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Month: October 2019

Gillian Tuite Releases Second Single from Nashville Recording Session

‘The Way You Smile’ is an upbeat folk song about the beauty in daily interactions, and how something as simple as a person’s smile can tell us so much about them.

Co-written by Gillian Tuite and Charlie McGettigan, ‘The Way You Smile’ was recorded at TJ Tunes in Nashville, Tennessee.

The recording features Gillian on guitar and vocals, alongside producer Thomm Jutz (guitar, organ), Mark Fain (bass) and Lynn Williams (drums).

Around the time that Gillian Tuite started playing guitar at the age of ten, she watched Charlie McGettigan on television winning the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids’. It wasn’t long before she sneaked into a bar in her native Oldcastle, Co. Meath to hear him play. By then she was discovering her love of songwriting and fingerstyle guitar in particular, and Charlie became a big influence.

Fast forward a few years and Gillian was thrilled to be invited as a guest on Charlie’s radio programme on Shannonside Northern Sound to promote her debut EP. They have since performed shows together in Cavan, the ‘in the round’ setting lending itself to much fun and lots of collaborations.

It was while performing these concerts that they talked about writing a song together. ‘The Way You Smile’ began, fittingly, as a catchy fingerstyle guitar riff.  The song was inspired by the idea of wanting to connect with someone based on something we see in their smile.

‘The Way You Smile’ was written just days before Gillian flew to Nashville in the summer of 2018 to record with Thomm Jutz, in a session which also produced her most recent single ‘Something We Should Try’.

In preparation for the release of ‘The Way You Smile’, Gillian put a call out among friends, asking for photos of people smiling, and was overwhelmed by the response. These images were compiled in a music video by Declan Cassidy, which provides a wonderful accompaniment to the song.

Pillow Queens Unveil ‘Brothers’

‘Brothers’ is the latest single from Dublin band Pillow Queens. It begins their countdown toward their much anticipated 2020 debut album. The track itself is about cherishing and loving the wonderful men in your life. It touches on a shared grief which drives you to hold dear the memories and moments you have with each other. While this song can be considered one about mourning, its ultimately about the intense love you have for your chosen family.

The track was recorded in Attica Studios, Co. Donegal with producer Tommy McLaughlin. It’s also been released alongside a beautifully cinematic video made with regular collaborator, director Kate Dolan.

2019 saw Pillow Queens venture in mainland Europe, as they lit up the Eurosonic festival and completed a string of tour dates opening for Soak. The tour was a messy and joyous affair captured beautifully in the DIY video for the bands summer single ‘HowDoILook’. Again, the song found a growing number of champions on radio.

Upcoming Dates

Nov 1st – Puca Festival, Trim
Nov 4th – School Night @ Resident, Ireland Week LA
Nov 7th – Iceland Airwaves @ Gaukurinn, Reykjavik

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https://pillowqueens.bandcamp.com/releases

Runabay Announce Next Single

Following a nomination for this year’s Northern Ireland Music Prize, the BBC6Music seal of approval and support from Spotify official playlists, indie-folk band Runabay are back today with their new single ‘How Long’. It’s lifted from their recent debut album ‘Between The Lines’, and offers up shimmering folk guitars alongside yearning strings and indie-rock melodies.

“’How Long’ is a song about the grip of technology on humanity and how communication systems have built new barriers to our interaction,” explains Runabay vocalist and guitarist John McManus. “The lyrics delve into the evolution of tech, its impact on our behaviour and psyche and make the point that whilst trends come and go, it is people who will be there as the only constant in life.”

Following previous singles which earned a stream of national radio plays and gained the accolade of ‘Play Irish Artist of the Week’ twice on Today FM, the band have cemented their place at the forefront of new Irish music with their debut album and its singles. Lush soundscapes and a driving, cinematic intensity power their songs to new heights and skillfully blend earthy folk and soaring indie-rock.

UPCOMING LIVE DATES

Sat. 9 Nov. – Classic Album Revisited: Snow Patrol – Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast
Friday 15 Nov. – Atlantic Sessions Festival – Springhill bar, Portstewart,
Thurs. 28 Nov. – Presenting Between The Lines – Harty Room, Queens University Belfast

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Particpant’s ‘Modern Retelling’ Out Now

‘Modern Retelling’ is the latest release from songwriter and producer Stephen Tiernan under the Participant moniker. A four song EP, ‘Modern Retelling’ marries Tiernan’s masterful use of ambience and texture to songs rooted in acoustic guitar and forthright lyrics. Throughout, Tienan’s unique production ebs and flows aided by beautiful string arrangements from Gareth Quinn Redmond and Éna Brennan (Dowry), with drums performed by Diarmuid Brennan (The Murder Capital). 

‘Modern Retelling’ opens with the brand new songs ‘A Year Of Things I Didn’t Say’ and ‘Death Of A Loved One’. The songs explore anxiety, self worth and mortality with occasional glimpses of humour and self realisation. Previous singles ‘Coast’ and ‘Medicine’ have been remixed and remastered for inclusion and bring the EP to a sonically stunning close. 

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Aodán Coyne Shares Single Ahead of Album Release

Aodán Coyne’s new solo album, ‘Gaps Between Stars’ is scheduled for release on 22nd November. 

The second single in advance of its release is the stunning ‘Honey Wine’. With the album currently on pre-order, ‘Honey Wine’ wis available now. 

“’Honey Wine‘ is a song which recalls the best times spent with the best friends, those amazingly good days spent playing music, laughing, drinking and sharing memories around West Clare.” 

“Some of those friends are now living their own lives abroad. Others have since tragically died to suicide. These friends influenced my life choices, be it with pursuing music as a career or simply soaking up the juice of everyday life. The key takeaway is about cherishing those happy memories that you still have.

The single’s appearance is well-timed alongside a rare trip home these days for the Ennis native. Aodán has just returned from another month touring in the US and is due to hit the road again on November 1st for a European tour with his band Socks In The Frying Pan that takes in Holland, Denmark and France.

‘Chance And Gamble’, the first single from the upcoming album was released earlier this summer. The accompanying video was filmed on the last day of the Dayton Celtic Fest in downtown Dayton, Ohio all around RiverScape MetroPark during Aodán’s summer tour of USA. Aodán says “‘Chance & Gamble’ is about following your heart, taking on life’s challenges and continually pushing forward while dealing with self-doubt. Choosing between the security of family and the turbulent life of following dreams.” He continued, “It’s about taking all that negativity and using it as fuel. “Say that line again”, say it, and I’ll show you what’s possible when you push yourself.”

When at home Aodán frequently guests with his good friend Emma Langford, indeed he will again in November an also adds his musicianship to Emma’s pending new album. 

Live Dates

Thursday October 31st – Monday November 18th – Touring in Denmark, Holland and France 
Tuesday, November 19th – The Urban Co-op, Limerick (International men’s day)
Wednesday, November 20th – Bridge of Song, Bridge St. Bar, Mayo
Friday, November 22nd – The Sanctuary, Ennis, Clare (‘Gaps Between Stars’ Album Launch)
Thursday, November 28th – The Washerwoman, Ballina, Tipperary (With Emma Langford)

Web: www.aodancoyne.com | Facebook: facebook.com/aodancoyne | Instagram: instagram.com/aodancoyne/

Paj to Release Debut EP

After 10 years as a backing singer & guitarist supporting Billy Idol, M People, Grammy nominees Hiatus Kaiyote, Taylor McFerrin & Thundercat, Paj goes it solo and releases his debut EP ‘Pastel’.

Paj celebrates with a full band release show party on November 21st at Twenty Two Dublin (22 St Anne’s Street)

Paj’s modern-soulful vocals sit amongst a bed of vintage  keyboard & guitar tones sparkling through modern electronic production that reference Jordan Rakei, Prince, James Blake, Bon Iver & Moses Sumney. 

His debut track ‘Friends Confused‘ was chosen by RTÉ2FM for the Play the Picnic stage at Electric Picnic 2018, was placed on Spotify’s editorial playlist ‘A Breath of Fresh Eire’ and was a huge hit on PLAYIRISH Radio this year played over 200 times.

‘Pastel’, his debut EP is released November 20th. Written across four years & three continents, what began as a break-up album grew into an artistic manifesto that questions responses to themes of love, death, growth & conflict. 

‘Pastel’ is co-mixed by Scott Halliday who toured with Prince in 2012 as his guitar tech.

The lead single from ‘Pastel’ – ‘Fly On’ – pays tribute to the influence of a mentor and friend who passed away, coming to terms with how they changed our world and left it too soon. The song’s retro ‘boom-bap’ feel is a throwback to late 90’s hip-hop production. 

‘Pastel’ renders an exposure of vulnerability and strength through five songs – his most honest & personal releases yet. Like still-life portraits in a saturated world, ‘Pastel’ reaffirms optimism through colour.

Paj played Another Love Story & Electric Picnic 2019 with fellow Dutch/Irish singer Rob deBoer.

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The Claque Set for The Sound House Date

Aiken Promotions proudly presents The Claque live at The Sound House, Saturday 21st December 2019. Tickets €11.80 on sale Friday at 10AM.

The Claque are Alan Duggan, Kate Brady and Paddy Ormond. Old friends from Dublin and familiar faces in the city’s music scene – the three started the project in 2017 with the aim of combining elements of each other’s tastes to make music that is both challenging and catchy.

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The Riptide Movement Announce Next Single

Off the back of a blistering headline performance at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre and in the middle of their extensive ‘Something Special’ tour, four-piece The Riptide Movement are flying high on the success of their latest EP ‘Something Special’. A triumphant return to form for The Riptide Movement, to date the EP has over 150,000 streams on Spotify since it’s release with current hits ‘I’ll Be There’ & ‘Something Special’ blasting out across national radio.

Like fire and brimstone coming out of your speakers, ‘Is This What We’re All Living For?’ is an electrical storm of thundering, glistening riffs AND lyrics we can all relate to.

‘Something Special Tour 2019’

4 Oct – The Islington, London.
11 Oct – Nochtwoche, Hamburg.
25 Oct – The Limelight, Belfast.
27 Oct – The Olympia Theatre, Dublin.
15 Nov – Mike the Pies, Kerry.
16 Nov – Cyprus Avenue, Cork.
22 Nov – Dolans Warehouse, Limerick.
23 Nov – Kavanaghs, Portlaoise, Laois.
29 Nov – Roisin Dubh, Galway.
13 Dec – Set Theatre, Kilkenny.

With four studio albums to their name – most notably The RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated, Gold selling, Number 1 Album ‘Getting Through’- Dublin four piece The Riptide Movement are renowned for their phenomenal live shows and soaring, guitar driven, energetic tracks. Having toured extensively throughout the world on the back of critically-acclaimed releases ‘All Works Out’, ‘You & I’, ‘Elephant In The Room’, ‘Changeling’, ‘I’ll Be There’ and latest release ‘Something Special’ the Dublin four piece also released an environmentally conscious web series called “Plastic Oceans’ in association with Clean Coasts, which can be streamed from their website www.trm.ie.

‘Is This What We’re All Living For?’ the brand new single from The Riptide Movement, is available on all streaming platforms and digital formats from 1 November 2019.

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spotify:artist:1MuRcEsmTkLsTJZVAxLPqO

Ovie Shares Debut Single and Video

Introducing OVIE, an incredibly talented Irish artist from Dublin. Already an accomplished music director and innovator, he can now add another string to his bow with this extremely infectious & energetic track, ‘Dublin Girl’, released on October 25th.

Ovie is part of a generation of artists who rapidly come to define Irish music. From hip-hop to trap, drill to RnB, soul to Afrobeats, this is the sound of a country in the midst of a cultural revolution.

Having grown up in an African community, and dabbling with rap in his early days, Ovie quickly settled on a mixture of US and African influences. “What I listen to hasn’t actually changed”, he says. “The obvious one is Michael Jackson but Craig David was the only thing I listened to when I was ten. I look back now and think why was I ever rapping because my influences were clearly R&B.”

He explains that while his debut single ‘Dublin Girl’ can certainly be described as R&B he was keen to keep certain cultural aspects within the song, “Musically ‘Dublin Girl’ is a hip hop, RnB, Pop and Afroswing fusion. I made sure to keep certain African elements due the fact that I want it to be something that’s open for me, that I can be in a position to collaborate with other artists in the future.

Speaking about the video he explains, “On the surface it’s a tribute to Irish girls and how beautiful they are but what I really want the audience to take away from the video subconsciously is that Ireland is a very multicultural and ethnically diverse country.” 

Ovie’s name may be familiar to some already. Having co-written and featured on the smash hit ‘Over Me’ by Mark McCabe, which also featured rising Irish pop star Aimee, this track launched Ovie’s music career, placing him in front of Universal Music Ireland which ultimately lead to the release of his debut single.

His music covers global bases. Couple that with a strong sense of self, overwhelming drive and ambition and you have a star in waiting!

Ovie’s debut single ‘Dublin Girl’ was released on October 25th on Universal Music Ireland.

https://www.instagram.com/ov.ie/
https://www.facebook.com/OvieOfficial/

Screaming Orphans Announce Single and Tour

Screaming Orphans latest single ‘Carnival’ is from their chart-topping album ‘Life In A Carnival’ and is due for release on 8 November. This energetic and inventive power pop song uses the carnival as a metaphor for life in general. This latest single shows another side to the wealth of musical styles that this band produces. Screaming Orphans are a band that defies an easy pigeonhole and the instantly catchy opening banjo riff on Carnival hits you from the start.

The band have been touring the U.S and Canada for the past few months playing to large audiences in many states. The band were recently invited to perform the Canadian national anthem at a private event in Kincardine, Ontario. Special guest at this event was Lord Bruce, the great great grandson of the Governer General of Canada.

To promote the new single ‘Carnival’, Screaming Orphans are embarking on a series of Irish shows. This tour sees the Donegal band teaming up with Padraig Stevens and Leo Moran of the Saw Doctors fame for a few shows in Waterford, Cork and Dundalk this November and December. The idea came about after both Screaming Orphans and Padraig and Leo met and played together at the Ohio Celtic Festival in the U.S. this September.

Screaming Orphans, an all-sister band from Donegal, are known worldwide for their award-winning sound, combining their original pop songs with a unique take on traditional Irish music. The band received their break when Sinead O’Connor asked them to join her on her Gospel Oak tour in Europe and North America. Since then they have released 14 albums, topped the iTunes World Music and Billboard Charts, recorded with The Chieftains and Peter Gabriel, and have toured globally.

Padraig Stevens has been involved in music-making all his life both as a performer and a songwriter. His songs have been recorded and performed by Christy Moore, Matt Keane, Eleanor Shanley, The Cabin Collective, Strange Boats, Ann Kirrane, Mike Denver and Michael English but most notably by The Saw Doctors with whom he has been associated since their inception in Tuam. Padraig co-wrote The Saw Doctors hit ‘I Useta Lover’ which became one of the all-time best-selling singles in Ireland. Padraig recorded and performed with The Waterboys, Dé Danann, The Stunning, Blaze X, The Problems. In early 2017 Padraig began performing live with Leo Moran and since has found a new outlet for his songs and storytelling.

Leo Moran is The Saw Doctors co-founder and lead guitarist and has toured extensively through Europe and the United States. Leo co-wrote The Saw Doctors 1990 hit ‘I Useta Lover’. He has also performed and toured with the Waterboys’ Anthony Thistlethwaite.

Catch Screaming Orphans, Padraig Stevens and Leo Moran at these venues in Ireland:

Fri. 29th Nov. The Haven Hotel, Waterford; Tickets €20; www.thehavenhotel.com
Sun. 1st Dec. Cyprus Avenue, Cork; Tickets €17.50; www.cyprusavenue.ie
Sat. 7th Dec. The Spirit Store, Dundalk; Tickets €16.50; www.spiritstore.ie

Also, you can see Screaming Orphans in the Olympia Theatre January 22nd 2020 as part of TradFest. This show features Hothouse Flowers, Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings and Screaming Orphans.

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