Month: May 2020

1000 Beasts is an electronic producer & musician coming from Cork City, who focuses on collaborations and creativity in all his works. Starting off producing electronic pop songs in 2017, he got a strong press support on his works back then, especially thanks to his frequent plays on important radio stations such as TodayFM, 2FM, CoolFM (NI) and even BBC Radio 1, including a RTE Studio 8 live session with Jenny Greene on 2FM. He emerges with both a debut double EP whose tracks are being progressively released in 2020, drawing influences from artists such as Mr Jukes, Tom Misch, Flume & Kaytranada, and a hi-tech live show that combines live looping, triggering and sampling with live vocals leading to a very different kind of performance from what people are used to see on the Irish scene. 

‘WaistCoat’ is a collaboration between 1000 Beasts and Irish (but American based) artist Lenii. Lenii just released her single ‘I (Don’t) Miss You’ which went straight on to New Music Friday on Spotify and has been heavily supported in both media and radio including being featured on Hype Machine this week

1000 Beasts previous release ‘5 Points’ featuring Alex Tierney was released on April 3rd and has already gone on to reach over 60K streams on Spotify and Apple combined, and was heavily supported on radio in Ireland including 2FM, Today FM, FM104, Corks Red FM, BBC Introducing, Across The Line and more

Lenii was living in NYC at the time and while 1000 Beasts was on tour in America a few of his friends from home had mentioned the artist Lenii to him – despite missing each other in the US, the duo finally collaborated when they both returned to Ireland the following summer and WaistCoat was born.

“WaistCoat is a track about being nice to those on the way up, because you’ll probably pass them on the way down.“

The track stands out on 1000 Beasts upcoming debut EP as the heaviest number on the record, a distorted vocoder synth part features from the get-go and continues as a growling melodic ostinato throughout the whole song, this contrasts with Lenii’s haunting delicate voice, which often draws comparisons with non other than Billie Eilish. A definite for fans of Banks, AlunaGeorge, Flume & FKA Twigs.  

1000 Beasts SOCIALS:

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Lenii Socials

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Today, Cork singer-songwriter and producer/artist Jordan Run, also known as Aaron O’Sullivan, announces his Debut EP – ‘In This Atmosphere’.

Aaron says; ‘‘I am very excited to share this EP. I’ve been working on these songs for over a year, recording two with the band down in Wavefield Studios, and the other three were recorded by myself here at home. 

I felt like these songs were ready to be put on the same record. There’s alot of influences in there. I think there’s something in there for everyone too. I am very proud of it.”

Jordan Run began in 2019, releasing four singles, playing a packed out show in Coughlans (IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year 2019) back in October, The Ruby Sessions in Dublin and supported world renowned guitarist – Ariel Posen.

Keep an eye on Jordan Run’s social media for news and performances.

www.jordanrun.com
www.facebook.com/jordanrunofficial
www.instagram.com/jordanrunofficial

Acclaimed singer songwriter Jacqui Sharkey has released her new single – ‘Home’.

The reflective and soulful version of ‘Home’ echoes Jacqui’s memories and emotions, and is her first release since her 2017 version of ‘The Whole Of The Moon’, made famous by The Waterboys, made a significant impact.

Jacqui sums up why the lyrics of ‘Home’ resonated so much with her. “The concept of the song is something that hit me right away, as there is no doubt that I have always been a home bird, despite my extensive travelling over the years.

No matter how much fun I have travelling or performing, it always lifts my heart to be home” she said.

The Donegal based Singer/ Songwriter, known for her soulful, deep tones, has three albums under her belt, and since ‘Whole Of The Moon’, she has been taking time to reflect on her journey so far, as well as writing and recording tracks for a forthcoming album.

“I really needed to take some time out and just breathe,” she explained. “Between one thing and another, life was overwhelmingly hectic, and not easy in a lot of ways. 

I can’t go for long without writing, recording and performing. Music is truly my sanity and my peace, and I can’t imagine life without it. Music creates feelings and feelings create music. I am blessed to be able to do it, and I am looking forward to sharing quite a few new songs in 2020.”

‘Home’ will feature on Jacqui’s new EP with the same title which will be released in July.

Find out more at jacquisharkey.com or connect with Jacqui Sharkey on social media.

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has just announced its 2019 winners. Established in 2002, ISC is the world’s largest international songwriting competition, receiving over 18,000 entries from 140 countries in 2019. More than $150,000 in cash and merchandise is awarded to 71 winners in 23 categories covering all genres of music.

Winning ISC is an honor awarded to many artists whose careers have been highly successful. Previous winners have included: Illenium; Vance Joy; Bastille; Gotye; Lindsey Stirling; Kimbra; The Band Perry; Kehlani; Faouzia; Gregory Porter; Fantastic Negrito; Passenger; Lupe Fiasco; Gin Wigmore; Missy Higgins; For King and Country; Dean Lewis; and many more.

Four songwriters from Ireland were singled out for awards this year. Ellen Murphy, hailing from Cork, was awarded First Place in the AC (Adult Contemporary) category with the song “Yellow.” Jake Walsh from Drogheda was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Lyrics Only category with the song “A Little Something To Remember You By.” Songwriter Enda Gallery (known as delush) from Dublin was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Music Video category for “Don’t Let Me Win,” and Declan o’ Luasa (known as Leftbank) from Cork was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Americana category for the song “The Only Habit”.”

“The artistry and skill of both of these winning songs set a very high bar,” says Candace Avery, Founder/Director of ISC. “We are very are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of these Irish songwriters.”

ISC’s highest honor is bestowed to Australian artist and songwriter Tones And I for the song “Dance Monkey.” The Grand Prize consists of $25,000 in cash (USD) and almost $45,000 in additional prizes.

“This song has taken the world by storm, and it is undeniable that it has propelled Tones And I to massive superstardom,” said ISC Founder and Director, Candace Avery. “Prior to ‘Dance Monkey,’ Tones And I was an indie artist struggling to get her voice heard. This is such a great example of how just the right song can change an artist’s life and should inspire up-and-coming songwriters to keep on following their dream.”

Australian singer and songwriter Toni Watson (known as Tones And I) grew up in Mornington Peninsula but moved to Byron Bay in 2017 to busk on the streets, where she lived out of her van for the year. In 2019, she made history when she became the first artist to spend 24 weeks at #1 on the ARIA singles charts with her global smash “Dance Monkey,” which she says took her only a little more than 30 minutes to write. Since its release in May 2019, the hit single has reached #1 in 30 countries; amassed more than seven billion streams; became the highest streamed song ever by a female artist on Spotify and the most Shazamed song of all time; and is now the longest ever running #1 song on the Spotify global charts. She made her US television debut in November 2019 on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (her performance has generated over 80 million views on YouTube to date). The accolades, awards, and universal love of this song have vaulted Tones And I to the global stage. This is quite a remarkable achievement for someone who was busking and living out of a van at the end of 2018, and this young Aussie artist will no doubt continue to make history.

ISC is renowned for its panel of iconic judges that includes celebrity artists and high-profile music industry executives. Included are: Coldplay; Kevin Gates; Tom Waits; Cam; American Authors; The Script; Tanya Tucker; Nancy Wilson (Heart); Kristian Bush (Sugarland); Kari Jobe; Danilo Perez; Camila; Krewella; Sidewalk Prophets; Irma Thomas; Lonnie Liston Smith; Above & Beyond; Avery Lipman (Founder/President, Republic Records); Daniel Glass (President, Glassnote Records); Mike Easterlin (Co-President, Elektra Music Group); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Kate Craig (VP of A&R, Warner Records); Nate Albert (Exec. VP of A&R, Capitol Records); Josh Bailey (Senior VP of A&R, Word Entertainment); and many more.

Entries are now open for the 2020 competition. For more information and to enter, go to https://www.songwritingcompetition.com.

‘Setting Sun’ is the second single of the year from Lazyrevs , set for release on May 11th 2020 on Revelate Records, the video for the single going live the same day. It’s a song about the fear of losing someone you love with all the panic, uncertainty and sadness that brings. The vocals are sang with an honest vulnerability and raw emotion over a backing of piano, drums and guitar with great swagger and size.

Lazyrevs are a two-piece made up of Nadine Keogh and Tom O’Connor. The duo formed in Dublin but are now based in west Sligo in a tiny village along the Wild Atlantic Way where they work out of their own studio space. Lazyrevs write and record in lots of different music styles but mainly hang around the Indie Pop and Indie Folk genres. The band have featured on BBC Introducing Mixtape, BBC Radio 6 Music, Amazing Radio and Spotify Editorial Playlists. In January 2020 Lazyrevs featured in the final season of ABC’s hit show ‘Mustangs FC’ in Australia. In late 2019 the band signed a Sync Licensing deal with ThinkSync Music in the UK.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lazyrevs/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lazyrevs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lazyrevs
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1EMJbWSJOwfJjnZQXnfeFu
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lazyrevs/tracks
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cKEBhxX_193qfjziqMx1w

Kildare singer/songwriter NÍV released her latest single ‘Silly Voices’ on March 27th. It was recorded and produced in Maynooth by 93 Acres.

Talking about her latest single, NÍV says, “This was one of the easiest songs I’ve written. I remember having a nice melancholic riff on the guitar that, when hearing it, made me reminiscent of my childhood. I grew up in a family of six children and I started to think about the main things that stood out while growing up and that’s where the lyrics came from. The song is a memory of recurring childhood moments that, at the time may have seemed minute or insignificant, but are now some of the fondest memories I have of growing up. The song also ended up being a gentle and encouraging reminder not to dwell on the past and that the future can be just as bright if not brighter. The children we used to be would enjoy the present and look forward to the future. We should too.”

NÍV is the alias of Irish singer songwriter Niamh Murray who hails from Kildare. Niamh’s music career began in 2011 when she was lead singer of “Murmur” ; a country folk band made up of her and sisters Róisín and Sinéad Murray. During this time, the band achieved great success playing gigs alongside other talented musicians such as Hudson Taylor and Orla Gartland in venues like the Sugar Club and Sweeney’s. The band were finalists in competitions such as the Glee Club play the 3 Arena. and TG4’s “Feis and Blood.” The band received great praise from Louis Walsh describing them as the “Irish answer to The Dixie Chicks.”

Following this success, Niamh joined the indie rock band, District Daze. During her time as lead singer, the band won King Kong Club’s Battle of the Bands – Play the Picnic, and were rewarded with a slot at Electric Picnic 2014’s Oxfam tent. The band went on to play at festivals and venues such as Vantastival and the Sugar Club, before launching their debut EP at a sold-out event in Sweeney’s, Dublin.

In terms of her solo career, Niamh has gained achievements of her own, including being chosen from more than 300 online submissions as a finalist in the “The Soloist” singing competition 2016. Niamh’s music is inspired by singer songwriters such as Damien Rice and Joni Mitchell with influences from Irish traditional music and folk songs.

‘Silly Voices’ is available on all streaming and download sites.

Spotify
Instagram
Facebook

Jonah Class is an electronica artist bringing a dreamy fusion of music between the electronic and classical worlds. ‘Summer Nights’ is the highly anticipated second single of the collection and was released on Friday, May 1st.

Based on the fringes of the West-Coast of Ireland, Jonah has been producing new-era dance music. He melds scenic openings with atmospheric soundscapes to transport listeners to better times of sunny evenings surrounded by friends. To achieve this fusion, he enlisted the help of Francis Gorini of London Mastering Studios who really helped synergize the electronic and classical instruments used in his production.

Jonah has already gained significant experience opening for world renowned artists like The Magician, Jax Jones and Denis Sulta. He has performed live sets in venues and festivals across Ireland including District 8 and Trinity Ball, which had a sold out attendance of 9,000 fans. He is also now managed by Oisin O’Sullivan who has recently returned from Los Angeles in a bid to accelerate Jonah’s growth to the international stage.

The vocals on the single are performed by Weldon (Brandon Chase), who provides a flawless top line to complement Jonah’s anthemic production. Jonah details that, “Once I heard his talent whilst exploring through YouTube, I immediately reached out and we arranged to collaborate on the track.” This brilliant amalgamation of two talents led to a co-write that has, “really added an entire new dimension to ‘Summer Nights’.”

Jonah concludes that “’Summer Nights’ has been a huge landmark in my journey as an artist. I haven’t been this excited to release a piece of music before and I really feel this one is something special.” 

‘Summer Nights’ was released on May 1st.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2LaKHbfYSToqXk8e16oLTa
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/onahlass
Website: www.jonahclass.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonahclassmusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonahclass
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonahClass

Arriving to 2020 at a blistering pace is Oscar Blue with his brand new single ‘Sober From You’. The track has already proven popular amongst fans and critiques alike, receiving radio play from both RTÉ 2FM and Cork’s Red FM, Ocean FM and Kildare’s KFM as well as being added to Spotify’s “A Breath of Fresh Éire” playlist with over 44,000 followers.

2019 saw international success for the young Co. Clare man as his music was streamed over 2 million times on Spotify, a feat which was complimented by headline shows from Dublin to New York and an appearance on the Indiependence Main Stage last August. 

Since then, the 21-year-old has been in musical hibernation working with acclaimed producer Philip Magee (Kodaline, The Script, Miles Kane). This newfound partnership has acted as a catalyst for Blue, allowing him to reach levels of creativity that elevate him to a fuller, bolstered sound. 

To date, Oscar’s work has largely reflected his deep love for folk music and acoustic songwriting. Sober from You gives birth to a much more evolved, Oscar Blue sound, which echoes soaring guitars and vulnerable, yet confident vocals. Nevertheless, Blue remains true to his beloved folk music by maintaining the storytelling element of his songwriting that has earned him so much popularity. Nurturing influences from Snow Patrol to Maggie Rogers, Oscar Blue is now moving towards a pop-rock sound.

Acting as a statement of intent for what’s to come from Oscar Blue, ‘Sober From You’ is bigger and bolder than his previous releases and marks a pivotal moment in Oscar Blue’s ever maturing career.

Facebook.com/oscarblueofficial
twitter.com/oscarblue_
instagram.com/oscarblue
youtube.com/oscarblueofficial 

Cork alt-folk duo Missalettes release their debut single ‘The Man With All The Notes’, May 2020.

Missalettes are writer/producers Simon MacHale and Kevin J. Power. Their music consists of melodic, vocal-led folk haunted by sparse ambient sounds and moored by percussive loops.

“The man with all the notes played a monochord in a small French village. A friend in music introduced us and though we didn’t speak a mutual language I knew what he meant. Years later this song came about and I and a new friend in music would create it together.” – Kevin of Missalettes

‘The Man With All The Notes’ is available now at https://missalettes.bandcamp.com/track/the-man-with-all-the-notes

Follow the band at www.facebook.com/missalettes

Today, Cork singer-songwriter Tiz McNamara, releases his debut EP ‘April Fool’, comprising of five songs which capture his journey as a songwriter.

From 3 years of age, McNamara was banging on pots and pans before eventually getting his first drum kit. After applying 3 times, he was finally awarded a place in Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the prestigious Music and Arts school founded by Sir Paul McCartney.

During his second year of the 3 year degree, McNamara was moving a piano and it fell 4 feet down and burst his foot. At first doctors wanted to amputate, but thankfully his mother, who had flown over, convinced doctors to try anything else possible. After narrowly avoiding amputation, he was left in a rather strange position of having to drop out of the long-awaited degree and begin again.

Once he made a full recovery, he re-auditioned on a new instrument and carried on.

“I re-auditioned on vocals and wrote a song called ‘Falling Asleep’ which is played with only my thumb on the guitar as I did not know how to play at the time. Thankfully I was accepted in and have been singing ever since.” Falling Asleep is the opening track on Tiz’s EP.

“I’m holding out hope
That this ship may lay its anchor…”

Before his first birthday, Tiz tragically lost my father and two brothers. “My eldest brother and father died in a tragic boating accident and my other brother David died of Cot death when he was just a couple of months old. I have always found this extremely traumatic and for me music was always my release and way of getting these feelings and emotions out.”

Every year on April 1st (their anniversary) Tiz releases a new single in memory of them to  make a difficult time of year into a more productive one. The latest offering (arriving a little later due to covid-19 restrictions) comes in the form of a five track EP entitled ‘April Fool’.

Tiz says: “These songs are extremely personal and close to the bone but for me that has always been what making music was all about. It’s about telling stories and hopefully giving comfort to others.” 

Having battled through bouts of depression, which Tiz bravely talks about openly through his lyrics, the young singer-songwriter reveals his incredible strength. The EP closes with “Days Like These”, a song that offers hope, the light at the end of the tunnel. Tiz says “This song is about getting out the far end of the hard times and savouring the good days. Depression is a recurrent theme in my music but I love life and adventure, so this song is about the good times.”

“…I’ll give you everything
Give you every piece of me
You just wait and see…”

The ‘April Fool’ EP was recorded in a cabin in Nova Scotia on the East coast of Canada with producer Dan Ledwell. Tiz and Dan spent 6 days tracking the songs in his lakeside cabin and recorded all instruments themselves, with some guest vocals from Breagh McKinnon.

‘April Fool’, the debut EP from Tiz McNamara, is out now:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/y8lkqdcs

Soundcloud: https://tinyurl.com/y9n52ftd

Linktree: https://ffm.to/9kj52pb

Follow Tiz McNamara on:

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