde” (culminating in a live performance at London’s Royal Opera House), to creating a boutique distribution, marketing and record label (High Altitude Recordings) Kenny expressed that:‘Working with great music and the finest musicians has always been our raison d’etre, and I think that’s what keeps our love of music alive, in whatever form be that RELISH or whatever else, BUT RELISH, as in Carl and I working together as a team, has always been our greatest love’.

Relish are back with a brand new single ‘Unbroken Light’ taken from their new album released on Friday 4 May 2018.

Pine the Pilcrow are finally releasing new music! Described by Remy’s Music Blog as “as the most accomplished modern folk act in the country“, Pine the Pilcrow release the enthralling and mesmeric ‘Only Ghosts’.

The release of their self-titled debut E.P. in March 2016 saw them nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2016 Pure M awards, winning The Last Mixed Tape’s ‘Readers EP of the Year’ award and nominated for Best Song at the IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition for their ambient and emotive ballad ‘Don’t Need Me’.

With 2018, Pine the Pilcrow are releasing their second E.P. (‘Only Ghosts’) and continue to build upon their incredible debut release. Working with acclaimed photographer and film maker Donal Moloney to create a beautiful and haunting video for the single ‘Only Ghosts’ and having a work with legendary songwriter Brendan Graham in the works 2018 looks like it will be one to remember for Pine The Pilcrow. Allow this band, born with a sound all of their own, to sweep you away with delicate harmonies and heartfelt songs.

Preorder the physical E.P. here: https://pinethepilcrow.bandcamp.com/album/only-ghosts

‘Only Ghosts’ Tour Dates

MAR 13 – RUBY SESSIONS, DOYLES, DUBLIN

MAR 16 – OPEN DOOR SESSIONS, BALLIEBOROUGH, CAVAN

MAR 18 – LEVI’S, BALLYDEHOB, CORK

MAY 10 – IONTAS THEATRE, CASTLEBLAYNEY, MONAGHAN

MAY 18 – THE FOLK N SOUP CLUB, TIPPERARY

JULY 11 – GHOSTLIGHT SESSIONS, EARAGAIL ARTS FESTIVAL, BALLYBOFEY

Irish acoustic folk-rock band Hermitage Green have just released ‘Bring It On Down’, the second single off of their recent EP album ‘Gold & Rust’. 

‘Gold & Rust ‘consists of 6 progressive sonic masterpieces and was produced alongside Grammy award winner Matt Lawrence (Adele, Amy Winehouse, Mumford & Sons) in world renowned Rockfield Studios in Wales where Hermitage Green’s new recordings share company with the likes of Queen, Robert Plant and many others.

“’Gold & Rust’ – the title was inspired by a lyric that Darragh Griffin wrote in the song ‘Bring It On Down’. I suppose as an album title it represents the many contrasts of being in a band in 2017. The ups and downs, highs and lows, whatever you want to call it,” said Dan Murphy.

“From playing the mainstage at Electric Picnic, to getting laughed out the door of a bank when looking for a mortgage. From walking out of a sold out Olympia Theatre in Dublin, to playing to 7 people in a town somewhere in the U.S. From telling your bandmates you love them and would do anything for them, to trying to kill your bandmates because they piss you off sometimes. ‘Gold & Rust’ is the dichotomy between the struggle and the absolute privilege of doing what you love for a living.”

Hailing from Limerick, Ireland, Hermitage Green have made a large impact in a short period of time. After having released their first full length album via SONY Ireland and watching it climb the charts with tracks like ‘Quicksand’, ‘Not Your Lover’, and ‘Save Your Soul’, the band has been touring internationally to sold out rooms across Ireland, the UK, Middle East, Australia and the US. Known for their exciting performances, Fortitude Magazine describes them as “known for having good time with their crowds, with their likeable attitudes and infectious humour shining during and in between their songs.” Hermitage Green can certainly control a crowd with their enthusiasm but also their talent itself is mesmerizing.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:

May 31^st -Dublin, IE – Whelans

June 1^st – Dubin, IE – Whelans SOLD OUT

June 3^rd – Limerick, IE – King Johns Castle

Website: http://hermitagegreen.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hermitagegreen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hermitagegreen/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/hermitagegreen

Spotify: http://bit.ly/HG-Spotify

iTunes: http://bit.ly/HG-iTunes

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/hermitagegreen

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/hermitagegreen

hearing leaves, a work for string quartet by Irish composer Karen Power, has been selected by the International Society of Contemporary Music for its World Music Days festival in Beijing in May 2018. The work will be performed during the festival and Karen Power will attend.

hearing leaves (2013) was commissioned by the ConTempo Quartet. It was written during Karen’s Galway Music Residency to celebrate 10 years of music in the city. A key component of this residency lay in delivering workshops to school students, therefore much of the origins of this work are connected with explorations made with students during these composition workshops. The work is a celebration of the excitement that each of us feels, or felt as young children, when we explore sound. The whole work moves through a series of texture and gesture-based sounds, which are not necessarily immediately recognisable as sounds of a string quartet, but which ‘grow into’ the quartet while also opening up new sonic avenues. Large chords are plotted throughout the piece and allude to a more angular and sharp sound-world then is at work throughout the rest of the work. These chords bring the quartet together and allow individual instruments the freedom to meander and stray in between.

Everyday environments and how we hear everyday sounds lies at the core of Karen Power’s practice with a continued interest in blurring the distinction between what most of us call ‘music’ and all other sound. She has found inspiration in the natural world and how we respond to spaces we occupy. She continually utilises our inherent familiarity with such sounds and spaces as a means of engaging with audiences. Resulting works challenge the listeners memory of hearing while simultaneously shifting focus and presenting new contexts for such sounds. Current explorations include a fluxus-style work: those are the dangers of round vegetables in a major train station where players and environmental sounds became one, a site specific radio art piece in Cork City Gaol commissioned by RTÉ lyric fm, and a large-scale commission from Cork Midsummer Festival.

The Association of Irish Composers’ mission is to strengthen the voice of contemporary composers, through advocacy, promotion, discussion and opportunity. AIC is the Irish section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) and is the Irish member of ECSA through its partners IASCA. Its national partners include CMC and IMRO. They receive financial support from IMRO, Culture Ireland and Arts Council Ireland.

The annual ISCM World Music Days festival is organised each year by a different host. The festival presents music from each of their members, showcasing the incredible diversity of musical practice in our time. This year’s festival will be held 19-26 May in Beijing, China.

For more information please see:

www.karenpower.ie

ww.composers.ie

http://bmmf.ccom.edu.cn/index.php/iscm/iscm_public/pid/61/id/62

Photo Credit: John Godfrey 

The next artist who looks set to make the leap into the mainstream musical consciousness both in Ireland and in the world is an act known as Flynn. Flynn, real name Darren Flynn, was raised in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath but has spent the last number of years plying his trade in the U.K.

His British journey began in Bristol, where Flynn fell in love with 90’s hip-hop and R’n’B. He gigged and busked every day for a full three years, sometimes even playing four open mic nights a week, all in order to develop his craft. As his reputation as a talented singer, wordsmith and musician began to turn heads, he moved to London in an attempt to take his music career to the next level and to develop himself not only as an artist but as a writer.The track was first written in a year ago but never quite got the attention it deserved.

Upon joining Diffusion Lab, the team set about writing a second verse, a bridge and adding the depth of instrumentation you hear on the track today.

‘Red Light’ is a representation of everything Flynn has come to represent. With a combination of his acoustic beginnings and the introduction of smooth, dance-inducing synth, the song stands out thanks to the sing-aloud chorus, made all the better thanks to the strong falsetto vocals provided by Flynn himself. The stylish choral-layering of Flynn’s voice lifts the bridge and adds to the track as it reaches its triumphant finish. Flynn’s voice throughout is exceptional, especially considering he has never taken vocal lessons. The control which Flynn has when it comes to the higher register of his all-encompassing vocal range is staggering, and the power behind his voice in the songs more subdued moments highlights an artist well capable of altering styles instantaneously.

“When I wrote Red Light I was basically writing a note to myself. The song is about finding the courage to dive into life head on without any hesitations or second thoughts. I remind myself that overthinking will only hold me back and that taking risks is the only way to progress and succeed.” Flynn explains.

With more music on the way, 2018 looks set to be the year in which Flynn takes his place in the upper echelon of new musical talents in Ireland. Given the journey he has already had to this point in his career, it’s clear that when it comes to success nothing will get in his way.

‘Red Light’ the new single by Flynn is available to stream on March 2nd.

Motions are an alternative rock band from Dublin formed by Tom Daly and Dave Nulty . Following a string of impressive singles from their debut ‘Back To Where I Begun’ to ‘All I’ve Ever Known’, which earned global airplay in the U.S., Ireland, Germany, China, Australia, South Africa, Peru and more, comes the debut EP ‘Late Night Calls’. ‘Late Night Calls’ was produced and mixed by Philip Magee, best known for his work with Kodaline and The Script.

The Late Night Calls EP is out now, available at:

Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/album/1XoAkg7Unf8ZSORox4BnRV

iTunes @ http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1346369388?ls=1&app=itunes

Soundcloud @ https://soundcloud.com/motions-music

Cormac O’Caoimh releases Double A Side ‘Proud / ‘Have You Built Yourself Well’.

Why a double A-side single? ‘Have You Built Yourself Well’ and ‘Proud’..have BOTH reached the semi-final of the International Songwriting Competition, judged by Tom Waits and Robert Smith of The Cure (among others). Previous winners include Vance Joy, Gotye and Bastille. Just announced yesterday..the finalists and winners will be announced in the weeks ahead

Proud appears in the AAA category (Adult Alternative Album)…I think that is just indie to you and me, where he probably belongs (despite the many folk and singer-songwriting comparisons) and the quieter mellower ‘Have You Built Yourself Well’ is in the Lyrics category. This new double A-side shows both of his two sides (that he is normally compared to) – the indie pop world of The Go Betweens and Badly Drawn Boy and the introspection and mellowness of Nick Drake.

Cormac O Caoimh released his 4^th solo album ‘Shiny Silvery Things’ in 2017. It in charted in the official IRMA charts and was launched with a sold out show in the Triskel Christchurch, Cork. All 12 songs have already received airplay and the first single (his most successful to date) reached over 3 million listeners in Ireland. The song was played in over 23 stations in Ireland and many more in the UK ( a lot of spins from the BBC including the prestigious award winning listenership Radcliffe and Maconie show on BBC 6 Music) and Europe. The second single (Track of the the day in Hotpress) wasn’t far behind reaching 2 million listeners.

His intimate vocals, magical melodies and exquisite guitar playing has always attracted very favourable appeal to critics (with Mojo, The Irish Times, HotPress, R2, Americana UK, OndaRock in Italy and many more) always quick to point to his unique style as well as comparisons to acts varying from the dreamy pop of The Go Betweens, Badly Drawn Boy, Elliott Smith and Prefab Sprout to the introspective and more folk-oriented Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon. But he sees himself as a pop song-writer. When pop was good.

“Acoustic Gems from the Cork singer-songwriter. Each song superglues to the memory “ **** Mojo Magazine

**** “There are echoes of terrific songwriters here – the likes of Lloyd Cole, Paul Simon, Eels’ Mark E Everett, and Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon filter through – but O Caoimh’s personalized worldview makes the material his own” – The Irish Times

Live date:

Mar 3rd Ennis, The West’s Awake