Ham Sandwich have released their new single ‘Le Soleil’. The song is the second single to be taken from the band’s new album due for release at the end of the summer. The song also features a brand new animated video by long-time collaborator Marc Corrigan.
Pulling in elements of pop alongside irresistible tropical undertones, ‘Le Soleil’ is a charming musical delight from Ham Sandwich. Intricate rhythms bubble beneath biting guitars, spiralling synth embellishments and warm acoustic strums to create a hypnotic soundscape that is simply joy to the ears. The band layer the song wonderfully creating moments of psychedelia through subtle rock and indie-pop melodies while a cheery clap-along feature keeps the song in an upbeat tone. Ham Sandwich are constantly evolving their sound and creating new tantalizing tunes for listeners to indulge in and ‘Le Soleil’ is a fine example of this. It’s a well-crafted little ditty filled to the brim with clever musicianship and sublime melodies. Looking forward to the new album.
Brian Corbett has released his new single ‘Wonder’. I spoke to Corbett about the new single, his return to Ireland after moving to Toronto five years ago and working with Pa Sheehy on a new collection of songs.
‘Wonder’ discusses Corbett’s teenage years as he reminisces on lacking the bravery to tell a close friend that he wanted to be more. Corbett uses beautiful lyrics to take the listener on this nostalgic journey.
“So a couple of months ago I went to Dingle in Kerry. I met up with Pa Sheehy and I was nervous going down because he’s a well-known artist. We talked and he’s like, what would you like to write about? So I told him about the story, about my friend, how I felt. Four hours later we came up with the song. I think it was the adrenaline from meeting him and being nervous it helped me for some strange reason with the writing. Yeah, four hours later, ‘Wonder’ was born.”
“I was like, should I say it? Should I not? [ to Pa Sheehy] Is it too soon?, but then you know what something beautiful could be made here so why hold back and just be honest and put everything on the plate.”
There is a warm twinkling guitar melody that exudes a folk tone and reinforces the nostalgic theme within the song.
“Pa had a guitar riff that he actually made while we were on our way down there. Just an acoustic, he just looped it and I just fell in love with it straightaway. That’s when the inspiration just straight away clicked. It was just so easy to play off it.”
The song is sonically impressive and boasts deft production and dreamy tones with an intricate pulsing rhythm anchoring the listener in the track’s ethereal soundscapes.
“ We had the guitar sound and we wrote alongside the guitar sound. Then eventually, we left it simmer for a while for a few weeks and then Pa started messing around with these beautiful dreamy sounds that just came into it perfectly and just fitted with the song. I think that’s the feedback we’re getting off the song too. It’s a summer vibe song, it’s a sad song but a happy song at the same time.”
Brian Corbett’s music oozes wonderful folk elements with a contemporary twist. We spoke about how he crafted his style and sound.
“ I think it’s just the way I sing. From a very young age, I was surrounded by folk music, especially Irish folk music, and I was reared in the countryside. So I had that country twang, more or less and I just brought it into my music and gradually developed it over a few years. It goes pretty well with the music that we are making at the moment.”
Corbett moved across the Atlantic five years ago to live in Toronto and found himself in a music scene he had never experienced before. Through rubbing shoulders with a variety of artists and writers Corbett gained a new insight into his music and writing.
“To be honest, I started taking it seriously. I didn’t really believe. I knew I could sing. I knew I could play the guitar. I started going to open mics and stuff like that, just to go to them to listen and have a beer or whatever and then I started making friends and rubbing shoulders with some really amazing musicians. That’s when I started to write and develop my writing. I wasn’t great at the start, but it’s like turning on the tap and getting the dirty water out first, eventually the clean water comes through. So it really helped me, the city life, and just being surrounded by different musicians and different cultures and stuff. It really had a golden plus for me.”
After five years away from home Corbett grew tired of city life and moved home to Connemara and is living in a remote cabin with artistic friends writing music. I wondered if the nostalgia of being back in Ireland is giving Corbett material to write.
“It has yeah, it’s like past situations you’ve been in and moments of sadness, moments of happiness, but it really helped me. It’s really nice to be back. It’s like writing a book, you need to sit down and your like, Alright, what do I write about? How do I feel and when did that happen? When did this happen? So it’s good to be home, it’s good to be on the Irish soil again. But, hopefully, this music takes me out there again.”
“I live in a little house in Connemara. Some of my friends are musicians and I bring them down for the day or two. I have a little studio here in the house and we just chill, we eat, we talk, we make music, we eat more and then we make more music and then it just develops from there. It’s a really nice humbling situation.”
“I live in Clifden in Connemara, it’s just magic. It’s surrounded by water, surrounded by greenery and surrounded by mountains and it’s just inspirational. So being in Toronto in the busy city for nearly five years, six years it was nice to come home. Once I came home I was like this is so nice to be just able to think again and just like relax.”
Corbett has some exciting plans for the rest of the year with new releases and an upcoming EP.
“It’s the first song off the EP, that me and Pa are putting together at the moment. So we have a few more songs down. It’s hard to just put a full stop on it. I was like should we not make another one. It’s easy to make it into an album. But I want to make an EP first and then we can talk about albums. In the next few months, we’ll have another song that we’re ready to put in the oven.”
Brian Corbett is a compelling artist who has the ability to create passionate songs filled with rich instrumentation. He is developing his sound beautifully and displaying a talent for creating cinematic musicianship and emotive lyrics – ‘Wonder’ is a sublime example of this.
Ailbhe Reddy returns with her new single ‘A Mess’ via MNRK. The single follows April’s ‘Inhaling’, which marked a comeback for Ailbhe, who’s 2020 debut album ‘Personal History’ was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize album of the year award. Since then, she has moved to London and signed a record deal with major indie label, MNRK. The single is accompanied by a video made by renowned Irish production company, CLTV, who have been responsible for videos by the likes of Fontaines D.C., Denise Chaila, Pillow Queens, Inhaler and more. Ailbhe Reddy has just played The Great Escape, the UK’s renowned music industry showcase festival. In July, she plays Visions Festival and Latitude, with more festival announcements due over the coming weeks.
‘A Mess’ is an exciting pop-drizzled indie rock track. The song is skillfully produced and superbly layered as Ailbhe Reddy fills an expressive soundscape with rampant bass lines, biting guitars and a sweet pop melody. Reddy is a very talented musician. The artist’s tracks ooze emotive lyrics and evocative musical arrangements that leave much to be admired. ‘A Mess’ is no exception – within the track, thrilling grunge elements and shoegaze flirtations reverb beneath smooth vocals that create dreamy tones throughout the song’s dynamic soundscape. This wonderful combination of elements is eargasmic and beckons repeat plays from the listener. Reddy sets the bar high with this fantastic tune. The track is a joy to listen to and is an enticing display of musicianship from Ailbhe Reddy.
About the track, Ailbhe Reddy says: “‘A Mess’ is about not feeling good enough in a relationship and examining old patterns and habits. It’s about feeling fed up of going around in circles, while focusing on a throw away comment that ‘no wonder it was such a mess’.”
Following the release of their title track ‘Heart Of A Nation’ and ‘Addiction’, Columbia Mills return with their new single ‘Nevada’. On the band’s previous tracks ‘Heart Of A Nation’ and ‘Addiction’ 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. 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.
‘Nevada’ is a masterful display of musicianship from Columbia Mills. The song packs one heck of a punch both thematically and sonically; a shimmering synth-speckled soundscape exudes dark undertones and melancholy while chiming guitars and rich rhythms dance atop hypnotic bass grooves and sincere, hard-hitting lyrics “staring at the sea with your life packed into a bag….. you try to find a friend but there’s nobody left”. Columbia Mills are a musical marvel. Their skillfully created soundscapes are a joy to listen to and capture the listener’s imagination in such a way that each subsequent listen feels like a fresh and new experience. With each release, Columbia Mills tantalize listener’s ears with lush sonic embellishments, dark textures and expressive instrumentation and ‘Nevada’ is a mesmerising example of this. I’m looking forward to what their future releases have in store.
Speaking about the track, ‘Nevada’, Fiachra Treacy said: “While I was in Guadalajara in Mexico I met a man who was traveling on his own from Guatemala. He was traveling on the top of a massive train across the country and had to deal with unthinkable danger. He had left his wife and son behind in order to build a better life for them, not knowing if or when he would see them again. He was trying to get to Nevada where he had a cousin who could help him get work. The song is about him and the countless people making that journey every day.”
Moncrieff has released his new single ‘Ruin’ via energie. The song comes hot on the heels of his smash single ‘Warm’ which went to the top 10 in Irish Radio and saw the up-and-coming musician perform live on Germany’s ARD Network (“Frühstücksfernsehen”). Following his recent Irish nationwide tour, Moncrieff is set to take to stages across the country this summer including Indiependence Festival, and is appearing as a special guest for Stereophonics at Fairview Park.
‘Ruin’ showcases the passionate and diverse sound of Moncrieff. The track twist and turns through elegant ballad-esque tones and vibrant indie-pop outbursts to create a wholly immersive listening experience. Moncrieff’s knack with melody is on full display as he drizzles lush tones over a bubbling rhythmic foundation and shimmering synths to create a catchy tune sure to revolve in the listener’s head for days. His powerful vocals soar across the dynamic backdrop and anchor the listener within the track’s expressive soundscape as the song rushes to a cinematic crescendo. Moncrieff is a master of his craft. He captures heart-racing emotion through compelling hooks, evocative lyrics and emotive arrangements that stir the soul, ‘Ruin’ is an excellent example of this.
Tipperary band Kill ‘Em Charlie have released their new live EP ‘Live at Rebel Recordings’.Kill ‘Em Charlie are a 5-piece indie rock outfit. They released their debut EP, “I Hope This Works for You (‘Cause it Does for Me)”, in late 2020.
‘Live at Rebel Recordings’ is a riveting display of musicianship from Kill ‘Em Charlie. Throughout the EP the band utilize the raw aesthetic of a live show to present a tight and energetic group of songs for listeners to enjoy. Each song ignites with pounding drums, glorious melodic hooks and driving basslines. The EP is a fine example of the band’s diverse sound as they venture into heavier alternative tones for tracks like ‘Beamish’ and indie vibes for ‘Mama Jive’. From the light twinkle and buoyant indie of ‘One Thing to Say’ to the heart-racing punk-filled ‘Out Of The Blue’; ‘Live at Rebel Recordings’ showcases the band’s blossoming musical talent. The melodies within this EP are catchy and powerful and the band carefully create a wonderful soundscape that ventures between vigorous fun atmospherics and deft instrumentation to create a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.
Inhaler have released their new single, ‘These Are The Days’.The song is the quartet’s first new music since the release of their debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This in July 2021, a record that went to the top of the charts in both the UK and Ireland. The group have a huge summer of festival dates lined up, including their first Glastonbury performance on the John Peel stage during Friday’s line-up plus appearances at Pinkpop, Nos Alive, BBK Live, Truck, Tramlines, Lollapalooza Chicago, Summer Sonic and a 5000 capacity headline show in Dublin. During the tour to support It Won’t Always Be Like This, Inhaler played to over 40,000 fans during US and European tours. The band will also support Arctic Monkeys across mainland Europe on the Sheffield group’s first live shows in three years. Inhaler have now racked up over 140 million combined streams globally and their debut was a certified Brit Breakthrough that sold over 120,000 across the world. These Are The Days is the first track to emerge from sessions for Inhaler’s forthcoming second album.
‘These Are The Days’ is an invigorating rush of adrenaline as Inhaler travel full steam ahead with their airtight indie rock. With a whirlwind of scorching instrumentation and infectious hooks at the helm, ‘These Are The Days’ is quite the irresistible ditty. In true Inhaler manner, the song is backed by a buoyant drum foundation and lathered in sleek guitar moments from delicate strums to thrashing riffs. Though the backdrop surges with dynamic instrumentation, the band manage to maintain a laid-back tone throughout that is enhanced by a smooth vocal delivery. The track is a joy to listen to and wonderfully captures a sense of youthful fun and vigour through swagger-filled bass and synths. ‘These Are The Days’ is a fun, magnetic new tune from Inhaler.
Indie Rock band Afterbliss have released their new single, ‘Shout It Out’.The indie rock band formed in June 2019. The group is made up of Evan Cassidy on lead vocals, Alex Burcea on lead guitar, synths and backing vocals, Ally Pender on drums, James O’Gorman on rhythm guitar, and Shane Waldron on bass. After 18 months of writing songs, November 2020 saw them release their debut single, “Until Sunrise”, which received acclaim on local and national Irish radio play. ‘Shout It Out’ will be supported by a headline show in The Sound House Dublin on Saturday 11th June.
‘Shout It Out’ is a thrilling new single that provides a glimpse into a darker facet to Afterbliss’ sound. The band create an intense atmosphere throughout the verses as the synths brood beneath rasped vocals before the song erupts for the anthemic chorus. Shrouded in 80’s-esque soundscapes ‘Shout It Out’ boasts a massive sonic soundscape filled with intricate melodies and soaring/sinister guitar moments to create a suspenseful listening experience that beckons repeat plays.
RIA RUA has released her new single ‘Breathe’. RIA RUA is a modern Irish female hyperpop singer, songwriter and producer. RIA writes about power, love, obsession and control and she will be playing gigs in Ireland, Germany and Switzerland in 2022-23.
‘Breathe’ is a dark electronic powerhouse that rushes with the irresistible and wholly immersive sound of RIA RUA. Filled with swagger and attitude the track’s pounding beats pulse through thick asphyxiating soundscapes to create a luring and bewitching listening experience. The chorus exudes anthemic power enhanced by a catchy melody and EDM embellishments while the verses maintain a haunting and eerie quality. ‘Breathe’ delves deep into RIA’s production wizardry – the result is a sonically rich and intriguing tune ready to enthral the listener.
Mayo born singer-songwriter Tracy Gallagher has released her new single and video ‘Caves’. The song is a collaboration with Belfast based producer Michael Mormecha. Having tried her hand over the years at a number of various careers from teaching French to hypnotherapy, Tracy decided it was finally time to commit fully to music and produce her first studio-recorded work. This ultimately led to converting an old work van into a rustic home on wheels and hitting the road to write and live out her dreams as a wayfaring musician.
‘Caves’ is a wonderful display of musicianship from Tracy Gallagher. Within the track are elements of vulnerability and innocence aptly portrayed by Gallagher’s expressive vocal delivery and enhanced by the raw untamed moments of indie rock in the song’s dynamic soundscapes. The song is well crafted and layered to create a dizzying almost psychedelic effect at times with just Gallaghers soft vocals acting as the listener’s anchor between the constant ebb and flow of instrumentation. Eloquent lyrics depict themes of love, loss and hope while icy keys create an eerie sense of whimsy throughout – Gallagher combines all these aspects to create a compelling listening experience for listeners to enjoy again and again.
About the song Gallagher says “Caves is inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell, American professor of Literature and well known mythologist, credited by George Lucas as having inspired Star Wars. While reading his book ‘The Hero With A Thousand Faces’, I became enamoured with the idea of each individual being the hero in their own story and the trials and tribulations each of us have to face and overcome throughout our human experience in order to grow and develop as human beings. Caves explores the relationship we have to the natural world and simultaneously to the inner self, it is a look at the wild, powerful and sometimes frightening aspects of nature that can act as a metaphor for the unexplored parts of our inner worlds. The wildness of the ‘seven seas’ and the dark unknown of the ‘cave’ represent our innermost fears, that which we try to keep hidden from ourselves and the world at large but this is also the place where the deepest treasures and revelations lie, where personal growth and development happens.”
Watch the video for ‘Caves’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
