Having performed with Adele and impressed greats like Elton John and Avicii with his songwriting, Moncrieff is back with his new EP ‘Warm’ via German label energie. I caught up with Chris Breheny aka Moncrieff to talk about the EP, playing the main stage at Electric Picnic and how he lays all his raw emotions bare through his intimate and powerful songwriting.
‘Warm’ is an emotive EP that takes a different approach to Moncrieff’s music. His previous release ‘Class Of 2020’ was angst-riddled with powerful punk/pop elements while the earnest emotion pouring from ‘Warm’ showcases a more tender side to Moncrieff’s sound.
“Well, to be honest, I’ve always struggled to stay inside a box because I get bored of myself very often. I think with the ‘Class of 2020’ I was just very influenced by how crazy the world was seeming to get and Yeah, songs like ‘Playloud’ and ‘America’ spoke about that and I don’t know, even within ‘My Room’. I just felt even the sort of soundscape of that EP, portrayed how I felt really about that year. It’s a big mix of craziness. But after the sort of two years it was pretty hard in those two years with the pandemic. I had a time where I was thinking, should I keep going at this? Or should I call it quits? and I think what made me realize that I wanted to keep going was the fact that I hadn’t done something super personal. I ended up making these songs along those lines that are just trying to be as personal and as honest as possible and I think that’s what it’s come back down to.”
The lyrics within the EP are very raw and honest. Lines such as, “If I don’t believe in God who can I call? Maybe it’s easier to end it all” from ‘Talk’ see Breheny re-imagine difficult moments in his life through powerfully evocative songwriting and the singer-songwriter explained to me how cathartic the writing process was for him.
“I think it was definitely quite cathartic. ‘Warm’ is quite a positive song, ‘Ruin’ is kind of a positive song. ‘Talk’ itself is kind of sad, but I think the overall theme across the EP is Hope and that’s the thread that brings it together. So yeah it was like anything when you’re trying to make something super personal, you’re gonna have some challenges, but I feel it definitely was more cathartic than anything.”
‘Talk’ is a heartbreaking but beautifully presented gem. Breheny recounts the first time he opened up about having suicidal thoughts. His soulful vocals sincerely pour out lyrics of pain while the music delivers this song with a ray of hope. It’s as if the artist gives strength to the listener to push through whatever they are going through. That’s quite a special impact.
“Yeah, it kind of came together on the piano. I was just sitting down one day and usually, it doesn’t happen, where it just comes together so easily. But the song just fell out and I don’t know I feel maybe it’s the chords that are kind of reassuring. Because it keeps coming back to that major root chord and that gives it that reassuring vibe, that sense of hope within me and hopefully for other people. But yeah, it wasn’t done, really on purpose. It just came out that way.”
Breheny has a knack for writing powerful and uplifting melodies. He explained to me how melody drives his songwriting process.
“The melody comes first generally. Or it’s maybe a little phrase or something. But melody is the main thing that really inspires me and then that will influence where the lyric goes.”
The title track ‘Warm’ was an instant hit when it was released. It went to the top 10 in Irish Radio and was performed live on Germany’s ARD Network (“Frühstücksfernsehen”).
“Yeah, considering ‘Warm’ was the first track off the EP that I wrote and that was in, I think November 2021. I was like, wow, this is really, really good, not like patting myself on the back but it made me feel something. I wrote it with a couple of friends and I was like, this feels like something special. So seeing people react the way they did, considering it was written at a point where I was at my lowest, feeling the lowest in terms of where I felt in my career. Seeing then the next song be like the biggest received song in Ireland that I’ve ever done is crazy.”
Breheny also provides the listener with a little treat on the EP in the form of a time-stopping version of Avril Lavigne’s ‘I’m With You’. I wondered what sparked his decision to cover that song.
“ I think I wanted to make something for the tour that I was doing. I wanted to make a cover for the tour and I think I did it towards the end of 2021. I produced it myself. I was bored in my room and I was like, this sounds really good and I wasn’t really planning on releasing it. Then I was like, Why the hell not? I mean, what’s the point in having another mp3 sitting on my laptop? So yeah, I just put it out and because I made a little video to go with it back when I was on tour in Limerick we did this one-shot video where we do like a transition and I walk out onto the stage. I was like, that’s a cool video, its a cool song, people would enjoy it if I put it out. So that’s why I did it.”
This year Breheny was moved up to play The Electric Picnic main stage last minute and we discussed the excitement and anxiety that came with the news.
“Yes, I did. That was amazing, it was super special. I was very worried, to be honest because I wasn’t supposed to be on the main stage and then Thursday morning came around and my manager gave me a call and said we’ve been asked to move up to the main stage which is obviously such an amazing privilege to have. But I was a bit worried at the same time, what if it’s raining, and it’s like pretty much second on Sunday, like what if nobody shows up and all this stuff. Luckily, it was really good weather and luckily it was really busy, so many more people turned up than I thought would. So yeah, all in all, it was something I’m not going to forget for a long time.”
Moncrieff has announced a headline show in The Olympia in December which has since our interview sold out.
“ The Olympia is something for the bucket list really. So yeah, hopefully, we can get it sold out and move forward, I can’t wait for it. We’ve got also Belfast in November, and London in November and two shows in Germany as well which can be my first ever two shows in Germany and show in Amsterdam as well.”
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Moncrieff is a passionate musician and an exceptional songwriter. Within ‘Warm’ EP he provides moments of heightened emotion while the depth in the lyrics will take your breath away. He is a musical wizard who can break your heart in an instant with one gripping line while his refined and uplifting music comforts your soul. It’s quite a masterful display of musicianship that Moncrieff finds effortless. He is an artist to treasure and the songs within ‘Warm’ are a fine example of this musician’s boundless talent.
22-year-old artist-songwriter, Bradley Marshall has released his new single ‘Hurts The Most’. Bradley Marshall co-wrote the song with TikTok music stars and highly talented artists in their own right, Ryan Mack and Rob Grace. The duo also produced the song along with Jimmy Rainsford of Picture This.
Wrapped in swooning melodies and ethereal soundscapes ‘Hurts The Most’ superbly continues Marshall’s run of tender tear jerkers. Piano-driven and cinematic, the track glides gracefully on a melancholic melody while wispy electronics and pulsing beats adorn the backdrop in lush dramatic builds. With his warm crooning vocals at the helm ‘Hurts The Most’ is an emotive tune that boasts Marshall’s knack for heart-wrenching earnest songwriting.
Speaking about the song Bradley Marshall said: “‘Hurts The Most’ tells a story about how everything can feel and seem so good with someone but you are still not convinced that you are good enough for them”
N.O.A.H have released their new single ‘Stay Here’. I spoke with drummer Ronan Hynes about the new single, prospects of a new EP in the coming months and their upcoming gigs.
Hynes and I spoke after the band’s exciting Electric Picnic performance. With all the madness that goes on at the festival, the now hoarse drummer explained how well the show went down.
“Yeah, it was great. We went down on the Friday and we didn’t play until Sunday but we did a lot of networking between Friday and Saturday and then played on the Sunday and we were quite shocked at the amount of people that we got down, for the time anyway, because it was twenty to one, I think, on the Jerry Fish stage. So we felt that a lot of people would be hungover or wouldnt be at the festival yet so we were delighted to get around 200 odd people down to the tent at that hour so it went really well.
“To be honest it’s still one of those things to us, that’s kind of unusual. We’re still not used to that either. It feels great and obviously, it’s quite reassuring that we put a lot of work and a lot of effort into making music and trying to get it out there in the smartest way possible. So to realize that it’s connecting with people and they’re starting to feel the need to come and see us and check us out. It’s really special and we’re really taken aback by it. “
The band have self-produced ‘Stay Here’, with mixing and finessing by Grammy Winning Ruadhri Cushnan. We discussed how producing their own track gave the band confidence and empowered them.
“Yeah, I think it is quite empowering because when you’re working with producers and other people are involved in the process of songwriting or just the overall recording of a song, different people’s ideas can come in and sometimes it’s for the better and then sometimes, your own ideas may be the best for, a particular song. So yeah, definitely. This time around, being able to convey our own ideas and be confident in what we’re doing was really special to us because it is something that we are used to in terms of demos before we managed to get into the studio and a lot of the time because Adam, Adam studies music production in college so a lot of the time it is quite high quality to a point when we even wrote ‘Stay Here’, it was almost ready to be released. It just needed a little bit of cleaning up but not a lot, that makes us feel even better because it means that we can do this again and we can do it successfully again. So yeah, it certainly is empowering.“
“Yeah, and it’s super handy as well because one thing that we come up against quite a bit is time schedules. Sometimes it can be quite stressful for us when things are outside of our control. So the fact that we’ve released this and people have reacted in such a way to the song… that’s good for us. “
‘Stay Here’ is a groovy light tune filled with shimmering synths and ethereal melodies and shows a different side to the band’s sound. This subtle shift in sound keeps N.O.A.H’s music fresh and invigorating.
“It’s the progression, I suppose in ourselves and how we make songs, but it’s also an experimentation. Sometimes we want to show people of course that we’re not just a one-trick pony and we’ve said from the start that we don’t like being pigeonholed into one genre or one area of music. We like to explore and never let people know your next move kind of vibe you know, sometimes it might not work out, but we’re lucky enough so far, that it has been received quite well. In my own personal view of the song. It reminds me of, I suppose, because we’ve been learning, songwriting, production-wise and stuff like that it’s as if we wrote ‘Hands Up’ now that it’s almost like ‘Hands Up’s’ biggest brother. It’s on those vibes but yeah, it certainly is different. We want our fans to feel refreshed as well as ourselves, it’s for both parties really.”
There is a hypnotic synth melody running throughout the song and Hynes explained how that hook was the birth of the song.
“It literally started off with that kind of a loop and Ryan had his guitar going along with it. There was only probably around a 15-second loop between the guitar and that synth and all of a sudden it started to progress into something because we got a beat behind it. We got a lovely baseline from Adam, and it just started to expand and grow itself. In the end, it just grew legs and we had our Management and our PR saying that this is the single this is something that we need to release now. So yeah, it was actually rather quick, the way it grew and progressed and the last few singles that we’ve put out, haven’t necessarily been that easy in terms of how quickly they formed. So it was certainly a surprise to us, but it’s a good feeling as well because there’s nothing better than when a song comes together immediately and you’re just already excited to release it. But yeah, it did start from that strange little synth loop and progressed from there.“
‘Stay Here’ is a sweet and comforting track with lyrics that offer an unconditional, selfless vow to help a friend in need. Hynes explained to me how the band managed to create this soothing and comforting tone within the music to mirror the lyrics
“Usually how it works is the music always comes first. We all write lyrics and we all have our input once we have a theme and once we have something in which we can connect to but generally how we write songs would be that the music would come and then we will get the feeling from the music and that’s where our theme would then come in. Then we would go and start brainstorming how we were going to write it how we were going to project the overall message of the song and realistically with this song, it is something in which the lyricist observes and comforts a friend in need by giving themselves unconditionally without the need of recognition themselves. So we really wanted to bring out the human elements of the lyrics, and in some ways, it’s preaching what we all need to hear, because, we all have that friend or could be that friend within the story. That was something that we really wanted to convey to the listener. So yeah, it was really important in that way. We went for that soothing, and I suppose comforting elements of a story within these lyrics.”
N.O.A.H’s debut EP ‘Echoes of the Night’ grabbed the attention of those on the international music scene, not just the rock and noise genres. I wondered if the band felt pressure deciding what track would follow the success of that EP.
“I don’t think so, to be honest, because I think with the EP it came out and we’re always super excited for the next thing. We spend a long time working on things that come out and they’re brand new, but they’re not brand new to us. So we’re always moving on to the next idea and always the next step ahead. So for us, it’s more an excitement really. I think the only pressure to us is if we come up with an idea, and we look back and we don’t think it’s to a standard than say, you know, any of the songs on the EP, if we don’t feel that it could match one of them or fit into one of them then that’s where the pressure comes from a writing element. Other than that I think it’s more of an excitement really for us, we’re just excited for the next release. So we released this song on Friday, and we’re already thinking about the next one. So we’re quite happy. I suppose in a way we’ve got a short-term attention span when it comes to what we release because it’s just we’re always excited for the next thing.”
‘Stay Here’ feels like it is an appetizer for an EP or album to come and Hynes explained to me the band’s hopes for releasing music in the coming months.
“So we’re playing around with the idea of having an EP out by December. It’s not entirely confirmed as of yet but it is certainly something that the three of us are playing around with. In terms of an album, it would probably be this time next year before we get an album together because we do really want to sit down when it comes to an album and really spend time to get it all together and do it in a way that we’re happy with, that we can connect with. At the moment, we’re more needing to get ourselves out there on a live basis more so than constantly releasing studio songs. We still see ourselves as a small band and a band that’s still developing. So in order to do that, and in order to get more listeners, more fans, we need to be out there in front of people playing what we already have. So at the moment, it isn’t something that’s on the cards, album wise but certainly an EP you know, we are playing around with the idea. “
The past few months have also seen N.O.A.H dip their toes in the UK market. Working with Lander Pr the band secured regional UK radio play as well as their UK debut TV appearance on CBBC ‘Saturday Mashup’, the guys performed live on the show as well as taking part in games and comedy skits throughout. N.O.A.H also performed on Virgin Media Television’s 6′ O’Clock Show on May 27th. This opportunity gives the band more scope to gain fans and tour new places.
“Yeah, absolutely. You see all your peers and all the people you look up to, obviously they’re doing European tours, American tours and stuff like that and it certainly is something different when you can then turn around and see yourself getting on a plane to go play a gig. It’s something that’s quite surreal to us in a way. We can get in a car and go to Dublin and play a great gig and it feels good. But there’s something quite different about getting on a plane or a boat and going elsewhere to a different country and getting new fans over there. It certainly is exciting and with the UK market we certainly have been trying to get more and more vibes going over there. Thankfully, we have a PR company over there under Lander, so they’ve been helping us out quite a bit over there. So we’re really excited that we have a London gig and Manchester gig and a Glasgow gig coming up in November, and we’re really excited with that and then obviously to finish off those string of gigs in Whelan’s on the eighth of December is something that we’re extremely looking forward to because the last time we played there, the crowd was crazy. So we’re hoping that we can up that game even more to finish out the year. “
“I suppose it brings it all back, as I said, it’s quite surreal going to different countries and stuff like that to play. So then to bring it back to where we started, and almost bring it full circle again, it grounds us when we get there. But the crowd is the fourth member of our band so when they show up, it just makes it even more special for us and reminds us why we do it.”
N.O.A.H are building their sound superbly and fast becoming one of Ireland’s finest indie gems. ‘Stay Here’ is an intriguing glimpse of what’s to come from this talented band. Exciting times ahead.
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.
Alt-J and their fans know how to party. Originally planned as a seated show, Wider Than Pictures concert series kicked off on Thursday at the National Museum of Ireland with Alt-J and Just Mustard. However, being seated was not what the audience had in mind and before long the fans grew tired of bopping in their seats and flooded to the front of the stage to dance and sing along with Alt-J while others stood on their seats to get a better view of the band’s mesmerising performance. This sight would make you think the show was total anarchy however the gentle attitude of the fans and well-structured organisation of the event meant this little rebellion was good-natured fun against the backdrop of Alt-J’s compelling set.
This is Wider Than Pictures’ inaugural year, presented by Singular Artists and last night was one not to miss. Nestled in the beautiful grounds of The National Museum of Ireland eager fans sat comfortably with refreshments nearby awaiting the stellar lineup. I was surprised by how relaxed and pleasant the atmosphere was as I entered the grounds and found my seat.
Alt-J’s performance was brilliant. An enchanting blend of captivating visuals, hypnotic lights display and eargasmic music marked the night as a memorable event. It was easy to notice how much the fans treasure this band, every tune on the set list was met by cheers, screams of joy and mass sing-alongs. ‘Bane’, ‘Matilda’ and ‘Deadcrush’ all went down a treat with the crowd as they embraced and danced with friends and strangers. Throughout the night there was a communal sense of togetherness that was so unique and special.
Joe Newman [vocals, guitar], Gus Unger-Hamilton [vocals, keyboards, bass] and Thom Sonny Green [drums, percussion] have a captivating stage presence. At times their figures were shrouded in darkness with gripping visual effects behind them while strobe lighting bathed their silhouettes in prismatic colours; it added an exciting visual element to the set and had the audience enamoured from start to finish. With little effort Alt-J proved why they are one of the most successful British bands of the millennium. Their impressive repertoire has seen them release four studio albums that, between them, have sold in excess of two million copies and their songs have been streamed over two and a half billion times. However, it’s their live shows where they truly shine. Alt-J and Just Mustard put on a phenomenal performance and made the first night in the new exciting series, Wider Than Pictures a hit. With acts like Simply Red with special guest Ryan Sheridan tonight, RTE Concert Orchestra performing the music of Thin Lizzy and Fleet Foxes with special guest Uwade in the coming days there is something for every music lover.
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
