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Month: February 2020

Chris Short Announces Debut Release and Launch Gig

Chris Short is a singer and songwriter from Dublin, with an original acoustic style of music. Having only set out on his music performance journey in January 2017, Chris has had a meteoric rise on the circuit over the past two years. Chris has already achieved some great things. Chris was short listed, excuse the pun, in the top 10 for the DublinLive, Nathan Carter – Search for a Star. 2020 is looking bright for Chris Short, with a number of singles due for release in 2020 and a debut EP due early next year. The forthcoming single ‘Your Smile’ has had a number of radio plays already and is available for Pre-Save.

Chris will be releasing his debut single ‘Your Smile’ in The Vintage Room at The Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin. Chris will be joined on the night by the amazing Carol Faherty and the dynamic duo Novaton.

Capacity is restricted in The Vintage Room so tickets will be limited, get yours now to avoid disappointment. 

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/CShortMusic/
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/chris-short-music
Breakingtunes: https://www.breakingtunes.com/chrisshort
Single Release Party: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/chris-short-your-smile-single-release-party-tickets-90397791227?aff=ebdssbeac

New Album from The Lost Brothers Out This Friday

‘After The Fire After The Rain’ is the sixth studio album from Irish duo Oisin Leech and Mark McCausland from Meath and Tyrone respectively. As ever the vocals are haunting and evocative, the playing is soulful and the songs resonate. The album was produced in Brooklyn, New York, by Daniel Schlett and Tony Garnier- Bob Dylan’s bassist and musical director of the last thirty years.

As Dylan’s longest standing band member Garnier has played on many classic albums down the years including Tom Waits’ ‘Rain Dogs’. For the Lost Brothers session, he played a double bass that was once owned by jazz luminary Charles Mingus. “It really was special having Tony come play on the songs- he and Daniel make a really great production team,” says Oisin. The atmosphere of fun, camaraderie and of simply friends making music was something shared by Garnier- “I thoroughly enjoyed helping out on this record- really great tunes and a joy to be around these guys. It’s a spectacular record.

Co-producer Daniel Schlett, who has recently recorded highly acclaimed albums by The War On Drugs and Steve Gunn, played keys and engineered the session. There are also contributions from an all-star cast including M Ward, Howe Gelb, Steve Wickham and Jolie Holland. “It was an honour to have some friends on the album who inspired us in the early days and continue to do so” adds Mark. “Everyone who contributed to the album- we all draw from different parts of the same river.

On this new release Lost Brothers remain true to their love of folk and roots music but the record also reveals a change of horizon. Many of these songs are inspired by the landscape, the weather and the band’s deep connections with the North and South of Ireland. Like much of the music that inspires them, these songs are fortified by water from the wells of home. The result is their most emotionally direct album.

The record came out of a cache of nearly fifty songs. A writing session at an old hotel in County Monaghan had been especially productive. “More than any other album these songs are inspired by our native land and all the beauty of the island with its rain, its dreams and storms.” They sing about the River Boyne on ‘Fugitive Moon’. The Gortin Glen, north of Omagh, was another direction home as was the Hill of Tara, the ancient burial site in County Meath. “These are sacred places to us,” continues Oisin. “If the songs showed any traces of alchemy, we’d keep them and try to develop them.”

The instrumentals too earned their keep and sustained the feeling of reverie. “When you are out on the road for a long spell,” adds Mark “it’s the mundane things you end up longing for from back home. You miss the rain. And when you return, all of a sudden, all those things you took for granted are suddenly magical.

With pre-production taking place in Dublin and Tyrone, the songs were then taken to Strange Weather Studios in Brooklyn. The album was tracked over one week with the band recording live in one room to get an organic live feel. “We tried to catch a certain moment or mood rather than a perfect take,” explains Mark. “If we didn’t capture it in the first couple of tries, we put the song back on the shelf and moved onto the next one. It’s a fast way of working, keeping in the moment, and as a result, the album was pretty much wrapped up in five days.” “It was really exciting to be playing and singing the songs live in the room with Tony and TJ,” adds Oisín “it gave the recordings an energy and an edge that made it feel more like a performance.”

It’s been a remarkable passage for the Lost Brothers. They met in Liverpool when Mark had played with The Basement (Deltasonic Records) and Oisín had featured in The 747s (Island Records) – an older chapter that had included tours with Joe Strummer of The Clash and collaborations with The Arctic Monkeys. As the new Lost Brothers story took wings they immediately started writing songs and making music on their own terms.

The interim years have witnessed a trail of excellent records, international touring and the very significant return that is ‘After The Fire After The Rain’. It’s a personal direction but it also makes a case for perseverance in the face of hostile times and inclement forces.

Their finest and most crafted LP to date ‘After The Fire After The Rain’ has a lasting quality that grows and gives with every listen. In the words of Philip King, “this record is a wonderful sonic expedition and an album that is beautiful in every way. The writing is deep and emotional, an antidote to the virtual life and all its anxieties.

The Lost Brothers have long traversed the landscape of gothic folk and roots but now they have transcended the genre to find a sound that is completely their own and this is a great achievement in itself.

Live Shows

March 3rd-  London  – The Southbank- The Purcell room
March 19th – Omagh – Strule Arts Theatre
March 20th – Belfast – The Ulster Sports Club
March 21st – Dublin – Vicar Street
March 25th – Galway – Town Hall Theatre
March 26th – Castlebar -The Royal Theatre  
March 28 – Letterkenny – An Grianan Theatre 
April. 3rd – Waterford – St. Patrick’s Gateway
April 4th – Cork – Live At St. Luke’s 
April 5th – Limerick – Dolans 

www.thelostbrothersband.com

Ultan Conlon to Release ‘Sparks Of The Divine’

‘Sparks Of The Divine’, released Friday 7th February,  is the first offering from Ultan Conlon’s eagerly anticipated 4th studio album, ‘There’s A Waltz’. 

Conlon says, “’Sparks of the Divine’ is a love song dedicated to the consistency of a loving, supportive relationship throughout the supposed drudgery of everyday life, relishing in simplicity and contentment.”

His upcoming record, ‘There’s A Waltz’, produced by acclaimed Bluegrass and Grammy winner Sean Watkins (Nicklecreek, the Watkins Family Hour), was recorded in LA at the storied Heritage Studios, in just over two days to capture that timeless sound and classic album feel.

Ultan and Sean recorded the album with some of the top session players in Los Angeles including Don Heffington – Drums (Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, Ron Sexsmith, Percy Sledge), Sebastian Steinberg – Bass, Double Bass (Iron and Wine, Neil Diamond, Neil Finn, KD Lang), Gabe Witcher – Fiddle (Punch Brothers, Dave Rawlings Machine, Paul Simon, Beck), Rich Hinman – Pedal Steel (KD Lang, St.Vincent), Sara Watkins -Backing Vocals (Nicklecreek, I’m With Her, Watkins Family Hour) and Tyler Chester – B3, Piano (Jackson Browne, Andrew Bird). 

The album was mixed in Nashville by Collin Dupuis and mastered at RCA by John Baldwin.

Live dates

February 16th – Black Gate Cultural Centre, Galway
April 4th – Gealach Gorm Festival, Kill, Waterford
May 22nd – The Workman’s Club, Dublin
May 23rd – The Stables (Smiddy’s), Mullingar, Westmeath
May 24th – Coughlan’s, Cork
May 29th – Saltwater Festival, Westport, Mayo
October 22nd – Suirfest, Clonmel, Tipperary

Ben Reel Shares New Single ‘Up There In The Sky’ featuring E Street Band’s Garry W Tallent

‘The Nashville Calling` is the title of the soon to be released ninth studio album by Irish artist Ben Reel. Produced by Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack and featuring Garry W Tallent on bass from the legendary E Street Band. The album contains eleven new tracks all written by Ben Reel. It was recorded at Skinny Elephant Studios in Nashville. This album was done and dusted in just three days with all live takes. Following the critically acclaimed experimental slow burner ‘Land of Escape’ from 2018, this new record has a more Americana, rootsy rock, live band feel.

Since his debut album ‘This Is the Movie’ back in 1999, Ben has reinvented himself from album to album, influenced by different styles of music over the years.

As one critic said, “He’s not afraid to throw in some folk, soul, reggae vibes, which in turn call to mind John Hiatt at his best.” Another describes him as, “somewhere in the middle ground between rock and jazz or a sound that is sometimes reminiscent of Dylan and the Band.”

In a solo career which now spans over twenty years, Ben has received worldwide critical acclaim with numerous high profile TV/Radio appearances like BBC, RTÉ and Dutch NPO Radio. Supporting Jools Holland, Alabama 3 and The Cranberries, and he has collaborated musically with such names as Hal Ketchum & The Blockheads. He has co written and performed live with his fellow countryman Tony McLoughlin and some of Nashville’s finest such as David Olney and Irene Kelley.

In the past Ben was selected to play an official showcase at Folk Alliance in Memphis TN and has toured as double bill with Tommy Womack (Nashville) in the US and UK, and also with legendary American folk singer/songwriter Eric Andersen in the UK and Netherlands. While in Nashville he was invited to play the famous Bluebird Cafe on a number of occasions, most recently September 2018.

Over the last ten years Ben has enjoyed successful tours in Ireland, UK, Europe and U.S.A, receiving rave reviews and attracting a growing loyal fan base. He has graced big festivals such as Jamming@Hippie Jacks (USA), Musiktan festival in Bilbao (ESP), Haarlem Jazz & Huntenpop (NL), Robin Hood Folk Festival (UK), Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots, Cork Jazz and Electric Picnic (EIRE). 

Band line-up for The Nashville Calling:
Ben Reel – Vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
Will Kimbrough – electric guitars, keys, melotrone, mandoline, backing vocals , dobro, percussion
Tommy Womack – additional electric guitar, backing vocals 
Evan Hutchings – drums and Percussion
Garry W Tallent – bass
Julieanne Reel  – backing vocals

New SIIGHTS Single Out This Week

SIIGHTS return with third release ‘Better Now’ from their self-titled debut EP, released 7th February. The duo co-wrote the track with songwriter/producer Emi Dragoi who reached out to them to collaborate after hearing their music. Emi has worked with superstars such as Sasha Sloan, Meghan Trainor, G -Eazy & Lennon Stella.

‘Better Now’ features a hard-hitting, hypnotic drop intertwined with melodic and intimate verses. Lyrically, the pre-chorus features an anthem mantra of sorts depicting the struggle of trying to get over someone. 

SIIGHTS say: The song touches on the difficult thoughts and hurt experienced trying to get over someone from your past but thinking back and wondering could things be different if you gave it a second chance with the knowledge you now have.

It’s definitely a bit of a ‘what if’ song. In the studio we wanted to keep the verses quite intimate and raw but for the drop to really have a lot of energy. It was actually the last song we wrote out of all the tracks on the EP.”

SIIGHTS previous EP releases ‘Shoulda Been’ and ‘One More’ made Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday UK & ‘New Pop Revolution’ playlists boosting their collective streams to over 3 Million! The tracks have also been supported via YouTube on Wave Music and Mr Revillz clocking up over 250k views combined with huge backing from Irish radio accumulating over 5 Million impacts. 

With their recent collaborations surpassing 1.7 million views on YouTube and support from BBC Radio 1, The Chainsmokers and Kiss Xtra along with being chosen to feature on Elton John’s ‘Rocket Hour’ (Beats 1), the duo are here to make their mark in the pop stratosphere. 

Pre-save link https://smarturl.it/SiightsBetter

https://www.facebook.com/siights/
https://www.instagram.com/SIIGHTS/
Spotify
YouTube 

‘Pariscentric’ Latest Release from Nicolas Kluzek

Following the success of his last 2 E.P:  ‘Rain Or Shine E.P’ last summer and ‘Balance’ E.P this autumn (which so far have generated close to 2 millions streams on Spotify and Apple Music), Nicolas Kluzek releases a new single: ‘Pariscentric’.

Nicolas Kluzek currently lives in Dublin which he loves, but his heart still beats too for his birthplace Paris. The city of love is a constant influence on his music. This is also the case with his new single ‘Pariscentric’, where he has set the feeling of the French capital to music. With the beautiful and detailed sound, as well as a striking clarinet melody, the thoroughbred musician captures the vibe that can be felt all over the city.” J.S

‘Pariscentric’ by Nicolas Kluzek is available across all digital platforms now.

Jake Carter Announces Valentine’s Release

Carter is a name synonymous with pop music over the years. Jay-Z and Beyonce. Nick and Aaron. We all remember The Carter Twins in the mid-‘90s too, don’t we? It’s somewhat noticeable that musical Carters always seem to come in pairs. With that in mind, it would be easy to attach pop purveyor Jake Carter to his older brother (and country music sensation) Nathan; however, Jake is trying to break the mould when it comes to the Carter duo tradition and forge his own path in the industry.

Jakes Latest single ‘Loving In Darkness’ is slightly different to his previous releases in that it is the first pop ballad that he has ever released.

Tear-jerking pop-ballad track ‘Loving In Darkness’, is set for release on February 14th. The track was produced by Diffusion Lab’s Chris Bubenzer and Marcin Ciszczon, the team behind Jake’s previous single ‘I Wont Be Leaving’ as well as the likes of FLYNN, Jafaris, Soule and Rushes among others in recent years. 

Liverpool born but Ireland based since he was 18, Jake, still only 21, has already made a name for himself in the world of creative arts through his victory on Dancing With The Stars as well as acting roles in a number of stage shows. While he enjoys the idea of continuing to bring that triple threat of acting, dancing and singing, music is Jake’s first love.

Having previously admitted to feeling like he had lived in his brother’s shadow, the 21-year old is now seeking to firmly establish himself as a pop star in the mould of Olly Murs and Justin Timberlake and to create music that reflects who he really is and not who people think he should be. 

‘Loving In Darkness’ is a song full of emotion and was written by Jake and Irish songwriter Mark Caplice in just one day at The Nucleus Studio in Dublin. 

Speaking on the song’s origins, Carter says: “It is the most personal song I have ever written. The day myself and ‘Cappy’ wrote the song felt more like a therapy session as apposed to a songwriting session. Every time I hear the song it takes me back to a certain time in my life that was extremely heartbreaking and emotional.”

Jake now has over 340k total streams on Spotify as well as 315k views on his YouTube channel. Combine that with appearances on The Ray D’Arcy Show and The Late Late Show, shows at Vicar Street and Cork opera house as well as radio slots on Today FM, 2FM, Spin1038 and more, Jake Carter, who has plenty more songs in the pipeline, looks set to build upon the success he’s had so far and make a name for himself in the music industry.

Website : JakeCarterOfficial.Com
Facebook : @JakeCarterOfficial
Instagram : @JakeCarterMusic
Twitter : @JakeCarterMusic

Paradox Release ‘Welcome To The Happy Place’

Irish Alternative Rock band Paradox return with a guitar heavy sound and plenty of sarcasm for their new single ‘Welcome To The Happy Place’. The single itself takes a sarcastic view on today’s buy happy 9 to 5 society. The idea of the single artwork was to mimic a fast food restaurant with a familiar yet unfamiliar clown who’s sales pitch is Happy. Recorded by Brian Casey at Wavefield Recording Studios, West Cork the single sees Paradox returning to a more old school heavier sound than the bands previous single ‘All Life Matters’ which was also recorded at Wavefield Recording Studios. Jota Gambuzino is behind the artwork of the new single.

Paradox were formed in 1997 Cork, Ireland by brothers Pete Mac and Mike Mac. The early Paradox sound was heavily influenced by the Grunge Era of the 90’s.

Paradox have released 4 studio albums to date. Their debut album ‘Circle of Growth’ was recorded in Los Angeles in 2000 and their latest album ‘Chapters’ released in 2015. Singer and songwriter Pete Mac also recorded and released a solo album in 2009 in Berlin, Germany.

Paradox have toured both Europe and the US as well as playing support to the likes of Therapy?, Kerbdog and Shonen Knife.

Paradox on facebook – http://www.facebook.com/paradoxrock
Paradox on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/petemacparadox
Paradox on Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/paradoxirishband

A Ritual Sea Announce Whelans Date

Ritual Sea formed in 2016 over a love of film, dream pop, shoegaze and esoterica. Having released their debut single ‘Serpentine’ in late 2016, they went on to to support the likes of Manchester psych-folk artist Jane Weaver and Berlin-based, The Underground Youth. In 2018, Ritual Sea released ‘Seasons (Like You)’ exploring themes of fear, paranoia and love, which the Thin Air called “dazed and beautifully disembodied…easily one of the best Irish tracks of the year thus far” culminating in them playing two shows at Ireland’s revered ‘Other Voices’ festival in Dingle.

In 2019, Ritual Sea played alongside Welsh folk-pop artist Gwenno as part of the Eastbound Dublin Festival and worked on completing their debut album. With a new expanded lineup, Ritual Sea will play upstairs in Whelan’s on Friday 28th February with a very special guest performance by experimental indie artist, Rachael Lavelle. 

https://www.instagram.com/aritualsea/
https://www.facebook.com/ARitualSea
https://soundcloud.com/aritualsea
https://twitter.com/ARitualSea

Raglans Return with ‘One More Drop’

Raglans are back with the release of their highly anticipated new single ‘One More Drop’ – out now.

2020 sees the return of Raglans, Ireland’s finest exports of hard-hitting anthems and raucous live shows. The past few years have seen them blaze a trail to cult status. Highlights include releasing their self titled Top 5 charting debut album – which to date has over 5 million plays on Spotify – their single ‘Who Knows’ being nominated for RTÉ Choice Music Prize ‘Irish Song of the Year’ and a host of European tour appearances with acts including The Fray, The Libertines, Lifehouse as well as performing at festivals including Electric Picnic, Soundwave Australia, British Summer Festival and Rock am Ring Germany.

Ste, Rhos and Conn have taken their own time to return to the studio, spending the last two years travelling and building their lives outside of music – safe in the knowledge they would always return home to Raglans and continue creating records and building their legacy. 

Complete with roaring guitars, pounding drums and sincere vocals –  ‘One More Drop’ is the first release from Raglans’ upcoming album ‘Heavy Medicine’. More brand new material will follow before the album drops later in 2020, with Raglans also set to bring their phenomenal and high octane live show around the globe once more.

‘One More Drop’ the brand new single from Raglans, is available on all streaming platforms and digital formats now.

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