Month: October 2020

In an exciting development for young musicians the City of Dublin Youth Service Board/City of Dublin Education and Training Board, supported by the Department of Children Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has teamed up with Garageland to create an online project designed to raise the spirits and focus young creative and artistic minds.

Restricted Mic is an online show which goes out live across multiple platforms on Monday 2nd and 9th November at 7pm. The show will feature young musicians playing songs from their various different clubs and projects, or from their homes in the best possible Covid lockdown fashion. Artists will perform original compositions as well as covers of their favourite artists. The young artists will be joined by some well-known peers in the show, with Inhaler, The Pale, Craig Walker & The Code (Dre, Eminem, The Avener, Power of Dreams) all confirmed to take part.

The performances are all aided and abetted by youth workers and volunteers from Youth Projects and Youth Clubs across the City of Dublin who assist the young artists and are supported from within the resources of City of Dublin Youth Service Board and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board.

With great support also from media partners, the show will be simulcasted on www.buzz.ie (The Irish Daily Star web page), RTE 2XM radio, RTE Facebook, and multiple Youtube and Facebook pages, reaching an estimated audience of 100,000 +

Thanks to IMRO for continued support.

Restricted Mic will be aired on Monday 2nd November 7pm to 9pm with a second episode airing Monday 9th November 7pm to 9pm.

The Zen Arcade are a garage rock band from Cavan, Ireland who released their debut single ‘Don’t Say A Word’ out now. To celebrate they have released a brand-new video to go along with the track.

Speaking about the video shoot Pete O’ Halnon says: “The video was shot in a shed, stars the band, abuses a projector and was directed by a tripod. It showcases the latest in digital regression and artfully combines the bare minimum with low light, undoubtedly inspiring the inevitable low-resolution revolution.”

Coming in at 2 minutes, 30 seconds, ‘Don’t Say A Word’ is an exercise in simplicity, intended to reflect the band’s approach to polite conversation. 

The band express how ‘Don’t Say A Word’ is a mantra for the muted millions. “Time now for the monosyllabic among us to rise up and remain silent!”

Formed in late 2019 and comprised of 3 ex-members of The Strypes whose stellar rise saw them tour 3 critically acclaimed albums all over from Glastonbury to Fuji Rocks and feted by all from Jools Holland to the Arctic Monkey before calling it quits. 

The Zen Arcade likes to do it differently and birthed a podcast series and multiple fanzines before making a record but it’s been the right move. ‘Don’t Say A Word’ is out on Dental Records out now.

Berlin-based recording artist Black Pope has just dropped new single ‘Werewolf, Man’ just in time for the October full moon. The song is accompanied by a self-directed 80’s slasher-inspired music video starring Lucie Aron (Replace, Berlin Syndrome). The song also features a line of dialogue recorded by Sherilyn Fenn of Twin Peaks, which the artist cites as an influence on his upcoming album.

‘Werewolf, Man’ clocks in at less than two minutes, but packs in a wall of guitars, big bad drums and all the slap-back vocal noises one could ever dream of. The lyrics describe a small community scrambling around trying to handle a werewolf problem.

The songwriter explains:

“I love the mythology of werewolves because the transformation is so sudden and so dangerous. The imagery is so universal that I feel like you can interpret it as a rich and personal metaphor, or just a cool song about werewolves. I’m not sure exactly what was going through my head at the time, but in general I had a strong desire to burst out of my skin.”

The song was recorded with producer Cian Riordan (St. Vincent, Mini Mansions) and follows September release ‘Goth Girl’ as the second single from Black Pope’s debut album, set for release next year. The album was recorded over seven days in Monique Studios in Cork, Ireland and has been described by the artist as “a love letter to loserville”.

Black Pope’s ‘Werewolf, Man’ is out now.

On Friday October 30th, Luunah release their debut album self-titled ‘Luunah’.

Fans have eagerly anticipated the upcoming project since June when it’s release was originally expected. Despite delays due to Covid-19 Pandemic, the band are grateful for more time given to refine their work, experiment stylistically and reconsider lyrics in an attempt to enhance each song’s message.

The 10 track album explores themes such as transition, self-awareness and acceptance of the unknown – ideas that resonate now more than ever. At a time when social, economic and personal uncertainty is so pervasive, Luunah believes music is an authentic antidote that can help people through this agonising period.

Lead singer Sarah-Beth wrote the songs religiously throughout her final years of college. “These songs represent a pivotal stage in my life as I settled into adulthood,” she reflects. “Writing has always been my way of processing emotions and animating the world around me. I would write in between college lectures, on my work breaks or at 2am on sleepless nights. I’d listen back to rough recordings on my phone and take mental notes on how the narrative embedded in chords could be brought further to life.”

No Luunah song is signed off without the input of band members Paul Brennan, Lee Kennedy, Emily Naughton and James Gormely. Their music is created in a collaborative manner where each member offers individual strengths and works to create emotional sparks in every line.

Producer Brian Casey helped the band to encapsulate their anti-pop vision in his West Cork studio, offering musical direction, insight and years of experience.

‘Luunah’ is a sure remedy to cure the lockdown blues.

Luunah is a band who enjoy pushing creative boundaries and exploring new territories as they attempt to make the world a more intriguing place through music. Their ability to seamlessly blend contrasting styles such as Pop, Alternative and R&B proves there is always potential for new genres to flourish and continue the electrifying evolution of sound.

The group was formed in 2019 by singer-songwriter Sarah-Beth O’Mullane with friends while studying at the CIT Cork School of Music. Sarah-Beth plays and composes alongside Paul Brennan (drums), Lee Kennedy (bass), Emily Naughton (synth) and James Gormley (guitar). Having all come from diverse musical backgrounds with experience in various scenes, they found common ground in their desire to create authentic original music.

Words are delicately placed within the structure of a driving rhythm section while ethereal synth and piano textures act as the glue which holds each song together. Through their music, Luunah aims to capture all the colourful emotions sprawled across the human spectrum – no matter how ambiguous or forbidden.

They have performed at Electric Picnic, Indiependence and numerous established venues across the country. They have received both national and international radio play, recently featuring on RTE 1 Recommends playlist, 2FM, 2XM and more.

Following his atmospheric synth pop single ‘Timeline’, PureGrand returns with ‘Such A Fright’.

‘Such A Fright’ is a shuffling electronic pop song sprinkled with elements of turn the millennium pop music. Lyrically it illustrates the claustrophobic sensations and the trappings of dealing with anxiety.

‘Such A Fright’ is accompanied with a self made video which parodies the pressures and hypocrisy of the modern workplace but dresses it up in the stylings of the 1990s.

The song was written and produced by Faulkner and is the latest single to be taken from his new body of work which is inspired by social themes felt by young millennials and by Faulkner’s own experiences in the past year and exploring them through the sounds and aesthetics of 90s and millennium pop.

PureGrand is a pop act consisting of Dublin photographer and musician, Luke Faulkner. He makes pop music inspired by sounds of the latter 20th century combined with a healthy dose of camp, PureGrand tries not to follow trends but sometimes might if he likes what is trendy. Faulkner writes and produces his music and shoots and designs all his artwork so is therefore always wrecked. His combination of catchy, well crafted songs paired with striking, colourful music videos aim to entertain while also providing a platform for social commentary and queer expression.

Not letting 2020 get in the way of his plans, PureGrand released his single Timeline in August, receiving positive reviews from The Last Mixed Tape and GCN, alongside another video in collaboration with director Eleanor Rogers which premiered on Nialler9. He most recently performed alongside Jack Rua, CMAT and Gold Blooded Woman as part of ‘Gotta Tell You’, a pop event discussing the future of Irish pop as part of Music Town Dublin

Website: www.puregrand.org

Gemma Cox is a 21 year-old singer-songwriter and pianist from Kildare. Beginning with piano lessons at the age of 6, her passion for music only grew. She fell in love with writing songs and started performing them at 12. She has been playing the Dublin circuit over the last 2 years, and has played venues in Dublin including the Grand Social, Whelans, the Sound House, Bruxelles and many more. She spends summer and Christmas busking on Grafton Street to hone her craft while studying Music and French in Trinity College Dublin. 

She has been busy during this peculiar time, performing on Hotpress’ Lockdown Sessions livestream and also winning of the Thorntons/ Hotpress competition for the Ritmüller modern 112 upright piano. Her entry was chosen out of 10,000 other entries.

She was also one of the winners of the Ulster Orchestra Your Song Now competition, where she recorded her original song with the Ulster Orchestra in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. It is to be released as part of an album before Christmas. Her music is a blend of alternative pop and folk, influenced by the likes of Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor, and Carole King. Her debut single ‘Whale On My Shoulder’ is out on the 6^th of November.

Website: https://linktr.ee/gemmacoxhere
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemmacoxhere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gemmacoxhere/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWS9xzBl65YIN9Jx7yOexGw

Multi-platinum, globally recognised, Italian production trio ​Meduza have joined forces with chart-topping Irish star ​Dermot Kennedy ​on new single ​‘Paradise’​, out ​today.

An uplifting and emotional record, ​‘Paradise’ pairs ​Meduza​’s unrivalled production ability to create compelling dance records whilst still drawing from the rolling energy from the roots of house music, with ​Kennedy​’s instantly recognisable, earnest vocals – a combination that’s destined to infiltrate charts across the globe. It marks ​Meduza​’s second single this year, following the release of ‘​Born To Love’ with UK artist SHELLS, a track that has already racked up ​32 million Spotify streams​. Meanwhile Kennedy’s most recent single ‘Giants’ has just been certified x4 times platinum in Ireland ​and is wrapping on the ​UK official charts top 10’s door.

Meduza ​exploded onto the scene last year with​‘Piece Of Your Heart (ft. Goodboys)’​,a globalsmash that has clocked up over a ​billion ​combined streams since its release and received a Grammy nomination. The track went diamond, multi-platinum and gold worldwide, including in the UK, selling over 1.2 million units and peaking at ​#2 ​in the UK Singles Charts ​and #1 ​in the US Dance Charts​. This was followed up by the similarly successful ‘Lose Control’​, a collaboration with UK artists ​Becky Hill and ​Goodboys​, another global, platinum-selling hit, which clocked in at ​#11 ​in the ​UK Singles chart and has amassed more than ​a billion ​streams alone.

Hailing from Dublin, Brit Award nominated ​Dermot Kennedy first broke through in 2018 with lauded single ​‘Power Over Me’​,which has achieved platinum sales in his native Ireland, gold in the UK and has since racked up over ​200 million Spotify streams​.The following year saw the release of his debut album ​’Without Fear’​, a global favourite that hit ​#1 ​in both the UK and Ireland, with the ​Guardian enthusing that he ​“wears his heart and guts on his sleeve to powerful effect,” across the LP. The artist has collectively achieved over ​1.5 billion streams across platforms globally​, and now makes his first collaboration with the dance music titans.

A collaboration between two world-conquering acts, ​‘Paradise’ is a global remedy for seeking comfort in the testing times of late.

Having had some success with his first band Swampshack, Oliver Cole formed the three-piece rock band, Turn. Oliver was Turn’s singer, songwriter and main guitarist, and they soon signed to Infectious Records in London, which was home to Muse, Ash and Garbage, among others. Turn enjoyed great success and popularity, playing sell-out gigs at Vicar Street and a packed to the gills standout performance at the Oxegen festival in 2005.

They released three Irish Top 10 albums and were nominated for Ireland’s coveted Choice Music Award. Oliver left the band in 2006 to begin work on his first solo album, ‘We Albatri’, which was recorded in Germany. Upon its release, The Irish Times gave the album 5 out of 5 and made it their album of the month.

Oliver continues to progress his career as both a songwriter and solo artist, his most recent album ‘Year Of The Bird’ was released to huge critical acclaim in 2015. Oliver is a well-respected songwriter and continues to collaborate and tour with some of Ireland’s biggest names such as Glen Hansard and Gemma Hayes to name a few.

‘You Were The Right Turn’ was the first single from his album ‘Father, Brother, Son’, released today. ‘You Were the Right Turn is a song about recovery and redemption, the healing that begins after the acceptance of the loss. It features Graham Hopkins (Glen Hansard, The Frames, The Cranberries), Robbie Malone (David Gray) and Colm Querney (Lir).

‘Father Brother Son’ is Oliver Cole’s third album. Unearthing themes of life and loss, birth and death, it explores the path from grief to recovery, what we have and what we leave behind.

Sina Theil, who recently won ‘Hottest Act in Irish Country Music’ at the latest Hot Country TV Awards, is set to perform a special concert at one of Irelands’ premier theatres – the Town Hall Theatre in Galway. She will be accompanied by a band of seasoned and well known Irish musicians, as well as Billy Condon on fiddle (Ray Lynam and the Hillbillies, The Dubliners) as her special guest.

The concert will take place on December 16th at 8PM and will be professionally streamed. The physical capacity of the theatre has been reduced to only 40 seats to ensure social distancing and stream viewers can access the concert for up to 72H after show time.

Physical and virtual tickets can now be purchased at www.tht.ie

Sina has so far scored fourteen #1 Singles in the Irish Country Download Charts, as well as a #1 & #2 album and her songs have been played close to 8,200 times on Irish radio. Her latest album is called  ‘Reflections Of A Celtic Heart’ and features the single “Good To Be Back Home” (recorded as a duet with Sabrina Fallon), ‘Green Fields of France’, ‘Grace’, ‘The Parting Glass’ and many more.

During the concert, the former BIMM student and her band will also be debuting two very special songs: an original track called ‘Never Walk Alone’ that Sina penned over the recent lockdown and which speaks of everlasting and unconditional love and support; something we all need at this challenging time. She will also be performing her new single ‘Leaving Nancy’ which is expected to be out mid November and embodies an emotional blend of Country music and Celtic Folk.

“I’m extremely excited to perform again, at such an incredible venue and with such an amazing band and special guest. The theatre is doing everything to ensure a safe and joyful evening and of course, I’m over the moon that it will be professionally streamed. It will be a very special evening and I’m thrilled that people from all over the world will be able to enjoy the concert from their homes.” said Sina.

Over the past lockdown months Sina’s social media has seen steady growth, with her Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sinatheilmusic) close to reaching 28K likes and over 31K followers. Regarding the increase in her online following Sina said: “I’m delighted that especially over these past few months, my platform has become a welcoming and supportive community for people from all around the world that seek not only entertainment but maybe also a little escape from what is going on around us. We must stick together in these crazy times.”

Sina’s music can be downloaded on iTunes, Amazon and CDBaby, having only a small fraction of her catalog available on Spotify.

For tickets to her show on December 16th at the Town Hall Theatre Galway see www.tht.ie 

To follow Sina’s journey on social media, please see below

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sinatheilmusic

Instagram: @sinatheil

Twitter: @sinatheil

Website: www.sinatheilmusic.com

Sina’s new single “Leaving Nancy” will be available on all major download platform mid November.

‘Love Like Mine’ is the brand new release from Icelandic-Norwegian producer Sindri Björnsson, written by Dublin-based songwriter Ben Pyne.
The EDM lockdown collaboration brings a spark of summer to the winter season, with layers of chilled melody and rhythm.

“The objective was the produce something that would, for 3 minutes or so, banish the pandemic from people’s minds,” says writer Ben Pyne. “It a song about finding a connection with someone, both mental and physical, and the freedom to explore it fully.”

‘Love Like Mine’ is released to Spotify on November 6th.