RATIOS have released their new single ‘Wait Some Time’. RATIOS are a 3 piece Kildare/Wicklow based indie-rock band consisting of lead singer Dan O’Shaughnessy, Liam Brady and Mike O’Sullivan who began as a 2-piece in September 2021. Despite having no luck securing any additional members to add to the line-up, both Liam and Dan entered the studio to release a single that they hoped would draw some attention to their sound and attract a bassist to join. Their first single ‘Yellow Ribbon’ was released on March 10th 2022, and gained the attention of Mike O’Sullivan, who came across an ad which the band had published. Mike became a driving force behind the band’s sound and invited a whole new platform for them to experiment creatively. Since then, RATIOS have performed across some of Dublin’s most iconic venues for new bands (Whelan’s, Fibber Magees, The Workman’s Club) and most recently had the pleasure of opening for Desert Storm while they were on tour.
‘Wait Some Time’ is a blistering new tune that showcases RATIOS’ dynamic and invigorating indie rock. Combining raucous alternative rock with indie melodies and youthful vigour, the band prove they are capable of producing a solid banger sure to have live audiences in a frenzy. Filled with rampant bass lines, shredding guitar hooks, rasped vocals and pounding drum assaults the song has a mammoth wall of sound that is a joy to listen to. ‘Wait Some Time’ is a thrilling new single that marks RATIOS as a band to keep an eye on.
Irish electronic artist Daithí is set to release his highly-anticipated third solo record, ‘I’m Here Now’, via Strange Brew Records this Friday the 9th of September. I spoke to Daithí about how he created this mesmerising collection of tracks, the fantastic collaborations on the album, the inspiration behind his songs including the spontaneous and grounding moment that inspired ‘Keep It For The Next One’.
‘I’m Here Now’ is an immersive listening experience, each track flows beautifully into the next with ease.
“Yeah, it was an interesting one. I came at it a very different way to what I would usually do. My last two albums, I would write a whole pile of songs, maybe almost 30 or 40 songs and then I would just pick the best out of them and then try and improve on them. Whereas this album was written differently. I had two or three songs that I really liked, that I thought were really important to me at the time of writing them. Then I spent the rest of the time connecting those dots writing songs that I thought would run from one to the other in a really nice way. So it was a really interesting way to do it and I think the main reason I was able to do it that way was because I had plenty of time and I was out in the country. This was the first record where I was in my hometown as opposed to traveling around and working in different places. I did it all in the one spot in this place called The Beekeepers in Ballyvaughan, which I kind of run as an artists retreat and yeah, I just spent these big long weekends with a couple of different mates working on different pieces and getting to play different parts over it and stuff. Yeah, I agree with you it has this very kind of connecting, run altogether. You can listen to it as one big long project and there’s a lot of big open spaces with no vocals and stuff like that as well. So yeah, it was really fun to make that was the main thing, you know.”
As the album progresses the beats become heavier, more intoxicating and frenetic. However, Daithí expresses moments of euphoria through his music amongst the agitated expressive soundscapes. Tracks like ‘Polypoly’ and ‘Like The Water’ show this element perfectly and create a compelling listen from start to finish.
“Yeah, I think a lot of the songs are built around these chord structures and melodies. After the pandemic and the lockdown I think a lot of people felt there was a big kind of a question mark over everything that you were doing, and you were feeling like, Am I really here? Is this actually what I’m doing? Then I think a lot of people had these moments as well after those two years where it’s like you made these big, large kind of life decisions and I think one of mine was planning to be more at home in my hometown and stuff and on one side, I really liked that because it was out in the country and I got a really great newfound love for where I’m from. Then at the same time, I think, all kinds of young people once they move away, kind of going back to the place that you’re from.. there’s a bit of trepidation to it. So I find myself leaning into those types of melodies and those types of feelings throughout the whole thing and once I started realizing I was doing that I started leaning into it a lot more. ‘I’m Here Now’, for instance, has a whole pile of natural recordings from around that area and then I used the Concertina in certain parts as well because that’s what my grandfather played. Then there’s all these different sections where it’s like question marks of things that I found interesting in the time and the place and just trying to explore that feeling and emotion of this weird question mark that’s over a lot of people’s lives at the moment, you know”
There are interesting and unique sound bites placed throughout the album. like a creak of a heavy, rattling farm gate on the title track ‘I’m Here Now’, Daithí explained to me how he finds these little audio treasures and where he decides to place them in the songs.
“Yeah, most of my music is written in a specific way. Basically what I generally try and do, [ is ] collect up a huge sample library of sampled recordings. I’m always going around with my phone or a recorder and when something strikes me, I’ll record it but I’ll just put it into this vault of samples that I have that I’ve been building up for like 10 years. Then you can take stuff out and play around with it, and it can kick off an idea. But another really helpful thing is it’s all dated, and it’s all where it is and stuff so let’s say I’m thinking about a certain time in my life or a certain person and I think back to when I was with them last. Then I can go into my vaults of samples and find a recording that was done around that time. Then there’s all these connections from the different elements that make a really interesting collage, and then after that, a lot of it has to do with melody. I’ll come up with one melody, and then I’ll bring on some friends to write stuff and they can take their own experiences of what I’m trying to talk about, and plant their own experiences of that on the song as well. So you get this lovely collection of different experiences and inspirations throughout the whole record and it tends to be the best way to make something unique, it tends to get you away from trying to sound… well like other people, you know.”
In the album, Daithí has a wonderful array of supporting artists – Ailbhe Reddy and Sinéad White (‘Sunset’), David Tapley of Tandem Felix (‘Polypoly’), Uly (‘Like The Water’), and Neil Dexter (‘Keep It For The Next One’). These collaborations elevate each song and create a unique refreshing aspect within the track.
“So for this record, it was a bit different again, so I had this place Beekeepers in Ballyvaughan and basically I would pick a weekend and then I would pick maybe one or two people, like two very good artists that I knew, who knew each other and we just kind of whisked them off to this place in Ballyvaughan and get them to spend a weekend just literally playing around with stuff and kind of toying with different things and showing them the different tracks and seeing what immediately resonates with them. It was a really good way to work I think because if you have two different really good artists people tend to try and egg each other on in different ways and as long as they’re comfortable with each other it becomes this really nice positive experience and I had a really good weekend with them, Ailbhe Reddy and Sinéad White, who have played together and done loads of different things. Ailbhe’s an amazing guitar player, and Sinéad is an amazing piano player as well as being really good vocalists, so they could jump on different things at different times. You know, like Ailbhe might be writing a vocal lyric and then Sinéad will be toying around on the piano and then suddenly you just start trying to record everything at once and you start getting this big rush of ideas. It was a really good way of working because it was just bringing really nice people together, having a really nice time and a private location. Yeah, it really got the best out of those artists you know, which is great.”
‘Familial’ is a mesmerising track and stand-out moment on the album with soothing melodies and lush electronics that build and become more intense and psychedelic, it’s a track that lingers in the listener’s head for days.
“Yes, so ‘Familial’. Yeah, I built that drum beat on a drum machine and I had been kicking around with it for ages. Then I’d gotten another synth that I was playing with, and I was adding in those extra ideas. That’s those little bloopy key ideas. Then I had gone back to Clare for a good while and I was exploring all the stuff that my granddad had worked on. My granddad passed away a couple of years ago and just when he passed, I was trying to learn more about him. He was an amazing concertina player and I knew so much about him from a personal level, but I was getting all these different people coming up to me from the traditional Irish music world telling me different stories about him and I started going back down through all the people that he worked with throughout the years and I found this very amazing, like very, very old Sean-nós sample kind of based around those times, and for some reason, it just really stuck with me. Then I thought about how you would fit Sean-nós into electronic music and I put a massive auto tune on the Sean-nós so that it stuck in with the melodies that I had. So it was this weird moment where I was just like, is this like heresy is it like something that really works, which excited me a lot because I was like, oh my god, I’m putting auto-tune on Sean-nós it’s like the weirdest thing ever. Then that’s how I got that vocal melody that’s there. It has this lovely Irish lilt to it, but also it has a hip hop feel to it as well. So that was the birth of that track for sure.“
One of my favourite tracks on the album is ‘Keep It For The Next One’. It’s a beautiful tune that pivots around fuzzed beats, lush textures and ethereal soundscapes. The song provides a lighter take on Daithí’s dense expressive sound.
“That one came together really quickly. It was kind of amazing. It came together in the space of two days. So Neil Dexter is the vocalist on that. I had heard a couple of his songs before but I hadn’t really met him properly. He came up to The Beekeepers with David Tapley who’s a very good friend of mine. He’s in Tandem Felix and David was in my last record. They both came together and they were bringing some instruments up that they thought I wouldn’t have. David Tapley brought like a pedal steel you know, like a real country western pedal steel. We ran that through a whole pile of different electronic effects and that’s how that starts off. You can hear these kind of pad sounds behind it. That’s all pedal steel. It’s kind of an amazing story on the record, actually because Neil had arrived and it was only about two or three hours at The Beekeepers and his wife was pregnant at the time. She’s a nurse and she actually got a bit faint and had to sit down at work. So she called him and there was this amazing moment where we were all here in this lovely idyllic location and there was something really serious going on and once he hung up the phone, he was like Yeah, I think she’s okay, everything’s fine. My mother’s gone over to her. That’s all fine. Then we had this long conversation about how when we were in our early 20s, we didn’t really have that kind of responsibility so we could do whatever we wanted and now that we’re slightly older, you know, we’re up into our 30s now, life has changed so much and he literally just went over to the microphone and just started singing into it. That’s where we got the lyrics from. So it was one of those really great, amazing moments where everything just kind of clicks in this big inspirational way, and he was on fire at the time. Yeah, I love that track as well. It’s definitely one of my favourites. Can’t wait to play it live. It’s gonna be really fun.”
Daithí doesn’t do anything by halves. His music is immersive and rich and the videos to accompany his music follows this trend. Filled with cinematic visuals ‘Familial’, (courtesy of award-winning New Zealand filmmaker Ayla Amano) is a short film in itself that presents the well-worn fractures of a family through the strains of a father-son relationship and ‘Sunset’ is another touching film directed by Michael-David McKernan and features the American actress Annie Ryan (who was in the seminal 80s film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). It’s a beautiful, touching film that follows a woman in middle age coping with loss and grief in the most poised and hopeful way.
“Yeah, a lot of my good friends will be video directors. One of my best friends is Brendan Canty, who’s a very well-known music director and he does a lot of shorts and adverts and stuff like that. So the culture of doing really good high-quality videos has always been there. Then my partner of two or three years is Norman Howard, who’s a very well-known film producer. So I’m very lucky to be surrounded by an awful lot of people who were involved in the film world and stuff like that. So getting directors on to do that stuff was super important to me, and I think when you make a video there’s so much work involved and so much kind of toing and froing and so high risk to make sure that it’s like really good and it kind of solidifies a track a little bit more. ‘Familial’ is a really interesting one. So Brendan, my friend is married to Ayla Amano who is this amazing New Zealand director and they were in lockdown in New Zealand and that’s where that video was filmed. It was all filmed in New Zealand while they were over there, and then ‘Sunset’ was all filmed in The Burren. We threw a film camera into the sea with a waterproof box and got this amazing feeling of what the West of Ireland is like when it’s at its absolute best you know when the sunsets going down in Fanore Beach. So yeah, it’s always been a big thing for me and I think it really elevates the songs”
Daithí has a solid fan base. He told me how excited he is to be able to go out and tour this album and share it with his fans.
“Yeah, It’s brilliant, the tour is the biggest tour I’ve ever done before. I’ve never really been on a proper tour of England or anything. So that’s one of the really exciting things about it. We played Body & Soul this year, and it was just this massive show and I still had everybody that I had from before the pandemic coming to the shows and stuff and it felt really, really special. So getting out on the road and really performing them is one of my favourite things to do, you know, so it’s going to be great. Yeah, yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. “
“ I think most artists realize there’s a good bit of responsibility involved in making sure that people have a good time at a show you know, as you get older, you’re consciously aware that it’s a really big thing for somebody to go out of their way and actually go to a show, so I feel I have a really big responsibility to make sure that it is the absolute best that it possibly can be to make it worth people’s time. I feel that if you do that and you consistently do that, and they know that they’re going to a good show, they’ll stick by you and a really good audience is really loyal as well and that’s so important for an artist to keep going you know, so I see it as a big responsibility to always make the shows as best as I possibly can and to always just keep making them better and better and better.”
Daithí has made a name for himself as a pioneer of electronic music and I asked him what advice he would give to an aspiring musician.
“Yeah, that’s a good one, it’s hard to make the career, that’s the hard part. I think my biggest advice would be to get really good at playing live to be honest because, as far as I could see, like I’ve been extremely lucky that I’ve gotten to be able to be a musician for about 10 years full-time. But the only way I’ve ever been able to do that is by touring and doing loads and loads of gigs as much as I can. So as early as possible if you can get out and build a scene around yourself with people, other people playing and try and play as much as you can, the experience of doing that will stand to you so much over time. Once you start going then, you just have to really like playing gigs and going around and travelling. The other obvious one as well is just surround yourself with really good people. One of the best things about being a musician is that there’s a brilliant, beautiful scene and it’s a really good way to meet new people and it’s such a sociable experience. So yeah, surrounding yourself with really good people and really amazing musicians is a blessing and super important as well for sure.”
‘I’m Here Now’ is a joy to listen to. Daithí has an impressive ability to create tunes that excite the imagination and thrill the senses. The album is a musical marvel and cements Daithí’s reputation as a trailblazer for electronic music.
‘I’m Here Now’ is set for release this Friday. Until then check out the video for ‘Sunset (feat. Ailbhe Reddy)’ below
Having performed with Adele and impressed greats like Elton John and Avicii with his songwriting, singer-songwriter, Moncrieff has now released his new EP ‘Warm’ via German label energie. The EP follows the successful release of the title single ‘Warm’ which was an instant hit that went top-10 on Irish Radio and was performed live on Germany’s ARD Network (“Frühstücksfernsehen”).
Throughout ‘Warm’ EP Moncrieff unleashes a tidal wave of emotion while fleshing out his eloquent songwriting and expressive sound. ‘Warm’, ‘Rewind’ and ‘Ruin’ exude anthemic soundscapes and rich instrumental flourishes that make for an immersive and exciting display of musicianship from the artist.
There is no denying Moncrieff’s magical songwriting ability. The artist delves deep into his innermost emotions and deepest thoughts and expresses them through wonderfully poetic lyrics. Each lyric has movement and depth adding an exciting dynamic to the EP. ‘Talk’ is a sublime example of this. In this raw heartbreaking ballad, Moncrieff recounts the first time he opened up about having suicidal thoughts. His soulful vocals sincerely pour out lyrics of pain, “If I don’t believe in God who can I call? Maybe it’s easier to end it all” while pulsing beats, a choir on backing vocals and ethereal soundscapes rush with emotion. Though the subject matter is heavy and dark, in true Moncreiff manner the gripping lyrics are presented with a ray of hope. The lyrics look back at a dark time in his life while the uplifting music becomes the light at the end of the tunnel and depicts a sense of inner strength and new-found empowerment.
Although ‘Talk’ is a powerful and stand-out gem on the EP, each track in its own right has something special that allows it to shine just as brightly. Throughout the EP, feel-good moments ( alongside heavy subject matter), expressive instrumentation and poignant songwriting abound as ‘Warm’ stirs the listener’s soul on a deep level making for an exquisite listening experience.
There is something for everyone in this EP. Moncrieff lays bare themes of loss and loneliness while maintaining an air of hope and comfort throughout. Moncrieff is a rare talent and ‘Warm’ is just a glimpse at this artist’s ability.
Minus Ten Thousand Hours have released their new EP, ‘Could Be Worse’.Minus Ten Thousand Hours are a Dublin-based band. Formed in 2013, MTTH has evolved from a punk/metal band to a hard-hitting, hook-focused alternative rock band. The band have built a reputation as a live force on the Dublin music scene and are starting to show that around the country.
Blazing on a crushing wall of solid no-nonsense riffs and pounding rhythms, ‘Could Be Worse’ is a mammoth EP from Minus Ten Thousand Hours. The band deliver an onslaught of lean mean alternative rock throughout this EP to create a mosh-ready listening experience. Each song exudes attitude and power from roaring angst rock vocals to catchy melodies and blistering crescendos; it’s a mighty collection of tracks. This EP screams with slick guitar work and insatiable bass grooves. With tunes like ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Fear’ full of smouldering emotions, fiery guitars and ravaging drums the band create a full-bodied soundscape that is thrilling and explosive to listen to.
There is a dark undertone within the tracks especially through ‘Fad Haircut’. The band creep a chilling grunge tone over jagged slicing guitars and pummeling drums while a moody melody haunts throughout. It’s a memorable moment within the album as the crescendo builds becoming more harsh and harrowing with fierce vocals and aggressive riffage.
Minus Ten Thousand Hours present a rip-roaring EP that is exciting to listen to. These guys are a talented bunch and their gritty alternative rock will thrill you to your core and send shivers down your spine with their dynamic musicianship. Keep an eye on these guys.
N.O.A.H have released their new single ‘Stay Here’.’Stay Here’ was self-produced by the band, with mixing and finessing by Grammy Winning Ruadhri Cushnan. N.O.A.H comprises of three lifelong friends Ryan Hill, Adam Rooney, and Ronan Hynes. N.O.A.H formed back in January 2020, on the cusp of a global pandemic! (Great timing) After finishing in college (BIMM Dublin and MU) the group decided to reform an old musical endeavour. Obsessed with the idea of creating something new and a relentless desire to be heard, a fresh canvas was needed. Thus the band took inspiration in its naming from the biblical story of ‘Noah and the Ark’, the ultimate new beginnings story. Already N.O.A.H, have garnered thousands of streams, sold out multiple venues, signed with a major UK agency, supported The Coronas in Ulster Hall, played Main Stage at Sea Sessions 2022, and announced for Ireland’s leading festival Electric Picnic.
Draped in shimmering synths with an 80’s pop sheen ‘Stay Here’ is an emotive new single from N.O.A.H as the band delve into a new facet of their catchy indie sound. With a dreamy melody drifting atop glittering guitars, spongy beats and an irresistible bass groove the band have created a tune that boasts their tight musicianship and refined songwriting. It’s a sweet and comforting track with lyrics that offer an unconditional, selfless vow to help a friend in need. Ryan Hill croons,” I’ll take your pain if it means that you would stay here” over a supple warm melody while the bubbling backdrop creates an ethereal atmosphere throughout. Tender and earnest with a lush instrumental backdrop ‘Stay Here’ is a sublime glimpse into the boundless talent of N.O.A.H
Omar Addis has released his new single ‘Never Let You Go’. Addis is an artist from Cardiff, Wales, who has been making music for almost 10 years and has collaborated with artists such as Julian Lamadrid and Heavy Pulse. Addis produces, mixes and masters his tracks so he has complete creative control.
‘Never Let You Go’ is a beautifully crafted tune as Addis takes supple melodies and delicate soundscapes to create a track that is a soothing listening experience from start to finish. With pulsing beats, chiming guitars and wispy synth the song has an ethereal atmosphere that is utterly captivating and wonderfully compliments the artist’s warm expressive vocals. Addis blends hues of R&B with pop and indie elements within ‘Never Let You Go’ to create a timeless song that takes away all your worries and soothes the soul.
Jim McHugh has released his new single ‘Can’t Feel Anymore’.This is the second single from Jim’s upcoming fourth album ‘I Whisper to the Dawn’. ‘Can’t Feel Anymore’ was recorded, produced and mixed by Alex Borwick (Niamh Reagan, James Vincent McMorrow) at Transmission Rooms Studios, Drumlish, Longford and The Stables Studio, Castleblayney, Monaghan. It was mastered by Fergal Davis (Sinéad O’Connor/Muse). ‘Can’t Feel Anymore’ features Jim McHugh on Vocals/Backing Vocals, Electric Guitar, Paul McCabe on Bass/ Backing Vocals, Paul Sherry on Electric Guitar, James ‘Butch’ McNeill on Drums, Alex Borwick on Trombone and Ronan Morgan on Backing Vocals.
Riding on a relentless buzz of biting guitars and punchy rhythms, ‘Can’t Feel Anymore’ is a fiery anthem from Jim McHugh. Showcasing the artist’s powerful indie rock in all its glory the track discusses social media influencers and the artist’s disdain for the power they yield and their negative influence on society, “Do your followers conform?Oh yeah, they’re all under control with a flick of my hand, But your selling lies online, Oh yeah, I’m an influencer and I’m influencing you”.With swaggering rock bravado, infectious melodies and invigorating soundscapes ‘Can’t Feel Anymore’ is a catchy musical delight from Jim McHugh.
24-year-old, DIY slouch rock musician Skinner (Aaron Corcoran) has released his second single ‘Dog Daze’ on Faction Records. Previous singles ‘Dislocation’, ‘Beer Me, Jim’, ‘Sometimes My Brain is Goo’, ‘Slouch’ and ‘Headroom’ were compiled on the Gunge EP, a 2021 vinyl release. The songs have received airplay from KCRW, BBC Across the Line, RTÈ 2FM and 98FM’s John Barker. Skinner was also featured on Fred Perry Subculture. Spotify chose Skinner as the main cover art for their popular An Alternative Eire playlist and has featured Skinner songs in playlists such as Fresh Finds Rock: Best Of 2021, Post Punk 2K and Hot New Bands.
Filled with intricate melodies and oodles of groove-infested instrumentation,‘Dog Daze’ boasts the swaggering sound of Skinner. The track pivots around a funky guitar riff that weaves its way between buoyant rhythms, brass bursts and wriggling bass lines while hard-hitting lyrics express annoyance at the tedious struggles of life at the moment. “I’m just a good guy that got sick of the rules. “
Skinner’s musicianship is on point and each release shows his talent for production. His ability to take chic retro sounds and blur them with indie rock/grunge elements is impressive and makes for one thrilling listening experience. Skinner is a talented artist that everyone should know about.
About the song, Skinner says “The song was inspired by the movie ‘Dog Day Afternoon’. The main character of Sonny was someone that really resonated with me. Nearly everyone my age is stuck between a rock and a hard place where everyday the news just gets worse and worse. The police want to do you over, the landlords want to rip you off and the government wants to crucify you. It’s at a point where everyone’s just like “I’m tired man” and when you’re tired you’re in no mood to put up with bullshit so you tell it like it is. That’s what I wanted to do with this song, tell it like it is.”
Columbia Mills have released their new single ‘Momentum’. Columbia Mills are regulars at festivals such as Indiependence, Longitude, and Electric Picnic and have supported world-class acts like Ride, Public Service Broadcasting, and Palace. On top of this, they have also toured Ireland & the UK with a string of headline shows at venues such as Whelans, King Tuts, and Sebright Arms. On the band’s previous tracks ‘Heart Of A Nation’, ‘Addiction’ and ‘Nevada’ they have garnered huge support from the UK and Irish radio such as BBC Radio 6, Radio X, Amazing Radio, Radio Nova, 8 Radio, Indie Rocks, RTÉ 2FM, Today FM and RTÉ 2XM.
Dripping in hypnotic electronics and infectious grooves ‘Momentum’ is a euphoric number from Columbia Mills. In true Columbia Mills manner, the song is richly textured and contains numerous musical treats that are revealed with each subsequent listen. Eerie, dark undertones brood throughout the track contradicting the upbeat dance soundscapes that effortlessly draw the listener further into the song’s expressive immersive sound. As ‘Momentum’ builds the band release lush sounds and textures into the soundscape that is simply goosebump-inducing; pulsing bass lines, chiming keys and intricate guitar melodies are just the tip of the iceberg of the musical delights that await the listener as the band’s deft musical prowess leaves much to be admired. Columbia Mills have knocked it out of the park once again with ‘Momentum’ the track is irresistible and leaves the listener craving to hear more.
Speaking about the track, ‘Momentum’, Fiachra Treacy said: “Momentum is all about keeping the mind occupied and avoiding the traps that an idle mind can set for us. Sometimes it just takes one person to come along and lift us from that deluge, but there are dangers in having your happiness dependent on one person. The music is upbeat to represent that momentary feeling you are hoping will last forever, gaining momentum as we go.”
London three-piece pop-punk band Cuecliché have released their new single ‘The Last Dance’. This dynamic pop-punk tune bursts with the energetic and emotive sound of Cuecliché as they spread a heartfelt melody over a blustering backdrop of punchy drums and shredding guitars. Teaming slick riffs with buoyant basslines, the song is upbeat and travels at a brisk pace and is an exciting glimpse into the band’s musical talents. Filled with a shredding solo, a suspense-filled crescendo and anthemic tones ‘The Last Dance’ boasts a powerful wall of sound throughout.
Stream ‘Last Dance’below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
