Cory Pensa has released his debut album ‘Night Light’. An album which has taken 3 years in the making to be released, Cory created the entire album himself, playing each instrument and mixing the album afterwards. Using his own home studio in Northern NJ, Cory has been able to build his album from the comfort of his own home.
‘Night Light’ is a blazing album of alternative rock that boasts the tight, cohesive and mighty sound of Cory Pensa. Pensa takes catchy melodies and backs them with shredding guitar hooks, pounding drums and vibrant bass grooves to create an album that explodes with an array of pop-punk anthems, rock smashers and dark brooding grunge moments. The album flows seamlessly to create a satisfying listening experience. From the heavy onslaught of thrashing drums and soaring guitars in ‘Satisfied’ to the gritty rush of ‘Afraid Of The Dark’, the album surges with adrenaline and vigour. As ‘Night Light’ rolls through themes of resilience, youthful fun and hope the instrumentation remains tight throughout and with heavy outbursts and little anthemic gems such as ‘Bonfires’ keeping a sing-along vibrance. It’s a thrilling album to listen to.
Cory Pensa has created an impressive mosh ready album brimming to the seams with rich, dynamic musicianship.
Brand new electropop artist Throatsugar has released her debut single ‘Ascend’. Throatsugar is a new project from the multi-talented musician Colleen Heavey, a songwriting graduate who holds a master’s degree in Music Technology. I spoke with Colleen about the new single and her plans as she introduces this new project to the world.
“Basically, I’ve been writing my own music for 10/15 years, a long time. I was doing my degree in music and then I went on to be a teacher and now I’ve finished my master’s degree in production. I’ve been writing the whole time [but] I never released anything. So I got to a stage where I was like, Okay, I need to get over the imposter syndrome and just go for [it] because I had songs recorded and everything just sitting in the Google Drive. In terms of the name I knew I wanted a name that was in some way, visceral I guess would be the word. So I used a random word generator and I came up with a few combinations I really liked and I sent them to a few friends. One of my friends said throat sugar is vile and I loved that reaction so that’s why I chose it.”
Colleen has released her debut single ‘Ascend’. A debut track is a big deal. It announces your sound and musical style to listeners. Colleen told me she has a lot of songs written and we spoke about how she decided ‘Ascend’ was the perfect one to introduce her solo material.
” Ascend is my favourite song that I recorded so I was like, Okay, I’m going to choose the one that I guess gives me the most confidence. So I decided to start with that one because that is the one that for me I feel most comfortable with. I feel like it’s something I would enjoy and I would listen to. When people did ever ask to hear any songs of mine, that would be the one I would play for them. So I decided you know in order to start with even a miniscule degree of confidence, I would choose that.”
Colleen has a career’s worth of accomplishments to her name already. She has toured all over Ireland, the UK and the USA as a member of the band Brass Phantoms, and has performed at major festivals as well as opening for the likes of Delorentos and The Slow Readers Club. Music she has worked on in the past has been featured by the likes of BBC, RTE, and more. Colleen told me how daunting it is establishing her own sound away from the band.
“Yeah, it was terrifying. I never wanted to be the front woman. It’s never my thing, I love collaborating. So yeah, it was really scary for me. I’m really fortunate now because the song was recorded a long time ago with Mick Heffernan and he’s an amazing producer. He helped me a lot with it. One of my bandmates Greg [ Greg Whelan of Brass Phantoms] he is doing an amazing job, just monitoring all my PR and all that stuff. He’s been great, he’s given me a lot of confidence as well and really helped push me along. So yeah, with him it’s been a lot less scary and obviously we’ve worked together musically for so many years that it’s been great working with him. He’s put me at ease a lot which is nice.”
” I wish I had told myself sooner to not be so precious about it. I should have earlier on collaborated and gotten help from people and there’s so many people who want to help and want to be part of things. I lecture in the music college now and I’m always telling my students, if you’re going to release something, get someone to help you with it or maybe you can help release each other’s stuff or get someone to do your social media for you or maybe get a group of you together and make a spreadsheet of what playlists that you want to get on or who you want to contact, essentially just encouraging other people to collaborate because for me collaborating has absolutely got my career to the place it is.”
“I’m very fortunate that I’ve had experience in such a ridiculous array of things – a very quick rundown of my experience, there’s Brass Phantoms a kind of post punk band. Then I’m also a DJ and when I DJ I do everything but my main thing I DJ is metal music. So anything metal I’m really into. I’m also a big fan of math rock, and then especially in my masters I did a lot of compositions. I did electroacoustic composition and I did contemporary minimalist composition and obviously I’m really into production. So a lot of the time I’ll be writing a song and I’ll think okay, no, this is too weird, this is too niche. But it’s been great because I’m in a position where I feel I have a bit of an outsider’s perspective. I can think okay, I would like this but, what would the general public think or what would listeners think or you know, what kind of market am I tapping into and things like that. So yeah, I try not to get too weird when I write music.”
‘Ascend’ is a dynamic electronic pop track that exudes subtle cinematic undertones. It’s well layered and filled with intoxicating beats and dark ethereal electronics. Colleen explained how she crafted the song.
” I spent way too much time just layering it and stuff. I’m sure I made it on Logic Pro X, but I’m sure I still have the actual session somewhere. But even when I brought it to Mick [Heffernan], I don’t know how many different tracks or different layers were involved with it but it was a very long, painful, slow process. But it was great. It’s great working with someone like Mick Heffernan because he’s able to take what I have and build off of it. He doesn’t try to start his own thing he basically just tries to expand what I have and just refine the vocals because where I live it’s a bit noisy and the microphone is picking up a lot of things. But yeah, a huge amount of time. I recorded quite a long time ago, I feel like if I did it now I’d probably get through a little bit quicker. But yeah, when I was in my early stages of learning to record and produce at home, it was a long experimental process I guess.”
The lyrics within the song are beautifully evocative, eloquent and poetic and display another facet to Colleen as an artist, “Fill my blood with bitter warm sweet love. The colours in your mouth The feathers in my breath”. I wondered if she wrote the lyrics in a stream of consciousness.
“Yeah, I love what you say about stream of consciousness it’s definitely part of it for sure. One thing that inspired me was the poem “Night Piece” by James Joyce. I had read that recently and I knew I wanted the song to use that whole poem as a theme. As far as a narrative I don’t want to reveal too much about the meaning behind it but yeah I think the word stream of consciousness is absolutely right. It’s telling a story and I want to tell it in an abstract way so that people can derive their own meaning of it, which I think is important. I don’t want anyone to be like this is what the song is about and you’re not allowed interpret in your own way. I want it to be interpreted in whatever way the listener feels applies to them most.”
The artwork for the single is beautiful and adds a lovely dimension to the track. We discussed the concept behind the artwork.
“I was incredibly fortunate with the artwork. I didn’t know much in terms of visual art. Basically I’m not good at visuals at all. I knew what colors I wanted, and that was really about it. So I went onto Fiverr which is a freelance website and I found this incredible guy from Slovenia. He’s called ‘topcreativemind’. I messaged him and I explained what I was looking for and he was amazing. I couldn’t believe how many times he got back to me and he gave his opinion on what he thought was best and he just gave me loads of different options. We talked through what we didn’t like, and he listened to the song and it was cool to work with someone who actually did have a visual mind which I don’t have. He gave some insight as to what he thought was the best thing for the song and I love what he chose. He gave us loads of different options and combined all the things that I liked. So yeah, it was weird for me to use Fiverr but I would definitely recommend, we’ll definitely be using it again.”
People experience and consume music differently and it’s only when you are speaking in-depth with someone about songs and crafting them that you become aware that people enjoy music in different ways. Colleen and I discussed how people’s senses affect how they experience music.
“Yeah, I studied a little bit of synesthesia when I did my masters which is the whole, your senses crossing over and I’ve never had visual synesthesia, which is like conjuring up pictures in your brain but music for me, especially when it’s played through decent quality headphones I get a very euphoric brain tickling sensation. When I DJ and the music is blasting, I find myself just smiling uncontrollably. I just feel a lot of euphoria with music, whether it’s happy or sad. It just tickles my brain in that right way. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the music is, pretty much anything of any quality even if it’s just a phone recording can often hit me in the right spot, which is pretty cool. I know a lot of other people have that as well so it’s a nice thing to experience.”
Throatsugar is an exciting project with a sound full of invigorating textures and melodies that would be fantastic to hear in a live setting. Colleen told me what she has planned for the project in the coming months and if we can expect any live shows.
“That’s a great question. My answer has always been no because I want to be just a digital artist. Now, I would say I wouldn’t rule anything out. But at the minute like I said I’m not crazy being a frontwoman. I love everything behind the scenes. I love producing I’m happy to sing when recording and everything like that. I can sit for hours mixing and stuff. But yeah, I’m not going to rule it out is all I’ll say.”
“I have another single, which I have recorded. It’s actually pretty old. But I did a mini release of it many years ago and I got great feedback. It’s very different. It’s a lot more like pop. It’s different. But yeah, I think it’s a really fun kind of song. That’ll be ready to go I guess whenever the right time is, so I’ll definitely keep you updated.”
‘Ascend’ is an emotive tune dripping in ethereal tones and first-rate musicianship. The track boasts expressive soundscapes filled with pulsing beats, smooth vocals accompanied by soft R&B tones, and shimmering keys throughout. “Ascend” is an invigorating, immersive tune from Throatsugar that beckons repeat plays. Looking forward to hearing more from Throatsugar.
James Wilde-O’Connor has released his new single ‘The Curse (Help Myself)’. James Wilde-O’Connor is an Irish artist based in London. Off the back of his debut release ‘So Sweet’ in November 2021, James has been on tour around the U.K. & Ireland with Irish artist Sion Hill, garnering significant attention after performing to a sold-out crowd in The Workman’s Club in Dublin.
Filled with indie/blues tones and subtle pop flirtations, ‘The Curse (Help Myself)’ is an exquisite track that boasts the refined and luring sound of James Wilde- O’Connor. The track simmers on seductive grooves and thick electronic flourishes while vaporous pines on guitar inject blues undertones throughout. The artist’s warm vocals melt over the intoxicating soundscape before slipping into a sweet falsetto as the instrumentation encases the lyrics in longing tones. The track is a joy to listen to. Wilde-O’Connor’s meticulous layering and exquisite vocal displays mark this artist as one to keep an eye on. ‘The Curse (Help Myself)’ is a bewitching, solid single from James Wilde-O’Connor.
About the track, James Wilde-O’Connor said: “I think my music has appeal for the weird kids, cool kids, and anyone in between. To me, it’s important to reflect the issues relevant today, themes of mental illness, isolation and general unrest.”
Under Starling have released their new single, ‘Arrows’. The four-piece are rapidly forming a group of followers through their energetic live shows and popular releases. Their latest singles ‘Icarus’, ‘Purple Heights’ and ‘Mongrel’ were praised by RTE 2XM, WLR FM, IMRO, 8Radio, Raido Na Life, KCLR 96FM. ‘Arrows’ is the final single from the band’s upcoming ‘Mongrel EP ‘which is to be released this July.
Filled with emotive lyrics, vibrant instrumentation and dynamic soundscapes ‘Arrows’ is an invigorating display from Under Starling. Sweet guitar tones twinkle within the track’s ethereal soundscapes creating a vivid and cinematic backdrop. As the song builds the band envelope a comforting melody in biting alternative rock elements – the guitars and drums become more expressive and heavy, beautifully mirroring the poetic lyrics “what if I’m still caught in the roots of your heart”. Under Starling are developing their sound and songwriting wonderfully and the result is a tight, emotive and utterly charming song that is a joy to listen to. Well crafted and showcasing mature songwriting ‘Arrows’ is a sublime new single from Under Starling.
About the track, Danny said: “The take-home message in the song is wherever you are, or whatever you’re doing, family is everything.”
TV People have released their new single, ‘You Were Loved’. TV People are an alternative rock band from Dublin. Since forming in 2019, the band have honed their craft across the live scene, playing in some of Ireland’s most iconic venues, including Whelan’s, Mike the Pies and The Button Factory. The band have collaborated with Dan Doherty (Darklands Audio), Christian Wright (Abbey Road Studios) and Grammy-award winning mixing engineer Caesar Edmunds (Battery London), and have garnered support from the likes of BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Ulster, Amazing Radio, RTÉ and 98FM, and more. The band will release their second EP later this year, with continuous singles to be released in the coming months.
Deeply personal and rooted in dark undertones ‘You Were Loved’, is a compelling track from TV People. The band layer chiming guitar over jabbing drum progressions, pulsing rhythms and jarring basslines while the lyrics depict the pain inflicted by the loss of a close family friend. The instrumentation wrestles between soft twinkling guitars and heavier tones throughout, as deep baritone vocals ask “I’ve tried to leave this behind, Why can’t I?“
TV People are a musical marvel, the band’s ability to create expressive soundscapes that mirror the emotion within the lyrics is awe-inspiring. ‘You Were Loved’ is a fine example of this. The tracks soundscape twists and coils with dark punk elements and grunge-like tones highlighting the themes of anger, sadness and confusion wonderfully. ‘You Were Loved’ is a heartbreaking and beautifully crafted tune from TV People.
About the track, Paul said: “The lyrics of ‘You Were Loved’ were written after the death of a close family friend who took their own life during the past year. Writing them was a way for me to process the feelings of anger, sadness and confusion that overwhelm me when I think of their life and death. The song helped me to get a lot of anger out of my system and express the underlying heartbreak and love that I feel when I think of them.”
Singer/songwriter Tom Euler has released his latest album, ‘OBEY’. The project is a result of seven years of work by the musician, recorded in a small room and remotely during COVID restrictions. Tom Euler is an award-winning singer/songwriter and internationally recognized guitarist. His journey with music first began in the realm of blues, and his album ‘Blues Got My Back’ took him to the finals of the International Blues Competition. His success also earned him opening slots for great acts including Patti LaBelle, Davy Knowles, Delbert McClinton, Ramsey Lewis, Thompson Square and DNCE.
‘OBEY’ blends a plethora of intricate guitar work and emotive songwriting to create a thoroughly satisfying listening experience. Euler weaves acoustic, indie toned and classic rock embellishments on guitar into each song to create a refreshing and passionate collection of tracks – ‘Color’ and ‘Chasing Shadows’ are fine examples of this. With jazzy elements on the piano in ‘Feel Love’ and frenzied indie-rock guitar surging through ‘Fly’ Euler displays his diverse and compelling wall of sound. His smooth vocal delivery expresses the album’s themes of mortality, acceptance, addiction, adversity and individuality with ease.
Laced in passionate tunes, catchy melodies and rich musicianship ‘OBEY’ is an enjoyable new album from Tom Euler.
Big Sleep have released their new single, ‘In My Head’. The song is the second single off Big Sleep’s debut EP, ‘Feel Something Someday’ and details the turbulent times of a relationship that stays the course in the hopes of brighter days on the horizon. The track was recorded in the live room of Hell Fire Studios, in the Dublin Mountains in December 2021. James Smith (formerly of Gypsies on the Autobahn, currently J Smith) sound engineered, produced and mixed the tracks. Matteo Poli (drums, percussion), Rónán Connolly (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Aidan Gray (bass guitar), Jacopo (lead guitar) and Jessie Russell (trumpet, Cooks But We’re Chefs) recorded on the single.
Drifting upon a bed of warm guitar and indie/soul soundscapes, ‘In My Head’ is a lush new single from Big Sleep. The band create a sun-kissed laid back tune that flows effortlessly upon vibrant beats while gentle guitar melodies and hazy trumpet flirtations glisten throughout the track’s dreamy atmosphere. Big Sleep’s sound is a joy to listen to. Each track they release is a musical treat to the listener’s ears and ‘In My Head’ follows this trend superbly. The track is a fine display of the band’s expressive musicianship and compelling sound.
UK metalcore band InRetrospect have released their fourth single ‘Safe Haven’ from their new EP.InRetrospect have shared stages with Lastelle, Invisions, Death Blooms, Graphic Nature, Blood Youth, Monasteries, Gassed Up and more, and also played at Burn It Down Festival in 2021. The band’s previous singles have deservedly garnered support from BBC, Amazing Radio, Primordial Radio, Distortion Radio, and more. Furthermore, the band have had support from Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora, Tidal and Apple music, surpassing 200,000+ streams on Spotify alone. 2022 sees the band continuing to tour intensely, sharing stages with the likes of We Struck Gold, Tyrants and more.
‘Safe Haven’ roars with the intense and compelling sound of InRetrospect. The band take their heavy metalcore sound and flourish it with melodic choruses and raw brooding verses to create a thrilling listening experience. With gravelly vocal screams over jagged guitar riffs and pummeling drums, the track boasts a heavy and thunderous wall of sound. The song travels at a neck-snapping speed up to the soaring emotive chorus which provides a slight release from the dense instrumental onslaught. Blending angst, rampant basslines and emotive lyrics; “An event so disturbing even earth began to give, What happened to love, What happened to peace” with expressive soundscapes ‘Safe Haven’ is a fantastic new single from InRetrospect.
Sam Wickens has released his new single, ‘The Devils With Me Now’. In 2017 Wickens worked with legendary American record producer Tony Visconti (producer of scores of albums by major artists including: David Bowie, T.Rex, Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn, Moody Blues, Marc Almond, Kaiser Chiefs, etc) as a featured artist on a Sky Arts documentary about Tony’s amazing life and career ‘Tony Visconti’s Unsigned Heroes’. This led to Wickens working closely with music icons including Stuart Copeland, Nitin Sawhney, and Imelda May, and performing live at Union Chapel, London supported by legendary saxophonist Howie Casey (Paul McCartney) and top afro-urban band the Compozers.
‘The Devils With Me Now’ is a wonderful anthem from Sam Wickens. With just guitar accompaniment, subtle piano twinkles and warm delicate soundscapes encasing his voice, the track highlights Wickens’ ability to convey emotion through evocative minimalist arrangements. Wickens has become known for creating meaningful and emotive music and ‘The Devils With Me Now’ follows this trend superbly; the song surges with refined musicianship and poignant songwriting. His velvety vocals croon earnest lyrics, “I hate all that I wanna be. My life keeps bringing me down. I’m helpless but at best I just keep pushing things around“ over a jubilant guitar strum that chugs along with a foot-tapping groove while the rich tones within his voice soothe and provide comfort from the hard-hitting lyrics. An interesting aspect of the song is the vibrant folk tone that runs throughout the soundscape of the track. This radiant element contrasts the track’s lyrical content and exudes a carefree vibe that is sure to lift listener’s spirits. ‘The Devils With Me Now’ is an exciting glimpse into the many facets of Wickens’ sound while at the same time giving listeners a catchy little ditty to indulge in.
Covid Care Concerts Announce Special Gala Concert at The National Concert Hall on 15th June 8pm
Presented by Miriam O’Callaghan and Featuring a 47 Piece Orchestra conducted by David Brophy
Gala Concert Brings Together Leading Irish Artists To Commemorate and Celebrate the ‘Covid Care Concert’ project and the Work of Frontline Healthcare Workers
As 1,200 Live Concerts Were Performed at Residential Care Homes/Hospitals/Mental Health Settings Since 2020, With 600 More Planned for 2022
Covid Care Concerts have just announced a special gala concert at the National Concert Hall on June 15th 2022.
Leading Irish artists including Claudia Boyle, Steve Cooney, Mary Coughlan, Dermot Dunne, Jerry Fish, Red Hurley, Niamh Kavanagh, Seán Keane, Des Keogh, John Spillane, Anthony Kearns, Lynda O’Connor, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Prof. Luke O’ Neill, Simon Morgan, Na Casaidigh, Sandra Oman, Eimear Quinn, Gavan Ring, Sibéal, Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta, Kelly Ann Masterson, Sylvia O’Brien, Gerald Peregrine and more are all set to perform at this intimate and unique event celebrating the ‘Covid Care Concert’ project. Tickets from €18.50 are on sale today, 19 May from nch.ie.
The event brings together all the artists who performed as part of the Covid Care Concerts series throughout 2020 and 2021. Devised by cellist Gerald Peregrine, the Covid Care Concert project was a rapid response to the challenges created by the pandemic for artists, with the primary goal of relieving isolation and suffering in residential care homes and hospitals across Ireland. Since its inception, the project has delivered over 1,200 free, live concerts in 21 counties across Ireland, North and South of the border, employing over 100 professional musicians.
Speaking about the project, cellistand organiser Gerald Peregrine said “The project is the largest arts-led response of its kind on a global level and speaks to the heart of the Irish spirit and sense of community.The project brought household names to the doorstep of residential care settings across Ireland at a time when all visitors and occupational arts were restricted. The project continues in 2022, with over 600additional concerts planned throughout the year”.
Miriam O’Callaghan will present the concert, which will see a 47 piece orchestra – made up of Ireland’s finest freelance artists, many of who have performed the Covid Care Concerts around the country – conducted by world renowned conductor David Brophy. The concert will alsofeature David Brophy’s Frontline Workers Choir.
The concert is Presented with support from Creative Ireland and The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltach , Sports and Media.
A portion of the tickets will be given for free to frontline workers and residents from the many care homes and hospitals that benefited from the project.
Tickets for the Covid Care Concerts Gala Concert in the National Concert Hall Dublin on the 15 June are on sale today, 19 May from nch.ie.
The concert is Presented with support from Creative Ireland and The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
