Jack West has released his new single ‘A Little Shine’. Showcasing a lighter indie sound and warm glimmers of country the track is an upbeat and charming new single from this young yet mature songwriter. Glistening guitar radiates cosy tones through a buoyant beat injecting a dash of rock edge into the songs building backdrop and ethereal wall of sound. West’s raspy vocals exude passion as the track reaches its heavier crescendo while the effervescent instrumentation fizzes in the background. There is no denying this artists talent. West is developing his sound superbly. His ability to create sweet earworms which soothe the soul is admirable. ‘A Little Shine’ is a well crafted tune displaying tight production and mellow easy going tones sure to add a ray of sunshine to your day.
Post-Party have released their hotly anticipated new single ‘Being Honest’.The four piece have played venues such as the Roisin Dubh in Galway, sold out their headline Dublin shows, toured Ireland, performed at Electric Picnic and Indiependence, supported the likes of Miles Kane and The Sherlocks, as well as playing their own headline show at London’s Islington. Post-Party consists of Keelan O’Reilly, Peter Toal, Colin Peppard and Matthew O’Reilly.
‘Being Honest’ is an energetic blitz of indie rock. Doused in buoyant rhythms and vibrant guitar embellishments the track rushes with adrenaline while a bittersweet catchy melody wriggles its way into your head until you are mindlessly bellowing the lyrics back. The track broods through the verses with jagged guitar slicing through a thick humid soundscape before exploding into the expressive chorus and passionate crescendo. Post-Party flesh out their emotive songwriting and showcase their refined knack for melodies as the band load vibrant hooks and intricate instrumental builds into the song to create an upbeat crowd friendly tune. Boasting warm vocals and nostalgic guitar refrains alongside elastic bass grooves and pounding drums, ‘Being Honest’ is that radiant indie number sure to add a spring in your step and brighten your day. Keep an eye on Post-Party.
Dublin born artist Robert O’Connor has recently released his new EP ‘Transcendence’. Laced in danceable electronics, emotive vocals and infectious melodies the EP fluidly drifts into the ears delivering a satisfying listening experience. O’ Connor creates a cohesive and uplifting collection of tracks complete with sweet short musical instrumentals; ‘Intro’, ‘Interlude’ and ‘Outro’ provide supple breaths of fresh air between the infectious pop drizzled dance gems. O’ Conner utilizes delicate warm guitar melodies between his sun soaked synths to create summer saturated tunes ‘Over (Before It’s Begun)’ is a perfect example of this.
Each song drifts into the next providing a glimpse into O’Connor as an artist. His vocals exude a velvety tone as he uses sticky beats and flashing disco- esque soundscapes to illuminate bittersweet tracks such as ‘Older ‘20’. Throughout the EP soft melodies radiate a lovable earworm charm as the crisp production highlights the tenderness within each song. Oozing rich, pop sensibilities and sun kissed, laid-back soundscapes O’ Conner has crafted a wonderfully lush EP to indulge in.
‘Transcendence’ is an EP brimming with Robert O’ Connor’s emotive, uplifting and heartwarming musicianship. There is no shortage of sweet melodies, elegant electronics and wonderful production within, making each track a delight on the ears.
Lost Boys has released their first ever original Christmas song, ‘Home For Christmas’.Lost Boys are a 4 piece indie pop outfit from Limerick, Ireland. Following their formation 2 years ago they have gained a huge following with some of their most recent singles ‘Obvious’ and ‘Sadie’ getting featured on the New Music Friday UK Spotify playlist.
‘Home For Christmas’ is a beautiful track displaying the emotive songwriting of Lost Boys. The band spread a bittersweet melody over tender building instrumentation to create a warm, melancholic soundscape filled with glittering Christmas-y hues and cosy textures. The pulsing heartbeat of the track is provided on drums while supple guitar laments and magical soundscapes flurry about the hopeful chorus. It’s cinematic and majestic all at once as Lost Boys present a sublime heartfelt song for the season.
About the track the band said : “We initially started writing the song following the realisation that because of the pandemic, a lot of people will be spending this Christmas separated from their families. As we get older we are coming to the understanding that the Christmases of our youths, when the whole family gets together to celebrate, were a luxury. As we grow up and move out, we’re now starting to appreciate that we can’t take family for granted at this time of year.” Peadar
“As we were looking for inspiration in our favourite Christmas songs, we soon realised that we all gravitated to those that illustrate the complexity of the season. Christmas is never as perfect as we imagine in our heads and we wanted to try to capture that with this song.” Peter
“Christmas is a hectic time of year and we wanted this song to be somewhat of a respitefrom that. If it helps someone just take a moment to consider how lucky they are, or to think about others who may not be so lucky, then our job will be done.” Peadar
‘Modern Age’ is the new single from indie-electro-pop band Two Sevens. Recorded in a studio in Camberwell, London, where the band formed, ‘Modern Age’ shows off the vibrant nature of Two Sevens while making a poignant observation about freedom and the trappings of modern society. The stunning video, directed by Laurence Dutton, is set against a backdrop of the city’s materialism yet oozes energy, optimism and positivity. London-based Two Sevens is a three-piece band, formed of Sonya Frances (vocals), Matthew Davis (song, instruments), and Paul Bateman (instruments).The band’s self-titled debut mini-album was initially only released on vinyl but has just been released digitally along with this brand new single ‘Modern Age’. The debut album includes the track ‘207’ co-written with Stuart Moxham from iconic band Young Marble Giants.
‘Modern Age’ is a shimmering electronic pop number saturated in sharp production and slick 80’s infused musicianship. The song swirls in a flurry of synths while the acute fuzzed guitars pierce the asphyxiating soundscape with zealous animation. The band have created a lively synth pop tune with dark looming electronics which exudes an ominous tone while the sweet vocals and lush melody lull over the bustling backdrop. There is an instant rush of energy through the track while the flickering beat creates a sturdy foundation for the piercing melodic guitars and synths to ricochet off. ‘Modern Age’ is an intoxicating guzzle of synth pop.
Longcoats have released their new EP ‘October’. Longcoats are a four piece pop rock outfit hailing from The South West of England. The band present a solid, tight and instrumentally deft EP brimming with passion and catchy melodies.The energetic jaunty indie sound this band provide is impressive as they surge zealous guitar lines, funky basslines and dynamic drums into each blistering tune. ‘Drag’ kicks off this speedball of energy – infectious and blasing with anthemic power this indie belter is a fantastic opening track. The band coat their buoyant instrumentation in irresistible pop-peppered melodies and instant hooks against shredding solo’s and blazing heartfelt instrumentation. Each song evokes images of mass sing-alongs at gigs while creating a vibrant listening experience. Even the more emotional tunes, ‘Used To Being Used’, ‘October’ and ‘Plasticine’ have an upbeat infectious radiance. Longcoats have a wonderful ability to create tunes that brighten your day. The songs are laced in intricate well placed guitar lines and groove infested bass lines that keep each song animated and dance ready.
‘October’ is a cohesive thoroughly enjoyable EP from Longcoats. The band are building and crafting their sound superbly and the result is a tidy energetic and emotive collection of tracks sure to be knocking around in your head all day.
After the successful debut single release of ‘Trespasser’ in July 2020 Belfast local and ‘dootdootRecords’ artist Quinn has released her follow up single ‘Some Days’. Since linking up with Producer Michael Mormecha and John Dynes from dootdoot Music, Quinn’s guitar and piano based lyrical music has taken a massive leap into experimental, hard hitting pop.Quinn has performed in many venues around the world, including touring in New York,Amsterdam, Dublin, Cambridge, Manchester, Dubai, Dublin and Nashville,with the main purpose of getting her music in front of as many people as possible. She has also appeared at multiple venues and events in Northern Ireland
Quinn fleshes out her emotive alternative sound with new single ‘Some Days’; a shimmering pop track with an 80’s synth sheen. The track travels on an upbeat melody and tightly weaved synths which creates a vibrant and bubbling soundscape for Quinn’s expressive vocals to bounce off. As the jaunty guitars spread a sweet radiance through the warm melody the song reaches its comforting power pop crescendo. Exuding quirky, earnest lyrics ‘Some Days’ is an uplifting and richly crafted gem from Quinn.
The song was written in Amsterdam in January 2020 when Quinn was on tour in Europe. About the song she says…. “I was really struggling with the loneliness of the music industry and not sure what direction to go in. I wrote ‘Some Days’ on an acoustic guitar in 3 or 4 days and used it to help redirect my goals and focus for my career in music.”
Morning Medicine have released their new single ‘Just The Same’. Hailing from Co. Cork, Morning Medicine is a band that combines indie-folk and alternative-rock influences.Having spent a number of years producing and writing for a wide range of artists, the bands founding members, Sarah O’ Mahony and Brian Casey, spent the early months of 2020 channeling years of late night collaborations into long overdue recordings of their own. With guest appearances from a small cast of friends, Morning Medicine’s debut EP ‘Everything You’ve Been Told You Need’ (OUT Jan 2021) wanders from sparse soundscapes to dense arrangements with layered female and male vocals forming a constant throughout
‘Just The Same’ is a fantastic display of the emotive and ethereal musicianship of Morning Medicine. The track builds sonically as a warm acoustic guitar and soft sparse synths intro blossom into a cinematic soundscape. The band sprawl rich layers of strings over bubbling rhythms and intense, airy synths to create a controlled but wild backdrop. The lulling sweet vocals have an echoed effect which stands up wonderfully against the blustery instrumental with an elegant yet uncompromising strength as the warm guitar intensifies, becoming more like sharp electronic jabs of lighting in the distance of this storm-like backdrop. It’s an organic and emotive track exuding pop elements which glimmer through warm folk tones and indie rock bravado. ‘Just The Same’ is a fine example of the refined, striking and utterly mesmerising sound of Morning Medicine.
Brighton alt/indie band Thrillhouse return with their new strut worthy single ‘The Tin Man’. This radiant anthem prances in on Thrillhouse’s infectious musicianship.The band have created a luscious irresistible tune exuding a hip moving beat, jaunty guitar, and funky bass groove with a vibrant backing vocal and fruity pop melody providing the sugary coating on top. Thrillhouse craft fun, energetic and exhilarating tunes laced in charm which compel you to put the track on repeat. Their tunes will put a smile on your face and coax you to the dance floor. I’m becoming a big fan of these guys.
Irish songwriter, Somebody’s Child, has released his new single ‘Top Drawer Romance’. Cian Godfrey (AKA Somebody’s Child) has fast become one of the hottest prospects in Ireland having accumulated millions of streams and significant support from Spotify as well as BBC Radio 1’s (Jack Saunders ‘Next Wave’ artist), Radio X, Amazing Radio (A-list), RTÉ Radio 1 (Recommends), RTÉ 2FM (Rising 2020), and Today FM. With a Late Late Show performance, Kodaline and Kaiser Chiefs support slots, as well as UK festival appearances on the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds, the band’s energetic, loose, and organic live performances continue to evolve into a potent and enlivened experience.New single ‘Top Drawer Romance’ comes in the wake of his acclaimed debut EP ‘20-Something’, released earlier this year and the first of four singles off Somebody’s Child’s upcoming sophomore EP ‘Hope, Amongst Other Things’.
‘Top Drawer Romance’ is a jaunty sun kissed blast of indie as Somebody’s Child surges radiant melodies and youthful adrenaline into his witty songwriting. The track has an instant charm and glow about it as sharp stings on guitars exude a burst of energy through a buoyant rhythm and vibrant wall of sound. With laid-back, rasped vocals, mellow melody and lyrics depicting the precious yet fleeting nature of youthful romance ‘Top Drawer Romance’ is an infectious indie anthem ready for repeat plays.
Speaking about ‘Top Drawer Romance’, Somebody’s Child said: ‘’Top Drawer Romance’ is the song that started this project in my bedroom 3 years ago. The Top Drawer reference is a metaphor to that messy relationship everyone goes to at some point in their life, which reminded me of the state of the top drawer of my bedside table in college at the time.”
Stream ‘Top Drawer Romance’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
