The Creative Europe Desk Ireland – Culture Office is hosting a short online briefing on the upcoming i-Portunus funding call targeted to the music sector on Thursday 21 January 2021 at 11am. You can register for the session here.
i-Portunus (https://www.i-portunus.eu/) is the European Commission’s mobility funding strand to support the cultural and creative sectors across Europe. As a legacy from 2020 there will be four targeted calls in the first quarter of 2021.
The music call is now open for applications and the deadline is 28 February 2021 at 5pm. This call is open to composers, musicians and singers (preferably in classical music, jazz and traditional music). The award supports international collaborations, production oriented residencies and professional development for artists.
The award is open to both individuals and groups of up to 5 people. The maximum available grant per person is €3,000. The mobility activities can last between 7 and 60 days and can begin from 1 June 2021 and must be completed by 30 November 2021.
PlecPicks, the annual flagship series from GoldenPlec highlights the best new Irish music to look out for in the year ahead.
Now in its 8th year of publication the ‘Ones To Watch’ style features series has built up a reputation as the most comprehensive and detailed series of its type in Ireland with a reputation for tipping artists such as Hozier, Dermot Kennedy, Soule, Denise Chaila, Joy Crookes, Fontaines D.C. and more besides ahead of their big break.
The series includes a month of features, published daily throughout January (Mon-Fri), focussing on up-and-coming Irish musicians. The 2021 series has already begun with artists such as Tolu Makay, Yenkee, Gemma Dunleavy and Malaki kicking it all off.
Speaking on the announcement GoldenPlec Editors Stephen Byrne and Ros Madigan stated: “Over the course of the last 8 years we have worked tirelessly to build Plec Picks into Ireland’s premier new music feature series. We are excited to partner with IMRO on this project because it will enable us to introduce Irish artists to more people than ever before.
The Irish music scene has been decimated by the pandemic and now, more than ever it is important to support Irish music and the Irish music industry both at home and abroad. This partnership will allow GoldenPlec to continue to showcase the amazing talent of Irish artists across all genres.”
The 2021 Plec Picks series will feature in-depth interviews with the twenty chosen artists in tandem with a professional photoshoot created by GoldenPlec’s outstanding photography team; tailored to suit the unique visual style of each artist.
In addition to this, GoldenPlec have added high quality video shoots in The Clinic Recording Studios, Dublin to the mix for 2021.
Keep an eye out on GoldenPlec’s social media each day for an update on each new act.
‘Right Moves’ is the first single from John Blek’s forthcoming album, ‘Digressions #2 Grounded’. A song to see us through the strangest of times.
Recorded at home in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Grounded’ is Blek’s effort to regain a sense of balance and purpose during this period of great uncertainty. It shows the artist drawing from a new well of sound, embracing synthesis, remote recording and electronic instruments for the first time. With the process being as integral to the message as the songs themselves, John wanted to demonstrate the sound of a world in the digital age while still maintaining his signature warm acoustic tones and reverence for the simple things in life.
This limited vinyl and CD album consisting of 10 new songs is the second release in his ‘Digressions’ series of records that started in May of 2020. Future releases in this series will consist of live recordings, conceptual pieces and other musical musings that diverge from his more characteristic sound.
‘Digressions #2 – Grounded’ will see limited vinyl (150 copies) and CD release on the 19th February via John’s own label We Are Rats Recordings (WARR). ‘Right Moves’ is released January 8th.
With a new year come new beginnings and with a revitalised sense of purpose, The Art Crimes Band will release their first single of 2021 with the soulful ‘In The Dark Of The Evening’ on January 29.
Recorded during 2020, ‘In The Dark Of The Evening’ attempts to channel the late night soundscapes of the early 1980s L.A. studio “golden era” pioneered by the likes of Quincy Jones, Toto and Steely Dan, thanks to the singles production at the hands of drummer Niall Dennehy and Fender Rhodes-heavy arrangement by Shiori Okawa. The single addresses mental health and the effects of isolation. The song’s lyrics offer a message of hope, love and friendship amidst a tuneful melody and deep funky groove reminiscent of D’Angelo, Jill Scott and Stevie Wonder.
The band’s first album Radio on the SUGO Music record label in 2015 reflected a group still searching for their groove. But now armed with a brand new single and fresh studio album in the works they have solidified a firm foundation in the R&B/Soul sound under which they are right at home. Band members include Gary Baus (Alto Saxophone), Stephen Kirby (Guitars), Niall Dennehy (Drums & Percussion), Grace McMahon (Vocals), Tim O’Leary (Bass) and introducing new member Katie O’Donnell (Piano & Keyboards).
Hampered by COVID19 the final stages of the single’s production employed a poignant workaround that saw its guest backing vocal choir send in their takes by smartphone. The “Lockdown Choir” consists of Colm Hayes (Kudos, The Mandolas), Colette Forde (Runaway Retros), Clare O’Mahony (The Songs Of Joni Mitchell), Alan Murphy (Rhythm Republic) and, Kevin Morrison and Rob Foley (One Horse Pony). The single was co-written with Kevin Morrison from the alt-roots & blues outfit One Horse Pony and was recorded at Flashpoint CC Studios in Cork city where the band write, record and produce exclusively. The single’s slick sound was accomplished by legendary mastering engineer Miles Showell (The Beatles, Phil Collins, Police, Amy Winehouse, Queen) at Abbey Road Studios, London.
“This is a pivotal moment for us as we turn our backs on the typical bar gigging scene of 8 years and we will now focus solely on developing our career as an original outfit” says drummer Niall Dennehy. The pandemic lockdown enabled The Art Crimes Band to re-evaluate the bands trajectory and new single ‘In The Dark Of The Evening’ is the first step with a new album expected later in 2021.
The shortlist for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2020, in association with IMRO & IRMA, was announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show by Jim Carroll, chairman of the judging panel.
The shortlist is as follows:
Bitch Falcon – Staring at Clocks (Small Pond Recordings) Denise Chaila – Go Bravely (narolane) Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death (Partisan Records) JyellowL – 2020 D|vision (JyellowL Records) Róisín Murphy – Róisín Machine (Loaded Records) Nealo – All The Leaves Are Falling (2020 Nealo) Pillow Queens – In Waiting (Pillow Queens Records) Ailbhe Reddy – Personal History (Friends of the Family) Niamh Regan – Hemet (The Black Gate Label) Silverbacks – Fad (Central Tones)
As part of RTÉ’s continued commitment to promoting Irish music, RTÉ 2FM again celebrates the announcement of the shortlist across its schedule throughout the day with All Irish Music All Day from 6am to midnight.
Commenting, Adam Fogarty, Head of Music, RTÉ 2FM said, ”Irish music is such an important part of 2fm and what we do. There’s so much incredible talent in Ireland right now and we believe Irish music is in the best place it’s ever been. As part of our RTÉ Choice Music prize announcement, 2fm will be going ‘all Irish, all day’ once again to support the amazing artists we have here.”
The Irish Album of the Year 2020 will be announced live on RTÉ 2FM in a special Tracy Clifford Show from 12-3pm on Thursday 4th March and broadcast live on RTÉ Player. The show will feature live performances from some of the shortlisted acts, further details on the line-up to be announced soon.
A special RTÉ Choice Music Prize highlights programme will be broadcast on RTÉ2 television the following week.
The 16th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The full list of judges is listed on http://www.choicemusicprize.ie
The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.
Lauryn Gaffney is an award winning musical theatre composer from Dublin, Ireland who has filled the void for theatre fans missing new work. With the absence of live shows and festivals worldwide Lauryn is revolutionising the way we consume new musicals by creating an audio only mini musical.
‘I’m Here To Say Goodbye’ tells the tale of two strangers trapped in an elevator (or as they say in Ireland a lift!). Both ladies are on the way to important appointments, but instead they each have no choice but to hear something of the other’s story.
This mini musical will make you laugh and cry and will bring a little bit of Broadway to your home while we eagerly await the return of live theatre. It’s been described as “an extraordinary piece that brings listeners on an emotional rollercoaster in 15 minutes.” Sit back, relax and enjoy two complicated characters singing their way through a moment of isolation.
Lauryn Gaffney is the creator and composer of international award winning musical ‘Big Shot’. Big Shot had its Off- Broadway Debut last year and is a 5 time Irish Broadway World Award Winning Musical (including being voted ‘Best Musical’). Described as “A theatrical storm worthy of a Tony Gong” (Irish Mirror). ‘Big Shot’ has also had successful runs in San Diego, London, Dublin, NYC and Mexico. ‘Big Shot’ represented Ireland in the San Diego International Fringe Festival. Described as an “absolute success” by the festival organisers, ‘Big Shot’ the musical was awarded the admired ‘Spirit of Fringe’ Award.
Alongside her passion for composing new musical theatre Lauryn has a publishing deal and is working on various works for international pop artists.
Aisling Sharkey:
Although only 17 and has been studying full time in Musical Theatre at Phoenix Performing Arts College for the past three years. She has played roles for the screen such as Ivy in the series “Heirs of the Night ” and Madison in the upcoming “Jurassic World: Dominion” movie. In addition to her professional experience she performed as a backup dancer in Dublin’s 3Arena of Jack Whitehall’s 2019 tour. Aisling is so excited to be a part of this project, especially to be doing it alongside Lauryn Gaffney.
Music production/arrangement by the talented Ally Donald and Jake Curran. Mastered by Niall Woods.
A special thanks to the Arts Council Of Ireland for making this possible.
Based out of Co. Kerry, Ireland and New Hampshire, USA, Ash and Siobhán come together for the harmony-centered melodies of Woven Kin. Their songs are dreamscapes and journeys, tradition and new ground. Following the May 2020 release of their collaboration with the artist AJEET, (song premiered at @AmericanSongwriter,) and four subsequent singles, Woven Kin now prepares for the release of their first full album, ‘Hibernate’ featuring artists such as Liam Ó Maonlaí (Hothouse Flowers) and Leah Song (Rising Appalachia).
‘Hibernate’ was largely created during the surreal months of 2020, a year of hibernation and solitude for many. It brings together lilting harmonies with delicately woven dreamscapes. The first track of the album, ‘Hibernate’, invites you into a dark, dreamlike space where you journey until the final track of the album, ‘Morning Song’, which draws the listener back to wakefulness. There’s a gentleness to the sound, but also a grounded earthy depth to the organic instrumentation. Folk instruments such as the Irish harp, bodhrán, bouzouki, banjo and the mandolin feature heavily throughout, along with percussive beats, big basslines and electronic textures. The duo gives space to their roots in traditional Irish music, while drawing from their personal love of contemporary folk and electronic music.
Tallaght based artist Kevi Knight steps back onto the scene with an end of year buzzer beater in the form of ‘WYBTTT (What You Bring To The Table)’. Accompanied by DW24 & Big Tambz, the trio bar it out back to back on a bouncy 808 infused beat. Bringing us 3 minutes 20 seconds of bravado and braggadocious statements wrapped around clean-cut lyricism and centred around an unforgettable chorus.
Kevi Knight explains, “The song asks a rhetorical question; What you bring to the table? Which we answer cash money cause that’s all we’re about in Tallaght making money. If you know what it’s like to manoeuvre around Tallaght, you’ll be able to manoeuvre in the world.
What’s crazy about this track is that we recorded it at the start of the year in Simba’s Jungle Beam studio and been sleeping on it since. After performing it at one of my friends birthday parties and everyone at the party was feeling the track. So we decided to finish it.”
For those who don’t know Kevi Knight, he is a 23-year-old South Dublin based artist whose music is influenced by grime, rap, hip hop, pop, trap, dancehall & afro-beats. His tongue in cheek lyricism and melodies are inspired by the likes of Young Thug, Future and Drake while his smooth yet passionate vocals are influenced by the likes of Bob Marley, WizKid & Yxng bane. Kevi is one of Ireland’s foremost players on the new generation underground Hip Hop scene in Ireland.
His Collaborator Big Tambz is an Irish based UK raised upcoming rapper who is determined to reach the highest point. Big Tambz believes that music is more powerful when it’s relatable, it brings you to another stage of music. Whilst DW24 is an Irish rapper from Nigerian origins. He brings the coldest vibes accompanied raw lyricism and delivered with an attention-grabbing voice that turns heads.
Islander welcomed Katie Kim and Radie Peate to headline Quiet Lights festival, Cork, in 2018 – those who were there were treated to a special kind of magic within the walls of The Chapel at Griffith College and still talk about it.
Islander, as part of their Quiet Lights festival online series, are delighted to present an exclusive audio-visual streaming event with two of Ireland’s finest creative minds, Radie Peat & Katie Kim, coming together for a rare and powerful collaboration for Nollaig na mBan, Wednesday 6th January.
Katie Kim and Radie Peat of Lankum have joined forces with drummer/singer Eleanor Myler (Percolator), sonic wizard John Spud Murphy (producer of RTÉ Choice Music Prize award winning album The Livelong Day by Lankum), and the renowned sound artist/filmmaker Vicky Langan occupying the visual field, this promises to be a unique collision of concepts for this one off performance.
In March this year, Peat was on an extensive tour of the US with Lankum, where Kim had relocated in 2019 and more recently opened for the band at their sold out Mercury Lounge show in NY. This turned out to be one of the last live gigs either would play in 2020. After surrendering a return to Ireland, the two found themselves by chance living 500 meters apart with an abundance of time on their hands and a hunger to create. This collaborative project is the result of that time.
Comprising new arrangements of original material, folk songs, and reimagined contemporary songs, this performance brings together elements of gothic folk, ethereal doom, the melding of intricate harmonies and combined raw vocal power.
This exclusive performance will go out as a live stream on Nollaig na mBan on Wednesday 6th January 2021 at 8pm GMT and viewers will be available to stream the performance for a limited 48 hours.
Offaly singer Tolü Makay teamed up with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for a spell-binding cover of the hugely popular Saw Doctors hit ‘N17’, which aired on RTÉ on Jan 31st as part of their annual New Year’s special.
The video, which includes clips of Irish people sending messages to their loved ones back home, has captured the hearts of the nation, already clocking up over 30,000 views on Youtube, and over 800,000 views on Twitter.
As a nod to the Irish around the world who couldn’t make it home this Christmas Tolü’s version of The N17 with The RTÉ Concert Orchestra was put together by Kite Entertainment for RTÉ’s NYE Countdown Show. Commenting on the reaction to the song’s broadcast Kite MD Darren Smith said, “We knew we’d something special with this one, with the combination of Tolü’s stunning vocal, the orchestra’s beautiful arrangement and The Saw Doctors great lyrics we’d high hopes that it would get a great reaction but even we didn’t predict the outpouring of love it’s received from all over the world since Thursday’s nights broadcast. We couldn’t be happier for Tolü and can’t wait to see and hear what she does next”.
Tolü says: “Performing for the RTE New Year’s Show was incredible. I had no inkling of what to expect. Although I wasn’t performing in the same space with the concert orchestra because of restrictions (hopefully one day I do sing with them in person), the production team from Kite Productions, Susan Scannell, make up dept, Damien Chennells, and everyone involved made it such a heart-warming experience.
I don’t even have words really. Learning ‘N17’ by the Saw Doctors and singing the lyrics to the arrangement Gavin Murphy created really resonated with me. I felt every word I sang because it rang true! I went to university in Galway I was taught in prefabs! And not seeing my family for a whole year that was tough which I’m sure the whole world understood what that felt like over this holiday season.
No less than about 30 minutes after the show went live the tags on social media started going crazy. It wasn’t till the following day that I was absolutely awestruck and so shocked with the responses! And seeing that the Saw Doctors loved the rendition gladdened my heart! I was not expecting the wonderful reviews! So many people shared stories with me and how long they’ve been away from family. I cried my eyes out on the first of January with gratitude.
I’m beyond grateful to have been able to bring people into the new year and for it to be significant enough that it resonated with those living far from Ireland.”
Graham Norton tweeted“Maybe feeling fragile on New Year’s Day but this has reduced me to a sobbing mess. Huge congratulations to everyone involved in putting it together!!”
Dustin the Turkey tweeted“Sometimes I love being Irish. This is one of those times. Thanks a million @sawdoctors @ToluMakay”
Dara Ó Briain tweeted “Well this is just very beautiful. Well done to all involved. Very much one for the Irish and Irish abroad, this.”
This was Tolü’s second TV appearance over the holidays, you might have also spotted her in “Ireland in Music” – a new film which captures some of the country’s top musicians performing at Ireland’s most spectacular locations. The show saw the country become a stage, as Denise Chaila and Sharon Shannon perform along The Cliffs of Moher, Clannad perform in Poison Glen, Gweedore; Lisa Hannigan in the bandstand at Saint Stephen’s Green, and The Stunning outside Trim Castle.
The show featured a spine-tingling performance of ‘The Greatest Gift’, written and produced by delush (Enda Gallery), and performed by Enda and Tolü at Athlone Castle (skip to 14.40mins) https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/ireland-in-music/168779304013)
Tolü plays her first headline show “Tolü Makay – A Night to Be Reborn” Friday 28 May 2021 @ 8:00 pm at The Grand Social, Dublin, presented by MCD. Tickets €15 via Ticketmaster.
