Month: February 2020

Tiz McNamara is an Irish singer songwriter and drummer, currently based in Toronto, who has racked up over 7 Million streams on Spotify with his independent releases. Before his first birthday, Tiz lost his father and two brothers in tragic accidents which have shaped his debut EP, dedicated to his father and brothers, who’s anniversary falls on the release date, 1st April 2020.

Ahead of his forthcoming EP, Tiz has released ‘Don’t Feel’, a song he wrote whilst based in London. The track is about feeling complete isolation despite being in a country with millions of people.

McNamara’s songs have featured on UK TV shows Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, as well as gaining support from some of the industry’s heavy weights including BBC Radio 2, Amazing Radio and NME. Tiz has toured with BRITS ‘Critics Choice Winner’ James Bay. The Irishman was delighted to be asked to sing alongside one of his musical heroes Sir Paul McCartney, as well as Robbie Williams, and Shane McGowan under the name ‘The Justice Collective’.

2020 is set to be the biggest and most exciting year yet for Tiz McNamara with the release of his debut EP, and Tiz will also embark on a nationwide tour across Ireland. Dates to be announced soon.

Follow Tiz on social media for updates:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TizMcNamara

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tizmcnamaramusic

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/artist/tiz-mcnamara/611681145

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/15ulC0nwlKgA3hYyr4QgvS

Exciting new Mayo festival Saltwater have just announced the day breakdown for their headliners with Dermot Kennedy headlining Friday 29 May, The Coronas headlining Saturday 30 May and Johnny Marr headlining Sunday 31 May 2020.

They will be joined alongside a host of acclaimed international and Irish acts including Basement Jaxx (DJS), The Stranglers, Maverick Sabre, Hudson Taylor, Lyra, Lee Scratch Perry, Jerry Fish, Little Hours, Norman Jay MBE, Ultan Conlan, Joanne Keegan and Coda with more to be announced.

June Bank Holiday Weekend 2020 will see new festival Saltwater take place in the beautiful grounds of Westport House, Mayo – one of Ireland’s best loved historic homes and estates. Set to become a highlight of the Irish Festival Calendar, Saltwater is brought to you by the people behind Sea Sessions and will showcase top International and Irish talent with over 60 acts playing across 3 stages. 

One of the first festivals of the summer, Saltwater Festival is an expression of life on Ireland’s rugged wild Atlantic coast. Celebrating Music, Food, Culture, Wellness and the rich heritage of Westport, the festival will bring together like minded people from home and abroad that want to feel the taste of salt in the air as they appreciate the best Ireland has to offer. 

With an extraordinary career that has seen him shoot to global fame, Dermot Kennedy is known around the world for hits such as ‘Outnumbered’, ‘Power Over Me’ and ‘Glory’. His music touches people’s hearts, and his set promises to be one of the defining moments of the festival. The Coronas look set to have a busy summer again having just released a new single with a new album on the way plus the legendary Johnny Marr needs little introduction, having spent nearly 4 decades in the music business as both a guitarist in The Smiths and as a celebrated solo artist. The rock icon’s set is not to be missed, and is sure to be jam packed with his greatest hits and fan favourites from his vast back catalogue. 

Day and Weekend tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and on www.ticketmaster.ie. Early Bird Tickets are priced from €144 or 3 days with camping options also available.  There are also limited single day tickets available from €64. Check out www.saltwater.ie for more details.

Speaking about Saltwater, Festival Director Ray O’Donoghue said: “We’re delighted to kick off the festival with one of the biggest acts in the world right now – anticipation has been huge for Dermot Kennedy’s Mayo debut! Along with The Coronas on Saturday and the legendary Johnny Marr on Sunday we think the weekend is shaping up pretty well. Day tickets will sell out fast so we suggest you grab them while you can.”

Known as the most beautiful house in Ireland, Westport House has a great tradition of hosting some of the world’s top artists and this year is set to be no different as Saltwater takes place for the first time.With Westport recognised as “The Best Place to Live in Ireland”, and established as a multiple award winning tourism destination over the past few years – Saltwater is the perfect place to kick off the June Bank Holiday Weekend and what is guaranteed to be another busy summer season on the west coast!

Saltwater

29-31 May 2020

www.ticketmaster.ie and Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide.

D. Cullen releases a new EP for the new decade in the shape of ‘The Rising Tide EP’ on his own DCullenMusic label on 31 January, 2020. 

The EP comprises the title track together with an acoustic version of the same as well as a vivid, technicolour version of James Maddock’s ‘Hollow Love’. Following last year’s radio hit, ‘Alright’, ‘The Rising Tide’ offers a different side to Cullen’s writing and performance in the form of a heart-wrenching piano and strings-driven homily to troubled, love-tortured souls.

“I live near a lovely little beach in Shankill, Dublin, and ‘The Rising Tide’s’ lyrics came from an evening walk down there when the sea was particularly wild. I wrote the lyrics then and there and quickly ran home to put some music to it. We ended up filming the music video on that very same beach, about 2 and a half years after writing the song, so we got a lovely full circle moment out of it! 

‘Hollow Love’ is a cover from an amazing artist called James Maddock. I discovered the song on a podcast called Underwater Sunshine (co-hosted by Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz), and became completely obsessed with it. It’s lyrically brilliant, with the most exciting guitar part, and has become a huge staple of my live set. Thank you James for the brilliant tune! 

The acoustic version of ‘The Rising Tide’ came from an impromptu jam. I was messing around with a different tuning (Open G for any guitar nerds out there) and started playing around with this song. Sinead, my bassist/backing vocalist/overall-partner-in-crime, heard it and insisted that we record the song with all those lovely, open tuning chords. As per usual, her instinct was right, and it’s lovely to give the song a new context.”

D. Cullen is a 25-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist with a love for life, melody and properly crafted songs.

Having served his time writing and playing, with some success, both solo and in various indie bands in his mid to late teens he began to knuckle down in 2018 to writing songs that reflected, properly, his core taste in music (Foo Fighters, Ben Folds, Villagers, Elbow amongst many others) as well as a maturity in writing that clearly belies his years.

Courtesy of studio time with Producers Boo Hewerdine and Chris Pepper in the leafy glades of Cambridgeshire, the 2019 single ‘Alright’ got the ball rolling properly (after an initial toe-dipping exercise with ‘My Face’, complete with mesmerising video). Its good vibes, punchy horns and rousing chorus garnered an instant reaction from Irish national radio and TV affording him playlists and a debut appearance (complete with choir) on the Late Late Show.

You can see D. Cullen and his band play it and a host of other tunes at the following shows:

Sat 28 March – Whelans (Upstairs), Dublin Tickets €12 + bk fee.
Thurs 2 April – Winthrop Avenue, Cork Tickets €10 + bk fee
Sat 4 April – Roisin Dubh (Upstairs), Galway Tickets €10 + bk fee.

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