Tag: new music

Marty Rafo To Release New Single ‘Our Last Goodbye’

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Northern Irish artist Marty Rafo has been stirring up quite a bit of interest in the music industry since the release of his first two EP’s “Last Brigade” and “Atlantic Crossing.” From licensing music to 20+ major television networks, indie films, and sports arenas (including FOX, ESPN, E!, Discovery, National Geographic, NFL, and NASCAR), to celebrating rotation on 200+ college, independent, and commercial radio stations and performing alongside some of the US and UK’s most sought-after headliners (including: “Icon for Hire”, “All That Remains”, “Feeder”, “Reef”, “Pigeon Detectives” and “The Sherlocks”) – Rafo has just announced his collaboration with Irish Italian DJ and Producer Coke Beats on New Single ‘Our Last Goodbye’.

From busking in the streets of New York City in the late ‘90s to touring on three continents and leaving his mark on the underground electronic music scenes, Coke Beats has featured in more than 1 billion views on TikTok, and 44 number 1’s on the iTunes Charts in Europe, Asia, and South America. He is back in Ireland after a stint of EU residencies and has just worked on this remix collab with Marty Rafo, who was in search of the same quality of track as the late Avicii‘s ‘Hey Brother’ on his new single. Calling on the finesse of the Producer.

In addition to being featured in 50+ media publications for his past college, club, and festival tours (including: “Rock the Fort Music Festival, USA”, “Camden Rocks Festival”, “TVW Stock Festival, UK” and “Lee Stock Music Festival, UK”), some of the highlights thus far, according to Marty, have been hanging out with Bono and The Edge, meeting Jimmy Page and meeting the man who inspired him to pick up a guitar, Mr. Noel Gallagher.

Commenting on the inspiration behind his latest single, Rafo commented:

“Our Last Goodbye” is about two people who are in love with one another, then eventually break up and move their separate ways. It’s about reminiscing about the good times and wondering where it all went wrong. In the song, the main character in this narrative is still interested in what she is doing. However, he discovered that she was with another guy in a different country. He realises he needs to move on and stop living in the past. Ultimately, he finds himself and finds self-love.

His last single “You’ll Never Be Alone” soared straight to No.1 in both the UK and Irish I-Tunes charts. The new single ‘Our Last Goodbye’ – (Coke Beats Remix) is set to do the same and will be released on Sept 29th.  With a full band remix and an acoustic remix to follow in Oct.

 

KEHLI Announces Electric Picnic Performance + New Remix for All Outta Love

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With her eagerly-awaited debut EP ‘Pity Party’ set to arrive in the coming months, which includes the tracks “Lose U Now”, “Dead Body” and “All Outta Love” – the latter single receiving more than 5 million radio impressions across Irish radio including being selected by Ireland’s Select Irish network as their Irish ‘Track of the Month’ in July – giving it heavy rotation across all of their network, the last track they did this for was chart-topper Jazzy’s “Giving Me”, not to mention ‘Future Pop’ support on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio Ulster adding the track to their Atl Introducing Playlist selected by Gemma Bradley & team, Irish pop starlet KEHLI has now returned to release the FlashTheDeliveryGuy remix of her EP’s lead offering “All Outta Love”.

Inviting a fresh and bouncing dance-pop-infused energy to her latest effort, the FlashTheDeliverGuy remix of “All Outta Love” sees it transformed into a vibrant club-ready anthem. With her fresh and dynamic vocals playfully layered across a shimmering production throughout, the new rework adds a bright and distinctive aesthetic to her glittering catalogue to date.

Showing an affinity for music from a very young age, Chris ‘FlashTheDeliveryGuy’ Edwards has been fine-tuning his skills as a record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. Irish-born and raised, Chris has recently added a number of the rising Irish talents to his resume of production credits including the likes of breakout pops Ojo The Kidd, Jamie Freed, and RikShaw amongst others. Current projects include various indie and major label-related projects as well as collaborations with the likes of UK chart-topping producer/EDM artist, Kid Eternal on upcoming releases.

He is currently the producer and recently appointed MD of one of Ireland’s #1 Radio presenter/DJ’s Declan Pierce and his ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’ project where Flash also plays Bass to crowds of over 10,000 people and sold-out arenas across Ireland.

Hailing from Dublin, 22-year old KEHLI is a vocalist and performer with a soulful, passionate, and unique interpretation of contemporary pop music. She’s drawn comparisons to the likes of Mabel, Raye, Dua Lipa, and Anne-Marie.

Her music journey began at the tender age of five when she started stage school. There she studied music and dance including contemporary dance, hip-hop, and ballet eventually competing at a world championship level. Her evolving passion for music encouraged a 14-year-old KEHLI to try her hands at a couple of TV music shows (X-Factor, The Voice etc) which gave her invaluable experience and gained her a small cult online following. 

Soon after, a rehearsal clip of KEHLI singing Jorja Smith’s ‘Let Me Down’ made its way onto Instagram, gaining her a small viral moment. This led to the introduction of London-based producer/songwriter MSRD who helped KEHLI hone her sound along with key collaborators such as Cameron Gower Poole (Glowie, Raye) Raheem Bale, Kali Clare, and others. 

Since her debut release, KEHLI has gone on to achieve many early career milestones.  Her TV debut last year was on the Late Late show with Ryan Turbidy following a year where she amassed over 13 million national radio impressions in Ireland with support from the likes of RTE 2 FM, 98 FM, Spin1038, iRadio, BBC R1 and Kiss FM.  She was also noted to be the only female singer in the Irish Top 20 charts at the time.  Other career highlights include reaching top #5 position in three key UK club charts including Commercial Pop Charts(#4), Upfront Club Charts(#3) and Urban Charts (#3) on her debut release (One Last Kiss) as reported by Music Week.  

The Official Charts UK named her ‘One To Watch’ and she has also received support from industry tastemakers like Record of the Day, The Line of Best Fit, EARMILK, CLASH, Wonderland, Nialler 9, Irish Times and many others as well as DSP support from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Filtr with editorial playlisting.  New Music Friday, New Pop UK, Pop remix are some of her Spotify playlist achievements with over 1.1Million cumulative streams across Spotify alone.

Her release ‘Summer Lovin’ was a hit on the Irish airwaves and a DSP favourite landing New Music Friday and 14 other Spotify editorial playlists on release day as well as charting #15 on the TikTok Music Charts on release week. The project has since gone on to garner significant major-label interest in the UK and US.

 

DISCOVER KEHLI

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | TIKTOK

 

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PHOTO CREDIT – WOLF JAMES

Luke Cosgrave Announces New Single ‘I Feel Your Time Is Comin’ Set To Be Released July 7th

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Luke Cosgrave is an Irish contemporary violinist and songwriter from Wexford, Ireland. He has been playing violin since the age of five and was a member of the Dublin Youth Orchestra, and The Wexford Sinfonia as well as playing as a session musician with a long career supporting numerous Irish artists throughout Ireland. 

He has performed solos for former Irish President Mary Robinson and Taoiseach Micháel Martin. A consummate professional musician. In addition to performing for dignitaries, he has played alongside Sinead O’Connor and Mundy as a session musician and he has also supported and shared stages with Don Baker, John Spillane, and The 4 of Us to name but a few. 

After lending his violin skills to so many of his fellow luminaries, it was time to launch his own music to the Irish and International Music Scene. His previous releases ‘Heart of Hearts’ and ‘Love and War’ were soft-launched during the pandemic to glowing fans, and he is now ready to follow that up with his new song, ‘I Feel Your Time Is Comin’, a sing-a-long folk song, which he releases in July 2023. 

With his well-formed, thought-provoking lyrics, Luke sings with a Wexford accent akin to Corkonian John Spillane’s unique and charming Irish rhetoric. His latest musical offering, ‘I Feel Your Time Is Comin’, will surely appeal to the repeat button. 

Social Media Links:

 

THE REMEDY CLUB ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM – ‘BACK TO YOU’ SET TO BE RELEASED MAY 26TH

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THE REMEDY CLUB Back To You / released 26th May + Album Launch party Sunday 28th May in The Workman’s Club, Dublin (*full band show)

Back To You is the third album from Irish roots/Americana duo The Remedy Club. The album sees them broaden their sonic palette with strings and brass and features some notable Irish musicians including Aongus Ralston on bass (The Waterboys), Binzer Brennan on drums (The Frames), and Michael Buckley and Ronan Dooney on brass (Van Morrison). The album was co-produced by Gavin Glass in Orphan Studios, Wexford. While their second album was recorded in Nashville, musically this new chapter sees them heading towards Memphis and New Orleans with nods to Fleetwood Mac along the way, carving out their own authentic path in Irish music.

BIO:

Husband and wife duo The Remedy Club, comprising Kj McEvoy and Aileen Mythen have been described as ‘Ireland’s best kept musical secret’’ by Hotpress Magazine. Their first two albums Lovers, Legends and Lost Causes and True Hand True Heart were independently released by the duo to great critical acclaim in Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the US – ‘’My new favourite duo of all time (ROCKING MAGPIE, UK), ‘Outstanding’ (NO DEPRESSION, US).

Their sophomore album True Hand True Heart was recorded in Room and Board studios, Nashville, and produced by 5 –time Grammy award winner Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crowand was chosen as album of the week on RTE Radio One.  Hotpress magazine included the album in their top 10 folk albums of 2020.

Their latest offering Remedy Club ‘Back To You’ is due to be released 26th May 2023.

QUOTES

‘Ireland’s best kept musical secret’ (HOTPRESS, IRE)

‘Spectacular’ (MAVERICK)

‘Outstanding album’ (NO DEPRESSION, USA)

‘Destined for big things’ (GET READY TO ROCK, UK)

Simply Divine’ (LONESOME HIGHWAY)

‘It’s a stunner!’ ‘My new favourite duo of all time’ (ROCKING MAGPIE, UK)

‘Among today’s top roots artists‘ (YOUR LIFE IN A SONG, UK)

INTERESTING FACTS FOR MEDIA

Aileen has is an established actor and voice artist. She has voiced hundreds of characters in well-known cartoons and movies including Disney’s Space Chickens’, Rainbow Rangers (Nick Jnr, Genius), and ‘Luis and the Aliens’ (Warner Brothers). She also voiced the character of Raquel in the groundbreaking video game ‘Beyond a steel sky’. Aileen has worked alongside some of the world’s most recognised actors including Harvey Keitel and Pierce Brosnan

Kieran is the brother of acclaimed singer and songwriter, Eleanor McEvoy who wrote the third best-selling Irish single of all time ‘A Woman’s Heart’.

Kieran lived in New York City for 8 years where he played with several hard rock bands including Electra Records ‘Smashed Gladys’.

Aileen and Kj have released 5 albums in total – the first two being under the name B & The Honeyboys.

Their 7-year-old daughter Layla Kay made her TV debut at 5 playing Minnie Driver’s daughter in the Amazon Prime series ‘Modern Love’, directed by John Carney.

SJ TALBOT ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE ‘FACE IT’ SET TO BE RELEASED APRIL 14TH

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SJ Talbot is a pop artist from Clontarf, in the capital city of Dublin, Ireland. Her songs feature deep, soulful vocals, intelligently paired with high-caliber pop production. At an early age, Talbot was enrolled in musical theatre school and went on to study at BIMM Dublin, graduating in 2020. 

No stranger to the Irish music scene, she has worked as a session singer and keyboardist for various acts over the last four years. In 2017, she began producing her own music and developing her individual sound. In September 2020, she released her well received indie-pop influenced debut single, “Envy”, followed up by her second solo single, ‘Easy for Me’, in 2021 which peaked at no.6 on the Irish Breakers Radio Chart. 

On the back of this successful release, SJ was selected by iRadio to compete in the Irish Music Month Local Hero Radio competition which was sponsored by Hot Press magazine. Her latest release, a soft-pop dance anthem ‘Millisecond’, has garnered a lot of attention from the Irish Press, naming her a ‘One To Watch’ on Dublin’s Spin 1038, as well as an iRadio iLoveIrish track for May 2022.

All signs show SJ Talbot to be ready to make her own remarkable contribution to the current Irish springtime in contemporary pop.

Some of SJ Talbot’s life-long influences include Duffy, Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone. Her music is inspired by indie-pop, electronic-pop and disco, and is reminiscent of the work of Agnes, GRACEY, CHIC & Nile Rodgers, La Roux, and Dua Lipa.

On her new single ‘Face It’ SJ visits the softer side of her pop sensibilities and releases a power ballad. Commenting on the song:

“I wrote Face It at the end of 2022 on my living room piano. I asked Eoin Butterfield to play keys on the track and we recorded it in Windmill Lane Recording studios with engineer Kevin O’Reilly in January of this year. It’s a heartfelt pop ballad influenced by the voices of Adele, Emeli Sande, and Lennon Stella to name a few. I’ve always loved power ballads and after writing upbeat tracks for some time, I wanted to produce a more vulnerable, intimate song like this to introduce a different side to me as an artist and songwriter.

The song is an ode to falling in love in your youth. Everything feels magical at the start of a new relationship until one day it doesn’t. I was in a situation where life was beginning to take me and someone else in different directions and neither of us wanted to admit that. This song depicts two people falling out of love for no known reason other than the fact they need room to grow separately”.

Face It, is out across all digital platforms on April 14th.

Wayne Brereton Announces Album The Robin’s Call Set To Be Released May 26th 2023 + Tour Dates.

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Wayne Brereton is a Folk/Ballad singer-songwriter from Co. Offaly in Ireland. He has been playing guitar in gigging bands since the age of 14 and was the featured guitarist for an Irish pop/rock band once very popular in the country called HOGAN. Wayne then returned to the genre he first fell in love with Ballad / Folk & Traditional Music, and he was a central member of his father’s band Turas. He also features as bass player and additional vocals for Derek Warfield and the young Wolfe Tones as well as fronting his own increasingly popular band, The Cardinal Sins.

Wayne cites Luke Kelly, Shane McGowan, Sean Keane & Christy Moore and of course his multi-talented father as his biggest influences for the crafting of his own style. Wayne is a Gaelic speaker and also worked as a tour guide in Kilmainham Jail, which puts him very much in tune with the love & culture of Irish songs & ballads.

It is due to the fact that Wayne’s Grandmother Minnie was born in Scotland and raised by Irish parents and returned to Ireland at the age of 16 in 1932 that he feels a strong connection with Scottish ballads, folk music, and Australian folk music – a place where some of his relatives emigrated in the early 1900’s.

Wayne has been on a journey with this collection of songs… Gathered over the last number of years from traveling far and wide. He gained inspiration from his influences and his love for the Irish language as well as overcoming health issues. As the project began in 2019, Wayne suffered a setback due to a congenital heart condition. A valve he received in 1995 suddenly stopped working and halted his active life. Although he was not bedridden, he did have limited energy to carry on with life and this is when he decided the time was now to start working on this project. The pandemic restrictions resulted in Wayne being confined to the hospital for 6 weeks without visitors, which at times was stressful and upsetting. February 2021 saw Wayne be released back to society & once he was back on his feet, he triumphantly returned to the studio to complete his mission of releasing ‘The Robin’s Call’.

The chosen title was in connection to both of Wayne’s Grandmothers as they always spoke of the Robin as a strong resilient bird that protects itself and will always return to where it should be and in local folklore, the belief that the Robin arriving at your back door or garden was always someone who had passed on and that they were coming back to say hello and see if you are alright.

Wayne comments that “It was a victory for me to finish this record, with so many trials and obstacles in the way. It is my hope that you enjoy the Songs and feel a connection with them the same way I have”. 

Track listing

  1. Keg Of Brandy

  2. ‘S Cuma Grian No Sion

  3. The Mountains Of Pomeroy (Feat Eva Coyle)

  4. Shepherd Lad

  5. The Diamantina Drover

  6. When First Unto this Country

  7. Come Rain or Come Shine

Tour dates: (More TBA)

  • Friday, May 26th – The Acoustic Room In The Anvil Inn Main St Portarlington Co. Laois (Launch night)
  • Thursday, 15 June – Whelans Mini Venue, Dublin
  • Friday, 23rd June – The Blackbird, Ballycotton Co. Cork
 
 
 

 

THE YOUNG’UNS Announce New Album ‘Tiny Notes’ + Irish Tour date 20/05 DUBLIN Pavilion Dun Laoghaire

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SONGS BORN FROM EMPATHY, CRAFTED WITH CARE, FIRED BY HOPE & SHARED WITH JOY

“Hugely captivating-performing with great verve and humour- a brilliant folk act” Stuart Maconie, BBC 6 Music

“Glorious… celebrating the uncelebrated with warmth, vigour and passion” Mojo

Twenty years ago you might have thought it a far-fetched prediction. But today there’s no denying it – The Young’uns have become one of UK folk music’s hottest properties and best-loved acts.

The then teenage friends Sean Cooney, Michael Hughes and David Eaglehad literally stumbled over folk music in 2003 in the back room of The Sun Inn in their native Stockton-on-Tees, never knowing that such music existed. They became regulars and, as the youngest people in the room, were dubbed ‘The Young’uns’ – a name that, for better or worse, has stuck.

Building and honing their act, Stockton Folk Club’s star graduates went on to clinch the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ‘Best Group’title two years running (2015 and 2016), toured their unique act in Canada, America and Australia, played Glastonbury and scooped the coveted Best Album award with the hugely impressive Strangers at the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. More recently they have touched audiences on both sides of the Atlantic with their stage show The Ballad of Johnny Longstaffbased on the life of a Teesside local hero.

With their strong songs, spellbinding harmonies and rapid fire humour (Eagle is now also an award-winning stand-up comedian), they have achieved one of the trickiest balancing acts – an ability to truly ‘make them laugh and make them cry’.

These narrative songs – often moving, never mawkish – cut through the noise and get straight to the heart of the matter, be they personal stories that triggered global headlines or more intimate tales of everyday heroes closer to home.

On April 7, 2023 they will unveil their latest studio album Tiny Notes  probably their most powerful and affecting release to date. Bold, profound and resonant it showcases the ever growing talents of ‘premier league songwriter’ Sean Cooney who says writing songs about real, ordinary heroes has become ‘a personal passion’.

Cooney, who has recently been involved as one of five songwriters in the BBC project 21st Century Folk, has the knack of summing up a story in unflinching, sharply observed but compassionate, heartfelt lyrics.

Together with Hughes and Eagle, he has come up with a collection of folk songs for our time, which takes listeners on a journey from London to Lockerbie, Ireland to Syria, Florida to North Yorkshire. All sensitively arranged by the 30-something trio the songs recall victims of war and terrorism and heroes of the hour, turning the spotlight on injustice and ultimately celebrating love, tolerance and the indomitable human spirit.

Produced by Andy Bell on the Hudson Records label, the release takes its title from 22-year-old Paige Hunter’shandwritten messages of hope tied to the railings of Sunderland’s Wearmouth Bridge (depicted on the album cover) where tragically many people have decided to end their lives. But her notes are thought to have saved the lives of some 30 people in the North East and Paige’s action has inspired others to leave similar messages on bridges around the world.

Alongside The Young’uns strong trademark vocals, folk luminary Jon Boden has arranged soaring, graceful strings for some tracks while Eagle plays fluid piano, making for the band’s most enriched sound yet.

Karine Polwart, Lucy Farrelland Anne Lamb provide the ‘tiny notes’ that briefly punctuate the release.

Coursing a variety of tempos and moods, the 11-track album strides out with Jack Merritt’s Boots remembering the 25 year-old killed in a terror attack at London’s Fishmongers’ Hall in 2019; it recalls other young lives lost – Cambridge graduate Tim Burman and Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKeeand the daughters of Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen who tragically took their own lives and who are remembered in the poignant track Three Dads Walking (already released as a single).

Returning to Ireland the album traces the courageous story of Richard Moore (right) blinded as a child by an army bullet; salutes the strength of the human spirit in a dramatic rescue tale from Panama City Beach, champions the Right to Roam in Trespassers and recounts a Welsh trauma surgeon’s remarkable Syrian story.

While these are often songs prompted by loss and grief they emerge as hopeful, eloquent rainbow-after-rain creations.

Five years on from the group’s award-winning Strangers, the new album is probably The Young’uns strongest suit to date. The notes may be tiny but the songs are towering.

Tiny Noteswill be the first Young’uns album to be pressed on vinyl and will be manufactured at Press On Vinyl, a new plant in the band’s stomping ground of Middlesbrough. LPs are due to be available in late April.

Tiny Notes will be showcased on an extensive UK tour (April-June 2023) including a return to London’s Union Chapel and dates in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin.

Tiny Notes:

CD/Digital – Release – 7th April 2023

LP/Limited Edition Red LP – Release April 2023

TRACK BY TRACK

Jack Merritt’s Boots – Opening the album is a driving song praising the spirit of Jack Merritt who was killed in the Fishmongers’ Hall terror attack of November 2019 near London Bridge when he was working at a prisoners’ rehabilitation event organised by Cambridge University.

Tiny Notes – the title track is a gentle, poignant but heart-warming song telling how Paige Hunter’s handwritten notes tied to the railings of Wearmouth Bridge have saved the lives of those in despair – the vocals beautifully backed with piano and strings.

Three Dads Walking –a hopeful a capella song that marks the comradeship of three fathers whose daughters all took their own lives. A tribute to the determination of Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen who walked 300 miles between their homes in Cumbria, Manchester and Norfolk in memory of Sophie, Beth and Emily and then hiked between all the UK Parliaments petitioning governments to include age appropriate suicide prevention on the school curriculum. The Dads have raised over £1 million for suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS. Already released a single, it has been featured on BBC Breakfast TV and ITV News.

Richard Moore – An affecting song based on the extraordinary courage of the Derry-based man blinded as a child in the Troubles by an army bullet. He has since met and befriended the soldier who fired the bullet and raised millions to help youngsters everywhere through his Children in Crossfire charity founded in 1996. https://www.childrenincrossfire.org/

Hand over Hand – Given a rhythmic sea shanty style setting this is a song that tells the story of a dramatic rescue at Florida’s Panama City Beach in 2017 when Jessica and Derek Simmons instigated an 80-strong human chain to save nine members of the Ursrey family swept off their feet by a rip tide.

Lyra – Lyra McKee (above) was a 29 year-old investigative journalist from Belfast who was killed while observing a riot in Derry in April 2019. In a 2017 TED talk she had spoken movingly of the moment she came out to her mother. “Don’t tell me there’s no hope” she said. Her family are still campaigning for #Justice4Lyra.

Trespassers –A jaunty a capella number written for The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff – it tells the story of the Stockton man’s participation in ‘acts of civil disobedience’ in the 1930s advocating the Right to Roam. The most famous trespass took place at Kinder Scout, Derbyshire in 1932 and eventually led to the creation of our National Parks.

Tim Burman – In 2018 Rachel Robertson gave a ‘tiny note’ to The Young ‘uns asking if they might write a song for her brother Tim Burman, one of 270 people killed in the Lockerbie bombing in 1988. Tim had been New York-bound to spend Christmas with his girlfriend, Rose. Rachel didn’t envisage it as a sad song but a love song and one to keep the Lockerbie families’ campaign for justice alive. A tender song, embroidered with a beautiful string arrangement.

Roseberry Moon – the tender theme continues with this out-and-out love song inspired by a stunning photograph taken on the night of a full moon in February 2021. Says Sean: “Roseberry Topping is a famous hill on the North Yorkshire Moors and a proud landmark for Teessiders like us.” Steven MacDonald’s photo dramatically captured a couple silhouetted in the moon-bathed summit.

The Surgeon – a powerful and moving song of humanity and compassion telling the story of Welsh trauma surgeon David Nott saving the life of a young ISIS fighter in Aleppo, Syria. Nott continues to work in war zones and has recently been lending his skills to the injured in Ukraine.

Iuventa (‘Youth’) – the concluding track is a song about members of a non-governmental organisation from Berlin whose goal is to rescue people drowning in the Mediterranean. They are credited with saving some 14,000 lives. The Iuventa vessel was seized in 2017 and her crew await trial accused of colluding with people smugglers.

Blánid Announces New Single ‘Bad Decisions’ With Ciaran Lavery – Set To Be Released On Nov 18th

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“Completely captivating”
— Sian Eleri Evans, BBC radio 1
“Phenomenal… sometimes you
have a moment where you hear greatness”
— Dominic King, BBC radio kent
“There is an unmistakable buzz about Blánid”
— fresh on the net
“Well on her way to stardom”
— earmilk

BLÁNID’s hauntingly powerful voice and confessional, folk-infused songwriting style have been causing a stir in her native Ireland and beyond. 

Her first two singles were met with critical acclaim, with combined plays on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Radio Kent and RTÉ 2XM. BLÁNID was also the featured vocalist on Netflix’s anime Witcher film soundtrack (The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf). 

Her new offering ‘Bad Decisions’, co-written with fellow Northern Irish songwriter Ciaran Lavery, is an arresting indie-folk/indie-pop track, full of drama and darkness. Beginning with soft, delicate vocals from both Ciaran and BLÁNID, the song’s introspective and poetic lyricism rings with the quiet shame and regret associated with the titular ‘Bad Decisions’. With an increasingly intense build throughout the song to a dizzying climax, it culminates in a cathartic almost religious finish, with a beautifully-crafted choral, melodic pay-off. 

I wanted to write about the exhausting and seemingly deterministic experience of self-destruction, the inescapable feeling that you are destined to fail and the overwhelming shadow that a depressive state can cast. But there is a beauty and broken joy in it, even if this can’t be seen when you’re in the throes of it” said BLÁNID of the track.

Ciaran agreed, saying that the song 

“deals with the very self-aware and shameful feelings of self-sabotage, like watching yourself speed headfirst into the burning building because you feel you deserve it, have to, need to – even though you know you are choosing this path.”

Building on the success of her first two singles, BLÁNID releases ‘Bad Decisions’ on November 18th – the same date her UK tour with American folk icon Judy Collins begins. For BLÁNID, this is only just the beginning.

Links: https://blanid.co.uk/ / https://twitter.com/iamblanid / https://www.instagram.com/iamblanid https://www.facebook.com/iamblanid / https://www.tiktok.com/@iamblanid

 

Celtic Woman’s Megan Ruby Announces Solo Debut Single ‘Maybe’ Out Nov 5th

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Critically acclaimed classical artist Megan Ruby, of Celtic Woman, is set to show the world that she can also create the perfect Pop music in her debut music release ‘Maybe’. The 24-year-old began singing lessons at age 8 and moved on to classical training at the age of 13. Going on to graduate from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in both classical and musical theatre. At the age of 17, she won The Soloist competition with the Cross-border Orchestra of Ireland which led her to perform in venues all around Ireland and even Carnegie Hall in New York. On returning home to Ireland, Megan performed for two years with the orchestra as a soloist and featured artist in their annual Peace Proms tour.

In 2016 she was offered a scholarship to attend the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied under Kathleen Livingston before going on to join the world-renowned group Celtic Woman where she spent 2 years touring the world in prestigious venues like Red Rocks in Colorado and the London Palladium along with the Odyssey Complex in Belfast, as well as multiple venues in Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, National Concert Hall, The Helix, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, and the National Convention Centre. During her time in Celtic Woman, she went to Real World Studios (Peter Gabriels studio in the UK) to create their album, Ancient Land (2018).

It wasn’t until Covid came that it allowed Megan the opportunity to work on her own solo original material, something the young artist had always wanted to do.
 
I have always loved writing but never had the time to put my all into it. This past year gave me the perfect opportunity to finally do that. I started working with producer Daniel de Burke in March on my solo EP and together we’ve created something that I’m so proud of. This single is my first solo single release and I feel like this is my most authentic self.
 
Citing influences such as Adele, Olivia Rodrigo, Sara Bareilles, Jorja Smith, HER and Harry Styles, Megan showcases her stunning pop sensibility laden vocals on the new single ‘Maybe’ which is scheduled for worldwide release on Nov 5th 2021. Delving into the story behind the lyrics of her debut single Megan comments:
 

I wrote this song for my Aunty and Uncle. My uncle died very suddenly last year and because of Covid my Aunty never got to say goodbye properly. They were together for nearly 30 years and were best friends. This song is all about never truly having to say goodbye because we get to see the people we lose in our dreams. These dreams become so special as It’s a time where you can make new memories and speak to your loved ones again.

‘Maybe’ was produced by Daniel de Burke and echoes the pop sensibilities of many of Megan’s modern luminaries. The future is bright for this multi-faceted young artist. 

To follow Megan Ruby, please check out the below links:

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

 

 

PapaRua Announces New EP ‘103’ Set To Be Released July 30th

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PapaRua has just announced new single ‘Wet Street’ which is due to be released on July 30th along with the EP ‘103’. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland. PapaRua draws influences from Jamiroquai, Jack Johnson, Charlie Puth, Jason Mraz and Bruno Mars. Not fitting into any one specific genre, the artist fuses Pop sensibilities with the smoothness of RnB Soul and NuFolk creating a sonic hybrid that appeals to the repeat button on the new music out this Summer. 
 
PapaRua, also a multiinstrumentalist, is a largely solo affair, featuring a handful of musical collaborators on his new music. Exploring themes ranging from toxic masculinity, friendship, allyship, loneliness, burnout and hope in a vulnerable open fashion.
 
Make sure you subscribe to PapaRua’s Spotify Page and stay up to date and follow the journey. It is a vast tapestry of tales interwoven into song and music on his EP ‘103’ which will be released July 30th along with lead single ‘Wet Street’.