Crash
Ensemble is Ireland’s leading new music ensemble; a group of world-class
musicians who play the most adventurous, ground-breaking music of today.
To mark their 20th anniversary, Crash Ensemble presented CrashLands – new works from 20 Irish and international composers, premiered in rural locations scattered across their native homeland of Ireland.
CrashLands,
the album, is the studio recording of nineteen of those works by some of the
leading composers of new music – Peter Adriaansz, Gerald Barry, Ed Bennett,
Linda Buckley, Séan Clancy, Ann Cleare, Tansy Davies, Donnacha Dennehy, Roger
Doyle, Amanda Feery, Michael Gordon, Andrew Hamilton, David Lang, Paul Lansky,
Kate Moore, Nico Muhly, Naomi Pinnock, Kevin Volans and Julia Wolfe.
Officially
released Saturday 14th September, via Crash Records. Listen/buy the
album here:
Crash
ensemble also commissioned filmmakers Feel Good Lost and Laura Sheehan to
capture and respond to this intimate portrait of new music in Ireland. As much
a tribute to the stunning landscapes of Ireland as it is a concert tour,
CrashLands created a magical experience for live audiences. Watch
CrashLands videos at https://www.crashensemble.com/crashlands
“Crash Ensemble, an Irish new-music
collective with international cachet and
considerable chops.” –The Washington Post
FUNDING
All
works commissioned by Crash Ensemble with support from the Arts Council of
Ireland. Recording supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin
City Council.
To celebrate ten years of music And So I Watch You From Afar finish the year with five very special performances of their debut album in Ireland this Christmas.
This award winning album was a hugely significant
moment in the lives of this gang of punk-come-art-rockers and was the beginning
of a journey that has seen the north coast foursome play tours across the world
year on year from the USA to Russia, Asia to Australia, Europe to UK and
everywhere in between.
Long famed for their genre twisting albums and incendiary live performances the band decided to celebrate this special 10-year anniversary the only way they knew how and in the venues it all began, this will be the only and last opportunity to see this album played in full.
Tickets available from Ticketmaster.ie and outlets Nationwide now.
Friday, 27 December 2019 – Kilkenny, Set Theatre
Saturday, 28 December 2019 – Limerick, Dolan’s
Sunday, 29 December 2019 – Cork, Cyprus Avenue
Monday, 30 December 2019 – Galway, Roisin Dubh
Tuesday, 31 December 2019 – Dublin, Whelan’s (New
Year’s Eve)
Clare music lovers are in for yet another great treat with
renowned Ennis based singer-songwriter Mick Flannery set to play in Liscannor.
The family-friendly evening gig, on Sunday September 29th, takes place at the
Cliffs of Moher Hotel. It is part of the popular Anam Music series of
concerts.
While the Cork native might be seen as outwardly reserved, Flannery’s songs are fluent in expressing layered aspects of the human condition, its flaws, triumphs, and general uncertainty. An award-winning, double-platinum selling artist, Mick Flannery has not only Just released his self-titled sixth album which went straight to No. 1, but also oversaw the world premier of the stage musical, ‘Evening Train’ (named after his 2007 debut album).
As musical influences from albums by the likes
of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits seeped into his
creative DNA, Mick absorbed, learned and honed the craft that would send him on
his way into the world. The path was smoothed somewhat when, at the age of 19,
he became the first Irish songwriter to win the Nashville-based International
Songwriting Competition. By the time he turned 21, he had signed to a major
label and released his debut album. With his latest release, Mick touches on
loose themes of ambition and the search for a meaningful life in the context of
a musician’s sometimes feckless and dysfunctional lifestyle. Threading a line
throughout is Mick’s uncanny knack for blending melody with thought-provoking
lyrics.
Rubyworks are very happy to welcome David Keenan to the label. The Dundalk-born story-teller has developed a loyal, ever-growing following over the last couple of years with a series of acclaimed self-released EPs, building his own sound-world of songs and characters, while mapping out and shaping his debut album. Over the coming months, both established fans and new-comers will have the opportunity to discover the myriad talents of this preternatural new talent.
Says David: “I’d like to share the news with you all that I have signed with the Independent Irish label Rubyworks. I’ve always trusted my gut, listening to whispered advice stirred up from the subconscious. The songs are the self, the soil of the soul and the decision to allow them more time to breathe as an album came first with the decision to collaborate with Rubyworks coming shortly after.”
Initially scheduled for a summer release, David Keenan’s first album -‘A Beginners Guide To Bravery’ – will be released on Rubyworks on Friday 10th January 2020. The first taste of the record came on Friday 13th September, with the release of ‘Tin Pan Alley’, accompanied with a video shot live in Hellfire studios in the Dublin mountains.
Of ‘Tin Pan Alley’, David says: “‘Tin Pan Alley’ came to me many moons ago. In a foreign flat, the thoughts of my daily reprieves flooding my head. Namely, walking the streets of London in the pissings of rain, absorbed by the narrow cobbled streets whose only purpose it seemed to me was to lead a man to another point of bewildered fascination.
The atmosphere thickened at night and from the cigarette smoke and fog came wordsmiths and melody men whose names had long since been lost, save for a yellowed newspaper article I’d found in a drawer of my digs, interminably waiting for a God or a Godot or a lost lover to dance that last slow dance before the sun woke up.
That’s what I was seeing as the song revealed itself. That’s what I see now, except the faces have changed. I was alone in reality, but in the song I was not.”
A Beginner’s Guide To Bravery starts with the release of ‘Tin Pan Alley’ on Rubyworks on Friday 13th September.
David Keenan tour dates:
15th September – Symphony Hall, Birmingham* 16th September – De Montford Hall, Leicester* 17th September – St. David’s Hall, Cardiff* 19th September – Apollo Theatre, Manchester* 20th September – City Hall, Sheffield* 22nd September – City Hall, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne* 24th September – Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow* 25th September – Usher Hall, Edinburgh* 27th September – Corn Exchange, Cambridge* 28th September – Guildhall, Southampton* 30th September, 1st, 3rd, 4th & 5th October – The Palladium Theatre, London* *supporting Hozier 7th October – The Islington, London (headline show) 17th October – The Bowery Electric, New York City 22nd, 23rd, 24th & 25th October – Irish Arts Centre, New York City 1st November – Puca Festival – Drogheda, IE 2nd Nov – Crossing Borders Festival – The Hague, NL 30th Nov – Skylite Room, Warrenpoint, NI 7th December – Ruby Room, Castlebar, IE 14th December – Roisin Dubh, Galway, IE 15th December – Dolans Warehouse, Limerick, IE 19th December – INEC, Killarney, IE 20th December – Live at St Luke’s, Cork, IE 22nd & 23rd December – Spirit Store, Dundalk, IE
2020
11th January -The Empire, Belfast, NI 13th January – The Olympia, Dublin, NI 5th March – Edinburgh, Mash House, Edinburgh, UK 6th March – Glasgow, King Tut’s 7th March – Surf Cafe, Newcastle, UK 8th March – Yes, Manchester, UK 10th March – The Cookie Jar, Leicester, UK 11th March – Cafe Totem, Sheffield, UK 12th March – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, UK 13th March – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, UK 15th March – Portland Arms, Cambridge, UK 16th March – The Joiners, Southampton, UK 17th March – Moth Club, London, UK 19th March – Le Pop-Up du Label, Paris, FR 21st March – Paradiso (upstairs), Amsterdam, NL 22nd March – Brotfabrik, Frankfurt, DE 25th March – Papiersaal, Zurich, CH 26th March – Ampere, Munich, DE 27th March – Chelsea, Vienna, AU 28th March – Chapeau Rouge, Prague, CZ 30th March – Poglos, Warsaw, PL 1st April – Badehaus, Berlin, DE 2nd April – Nochtspeicher, Hamburg, DE 3rd April – Ideal Bar, Copenhagen, DK 4th April – Krøsset, Olso, NO *supporting Hozier
Jane Willow has released her new single ‘Rise Above It All’ in
anticipation of her full band show in Whelan’s on Friday Sept 27th. Her new single ‘Rise Above It All’ is a folk-pop
offering with influences ranging from Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan to Joni Mitchell. Jane
will also play a run of double headline shows across Ireland with Hubert
Murray.
Jane Willow is a Dublin-based
folk musician. She’s performed at Vicar Street, Whelan’s, Temple Bar Tradfest,
Body & Soul and Electric Picnic. She’s supported the likes of Glen Hansard, The
Unthanks, Kíla, David Kitt and Mark Geary.
On her debut EP ‘Onward Still’ (Nov ‘18) she collaborated with
musicians Dave Hingerty (drums: Kíla, Josh Ritter), Vyvienne Long (cello:
Damien Rice).
Her previous single ‘The Fool’ reached the finals of Radio Nova Discovered with radio DJ Colm Hayes picking it as his favourite song. A headline full band show will take place in Whelan’s on Friday Sept 27th.
Emmett Collum (percussion), Mark Prunty (bass, guitar/vocals), Podge Gill (guitar/vocals), Ross McNerney (banjo/mandolin/keys), are Brave Giant. A band rooted in an inherited love for trad & folk, moulded, morphed and inspired by indie & alternative influences. Based in Longford the band released its first commercial track in April 2016, the still hugely popular ‘Lordy Lordy’.
In just three years, Brave Giant has gone from selling out two nights Upstairs at Whelan’s, Dublin to the band’s biggest headline show to date at The Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Saturday November 9th, also going to sell out. The band has also seen it’s Spotify streams grow to over 2.5 million during the last year, and online video views in the same region.
The first single from this debut album, ‘Decorate Your Mind’, described by Hot Press as “a powerhouse of a track, as anthemic and propulsive as it is dark and atmospheric.” stormed into the Top 3 on release in July. The lead single, ‘Wizards And Witches’, is available now.
Emmett, Mark, Podge and Ross teamed up with one of the country’s most respected musicians and producers Gavin Glass of Orphan Recording, to record the debut long play which sees a slight change in direction for the band. A sound Gavin (producer) affectionately refers to… “it’s like David Guetta meets The War On Drugs.”
Brave Giant is delighted to be having the official album launch show on home ground. The Backstage Theatre, Longford town, on Sunday October 6th. Tickets sold out within the day when they went on sale last week.
To coincide with the album release Brave Giant also hit the road, the following dates are now on sale. Tickets on sale from venue sites and also Tickets.ie**
Backstage Theatre, Longford – Sunday October 6th – (Hometown album launch show) – Sold Out **Dolans, Limerick – Friday October 11th **Roisin Dubh, Galway – Saturday October 12th Cyprus Avenue, Cork – Thursday October 17th Acoustic Room INEC, Killarney – Friday October 18th Festival Club @ Andersons Live, Sligo Live Festival – Saturday October 19th The Hub, Kilkenny – Friday November 1st (with the Coronas) – Sold out The Hub, Kilkenny – Sunday November 3rd (with The Coronas) Olympia Theatre, Dublin – Saturday November 9th (very limited tickets remain from ticketmaster.ie)
This summer, the four-piece were delighted to be part of the festival line up at #DDFIO (Dubai Duty Free Irish Open) festival in Lahinch, gave a storming top-three billing performance at Kaleidoscope Festival in June, and likewise in August on the main stage at Indiependence Festival 2019, and kicked off 2019 festival season on June 1st with Day Tripper Festival in Waterford alongside Gavin James and Hudson Taylor.
Live highlights from last year include sharing a stage with Hozier, Walking on Cars and other highly-respected Irish artists at the 2FM Christmas Ball at the 3Arena in December, two further sold-out headline shows in Dublin at The Button Factory and opening band’s live record in London with three sell-out headline shows.
Since releasing its first commercial track in 2016 (‘Lordy Lordy’), Brave Giant has sold-out all its headline shows in Dublin and numerous across the country together with having a string of top 5 singles including ‘The Time I Met The Devil’ and two number one’s with ‘Way To Love’ and ‘Somebody’s Someone.’ Opening for Picture This on the final night of the band’s five-night Olympia run in 2017 will always be very special. Not shy to festival season either, in the three years to date some of the band’s summer festival performances include Longitude, Sea Sessions, and Electric Picnic. Indeed in 2018, over 5,000 people turned out to see the band live in their home county at the Longford Town Festival.
‘Notions’ is the breakout single from Shookrah’s self titled debut album, which is set for release October 25th.
The Cork/Dublin based quintet stormed the Irish urban music scene six years ago, calling us to attention with power anthems such as ‘W.O.M.A.N’ (Implicit Content EP) and Gerascophobia (Clichés EP). Their fresh take on contemporary R&B has been regarded by the likes of Wonderland Magazine, Afropunk and MusicWeek, heralding them as Ireland’s “soul-delirium” answer to The Internet. Radio have been supportive with airplay on RTÉ 2FM, RedFM, Cork’s 96FM, RTÉ Radio1, 98FM, RTÉ 2XM and Radio Na Life!
If ‘Don’t Wanna Doubt You’ (debut single from album) served as an optimistic and bubbling “love instruction set to music”, then ‘Notions’ recapitulates this frayed but familiar romance with Sunset Boulevard-esque synth hooks and cha-cha-cha peppered percussion.
Following a busy and successful 2017 and 2018 (Billy Ocean and Theo Katzman support for their respective Irish tours, The Irish Time’s ‘Best Irish Act 2017, and ‘50 People To Watch in 2018’ amongst a slew of festival headlines), the gang knuckled down to write and record their debut album in Heavy Meitheal Studios with Brendan Fennessy (O Emperor).
Features include rapper and Choice Music Award winner God Knows (Rusangano Family) and Dan Walsh (Fixity, Senior Infants) on percussion with Shookrah sticking to their DIY roots on production.
Expect themes of romance, fractured relationships, feminism and other intersectional issues from Senita’s lyrics, while the band exhibit a well considered balance of discipline and dexterity to their arrangements.
Shookrah the album is set for release October 25th, with Irish & European tour dates to follow soon after.
Senita says of ‘Notions’:
“‘Notions’ is an ode to and lament of the energy and time we’ve all wasted at one point or another staying in dysfunctional relationships. It’s a recognition of faults committed to the other and yourself in seeking out traits other than those presented to you, which disqualifies the question of who was right or wrong and bares the reality of how hollow we become when we want something so bad that a tarnished version of it will do. The notion of a person is all we have until we get to know them, and too often the notion of change and/or submission takes over and wares on our patience until there’s nothing left to love. I wanted to capture the unwillingness to let go of that someone, not because you’re desperately in love, but because you’re desperately unsure of who you are and what you want.”
Date: 29th November 2019 Time: 7pm Location: IMRO, Copyright House, Pembroke Row, Dublin 2 Tickets: €8 via Eventbrite
Panel Discussion . Live
Performance . Art . Zines
This panel discussion puts live music centre-stage. Some of the most common questions directed at the SelfMade initiative revolve around navigating the live music scene, from advice about performance nerves to the practicalities of getting on the road. This event brings together new and seasoned musicians and live music experts to discuss the steps of building a live profile and how the live scene has impacted their careers.
Featuring..
ÆMAK, Ailbhe Reddy, Gráinne Hunt & Mango Dassle
Hosted by Úna Molloy
What’s it all about?
The Going Live panel will look at some of the fundamental questions about building a live music presence. What do promoters expect when they hear from a new artist? How does your live activity help to strengthen your releases? What is the role of an agent? What are the practicalities of applying for festivals and booking your first tour? What have you learned, loved and hated in your years on the live scene? This discussion aims to give new artists genuine advice on how to self-manage their booking and live promotion, how to plan and budget for their first tour, and looking ahead to build a team around their live-project. The discussion will wrap up with a Q&A session with the audience. Following the SelfMade format, the event will open and close with live, stripped back performances – from Gráinne Hunt and Ailbhe Reddy.
What is SelfMade?
A platform to explore DIY music in Ireland through performance, discussion, and art, with a strong focus on women in music. Their goal is to celebrate the work of DIY musicians and to create a supportive space to explore the realities of getting a music career off the ground. SelfMade is organised independently by artist, Joanna Bain, and musician/label coordinator, Julie Hough (HAVVK, Veta Records) in collaboration with a collective of Irish musicians.
Aiken Promotions proudly presents Squarehead with special guests Soft On Crime live at The Workman’s Club, 12th October 2019. Tickets €12.00 inclusive of booking fee available from Ticketmaster now.
Squarehead formed in 2010. Since then they’ve released a slew of albums, singles and EPs. Their sound ranges from 1950s-tinged bubblegum pop to a more aggressive 1990s alt rock, with space jams in-between. Vocalist/guitarist Roy Duffy and Bass player/backing vocalist Ian McFarlane met in the oppressive environment of an all-male Catholic boys’ school. The grey uniforms and greyer Dublin skies inspired the pair to find colour and beauty in music. Both after school and every summer was dedicated to forming a psychic bond which, to this day, serves them well when crafting their songs. Following a brief foray into math rock in the mid-2000s, the two began working on some of Roy’s acoustic demos. The sound that emerged was softer, hookier and truer than previous efforts. They released their first single, “Fake Blood”, in 2010 through James Byrne’s (Villagers) Any Other City label, and the song went on to be voted ‘Song Of The Year’ by readers of the Irish music blog Nialler9.
Having tried out numerous percussionists, they eventually settled on local drummer-for-hire Ruan Van Vliet. At that time Ruan boasted to playing in more than 9 bands, much to the guys’ dismay. Fortunately, that didn’t stop the trio from recording their first album, ‘Yeah Nothing’, which was released by Irish indie titan The Richter Collective in 2011.
Two solid years of touring, festivals and recording followed, interspersed with a countless stream of singles, split albums, covers and collaborations. The band toured the USA for the first (and second and third) time taking in the usual SXSW, CMJ, CMW and Eurosonic showcases. By 2013, they were eager to record their next album, having built up some serious chops on the road. The recording sessions for the band’s next album, ‘Respect’, should have been a warning sign. 17 songs were recorded in 3 days (whittled down to 11 for the album) found the guys firing on all cylinders and channelling their heaviest, angriest and saddest influences. Mixed and mastered within a week, the trio self-released ‘Respect’ in late 2013 to public and critical acclaim. A video for the single ‘2025’ was directed by actor Domhnall Gleeson.
In 2014, Roy, Ian and Ruan decided to take a brief step back. While still writing and rehearsing weekly, the band played only a handful of dates and festivals. Following this rest period they began assembling material in earnest for their third album proper. 2016 and 2017 were used for multiple recording sessions with ‘Respect’ producer Leslie Keye whilst also finding time to tour the UK and Ireland with like-minded friends Frankie Cosmos.
After nearly a decade in the game, this new body of work finds Squarehead still learning, growing and exploring their sound with the help of synth/keyboard warlock Ruadhan O’Meara (No Spill Blood/Magic Pockets). The guys are very excited to release the album through long-time promoter and Squarehead champion Gugai McNamara’s new Strange Brew label.
Dublin-based pianist Ben Pyne releases his debut album ‘Calm In The Wild’ on September 27th.
The singer-songwriter from Balbriggan in Dublin showcases his ability to perform in a variety of genres, from ‘Open Door’, a jazz piano ballad with shades of James Vincent McMorrow, to ‘Oceans’, an r’n’b track featuring rap artist Deaf Shaman.
The 12-track album features 3 duets, including ‘As Long as I’m Breathing’ with Darragh Pyne:
‘Calm in the Wild’ will be available on Spotify, iTunes and all major platforms on 27th September.
