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Month: March 2019

Martin Mackie Releases ‘A Lock-In For The Damned’

Monday, March 11, sees Belfast artist Martin Mackie  release the single, ‘A Lock-In For The Damned’, the second offering from his sophomore album ‘Temperance Songs’, due for release in the summer of 2019.

The first single, ‘Magic Potion’, featured a stellar line-up of Irish musicians; Kate Ellis, of the Crash Ensemble on cello, Conor O’Brien from Villagers on bass, Eleanor Myler from the band Percolator on drums and Martin Mackie on guitars and vocals. The accompanying video was made by Martin’s long-time friend and collaborator Laura Sheeran.

‘Temperance Songs’ is an album which deals with the theme of alcohol in its many forms and ‘A Lock-In For The Damned’ is about a famous Dublin venue where musicians and their pals sometimes end up drinking the night away. There’s always a party atmosphere mixed with a good dose of madness and people end up leaving, completely twisted, when it’s daylight.

Martin said: “The songs are about my own experiences with alcohol. Not just me personally but my family and friends. Rollovers, lock-ins, early houses, and the booze blues are just some of the subjects. But I’ve tried to add a bit of comedy to the misery. For example one song is called ‘The Ballad Of Christy Moore’ . It’s folk tune about me coming back after the Electric Picnic. I was hanging, as they say in Dublin. I’d this weird dream or maybe even a hallucination that the ghost of Christy Moore was in my wardrobe, even though he’s very much alive. Christy’s a famous ex-boozer. So in the song he jumps out and starts lecturing me on the evils of excess. I was a bit worried what Christy would think of the song because there’s a line in it that describes him as being all ‘sweaty and hairy’. So I sent it to him. To my delight he sent me back a lovely postcard that said: ‘Dear Martin, Sweaty and Hair! Ride on. Christy.’ And he drew a little guitar beside it. I’ve framed that.”

“I got the whole idea for ‘Temperance Songs’ from a series of paintings by the artist William Hogarth. The Rake’s Progress is eight paintings showing the rise and fall of young man who ends up in the Bedlam asylum because of his partying lifestyle. I was gonna write a song for each painting but I found out the composer Igor Stravinsky had beaten me to that idea. You can’t compete with him so I had to change things. Instead I drew from my own experience.

“The track ‘Drunk For Fifteen Years’ features vocals by Waterford singer Katie Kim, who is another friend. That song is about a guy in hospital after a mammoth drinking session. Again, there are ghosts and spirits in the lyrics; that seems to be a recurring theme. I think there’s a lot of mystery to booze, the psychological effect it has on you when you drink and the downer you can get if you overdo it. Nobody in Ireland really talks about this stuff, beyond platitudes and clichés, so I thought it would be nice explore it in an album.”

The single is released on Svengali.

https://martinmackie.bandcamp.com/

Slyrydes Release ‘Mental Health’

On the 1st of March 2019, Slyrydes released their debut single ‘Mental Health’. The single and video are available on all major platforms now.

Formed in late 2013 as a side project, Slyrydes is now the main focus for all concerned. The project started as a reaction to what the band saw as a lot of really bland music filling the airwaves and a love of the Punk and New Wave of the late 70’s and early 80’s.

High profile support gigs quickly followed with Fight Like Apes and Palma Violets and PEACE, on top of some festival appearances and regular headline shows around Ireland. Slyrydes were formed as a live band and are most comfortable in the live arena, Although the end of 2018 saw the lads record their first official release with Daniel Doherty (Fontaines DC,Murder Capital,Vulpynes, Galants) at Darkland recording studios in Dublin.

As a result of sending out preview copies of the single ‘Mental Health’ in January 2019 Slyrydes were featured as one of the top 8 emerging Irish bands by Nialler9. Subsequently Today FM’s Paul McLoone and Kate Brennan Harding have championed the band by frequently playing the single and facilitating a live session for The Paul McLoone show in February.

The Thin air premiered the video for the single on March 1st. Slyrydes are primarily based in Galway.

Pale Blue Moon Announce Album and Single

Pale Blue Moon are set to release their debut album ‘The Pleasure of Finding Things Out’, following a year of working with American producer Brian Sperber (Staind, Alter Bridge, Myles Kennedy, Moby, Feeder, Madonna). 

They are currently based in Drogheda, County Louth. Each member of the group has had success previously with other groups and singer Shane Kelly, approached each of them with the idea of forming a new partnership, which soon morphed into Pale Blue Moon.

Previously they toured with Shane MacGowan and the Popes, touring extensively across Ireland, the UK, Scandinavia and the USA.

After taking time out to write and record the new Pale Blue Moon album, the group are now preparing for the album release and to begin touring across Ireland.

While mixing the album a near-catastrophe occurred as frontman Shane Kelly unbelievably suffered a stroke, which left him hospitalised for four months. Otherwise healthy, this was a huge blow and shock to Shane and the band as they were set to release and promote their debut album. However, Shane was determined to continue and while hospitalised and going through rehab, Shane continued to finish mixing the album from his hospital bed, via Skype with their producer in New York. Incredibly, Shane made a full recovery. It was only after long deliberations that Shane agreed to include his experience of having a stroke in the band press release, after he concluded that sharing his experience may help others in similar life-changing situations and give them hope.

Single ‘Supernatural’ is now available to pre order on iTunes and will be released worldwide 15 March 2019.

Live Shows:
Thurs 28 March @ 7pm Dublin, The Sound House – https://www.facebook.com/events/365177924320071/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaleBlueMoonMusic

Finnian Announces Release of Debut Single

Finnian is a songwriter from Dundalk, Ireland. Over the last number of years he has toured extensively throughout his home country and Europe. He recently supported David Keenan on his Irish Tour and is now releasing the first single ‘Even Flow’ from his fourth coming album ‘Under The Influence’.

Finnian started out as a folk based singer- songwriter renowned for a strong and dynamic vocal. He has been praised by peers in the industry and audiences throughout Ireland and Europe for his honest, clever and thought provoking lyrics and although playing as a solo acoustic based artist is something that he thoroughly enjoys and executes with a passion and energy that has received critical acclaim he decided to add another dynamic to his music.

Just over a year ago he put together a band of greatly accomplished musicians in their own right and submerged himself in the hunt for a new sound. Something that would merge lyrics and music more consistently.

His first full album ‘Under The Influence’ due for release in Summer 2019 is the embodiment of two years of hard work and is a hugely ambitious yet solid projection of that sound he was searching for. Nine tracks recorded to tape it is a throwback to 70’s style production and yet has a completely contemporary vibe, produced by Peter Baldwin of Blackmountain Studio. It was mixed by Grammy award winning engineer Ben Kane ( D’Angelo, The Roots, Nora Jones, Emily King) and Sees him collaborate with some of Ireland’s finest talent including Jess Kav of Barq and Booka Brass to name a few.

https://www.facebook.com/Finnianmusic/
https://twitter.com/finnianmusic
https://www.instagram.com/finnianmusic/

Sina Theil Reaches No1 in Irish Country Download Charts

‘Rock & Roll To My Country Soul’ and b-side ‘Johnny B. Goode’ are the new singles from rising Country Rock artist Sina Theil and charted at #1 and #2 in the Irish Country Download Charts. The tracks were released on the 28th of February and are available on all major download services including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, CDBaby, etc.

Furthermore, ‘Rock & Roll To My Country Soul’ was voted “Song of the Week” on Kildare’s Kfm Radio. The song was given to Sina by Nashville native and rising American Country Star Jenny Tolman, whose songs have been praised by many – including the Rolling Stone Magazine. The duelling guitar and fiddle riffs make the song a perfect marriage between Country and Rock & Roll and has an instant toe tapping effect on the listener.

Sina will be launching her new single at a series of gigs, including The Workman’s Club (Dublin) on the 7th of March. The gig is in aid of non-profit organization Tiglin who operate under the motto “life beyond addiction”. Sina will be performing with a 6 piece band, including Billy Condon and Louie Burgoyne, who have performed with Irish icons such as The Dubliners and Ray Lynam through the years. Tickets are €10 and can be purchased at www.downdaroad.com or at the door. Special guests are Americana artists Jem Mitchell, Steve Duffy, Terrie Gray and Country duo “The Ennis Brothers” who will be performing their latest chart success ‘Wake Up Little Susie’.

This year, Sina Theil is nominated for an award at the prestigious Hot Country TV Awards, which will take place on the 29th of April at the Slieve Russel Hotel (Cavan), where herself and her band will also be performing. Her music has surpassed 5.2 Million radio listener impressions and 1,860 radio plays.

The former BIMM student & Downda Road Productions have a lot in the pipeline for 2019, including an exciting collaboration with acclaimed singer-songwriter SON (aka Susan O’Neill; vocalist with King Kong Company and guest performer on the Sharon Shannon tour), an original single & album which are already well in the making and much more.

All her music is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and all major download services and a very limited catalog on Spotify. The new singles can be purchased following the below links:

For tour dates and more information, follow Sina Theil and Downda Road Productions on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sinatheilmusic
Websites: www.sinatheil.com
Twitter: @SinaTheil
Instagram: @SinaTheil

Keywest Sign with Marshall Records

Keywest are set to release their brand new single ‘Somebody To Love’ on the 22 March 2019. The single is the first to be released off their upcoming Marshall Records debut album ‘Ordinary Superhero’.

In a move that will build on their massive success to date, Keywest signed a worldwide recording deal with internationally renowned label Marshall Records in November 2018, showcasing their talents at the BBC Introducing live event in London and performing at the RTE 2FM Xmas Ball at the 3Arena in Dublin. Marshall is more than just an amp manufacturing brand. Marshall is a music brand. Jim Marshall’s passion for music was the driver for all that he achieved. This same motivation is at the heart of Marshall Records. The label supports musicians to create, record, produce and promote their music.

Keywest will release their Marshall Records debut album ‘Ordinary Superhero’ in 2019 and are embarking on a nine-country tour across Europe this March and April 2019. ‘Ordinary Superhero’ has been mixed and mastered at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London by Paul Pritchard and Christian Wright respectively.

The band’s debut album ‘The Message’ entered the top 20 in Ireland, second album ‘Joyland’ went to Number 1 in Ireland in 2015, and third album ‘True North’ went to Number 3 in Ireland and they had a string of radio hits such as ‘Carousel’, ‘This Is Heartbreak’, ‘This Summer’, ‘Something Beautiful’ and ‘Cold Hands’. The band sold out shows across Ireland, including three Dublin sell out shows at The Olympia Theatre, The Academy and Whelans, all within 10 months. In addition to sold out shows the band have been seen at festivals like British Summer Time, Country 2 Country and Country Music Week in London and Longitude and Electric Picnic festivals in Ireland.

Keywest are widely known for their explosive live performances. The four-piece Dublin based band comprises of Kav, Glover, Jimi and Harry. The band formed after being introduced during a trip to Los Angeles where they became friends. Starting out in Dublin, the band found the gig scene in Ireland very slow and began busking, taking their sound directly to the people of Ireland. Whilst honing their sound and style the band became famous and well known for busking on Shop Street in Galway and Grafton Street in Dublin.

‘Somebody To Love’ the first single taken from Keywest’s upcoming  Marshall Records debut ‘Ordinary Superhero’ is out  22 March 2019, with the album to follow in 2019. Keywest kick off their nine-country tour across Europe in March 2019.

Tour Dates

28 March 2019 – Belfast – Limelight
29 March 2019 – Dublin – Olympia Theatre
30 March 2019 – Liverpool – O2 Academy
02 April 2019 – London – Borderline
03 April 2019 – Birmingham – O2 Institute 3
04 April 2019 – Manchester – Academy 3
06 April 2019 – Glasgow – Garage
08 April 2019 – Munich – Kranhalle
10 April 2019 – Berlin – Fraanz Club
11 April 2019 – Hamburg – Haekken
13 April 2019 – Cologne – Artheater
15 April 2019 – Paris – Les Etoiles
18 April 2019 – Amsterdam – Melkweg
21 April 2019 – Kilkenny – Set Theatre
27 April 2019. Galway – Black Box

Paul Tiernan Announces Album and Tour

Paul Tiernan: the man who in 2008 had a song (‘How To Say Goodbye’) in Hollywood teen cult movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, who once played with the legendary Donovan, who has 7 solo albums released, who has played his trusty mandola with Nick Harper, Boo Hewerdine, Robyn Hitchcock, Mark Geary, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Sinead Lohan, Katell Keineg and Glen Hansard to name but a few. He also sang and played the same trusty mandola on Morcheeba’s album ‘Blood Like lemonade’ (released June 2010). In 2011 ‘How To Say Goodbye’ was in the English, Australian and Mexican Top 30 iTunes singer-songwriter charts.

Before we forget, also a member of cult Irish band Interference who’s song of beauty and wonder ‘Gold’ featured in Oscar winning Irish film ‘Once’ and is now a huge Broadway hit.

Paul will be touring Ireland March to June 2019 promoting his new album‘The Invisible Man’.

‘The Invisible Man’ will be released in March 2019. The songs on it are dedicated to and inspired by all the invisible men, woman and children in the world.

Paul’s last CD ‘The Mystery Of Others’ was released in April 2015 and signaled a departure from his previous releases. CD Baby described it as a, “A sensual concoction of musical mysteries, god, blood, love and the pursuit of happiness.”

Musician.ie said, “Great voices singing great songs, the simplicity of this formula delivered so beautifully has resulted in Paul Tiernan creating an album that is truly a gift to anyone who buys it.”

On tour Paul will be accompanied by Maurice Seezer, former musical partner with Gavin Friday and composer who has written or co-written numerous film scores including Angel Baby (1995), The Boxer (1997), Disco Pigs (2000), In America (2002), Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005), The Pier (2011).

Friday, March 15th: St Lukes Church, Cork (with Interference)
Tickets €23 Doors 7.30 pm https://www.liveatstlukes.com/
Thursday, April 4th: Coughlans, Cork (with Maurice Seezer)Tickets: €12 Doors 8.30 pm http://www.coughlans.ie/Friday, April 12th: Whelans, Dublin (with Interference)Tickets: €22 Doors: 8 pm http://www.whelanslive.com/
Thursday, April 18th: Central Arts Theatre, Waterford
Tickets €15 Doors 8pm
Sunday, April 21st: Levis, Ballydehob, West Cork (with Maurice Seezer)
Tickets €10 Doors 7pm (early concert) http://www.leviscornerhouse.com/
Friday, May 10th: The Hotspot, Greystones, Co Wicklow
Tickets: €10 Doors: 8 pm http://thehotspot.ie/
Friday, May17th: The Weir Folk club, Wallis bar, Midleton, Co. Cork (with Maurice Seezer)
Saturday, June 15th: The High Tide Club, Castletownbere, Co. Cork (with Maurice Seezer)
Friday, June 21st: DC music club, 20, Camden Row, Dublin 2
Tickets: €12 Doors: 8.30 pm http://www.musiclee.ie/  

www.paultiernan.com
www.facebook.com/paultiernanmusic

Sarah-Beth Releases ‘Make Me Feel Alive’

Sarah-Beth is celebrating the release of her new single ‘Make Me Feel Alive’.

‘Make Me Feel Alive’ was produced by Kevin J Power, who has succeeded in capturing Sarah-Beth’s unique vision in studio with the help of band members Aaron O’Sullivan, Lee Kennedy and Paul Brennan.

‘Make Me Feel Alive’ takes you on a lyrical journey, painting the scene of a dormant town filled with desolation, lack of hope and a longing to escape. As a follow-up to ‘Let Me In’, her ambient, dance-infused track of the summer, Sarah-Beth takes things in a similar direction with this latest single.

You can expect more music to come from this lady in the near future that is sure to make you feel alive!

Soulé Releases Debut EP

Today, 1st March, Soulé releases her debut EP ‘Love Cycle’.

“This EP is quite personal. A lot of the stories I speak on in this project are of relationships I have been in and are stories of relationships that I have witnessed. There is beauty in love and also dark times, I really wanted to speak on that in the Ep. That’s why I chose the name ‘Love CYCLE’ for the EP. Being in love with someone really is acycle, even when you aren’t on good terms the love you feel forthem never just disappears it lingers for a while until you are ready to move on and go on that journey again. It’s all a cycle.”

Soulé is the leading force in a new wave of emerging Irish music. The Dublin based electronic pop artist is here to make her mark with her bass heavy sound and soft – soulful vocals. Born in London and raised in Dublin seaside town of Balbriggan, the singer songwriter’s innate charisma, natural talent and electronic pop influenced tunes have garnered her a cool, multi million streams on Spotify.

Craving out her own sound, her own way, her debut single ‘Love No More’ received underground acclaim and was nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Awards’ 2016 Song of the Year. Her second single, the infectious dance jam, ‘Good Life’ was also nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Awards’ 2017 Song of the Year. Within this momentous year, Soulé established her sound with her upbeat and catchy hits ‘Troublemaker’ and ‘What Do You Know’ that have surged well past the coveted multi-million plays mark on Spotify and Apple Music.

In just 18 short months, Soulé was named RTÉ 2FM Rising Artist and the GoldenPlec Pick, as well as was one of the most talked-about acts at 2017’s Electric Picnic where she performed multiple times.50 A natural performer, she went on to partner with Jameson taking part at their famous Live Bow Street Sessions, played the famous Other Voices show in Berlin, sold out her first headline show at the 1,000 capacity Button Factory in Dublin and appeared on the ‘Imelda May New Year’s Eve Special’ on RTÉ One.

What’s more, in 2018 Soulé performed at Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) in Holland, on RTE’s Other Voices – Ireland’s longest running music TV series and was selected as an AIB Bank Future Sparks ambassador, inspiring and encouraging students all over Ireland to reach their career potential.
Hitting the festival season with a bang, her energetic live shows at Pride, Forbidden Fruit and Body & Soul were just the start of a busy summer for Soulé who recently headlined the Lifestyle Sports Stage at the highly anticipated Irish festival of the year, Longitude. For Soulé, being a part of such a stellar line up with artists she respects and admires such as Solange, SZA, Sigrid, Alma, Travis Scott, J.Cole, Khalid, Princess Nokia and The Internet was a “pinch myself” dreamlike moment.

Pursuing her passion for travel, Soulé graduated with a degree in Tourism, Law with French from the Dublin Institute of Technology where she enjoyed an exchange program at Disneyland in Paris. On her return and in her final months of her degree she accompanied a good friend who was recording at Dublin based studio, Diffusion Lab in 2014 to collaborate on a track. This honest introduction ignited her musical journey when she found like-minded souls in the Diffusion Lab team.

The ground breaking Irish DIY production unit and artist development collective who encouraged Soulé to experiment and define her unique sound. This lead to the release of her debut single ‘Love No More’ in her final year of university. Being part of the Diffusion Lab family, surrounded by positive energy and making friends with her fellow emerging artists including Jafaris, Rushes, Flynn, Day_s have egged her on to do great things.

Soulé harnesses the energy of her idols – hugely inspired by Erykah Badu, Janet Jackson, MNEK, Zara Larson, SZA, Solange and Lauryn Hill to name a few! Her own style is genre-bending having evolved from a new cross-genre generation. Soulé’s sound at its core is electronic pop but her music draws on various influences from Drum & Bass, Neo-Soul, Dance and R&B. Her creations showcase the contrast of her soulful visceral voice over beds of thumping electronic beats, married with classic 90’s inspired harmonies. A passionate singer songwriter who blends irresistible, catchy music with unapologetic lyrics about heartbreak and reclaiming confidence in love and life.

The excitement around Soulé continues to grow rapidly and her ambition to take her sound beyond the confines of Ireland is echoed by her peers Hare Squead, Jafaris, Reejie Snow and the Rusangano Family, as a core part of a new breed of Irish artists who are just a step away from making a major international breakthrough.



Brian Crosby Releases ‘In Our Own Words’ Score

Brian Crosby releases his score for the documentary ‘In Our Own Words’ directed by Alan Gilsenan and produced by Yellow Asylum Films. Recorded late last year, the soundtrack is anchored around a prepared upright piano with elements of electronica, haunting drones  and violin by Colm Mac Con Iomaire.

On the release, Brian says that he has been planning on releasing his own solo piano material for some years and by writing music within the context of a film score allowed him to escape his own procrastinations. 

Brian is an Irish composer, producer and multi instrumentalist working primarily in music for film and TV. He was a founding member of the band Bell X1 as well as the creator of the Cake Sale and a central collaborator of Starboard Home project. Brian writes and records music from his studio on the south east coast of Ireland.

www.briancrosby.com

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