James Vincent McMorrow has today released his latest single ‘Me & My Friends’
“I’m a private person.
But I wanted to share this.
My magical unicorn wife had a magical unicorn baby girl.
Grown up stuff.
Not a grown up though.
What does that even mean?
I wanted to do something.
So I wrote this.
Produced it.
Mixed it.
Mastered it.
So I could listen to it and always remember.
I’ll go back.
To being a private person.
Now.”
Alt-rockers Deep Sky Objects return this summer with their second single from their raved-about debut EP ‘Deep Sky Objects’.
After the success of the Kerry band’s spring tour, the band have lined up a string of dates across Ireland including INEC’s Future Sounds. The dark, anti-anthem ‘Desire’ pulls no punches with Kevin O’Brien’s vocals allowed to roam their full range. We see the band come into their own with this rockier follow-up to debut single ‘This City’s at War’ while keeping true to their melodic song writing which is set for release July 23, 2018.
Drawing on the band’s influences from The Smiths, Interpol and Radiohead while incorporating their flair for a hook worm bridge, ‘Desire’ is fuelled by Thomas O’Brien’s thundering drumming and DD Foley’s driving bass-line before reaching its culmination with a radiant riff that exhibits the band’s innate talent for smart songwriting and honest performance.
Deep Sky Objects recorded their debut self-titled EP ‘Deep Sky Objects’ in Whitewell Studios with Ciaran O’Shea. The EP was subsequently mastered by Fergal Davis. In March 2018 Deep Sky Objects released their debut single ‘This City’s at War’ to an eager audience and received extensive airplay across regional radio as well as national.
Upcoming shows:
July 12 – The Workman’s Club, Dublin
July 21 – Metalman Bar, Waterford
July 28 – Nellie Freds, Dingle
August 3 – Indiependence Festival, Cork
August 5 – Luker’s Bar, Shannonbridge, Offaly
September 13 – Whelan’s, Dublin
October 17 – Kelly’s, Cavan
November 17 – INEC FUTURE SOUNDS, Killarney
It’s been a hell of a week for Picture This. Following the release of their brand new single “When We Were Young” on Friday, June 15th, the band played two sold out shows in Cork’s Marquee followed by their biggest headline show to date in the RDS on Saturday night. Following in the footsteps of some of the biggest international stars including Bruce Springsteen, U2, Michael Jackson and Radiohead, the band took to the RDS stage to a full house of 35,000 fans.
“35,000 strong in a stadium singing every word and giving us the best night of our lives. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for an unforgettable time. Let’s do it again soon.” Picture This
Earlier this week, the band got a seal of approval from multi-platinum selling UK artist Robbie Williams. During a live video on his Instagram account, Robbie played the latest single “When We Were Young” and gave it a 10/10 review. Check out the video review HERE!
Picture This are Ryan Hennessy (singer), Jimmy Rainsford (drums), Owen Cardiff (guitars), and Cliff Deane (bass). The latest single “When We Were Young” is out now.
http://www.picturethismusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BandPictureThis/
https://www.instagram.com/bandpicturethis/
https://twitter.com/BandPictureThis
Photo: Ray Keogh
The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) has issued a final call to Irish MEPS to support proposals that will secure creators’ copyrights online, ahead of a crucial vote on European copyright measures.
Earlier this month, the European Parliament’s JURI Committee voted to accept proposals that close the copyright ‘loophole’ which allows certain technology companies such as YouTube and Facebook to exploit creators’ rights in relation to user-uploaded content (Article 13 of the Copyright Directive). To date, these companies have not been required to fairly remunerate songwriters or music performers for the use of their work in user-uploaded content online.
Singer/songwriter and Chair of IMRO Eleanor McEvoy was among music creators from across Europe that met with MEPs at an event in Brussels on Wednesday to seek support for Article 13. Earlier, a petition with over 31,000 creators’ signatures, including 900 Irish signatories, was presented to attending MEPs.
Commenting, Eleanor McEvoy Chair of IMRO said, “As these proposals move to Plenary vote in early July, MEPs have a crucial opportunity to support the Irish music industry by ensuring creators receive a fair return for their works. Technology and music can and do work in harmony, and that’s great – but it has to be fair. Creators need to be paid for their work. I’m encouraged that the JURI Committee has recognised this and I would urge Irish MEPs to echo this support at Plenary by voting in favour of the copyright package as agreed by the JURI Committee of the European Parliament.”
Victor Finn, Chief Executive of IMRO said, ‘This event marks the final stage in a sustained campaign by IMRO and our European counterparts to ask the political system in Ireland and beyond to value creativity and the arts, as much as technology. Our position has always been that sharing of content online is good for music – for fans and for artists. What we are asking, is that like any professional in any sector, is that someone who writes, publishes and performs music gets a fair return for the use of their work. We hope for a positive outcome at Plenary and are seeking support of all Irish MEPs, Government and the wider political system to get this through. Ireland is known worldwide for our music. Now is the time to support it.”
The ‘Countdown to Plenary’ event was hosted by the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC), which represents IMRO at European level, and co-hosted by MEPs Jean-Marie Cavada and Axel Voss, with performances by Eleanor McEvoy and other musicians from across Europe.
Dublin indie stalwarts An Emotional Fish are releasing a remastered version of their single ‘Time Is On The Wall’ on Friday 27th July on Reckless Records. This release is ahead of their appearance at Féile Classical in Semple Stadium on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of September.
Although ‘Time is On The Wall’ was first released in 1994 on the band’s third album ‘Sloper’, the lyrics of the song have special resonance for the band today. Jerry Fish remarks, ‘The lyric “We must be specific about what we want to get what we want” really struck a chord with me in recent times, as I can see Ireland today traveling in a much more positive direction than ever before, with people power leading the drive for social change.’
An Emotional Fish formed in 1988 and quickly became a huge presence on the Irish musical landscape, signing a deal to Atlantic Records with the legendary Ahmet Ertegun in 1990. The band are most well known for their single ‘Celebrate’ which came from their eponymous debut album and is still a radio staple today. They toured internationally with U2 and The Pogues and had success, both touring and on radio, in the USA before deciding to call it a day in 1995.
Lead singer Jerry has of course been very busy since the breakup of the band. He formed Jerry Fish and The Mudbug Club, who have released three albums and collaborated with a diverse range of creatives from Imelda May and Carol Keogh to Michael Madsen, Harry Dean Stanton and Iggy Pop. For the last five years he has curated and hosted a stage at the Electric Picnic called The Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow, which encompasses burlesque, rock and roll and circus performances, and this year is bigger than ever before.
Sadly, Martin Murphy, the drummer with An Emotional Fish, passed away last year. Jerry says, ‘Martin’s passing put a new perspective on An Emotional Fish, and in many ways made us realise what a unique and wonderful experience it was to play in a band and to be a part of Irish music history throughout the early 1990s.’ The remaining members of the band, Jerry, David Frew and Enda Wyatt, have wholeheartedly embraced the idea of reforming An Emotional Fish for Féile Classical in September and re-working some of their most beloved hits with an orchestra.
Fri 21 & Sat 22nd Sept. Feile Classical Tickets from €54 www.ticketmaster.ie
For more information on Jerry Fish live shows go to http://www.jerry-fish.com/
Well, if it’s good enough for Hemingway…
Do you remember when artists actually took the time to construct seemingly arcane components such as ‘a melody’ and ‘lyrics’ for a new single rather than just shooting an expensive video somewhere like the Louvre, deafening you with flash and cash? You do? Give a big grin so, because Gavin Glass is back again, with the third single for his already highly praised forthcoming album, ‘Opus Pocus’.
‘Matador’ continues on from where his last two releases, ‘You’re Gonna Break Your Daddy’s Heart’ and ‘Thirty Somethings’ – both of which garnered some serious national airplay – left off. This is big music – pounding drums, a bass line you could hang shelves off, ringing guitars, Glass’ yearning vocals, and – yes! – hand claps behind the solo.
The lyrics tell the oldest story in the book – the boy is in love, and can’t believe his good fortune. He knows he’ll be her albatross, if she’ll have him, but he can’t help himself. Where does the ‘Matador’ of the title come into things? Is he there just because he rhymes with ‘floor’ and ‘before’? Perhaps, but it doesn’t matter when the song is this good!
Let’s look at it another way. The word Matador comes from the Latin mactator or mactatoirs, meaning one who slaughters, a killer. And that’s what this track is, a stone killer.
‘Opus Pocus’, the new album from Gavin Glass will be launched in Whelan’s on the 13th of July.
Audiovisual and animation industry worth over €1 billion to the Irish Economy
The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan T.D. today launched her Department’s €200m Audio-visual Action Plan. The industry-wide, long-term plan, under the Creative Ireland Programme, will support the Government’s ambition to enable Ireland to become a global hub for the production of Film, TV drama and animation.
The key points in the Plan include:
The Audiovisual Action Plan is underpinned by an Economic Assessment of the Audio-Visual Industry in Ireland carried out by international consultants Olsberg SPI with Nordicity on behalf of the Departments of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Business, Enterprise and Innovation. As well as measuring the size and impact of the industry, the consultants identified a range of key strategic recommendations which would assist the future development and growth of the audiovisual sector in Ireland.
The consultants concluded that with the implementation of their policy recommendations, Ireland’s “film, television and animation” sector could in a period of five years, double employment to over 24,000 full-time equivalents and a gross value added of nearly €1.4 billion.
Speaking at the Irish Film Institute Minister Madigan said “Today we start building on the success of the Irish audio-visual industry which has reached across the world. This year we had Nora Twomey’s The Breadwinner, produced by Cartoon Saloon – an amazing Irish company with global reach – building on a strong run of successes at the Oscars and Cannes in recent years with films such as Room and The Lobster. We are also an attractive location for international productions – in recent years Star Wars has brought a new audience to the delights of our west coast.
“Ireland has the creative talent, the storytelling and literary history, international credibility, geographic location and incentive structures to be a global leader, to tell compelling Irish and universal stories on screen, and to grow and sustain a vibrant creative audio-visual sector. Our Irish cultural heritage introduces Ireland on the world stage and allows us to express our national identity. Film in particular offers us a way to do that in very impactful way.”
“Agus, ar ndóigh, ag caint faoi Iarthar na hÉireann, tá tionscal nach beag tógtha i nGaillimh agus i gConamara, bunaithe ar thacaíocht an Rialtais do TG4. Tá gradam UNESCO mar chathair scannán bainte amach ag Gaillimh de bharr an tionscail seo, agus beidh sé go mór chun tosaigh i nGaillimh 2020– Cathair Chultúrtha na hEorpa.”
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD said, “This initiative could not come at a more opportune time. Facing into a climate of global economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever to develop strong, resilient and innovative companies that have the capacity to provide skilled, quality jobs. I know first-hand that we have the talent and drive necessary to succeed in this competitive market. This plan is an important step towards achieving this vision.”
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten TD commented, “I particularly welcome the proposal for specific funds to support new TV drama production and regional production. My officials will continue to work closely with the Department of Culture and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to implement this exciting plan.”
Both the Audiovisual Action Plan and the Olsberg Report are available here.
BIMM Institute Dublin and IMRO continue to support and shape the Irish music industry with the announcement of the IMRO – ‘BIMM Institute Dublin Diploma in Music Business’ Scholarship
BIMM Institute Dublin and IMRO are delighted to announce the BIMM Institute Dublin/IMRO Diploma in Music Business Scholarship which will offer one student the opportunity to study on this new yearlong Diploma course free of charge. Prospective students can apply for the scholarship by submitting an application at info@nullbimm.ie
Recently BIMM Institute Dublin, part of Europe’s most connected and successful music college, added to its range of courses by launching the new BIMM Institute Dublin Diploma in Music Business course which is set to be a game changer for the Irish music scene. This a part-time course and is designed to offer students a practical skillset precisely designed with future entrepreneurism and employment in mind including Music Promotion and Marketing, Artist Management, Tour Management, Physical and Digital Music Distribution, e-commerce in the Music Industry, Music Publishing and Recording, Live Music Events and Touring. The course is ideal for those with no experience of the industry and who wish to use it as a foundation for further study or entrepreneurship.
“IMRO is delighted to partner with BIMM Institute Dublin to offer a scholarship for their Diploma in Music Business course. A stable flow of well-informed and market savvy music business professionals is critical for the future development of the music industry in Ireland” – Keith Johnson, Director of Marketing & Membership IMRO.
“IMRO is a vital organisation within the Irish music industry and has been for many years. It always displays unwavering support for Irish artists both new and established in their role of royalty collection, education and lobbyist for greater development and investment in homegrown talent. Partnering with IMRO on the new Music Business Diploma Scholarship makes perfect sense for us, as no one cares more about the business of music in Ireland than IMRO” – BIMM Institute Dublin College Principal, Alan Cullivan.
The BIMM group is the largest and leading provider of music education in Europe and have taken raw talents and turned them into industry professionals, earning a living doing what they love. The BIMM Institute Dublin Diploma in Music Business will be delivered at BIMM Institute Dublin, Irelands most vibrant and diverse community of musicians providing unique opportunities for collaborative student learning, as well as direct connectivity to an industry that will enhance future career prospects.
This course, like all qualifications at BIMM Institute Dublin, are delivered by tutors with experience working at the highest levels of the music business, which ensures that the delivery of this qualification will be distinctive, relevant and uniquely cutting edge.
Open Day
On Thursday 28th June, BIMM Institute Dublin will celebrate the launch of its new Diploma in Music Business and Diploma in Music and Audio Production with a dedicated open evening. Doors will open at 4.45pm at the BIMM Institute Dublin campus and bookings can be made at https://www.bimm.ie/open-days/dublin/ .
For more information on BIMM Institute Dublin visit www.bimm.ie
Application forms for the scholarship can be requested via info@nullbimm.ie
Find BIMM Institute Dublin on Facebook or on Twitter: @BIMMDublin.
• All applications can be made via the BIMM Institute Dublin Admissions team. To request an application form, all you need to do is email the BIMM Institute Dublin Admissions team at info@nullbimm.ie or call +353 1 5133 666. The completed application form can be returned via email to info@nullbimm.ie. The deadline to apply for this course is 5pm on Friday 24th August 2018.
• Once you have applied we will contact you with the details of your interview. Applicants receive at least 10 days’ notice of your scheduled interview time. We encourage applicants to bring along any relevant material which demonstrates their experience in music or the creative industries. International applications are welcome and skype interviews can be arranged if applicants are unable to attend their interview.
• BIMM Institute are Ireland’s and Europe’s most connected music colleges, with expert industry tutors, chart-topping alumni and truly talented students, across seven exciting locations, with another college opening in Hamburg in October 2018.
▪ BIMM Institute was established in 2001 in Brighton and now enrols over 6,000 students, studying a range of specialist vocational music courses from Diplomas to BA (Hons) Degree and post graduate level. BIMM has colleges in Berlin, Brighton, Bristol, Dublin, Manchester, London and now Birmingham.
▪ BIMM Institute Group graduate artists have secured an unprecedented amount of UK and Ireland top 40 singles and top 10 albums including James Bay, The Kooks, George Ezra, Tom Odell, Kate Nash, and Marina and the Diamonds.
▪ BIMM Institute Dublin hosts relevant masterclasses for the benefit of student studies throughout the academic year. Past guests have included Hozier, John Grant, Danny O’Donoghue (The Script),
Imelda May, Steve Albini, The Edge, Josh Homme ( Queens of the Stone Age) Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Neil Hannon (Divine Comedy), Lianne La Havas, Snarky Puppy and a number of world renowned session musicians including Thomas Lang, John Scofield, Stu Hamm and producer Ethan Johns.
In the next few days the European Parliament will vote on whether to approve the most significant reform of copyright law in nearly two decades. At the heart of these reforms are proposals to ensure that online platforms which host content uploaded by their users (video and music sharing services) are liable for copyright and must either obtain a licence or block unlicensed content.
Over the course of the last year and working closely with our sister organisations, we have been supporting GESAC (who represent authors’ societies across the EU) in calling for an end to the “Transfer of Value” that is benefiting major digital platforms at the expense of creators. This has involved intensive lobbying both here in Ireland and in Europe, detailing the situation to our MEPs and seeking their support. This issue is, without a doubt, the most significant battle that our copyright community has had to face in our time.
We are now at a critical point, Members of European Parliament are reportedly receiving thousands of emails from anti-copyright crusaders. If we are to secure legislation to make online platforms pay fairly for the use of your music and that of your fellow music creators, we urgently need your help.
Please take 90 seconds and use our simple online tool below to email Members of the European Parliament to ask for support in solving the Transfer of Value and help create an online market which works for creators.
Eleanor McEvoy
IMRO Chairperson
Last week heralded the news of Villagers’ return; Conor O’Brien’s fourth studio album, ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’, will be released by Domino on Friday 21st September.
Having shared a new song and video ‘A Trick Of The Light’, Villagers are now pleased to confirm UK and European headline live dates including London’s Hackney Arts Centre and Dublin’s Metropolis Festival, which they’ll headline and curate on 27th October.
Metropolis are delighted to announce that Villagers will headline and curate the Saturday night of the festival this October Bank Holiday Weekend. Early-bird tickets priced from €35 are available now via ticketmaster.ie
Following the exquisitely sparse, intimate aura of 2015’s ‘Darling Arithmetic’, O’Brien’s new record reconnects with the multi-faceted approach of Villagers’ 2010 album debut ‘Becoming A Jackal’ and 2013’s ‘{Awayland}’ while adding a new-found soulfulness, rhythmic nous and dazzling panoply of sonic detail, both analogue and digital, creating feverish moods while writing effortlessly accessible tunes. Balanced with subtle aspects and lyrical themes that embrace existential fears and hopes in this desperate, technologically-centred dystopian age, ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ is the most brilliantly realised Villagers album to date.
Villagers live dates
Wed 17th Oct – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
Thurs 18th Oct – Art School, Glasgow
Fri 19th Oct – Gorilla, Manchester
Sun 21st Oct – Wardrobe, Leeds
Mon 22nd Oct – O2 Academy 2, Oxford
Tues 23rd Oct – Hackney Arts Centre, London
Thurs 25th Oct – Arts Club, Liverpool
Sat 27th Oct – Metropolis Festival, RDS, Dublin
Tues 30th Oct – Trinity, Bristol
Wed 31st Oct – Old Market, Brighton
Thurs 1st Nov – La Madeleine, Brussels
Sat 3rd Nov – Zoom, Frankfurt
Mon 5th Nov – Vega, Copenhagen
Tues 6th Nov – Gruenspan, Hamburg
Thurs 8th Nov – Kesselhaus, Berlin
Fri 9th Nov – Hybrydy, Warsaw
Sat 10th Nov – Futurum, Prague
Mon 12th Nov – Doornroosje, Nijmegen
Tues 13th Nov – Melkweg (Old Hall), Amsterdam
Wed 14th Nov – Trabendo, Paris
Fri 16th Nov – Le Boucau, Biarritz
Sun 18th Nov – Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao
Mon 19th Nov – Chango, Madrid
Tues 20th Nov – Razzmatazz 2, Barcelona
Thurs 22nd Nov – Ridotto Teatro Regio, Parma
Fri 23rd Nov – Spazio 211, Turin
Sat 24th Nov – Port-Franc, Sion
Mon 26th Nov – Papiersaal, Zurich
Tues 27th Nov – Kulturkirche, Cologne
Wed 28th Nov – Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht
General Sale – all tickets 9am 22nd June
Tickets
‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ is available to pre-order on Domino Mart-exclusive deluxe LP (includes 10” of a 12-minute version of ‘Ada’ and B-side ‘This Is The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ plus signed lyric booklet), Deluxe LP (includes ‘Ada’/’ This Is The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ 10”), Standard LP, CD and Digitally. Pre-order: Dom Mart | Digital
