Month: June 2020

A capsule romance accelerates dramatically as two filmmakers are forced to move in together after two weeks of knowing each other. How to Fall in Love in a Pandemic is a short documentary from award-winning Irish filmmaker Michael-David McKernan, with accompanying soundtrack from electronic music producer Daithí.

Daithí says: “Micheal David and I have been good friends since we worked on his last film ‘HALO’ together. When he told me about his pandemic with Mimi I was blown away, and once he showed me the documentary, I found it really inspiring. 

To score the short film, we used elements of music from my entire career. I found the last few minutes of the documentary so captivating, I wrote a piece of music specially for it, in the space of a few hours. I named the piece after the documentary, and I’m excited to release it as a single on the 10th of July.

It’s an incredible story, and I’m really proud to be a part of bringing it to screen.”

Two filmmakers match on Tinder in Chicago, USA. Michael-David and Mimi spend a whirlwind weekend together before saying goodbye as Michael-David returns home to Ireland. Two weeks later Mimi arrives in Dublin for a five day trip and returns to their capsule romance.

Mimi lands on March 13th, the same day Ireland declares lockdown against the COVID-19 pandemic. Air travel halts, her return flight is cancelled, and the pair are forced to move in together indefinitely. Using smartphones, they document the acceleration of their relationship and try to make sense of their new romance. How do you fast-track matching on Tinder to living together? 

Directed by Michael-David McKernan from his own personal experience of lockdown, this is a story of accidental romantics, pushed together at a time when most people are being kept apart.

Michael-David McKernan says: “The film is a story about the most universal of feelings. It’s a reminder that love can appear unexpectedly and be an antidote to strange and uncertain times. This is a deeply personal film, and not something I expected myself to make. It is a time capsule to a special and crazy experience in my life that I’m sure viewers will connect with.”

How to Fall in Love in a Pandemic premieres online, as part of the 32nd Galway Film Fleadh, 5pm, Friday 10th July 2020.

See www.galwayfilmfleadh.com for details. 

Event link: https://online.galwayfilmfleadh.com/film/how-to-fall-in-love-in-a-pandemic/

Watch the trailer here:: https://vimeo.com/426226551

How to Fall in Love in a Pandemic is kindly supported by The Arts Council of Ireland. 

Ireland’s rising Indie Pop act modernlove. release lo-fi electronic single ‘If You Wanna See Me’ 26/06/20

Ireland’s modernlove. have rapidly become one of indie-pop’s brightest and most talked about new bands. 2019 saw the release of singles ‘Bop’ and ‘Liquorice’ and with streaming figures at nearly half a million on Spotify, they’ve been featured on editorial playlists such as New Music Friday UK, Fresh Finds, Alt.Pop and The Pop List. 

‘Bop’ was also featured in a recent episode of the Channel 4 series ‘Made in Chelsea’ .

2020 saw the release of ‘Hard To Tell You’ and a SOLD OUT Dublin headline show in The Sound House in February 2020.

Hotly tipped as one of the acts to watch by HotPress, modernlove. had an explosive year in 2019 and 2020 has got off to a strong start despite the current situation with COVID19  ‘Liquorice’ was featured in the Top 50 Songs of 2019 by The Last Mixed Tape and they’ve been announced at Ones To Watch in 2020 by XS Manchester.

All of modernlove’s singles to date have picked up national radio support in the UK and Ireland including ‘Play Irish Artist of The Week’ by Ed Smith on Today FM, Track Of The Week on XS Manchester, radio premieres on 2FM and spins on BBC Ulster, Across The Line and Radio X.

The band are making a name for themselves for crafting some seriously catchy upbeat indie & alt-pop anthems. Known for their dazzling live performances and polished vibrant recordings, international recognition is certain to arrive soon for modernlove. Catch them perform their headline show in The Grand Social, Dublin on Oct 31st as part of the rescheduled Eastbound Festival.

Now we see the release of ‘If You Wanna See Me’, a stunning lo-fi electronic track which sets them apart as a band whose sound and style flow and evolve seamlessly. This release will hopefully see a whole new audience discovering modernlove.

‘If You Wanna See Me’ sees the band expand their sound even further, with sharp production and a strong electronic vein running through this track and influenced, particularly in its production by electronic artists such as Bjork, James Blake and Imogen Heap. 

It was, in its entirety, written, recorded and produced individually by the band members in their bedrooms during lockdown.

It took shape quickly and naturally despite the circumstances.

‘If You Wanna See Me’ is a story about two people admitting their relationship has run it’s course and no longer makes sense anymore, while acknowledging that it will still hurt to see one another around afterwards. – modernlove.

With a recent support slots for Good Cop Bad Cop (Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders new band) Larkins, and Judah and The Lion under their belt, and a SOLD OUT headliner The Soundhouse, Dublin in February, this year was set to be a big one for the band, with slots at Live At Leeds, Sligo Roots Festival and Eastbound Festival secured before the outbreak of COVID-19. 

modernlove. are set to headline The Sound House Dublin on Oct 31st as part of the rescheduled Eastbound Festival.

modernlove. FB  modernlove. Insta  modernlove. Spotify modernlove. Twitter

Wood Quay Summer Sessions return in July for a series of online lunchtime concerts broadcast from Dublin City Council’s beautiful Wood Quay Venue. Now in its sixth year, this ever-popular outdoor series is moving online for 2020, with four unique online concerts streaming from 1pm on Thursdays throughout July on the Wood Quay Summer Sessions Facebook page. Launched today at the venue by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Tom Brabazon.

Founded by Dublin City Council and presented in association with First Music Contact, Improvised Music Company, Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland and Music Network, the Wood Quay Summer Sessions allow music fans to experience an incredible mix of music from new and established traditional, jazz, contemporary and alt-rock acts. 

This year, the online Sessions will feature mesmerizing new jazz from BigSpoon, a programme of music by leading composers from Ireland performed by Cassiopeia Wind Quintet, glorious traditional music from Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Mick O’Brien and fresh alt-rock tunes from PowPig.   

In addition to the video performances from the four acts, a special programme on each of the concerts will be broadcast on Near FM 90.3 at 6pm on Thursdays 9^th – 30^th of July, alongside behind-the-scenes chats with the artists.

 July 9^th presented with Improvised Music Company
13.00 | BigSpoon 
(Jazz Quartet)

July 16^th presented with Contemporary Music Centre
13.00 | Cassiopeia Wind Quintet
(Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon & French Horn)
Programme:
Elaine Agnew  Colmcille
Joan Trimble  Three Diversions
Jennifer Walshe  like glass in a mirror on a window pane

July 23^rd presented with Music Network
13.00 | Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Mick O’Brien
(Fiddle & Uilleann Pipes)

July 30^th presented with First Music Contact
13.00 | Pow Pig 
(Lo-fi alt-rock band)

Facebook: @WoodQuaySummerSessions
Twitter: @WoodQuaySession 
#WQSS

The Wood Quay Summer Sessions is presented with the support of Near FM 90.3.

Dublin City Council 
 First Music Contact (FMC) | Improvised Music Company (IMC)
Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) | Music Network

Photo Ruth Medjber

Conor Adams also known for his fronted projects in The Cast of Cheers and All Tvvins has announced a long awaited solo EP ‘I Admired Your Grace at the End of the World (2 for Joy)’.

Taken from the EP, ‘Head Of a Lion’ is the new single from Adams. Both the single and EP will be released tomorrow, Friday 26^th June 2020.

Speaking about the narrative of the EP, Conor explained:

“‘I Admired Your Grace at the End of the World’ is an evolving, distant-future, retroactive commentary on a world that is so deeply flawed yet so utterly perfect.  “2 for joy” kicks off the series, with a – sort of – blind optimism; in a world wracked by social, economic, political and cultural turmoil, it is a quiet voice in a chasm, whispering fragments of stories. It’s trying to say that it’s OK, you’re OK, we’re OK … I hope it’s OK. It’s trying to navigate depression and elation, existence and non-existence … it’s an exploration, a collage of both hope and ruin.

It may have taken me half a lifetime to get here, but this new project is a big part of my future.”

Ireland’s favourite noise makers Thumper are delighted to release their brand new single, ‘Topher Grace’ is out tomorrow, Friday 26th June 2020.  

To celebrate they will be performing a live stream gig this Saturday, 27th June at 9PM via their YouTube Channel.

‘Topher Grace’ is about going out on the rip as an act of self-destruction, thinly disguised as a voyage of self-reflection. It swings from sincerity to hyperbole and back again, in the voice of someone who’s too deep in it to see the wood for the trees. Honesty and braggadocio form a potent cocktail, as the narrative is bent to breaking point.

Speaking about the writing process for ‘Topher Grace’,  singer Oisin Leahy Furlong says;
“In writing the song I wanted to see if I could free myself of the song writing crutches I would normally reach for – like structure and melody – and replace them with a more considered approach to lyric writing and performance. It’s a terrifying thing to hone your craft only to tear the rule book up, but the results were very rewarding. I spent the best part of 3 months recording several different demos until I plucked up the courage to bring it to the band. It ended up being a very cathartic experience and tapped into a creative space we had never gone before. I took inspiration from songwriters like Courtney Barnett and James Murphy, to Mark E. Smith and Nick Cave, with the latter especially influencing the bridge between lyrical sentiment and true performance”.

How to watch THUMPER’s Topher Grace single launch:
Pre-save the track here
Subscribe to their YouTube channel here Enjoy from 9PM this Saturday, 27th June 2020

If this were a normal summer, ‘All My Love’ is exactly the kind of song one would hear blasting from terraces in Ibiza. A sun-drenched electro-pop anthem, the song features uplifting vocals from FiCat complemented by production from Diffly. The lyrics of ‘All My Love’ touch upon themes of trust, love, celebrations and reunions; just perfect for the summer of 2020.

FiCat is from Dublin although her musical journey has taken her all over the world. Back in 2011 she recorded her first EP in country-music-mecca Nashville. There she honed her songwriting skills and then returned to Dublin to front Irish pop outfit Toy Soldier, earning acclaim for her “soaring yet delicate” voice (James Hendicott, GoldenPlec).

Seeking adventure, FiCat relocated to Berlin in 2015 where she revealed a darker edge to her lyrics as the frontwoman and co-writer with Coma 54. The band were very active on the live music scene in Germany, playing in Munich and Berlin. While in Berlin, FiCat’s melodic and vocal strengths lead her to work on music for large advertising agencies, writing melodies for some of the world’s leading brands including Coca Cola, Pantene, and Febreze.

Returning to Dublin full of inspiration, FiCat teamed up with producer Diffly. She explains, ‘We clicked straight away. We both share a love for 90s dance music, singers like Haddaway and Cher, powerful vocals over driving beats. During the COVID pandemic, there was a sense of fear in the world and I felt that weight. Making music got me through the darker times. I wanted to write a song that would allow people to escape in their mind to a festival or a beach party when they listened to it.’

‘All My Love’ is the perfect antidote to the troubling times we find ourselves in right now, like a bright slice of sunshine on a grey day. FiCat has more dance-pop treats in store for us in the coming months and will no doubt be gigging as soon as that’s possible.

Dermot Kennedy today releases the first new music since his #1 debut last year, the brand new single ‘Giants’, released via Island Records.

When thinking about what ‘Giants’ meant to him in the wake of recent events, and what it could mean to other people, Dermot took inspiration from the poem ‘What if 2020 Isn’t Cancelled?’ by Leslie Dwight. The poem highlights the need for change and how this year could serve as a wake up call. Speaking on the track, Dermot says;

“Change hurts and growing hurts. ‘Giants’ is a song about just that, steeped in bittersweet nostalgia. It’s about acknowledging our loss of youth and how time inevitably changes things. Yet in the same breath the song is an encouragement to be brave – individually, and collectively. Walking into an unknown future together can be beautiful just as much as it is scary. As events have unfolded over the last few months and have at times felt hopeless, this song has carried me through as a reminder that the future is still full of hope and there is opportunity in the darkness and a brighter future can await.

I want people to listen to this song and hold on to that thought. Let go of the past and grab the change that is in front of us, and make it for the better. Even if it hurts. The time is now.”

Earlier this year, Dermot announced rescheduled dates for his Irish tour due to take place this month. The rescheduled tour will now commence in June 2021.

Alongside his #1 selling debut album ‘Without Fear’, Dermot has now reached over a billion streams globally and single ‘Outnumbered’ has gone multi-platinum across Ireland, the UK, Europe and Canada. With shows selling out everywhere he’s sold over 300,000 tickets globally in the last year alone and was also nominated in the ‘Best International Male’ category at the 2020 Brit Awards.

Rescheduled live dates

June 2021

04 – Dublin, St Anne’s Park
14 – Killarney, Gleneagle INEC Arena
15 – Killarney, Gleneagle INEC Arena
16 – Killarney, Gleneagle INEC Arena
24 – Belfast, Belsonic, Ormeau Park
25 – Dublin, Malahide Castle
26 – Cork, Irish Independent Park

http://www.dermotkennedy.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dermotkennedymusic/
https://twitter.com/dermotkennedy https://www.instagram.com/dermotkennedy/

Following the success of her track ‘Letters’, Rowlette is releasing two live tracks ‘Runaway’ and ‘Nostalgic’ with Shane Steven.

‘Nostalgic’ despite its name, is all about being present and living in the moment. “We wrote this at a time when my life was all over the place. I was in between houses, in a job I didn’t like and facing these decisions I didn’t want to make,” explains Rowlette. “I was walking home one evening on a dull, windy day, and got this overwhelming sense of calmness. It kind of reminded me, if you take things moment by moment, they’re not so bad. Worrying about the future is as futile as longing for the past.”

The second track ‘Runaway’ also reflects the same period in Rowlette’s life. “This was the day-dreaming, non-present side of me!” she laughs. “I was in this job that was considered great and sensible, but I really didn’t enjoy it. I felt like I should stay there, but I knew I’d be miserable…this was my way of working up the courage to leave I guess!” 

Shane and Rowlette studied in BIMM (contemporary music college) together and have stayed good friends. “Shane comes out with these beautiful guitar riffs like it’s nobody’s business, he’s insanely talented.” 

“We were chilling in his garage out the back and he started playing. The songs just kind of came out of us.” 

The tracks are performed in Coffee Hill studios. ‘Nostalgic’ is an upbeat, pop-funk fusion. Shane delivers playful harmonies and dotted rhythm throughout and Rowlette lends her expressive vocals, with the two intertwining dynamically.

‘Runaway’ is an easy listening, chilled out track, with the guitar and whistling reflecting the day-dreaming elements of the song.  Interestingly, despite their titles, the sense of urgency sits with ‘Nostalgic’ as opposed to ‘Runaway’, creating a tension between the two. 

Speaking on why they are releasing the tracks now, the pair say they want to bring a sense of “the live” back to their music. “While we don’t get to play together often, we both adore the art of playing live,” explains Shane, “and really miss it. Sharing this is the closest thing we can get to it for a while, so we thought why not!” 

As well as that, they’ve both been adopting the principles of ‘Nostalgic’. “These days everything is so uncertain, the past feels more alien than ever, and no one knows what the future looks like. The best coping mechanism I’ve found is to take everything day by day and hour by hour, and trying to enjoy the little things as much as possible.” 

Rowlette Social Media:
Website: www.rowlettemusic.com
Facebook  // Instagram // Twitter
All: @rowlettemusic

Shane Social Media:

Website: https://shanesteven.wixsite.com/mysite
Facebook // Instagram

Kodaline follow the release of their new album ‘One Day At A Time’ by sharing an inspiring new video for their current single ‘Say Something’. Directed by the band’s long-term collaborator Stevie Russell, the video is the first project from an exciting new partnership between the band’s label, B-Unique Records, and Mirriad, the computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) company, to develop and harness in-content advertising for music artists using different streaming and social platforms. It has also been boosted with participation from UNICEF.

The ‘Say Something’ video tells a small yet perfectly formed story about thinking big. A toddler dreams of going into space, becoming an aerospace engineer, pilot and astronaut to make that ambition a reality. Our miniature intergalactic hero heads for the stars before returning to earth with a bump and a tasty treat. ‘Say Something’ captures the emotional resonance that Kodaline have an innate gift for expressing, while also providing an uplifting escape from the current situation.

‘Say Something’ represents one of the highlights of Kodaline’s ‘One Day At A Time’ album. The band’s fourth studio set has already accumulated 28.5 million streams and looks set to add a bold new chapter to a career that has included three #1 albums in Ireland, two Top 5 albums in the UK, and more than a billion streams at Spotify.

Stevie Russell commented: “I pitched the idea to management expecting them to laugh about it and say ‘yeah right, no thanks.’ When they jumped at the idea I realised I had made a huge mistake, as I now had to deliver. Thankfully, an incredible baby and the team across Ireland, the UK and India made it all possible.”

Responding to the challenging impact that lockdown has had upon the creation of video content, B-Unique asked Stevie Russell to produce a video with Mirriad. Russell’s concept fulfilled its full potential by utilising Mirriad’s expertise with digital AI and collaborating with Raja for some of its visual effects.

Based on the video’s uplifting messages of creativity and empowerment, Mirriad connected with UNICEF for the appeal that features at the end:

“Children are born to reach for the stars
During the Covid-19 pandemic, they need your help more than ever.
Visit unicef.ie to donate.”

Martin Toher, co-president at B-Unique Records, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to work with the Oscar and Emmy winning Mirriad on something so innovative and groundbreaking. This is a whole new untapped world for bands and artists, and could provide a lucrative alternative income stream for artists at a time when traditional income from live music has been severely affected.”

“Created so quickly and under the extraordinary constraints of lockdown, this beautiful video shows how our technology can be transformative in the hands of true creatives,” said Stephan Beringer, CEO of Mirriad. “The experience of working with Stevie Russell, whose brilliant ideas created a perfect canvas for the stunning effects, was elevating for us. This touching video should have incredible resonance, not only with the millions of Kodaline fans around the world.”

The partnership between B-Unique and Mirriad will continue with further videos for Kodaline.

Official website
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube
Facebook