KÎND have released their new single ‘Stripped Away’.KÎND are a five-piece melodic progressive rock band made up of members from all over Ireland. Led by songwriter Matthew Redmond, the band consists of Ryan McClelland on drums, Jane Patterson on lead vocals, Charlie McCarthy on bass and Eoin Butterfield on guitar and keys. ‘Stripped Away’ marks the 3rd release for the band following their release in conjunction with Devoy Records: ‘Piercing Light Live at Sun Studios. and their debut release ‘Fix of Dopamine’
‘Stripped Away’ is a brooding alternative rock track that boasts the majestic and impressive sound of KÎND. The band create an expansive and atmospheric wall of sound that haunts with chiming guitars and wispy soundscapes and tender vocal delivery. As the song progresses, the band slip into a more rock peppered aesthetic as sharp guitars weave between a pounding drum beat and intricate percussion. KÎND take their time buliding the song allowing it to unfold into a heavy alternative rock tune while still maintaining the ethereal aspect introduced at the beginning. With beautiful vocal harmonies and moving melodies, ‘Stripped Away’ is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that ebbs and flows with rich musicianship and dynamic textures. KÎND have created one heck of a tune that perfectly displays the potency of their sound.
‘Time’ is the brand new EP from Australian Folk/Rock duo Piperlain. Featuring songs written during the early stages of collaboration between Piperlain artists Ben and Bec, ‘Time’ is the culmination of years of work and partnership. Recorded at MusicPro studios by engineer Paul Iannuzzelli and mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London by engineer Geoff Pesche, ‘Time’ was originally scheduled for release in 2019 but was delayed due to the pandemic.
‘Time’ is a wholesome EP brimming with the bright musicianship of Piperlain. The duo blend warm folk sensibilities with alternative pop and indie elements to create a cohesive and engaging body of work. From the hearty and buoyant title track, ‘Time’ with its catchy “do do do” lyrics, radiant pop melody and lush harmonies to the icy piano glittering throughout the mournful ‘Deceived’, the EP has a charming and musically lush aesthetic. The EP is brimming with passion and gusto, featuring expressive vocal deliveries and sweet moving melodies as the duo layer each song meticulously, creating wonderful moments within the instrumentation that boasts dramatic solos and rock bravado.
Piperlain have created a versatile and engaging collection of songs that exude refined musicianship and compelling songwriting.
Tainui Richmond has released his new record, ‘Forever A Boi’.This quirky album is a nine-track collection of melodically lush tunes with witty songwriting sprinkled on top. Richmond blends sugar-sweet melodies and twinkling warm guitar between intricate beats to create songs laced in laid back bliss. ‘Procrastinate’ is a sublime example of his rich layering and dreamy pop melodies while the lyrics discuss the dangers of putting tasks off and avoiding them until tomorrow. This album has a retro feel as Richmond takes supple doo-wop melodies like in ‘Complacent’ and peppers them with refined instrumentation of elegant keys and steady beats. His velvety vocals present the songs lyrical humour with charm as the track ventures into more psychedelic tones. There are plenty of opulent sounds to enjoy within ‘Forever A Boi’, there is something for everyone, from soft jazz elements to indie embellishments, psychedelic flurries, and warm country tones.
I sat down to have a chat with Daniel McCarthy and Jim Higson from KAWALA before their headline show in The Academy Dublin. We discussed their upcoming album ‘Better With You’, live shows and their YouTube sitcom ‘Paradise Heights’
Champagne Jacket has released his debut single ‘Walls of China’.With a host of diverse life experiences to draw upon, songwriter Jack Lewis infuses his blues-rock sensibilities with folk and funk to create Champagne Jacket, a project with an entirely singular and timeless sound.
Featuring guest vocalists Dana Ariel and Maesa, ‘Walls of China’ is a sultry blues tune that boasts the refined and sleek musicianship of Champagne Jacket. The track has a vaporous and luring quality with jazz piano elements speckled between a smoky string and guitar interplay. The blues hues weave between the soft melody and lounge-like soundscape to create a laid back yet mysterious tune filled with rich layers and oodles of sass. Champagne Jacket displays his lush and immensely tantalising sound through this wonderful debut single.
On the song’s title, Jack said “It could be the symbol of conflict and human achievement in The Great Wall of China, the fragile permanence of porcelain… or I’ve also heard ‘Chinese Walls’ used when people keep secrets to protect their relationships. There’s quite a bit in there really and I’m keen to hear how people read into it with their own experience.”
Hailing from Co. Kerry, 22-Year Old Singer/Songwriter Nially has released his third single ’Four Years’. While originally written on acoustic guitar in May 2021, the song was quickly brought to life in the studio by top producer Brendan O’Connor. From the age of 16 Nially has gigged extensively across Kerry, Cork and as far afield as Augsburg, Germany. His debut single, ‘I Want It All’ released in January 2021, amassed over 10,000 streams in it’s first 4 weeks and received support across a number of radio stations in Ireland such as Spin South West, Radio Kerry, Red FM, Dublin City FM and FM104 and also reaching listeners across Europe, the UK and the US.
’Four Years’ is a rush of passionate indie as Nially takes a heartfelt melody and douses it with vibrant instrumentation to create an anthemic bopper for listeners to enjoy. With strident guitars pining between a steady beat and soaring soundscape, ‘Four Years’ has a dynamic indie rock wall of sound while raspy vocals exude emotion throughout. It’s an earnest and relatable tune that describes the experiences, relationships and events a person explores throughout their college years through suspenseful and compelling musicianship.
pMad has released his debut single, ‘Who Am I’. Paul Dillon is a solo artist named pMad. Dillon started out writing and playing with The Suicidal Dufflecoats, The Return of the Suicidal Dufflecoats, The Greeting and now pMad.
‘Who Am I’ showcases pMad’s dark alternative sound through thrilling cinematic musicianship. Blending ominous undertones with 80’s power rock elements, Dillon creates an epic and dynamic sound for his expressive vocals to glissade over. Dillon’s voice ventures between haunting falsetto coo’s, deep croons and spoken echoes as he depicts the eerie lyrics “You’re living a lie. I’m living you die“. Raw bass rumbles add a dash of grit between punchy drums while swirling soundscapes and jabbing heavy guitars create an expansive and intoxicating atmosphere throughout. Well crafted and packing one heck of a dramatic punch, ‘Who Am I’ is a fantastic debut from pMad.
Irish born singer-songwriter Megan O’Neill has released her stunning cover of ‘Fairytale of New York’.Megan O’Neill’s songs have received great attention over the past year – including her recent single ‘Ireland’, which hit over 400,000 views on social media during release month. The video was also picked up and shared by none other than Olivia Newton-John as well as being added to the RTE Radio 1 playlist for three weeks running. O’Neill released her second full-length studio album this year, titled ‘Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty’. This much-anticipated album follows her last release, ‘Ghost of You’ which hit #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts in the UK and Ireland. ‘Time in a Bottle’, the bonus track off the new album, featured on episode one of hit Netflix TV Show Firefly Lane. One week later, she performed the song live on the RTE Late Late Show – reaching an audience of approximately 2 million and the single charted that same weekend in Ireland across all genres. Time in a Bottle was the highest new entry on the Irish Homegrown Charts at the end of February and playlisted by RTE Radio 1.
Megan O’Neill presents a beautiful, time-stopping rendition of ‘Fairytale of New York’. Her compelling voice gently coos the melody while an elegant piano provides a delicate accompaniment. She slows the pace of the song, allowing her striking, expressive vocals become the main focus of the track. With soft bell elements and delicate instrumental builds, O’Neill’s version of ‘Fairytale of New York’ is heartfelt, elegant and emotive – an utterly spectacular performance of this beloved classic.
Speaking of the single Megan O’Neill said “‘Fairytale of New York’ has always been my favourite Christmas song and a bold choice to cover, I will admit! I was really hesitant about covering such an iconic song but I knew that if I was going to go for it, it had to be so uniquely my own and a far cry from the original sonically. I think myself and Mark Caplice (producer) have managed to capture something special here. Our haunting version of this song really captures how heartbreakingly sad the story actually is”.
Eddi Reader is perhaps Scotland’s greatest living female voice. In 2022, she celebrates her 40th year on stage with a ’40 Years Live’ concert tour which is set to tour across Ireland in February 2022. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.ie and individual venues.
The Irish leg of the tour kicks off in Galway’s Town Hall Theatre on 10 February, before embarking on dates that take in Limerick’s Lime Tree Theatre on 11 February, Cork’s The Everyman Theatre on 13 February, Letterkenny’s An Ghrianan on 16 February, Belfast’s Ulster Hall on 17 February, Wexford’s National Opera House on 18 February, Tralee’s Siamsa Tire on 19 February, Kilkenny’s Watergate Theatre on 24 February, Armagh’s The Market Place Theatre on 25 February and wrapping up in Drogheda’s The Cresent Concert Hall on 26 February.
From her earliest years playing the folk clubs of western Scotland and learning how to street sing across Europe (like her hero Edith Piaf) Eddi Reader’s path soon lead her to a professional career in music as a backing singer for Eurythmics and Gang of Four. Her band Fairground Attraction had huge international success and number one hits with ‘Perfect’ and debut album ‘First of a Million Kisses’ which stormed the charts in the late 1980s.
Throughout her successful solo career, Eddi Reader has released consistently great works, including highly acclaimed albums such as ‘The Songs of Robert Burns’ and last years ‘Cavalier’. She has won Brit Awards, been awarded four honorary degrees, an MBE, sung to millions on some of the world’s greatest concert and festival stages and collaborated with a host of stars across a myriad of genres including Folk, Jazz, Pop, World, Punk and even Classical work with various orchestras.
In 2019 Eddi Reader was invited to be a special guest with Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra for an extensive tour, she released her ‘Starlight’ EP, played sold out headline shows, recorded a programme for BBC Radio’s Classic Scottish Album series about her Robert Burns recordings and appeared on BBC Television’s ‘Songs of Praise’ and as part of Billy Connolly’s ‘Made In Scotland’ series.
The ’40 Years Live’ tour promises to be something special, as with any Eddi Reader show, the magic is being made in the moment, no two performances are ever the same. Tickets for Eddi Readers ’40 Years Live’ tour are on sale now via Ticketmaster.ie and individual venues.
Check outthe dates below
10 February 2022: Galway, Town Hall Theatre
11 February 2022: Limerick, Lime Tree Theatre
13 February 2022: Cork, The Everyman
14 February 2022: Dublin, Vicar St
16 February 2022: Letterkenny, An Grianan
17 February 2022: Belfast, Ulster Hall
18 February 2022: Wexford, National Opera House
19 February 2022: Tralee, Siamsa Tire
24 February 2022: Kilkenny, Watergate Theatre
25 February 2022: Armagh, The Market Place Theatre
26 February 2022: Drogheda, The Crescent Concert hall
Bristol-based premier indie trash quartet The Love Handles have released their new single ‘Little Yellow Jacket’. This blistering tune boasts the dynamic sound of The Love Handles in all its splendour. The band saturate the song in strident jaunty guitars that ricochet off pummeling drums and driving bass lines to create a turbulent indie rock sound. The song travels at a brisk pace; racing from the zest-filled intro right to the scorching rock smacked crescendo without a breather. This tune is sure to be manic live. With driving melodic hooks teamed with garage elements and subtle pop flirtations ‘Little Yellow Jacket’ is a blistering anthem ready for repeat plays.
Stream ‘Little Yellow Jacket’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
