Belfast singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Owen Denvir has released his new single ‘Best Of Me’. With 400,000 streams on Spotify, Denvir has featured on BBC NI’s “The Nolan Show”, Dublin TV3’s “6 O’Clock Show” and previously supported Dodie, Ryan McMullan and JC Stewart in concert. His split-screen covers and mashups have amassed almost 800,000 views on Youtube, while also garnering attention from Coldplay.
Overflowing with heartfelt emotion and exquisite songwriting, ‘Best Of Me’ is a passionate new single from Denvir. The artist takes a minimalist approach to his new single by using just piano accompaniment to express heartbreaking emotion while passionate vocals express his regrets and fears after a breakup. ‘Best Of Me’ is moving and beautifully presented and is a fine display of the natural talent of this singer-songwriter. He doesn’t need large-scale production and fluff. His pure vocals fill the song with a tsunami of emotion while the simple piano accompaniment adds elegance and tenderness. ‘Best Of Me’ is a wonderful listen.
Singer-songwriter Pauric O’ Meara has released his new single,’ Come Home’. Pauric O’ Meara is an independent Alternative/indie singer-songwriter from Co. Tipperary, based in Dublin. He has become known for his raw luring vocal. Over the last few years, with his biggest coming in 2022, O’ Meara has seen his headline shows sell out all over Ireland, including venues such as The Workmans Club, The Grand Social, Monroes, Dolans and Cyprus Avenue, as well as supporting major acts such as Hermitage Green and Hudson Taylor, and stand out performances at festivals such as Electric Picnic, Sounds of Summer and Kaleidoscope.
‘Come Home’ is a passionate and emotive indie banger that boasts O’Meara’s magnetic and compelling musicianship. The song exudes a sweat earworm melody while swagger-drenched guitars, punchy drums and elastic bass create a foot-tapping foundation. Within the soundscape, warm brass elements and twinkling keys provide an ethereal breath of fresh air that adds an undertone of hope throughout the track. O’Meara is developing his sound beautifully and ‘Come Home’ is a fine example of this. The song is an irresistible musical delight.
About the track O’ Meara said : ”This song came from a place of vulnerability and desperation. A long time friendship ending for reasons beyond my control or capability. Living with addiction is difficult for all involved. We often see the negative impact that it has on people as they invest all their time and effort into helping, but unless the person in question wants to help themselves, the rest becomes obsolete. The love I had and still have for my friend will always be the same, and after years of trying to help, all thats left to do now is hope that they will find solace and ‘Come Home’, come back to the people who love them and live the life they deserve to live”
Eastbound Dublin makes its highly anticipated return in 2023. The festival will host a range of diverse performances spread across various venues in the city in late February 2023. In its fourth year, Eastbound Dublin still is about capturing the spirit of new and breaking artists and capturing the imagination of a devoted, music-hungry city like Dublin, and bringing it all together to create meaningful beginnings.
I caught up with indie pop artist Jack Cullen who is performing on February 26th in The Grand Social along with Really Good Time, Ruti and YINYANG. We discussed his latest album ‘Dark Days and Nightmares’, how he creates his glorious sound and what he has planned for his performance at Eastbound Dublin.
“Yeah. I can’t wait. It’s my first time playing in The Grand Social. It’s been a long time since I’ve played in Dublin. It’s one of my favourite cities in the world and I absolutely can’t wait.”
Cullen’s recent collaboration with rappers Snow and Rxseboy, ‘Spilled My Coffee’ ( a remix of Cullen’s ‘It Doesn’t Matter’ ) became one of the “most viral lo-fi rap tracks” of the year. It was added to over 30 channels on YouTube and used by 20 million creators on TikTok. It’s an irresistible remix that showcases another facet to his sound while elevating the soothing earworm of the original.
“Yeah, it’s really cool. It’s funny how that all came about. I wrote a song called ‘It Doesn’t Matter’ down in Cornwall and we sent it to some guys over in America and they came back with ‘Spilled My Coffee’. Yeah, it was really nice to begin releasing music, that way, kind of the wrong way around, as it were, you know, we released the remix first and it was cool to collaborate with people in America. It was nice to kickstart stuff and hopefully, it made sense when I released ‘It Doesn’t Matter’ my track alongside my album, because it was obvious then it was the remix of my own song.”
Cullen creates lush indie pop tunes that are just glorious on the ears. Each song oozes subtle instrumentation, delicate indie pop embellishments and soothing tones that are simply a delight to the ears. Cullen has a talent for expressing a range of emotions and feelings within his tracks. We discussed how he achieves this.
“I think I just tried to be as honest as possible. I like to be honest with what I want to say. Sonically working with The Roots over in America, and having Questlove on drums it really helped open my ears and eyes to that kind of sound and I think it definitely helps sculpt the sound of the album. “
“ I’m a positive person. I like to try and look at the brighter side of things and try and be as positive in any situation as possible. So in light of darker times where I was when I was writing the album, I definitely tried to look at it from as much light as possible and like you say, try and be as big a ray of sunshine as possible. That being said, I think it’s naive to think that’s all that life is and it’s important to say the harder things sometimes, I think they’re very important. But I guess I’ve tried to then bring that into a happier light.”
Cullen released an album last year called ‘Dark Days and Nightmares’ and it’s an absolutely beautiful listen. The songs flow effortlessly into one another while maintaining their own unique identity. I wondered if there was a concept behind the album.
“It was from years of writing. It’s about three years of writing. It really took a long time to release any music. I think moving forward the concept behind my releases will make more sense.”
The song Hurricane is the perfect example of Cullen’s ability to wrap earnest tender lyrics in sweet soothing musicianship. Cullen explained how he crafted the track.
“Hurricane is a really good example actually of a dark place that I was in, you know the lyrics “wish we could just fly away to another place, but I’m stuck in a hurricane”. I think, my mind was in a complete pickle, and I felt like I was just in this hurricane in my mind and I couldn’t get away and it is a perfect example of the blend of darkness and sadness [in] the song. But the way we created it was actually like this celebration almost of that. I think in those times, I look to the people that I love and that love me, friends and family and they get you through those times. That’s really what that was about. It was a celebration of those people and the love left”
Cullen has a smooth and easy-flowing tone to his voice however, he told me singing wasn’t something he really thought about before he started.
“No, I don’t think so. I was, in another life playing rugby in Ireland. That’s where my Irish roots comes from and that’s all I wanted to do. I never thought that I would be a singer. I never necessarily did it much in school or it came quite late to me when I had lots of surgeries playing rugby and I was then beginning to write a lot of music and therefore singing a lot. So I think it came quite late that I realized I can sing”
We discussed what fans can look forward to from Cullen’s show at Eastbound.
“ What I always like to do, especially at these shows is strip back the songs. It’s nice to play them in their rawness. I think the emotion comes out a lot more and it allows me to even reflect on the lyrics a lot more because there’s not as much noise and production around the songs. I think it’s going to be a nice way to really connect with people who come and I really can’t wait to do that.”
Jack Cullen is an outstanding singer-songwriter. The melodies within his songs elegantly interplay with soft indie pop soundscapes and mellow guitar embellishments to create musical gems of delight. Cullen’s performance at Eastbound is not to be missed.
Gabrielle Aplin is set to release her new album ‘Phosphorescent’ on January 6th via Never Fade Records. Recently previewed by the new single ‘Call Me’, her fourth studio album to date marks a fresh back-to-basics approach as she continues a career which has already seen her amass over a billion streams. I caught up with the singer-songwriter to discuss creating the album, her upcoming tour and what inspired the title.
“I wrote most of the songs on my own in lockdown, but I really didn’t want it to be a lockdown album. But there was this kind of isolated natural feeling, I guess around the time I was writing everything. I watched The Blue Planet episode with the salt brines. I may have told you this before when we spoke last, but they went down into the Mariana Trench and I just could not believe how deep and dark it was and they were talking about how they previously didn’t think that there was life down there. Then they found all these phosphorescent creatures and there was life down there and not just phosphorescent creatures, but I was drawn to the ones that glowed and it really reminded me at the time what was going on and that there’s human resilience and so much light in the darkness. It made me think about how I wanted the songs to sound as well because they were so isolated and reflective in the composition. So when I went to record them I wanted it to be very human, for there to be very physical space which felt like a coming together to counteract the loneliness of the writing and how reflective it was. Then as well I felt very connected with nature during the time as well. I made it [ the album] on my friend’s farm, but I’d also at the time moved to Somerset. So I wanted there to be a natural element to everything. The recording studio has renewable energy, and I thought that was really cool. I thought, so if the songs are made from that, what if the artwork and the photos are made from kind of a renewable source as well? So we printed like cyanotypes in the sun, and everything was connected to a natural source in some way. It just felt amazing because I could really engulf myself in a project that had themes and its own kind of morals and these pillars for us to kind of go through that everything had these threads.”
There is a very chilled vibe about the album but Aplin expertly and carefully allows the music behind each song to blossom gently at its own pace, making for a truly magical listening experience. The opening track ‘Skylight’ is a beautiful example of this as the ethereal music highlights Aplin’s soulful vocals and compelling range. I wondered if she found it difficult to decide what track would begin the journey into ‘Phosphorescent’.
“Yeah, in some ways. I kind of get them all on a playlist and muddle them around, but actually what I really thought and loved about ‘Skylight’ being the opening was that I wanted it to feel like the morning and I want it to feel like waking up on a sunny hazy morning and then ‘Don’t Say’, the last track, I wanted it to feel like the night-time, you know, and like a celebration. So the start and the end were easy. It was the in-between bits and the journey that they go on that I probably found the most difficult.”
Aplin writes very catchy, relatable songs and this album seems to have these elements at its heart. Songs such as ‘I Wish I Didn’t Press Send’ are extremely relatable and it is gloriously presented with light instrumentation and a soulful tone.
“I wrote it with my friend Nick. It was, middle of the third kind of big lockdown that we all had and it was the winter one so it was so bleak and I was thinking about all the times that I had or hadn’t done something, taken an opportunity. It was just a kind of very reflective time and I had this idea about all the things I wish I didn’t say and wish I could take back but obviously in the age of a pandemic it was, you know, everything was virtual. It was like, we were texting. That was literally what I was doing, I didn’t do any zoom quizzes. It was just about kind of missing opportunities and regretting that and then we made it into the story about drunk texting.”
Previously Aplin said the album is not a lockdown album, but it is the product of the solitude and strangeness that she experienced throughout that time. We discussed if she thought her sound would have evolved into the musical treasure that is ‘Phosphorescent’, had she not experienced that time during lockdown or experienced that solitude.
“I don’t think it would have. I think as well it was unlike my other albums. I wasn’t told oh you’re due an album lets go make one, and I was like, okay. I was just writing for fun again, which was really.. it was like, I was so bored. I’d made every banana bread I could possibly make. I’d cleaned every part of the house. I’d been making sure I’m keeping well and everyone around me are well. Made sure I fed and walk the dogs at that point. I was like, What do I do now? What did we do? We just kind of have to wait and at that point, I was like, I suppose I’ll write some songs. It was writing just because it was something I do not because I had to or because I had a job to do and it meant that the songs were just so natural and so real.”
I also wondered if this organic songwriting is something she would like to hold on to for future releases.
” Absolutely. I think what’s amazing is, for me now anyway, my previous album was written all over the place. I wrote with different producers in different countries and we just pieced the songs together and made them a thing. But with this album, I wrote them all in the exact same two square meters. I wrote them just on a piano or on a guitar. So I was able to just play my songs. I could perform my whole album before I even recorded it because it was singer-songwriter in the truest sense. Maybe with my previous album even though I wrote the lyrics and I wrote the songs I was working with producers. So I’d write a song and then have to go and teach myself how to go and play it on my own and that was you know, a fun thing to do. But it didn’t feel natural to me in a way that this feels really natural that I write songs and I’ve already got it regardless of the recording, it is me and an instrument. I feel like it reminded me that that’s a really strong thread in who I am as an artist.”
‘Phosphorescent’ is an album to be listened to as a whole piece of work. Each song has its own identity and is a journey, yet flows beautifully into the next with ease. It’s a lush and ethereal album filled with cinematic vibes, passion and wonderful highs and emotionally tender moments.
Aplin explained to me how important it was for her to create an album where each song tells a part of a story that the listener can immerse themselves in.
“I agree I think like obviously depends on the artist but for me personally, I hope we never loose albums because I love to get lost in a project. I spent a year and a half on this album, from starting it to finishing it and then even working on the artwork up until very recently. I like to engulf myself in the project. I do feel there’s a lot of pressure with artists maybe having to put a song out every month, just do more and more for less and less. I just hope I don’t ever have to do that because I don’t think I’d be very good at it because I will go through patches where I write loads and loads and loads and loads and then I won’t write anything for a really long time and I’ll just collect ideas for the next batch, you know. I really love albums and I’m really glad that you picked up on it as like a piece where everything flows because I really wanted to make it do that and wanted it to be listened to as a whole. As much as I really loved the individual songs it was important to me that the whole thing was a piece and a journey from start to finish”
Aplin has some shows early next year to promote the album. With many selling out fast we discussed her excitement to tour.
“I felt like Beyonce when they text me .They were like Kingston sold out already and it literally had gone on sale about 10 seconds ago and I was like that must be a glitch. I was like surely, did they put up on sale beforehand? Like it actually happened. Then we did another one it sold out and then another one. It’s great. That was amazing and I’m excited to play the songs. You know, songs and people who want to listen to them they’re my two favourite things.”
Gabrielle Aplin is a master of her craft. Her powerful vocal delivery and ability to create thrilling, emotive arrangements is a joy to experience and ‘Phosphorescent’ is a fine example of this. The album is a wholesome and refined body of work that showcases Aplin’s immeasurable songwriting talent and is a must-listen.
‘Phosphorescent’ is set for release on January 6th. Until then stream her recent single ‘Call Me’ below
Irish singer-songwriter Moncrieff has released his heartfelt new single ‘Perfect’. Moncrieff has already performed with Adele and impressed greats like Elton John and Avicii with his songwriting, yet he is only getting started. His single ‘Warm’ released earlier this year was an instant hit at Irish and German radio and was performed live with The RTÉ Concert Orchestra & Dublin Gospel Choir on The Tommy Tiernan Show. A self-produced six-track EP also titled ‘Warm’ followed in September, which served as an introduction to Moncrieff’s poignant, vulnerable and deeply personal songwriting and clocked in 6 million streams in just two weeks.
‘Perfect’ floods with intense emotional lyrics as Moncrieff displays his striking ability to create moving and memorable songs. The passion in his soulful vocal delivery is goosebump-inducing and is enhanced by the track’s cinematic soundscape. Accompanied by warm piano and soft strings the song glows with uplifting tones between melancholic melodies. It’s a wholesome, honest and captivating tune that beckons repeat plays.
Speaking about the single, Moncrieff says: “Perfect is a very personal song for me about all those small moments in a relationship that make you realise that something isn’t as perfect as it once felt. It can be so hard to admit that something just isn’t right in a relationship and, despite your loyalty and care towards each other, sometimes good things come to an end.”
Berlin-based Irish singer-songwriter Danny O Connor is set to release his new album, ‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ on September 30th. Like most musicians around the globe, Berlin-based Irish singer-songwriter Danny O Connor found himself at home with no live gigs to play in the foreseeable future with Murphy’s Law, his beloved and normally busy Irish Folk Band, in March 2020. Between making a living as a Graphic Designer and keeping then three-year-old daughter Roxy entertained, he took to the guitar and a notebook. O Connor used the involuntary break from live music during the Covid-pandemic well: Together with long-term friend, producer and musical collaborator Moe Jaksch, he spent many studio sessions writing, arranging and recording new songs, resulting in the album WISDOM & GRAFT
Awash with wholesome melodies, country twangs and a plethora of energetic instrumentation ‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ is an impressive and compelling collection of tracks. ‘New Life’, ‘Closed Doors’ and ‘Empty’ all surge with hearty anthemic musicianship that captures a sense of adrenaline while O Connor showcases his diversity by blending indie elements, folk tones and wonderful melodic progressions together to create unique soundscapes throughout.
Within ‘‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ each song flows into the next with ease, subtly revealing different aspects of O’Connor’s musicianship making for a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. This is best shown within swooning slow burners ‘Rain Maker’, ‘The Winner’ and ‘The Lullaby’ which drift along sweet infectious melodies while ‘Northern Lights’, which features Berlin-based gospel/soul legends Ingrid Arthur and Tracey Duncan on backing vocals melds indie rock swagger with elements of gospel power.
Brimming with radiance, traditional tones and musical refinement, ‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ is a wonderful new album from O Connor and marks him as an artist to keep an eye on.
Pauric O’ Meara has released his new single ‘Lately’. Pauric O’ Meara is an independent Pop/Rock singer-songwriter from Co. Tipperary, based in Dublin. Over the last few years, O’ Meara has seen his headline shows sell out all over Ireland, including venues such as The Workmans Club, The Grand Social, Monroes, Dolans and Cyprus Avenue, as well as supporting major acts such as Hermitage Green and Hudson Taylor, and stand out performances at festivals such as Electric Picnic, Sounds of Summer and Kaleidoscope.
‘Lately’ is a shimmering indie pop tune that boasts Pauric O’ Meara’s catchy and vibrant musicianship. Driven by a bubbling beat, bright funky guitars, and luscious synth embellishments, the track has an expressive soundscape that simmers for the verses before becoming more energetic for the chorus. With soft tropical elements wisping about the radiant instrumentation O’Meara creates an upbeat gem that oozes a sense of euphoria while honest lyrics deal with themes of relationships, friendships and the importance of the time spent and how we spend it. O’ Meara’s music is a joy to listen to and ‘Lately’ is a fine display of how diverse and exciting this artist is.
Damian McGinty has released his new single ‘Like Moments Do’ alongside announcing his upcoming album “Moments” which is out on the 25th November. I spoke to the singer-songwriter about what inspired the song, how this new album is a new creative facet to his songwriting and a new cycle to his sound and the prospect of an Irish show.
“This is the start of a new cycle for me and a cycle I’m really excited about. It’s been such a fun creative experience writing this album and the theme and the feelings behind it are very important to me. I stand strongly behind what the album represents and what the new single represents. I’m genuinely proud of it. Yes, this is what my music looks like right now. It’s common knowledge that as an artist, the hardest thing to do is, find your sound and hone in on that. ‘Moments Do’ is just a perfect representation of where I am as an artist and I just think it’s an uplifting song that I’m excited for people to hear and enjoy in their own time.”
“Honestly, it wasn’t even something that I was searching for. It’s a period of time that I went through where last autumn myself and my wife moved from California to Nashville. We bought our first home, moved across the country and what I didn’t expect, was just shortly after the very harsh covid period, in the industry and it had fully reopened I was just so slammed with work, and with the personal life and moving across the country and setting up a home. So it was the first time ever in my life that I was waking up every day and just felt like I was suffocating. It just felt like I couldn’t catch a breath. Like I was on a hamster wheel and I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t get off. No matter what I did. It just wasn’t working and my brain was going 1 million miles an hour every day and it felt very overwhelming for a fairly long period of time. Then I just started having some conversations about how to fix it like how to slow things down a little, how to be more present and that’s just where ‘Moments Do’ was born. It’s about appreciating small moments. It’s about appreciating moments that don’t get the notoriety or the recognition. You know life isn’t always about bright lights and limousines in the magazines and the billboards and as the song says, it can be something as simple as having a coffee in the morning or having a conversation with your family or just the really simple stuff that doesn’t get recognition. It was about being present and appreciating those moments. That’s just where the single was born. That’s where the whole album grew from.”
‘Like Moments Do’ is a bright upbeat song filled with warm guitar and light piano twinkles between a powerful uplifting soundscape. There is something soothing about the song that creates a wholesome atmosphere throughout.
“Yeah, you’re spot on. I think we started out the session and I was very clear that I wanted something upbeat. But I wanted, it not just upbeat. I wanted it to be hopeful. I think hopeful is the keyword. So you know whenever you go into a writing session, you sometimes throw things on a page or you’ve been messing around with a few chords on the guitar and the piano, whatever it might look like, but just hoping that you can find something and for this particular song, I really knew what I wanted. I’ve been writing all week at this point in Nashville and it was the last session of the week and I just want to write something hopeful. I want to write something that feels like it’s gonna inspire people. I want people to feel simultaneously like they’re getting a hug but also like they’re being told that your life is as normal as my life and that’s great. You don’t need big lights. You don’t need your name on billboards, on magazines. You don’t need all that to live a fantastic life, social media truly is a highlight reel and that’s all we see and therefore that’s a problem of our generation. You compare yourself to what you see on your phone. But yet the moments of the song talks about the in between moments that I think actually have the most beauty. When you are present in those moments, you learn to appreciate them a little more. So it’s definitely like a tip of the hat to all of that.”
The single comes alongside the announcement of McGinty’s upcoming album “Moments” which is out on the 25th November and the singer explained to me the concept behind this album.
“This is the first single and it is the concept of the album. So the whole album dives into these moments that I’m talking about, these moments of the in-between. Different moments in our lives where we feel happiness, where we feel sadness, where we feel contentment, where we’ve been challenged. It’s an album that goes on a journey of all of that and what I like to call you know the journey of the in-between because it really is about normal life and because I just felt there wasn’t a lot of representation for that and I think that a lot of people will hopefully relate. So the album really goes on a journey of all of that and ‘Moments Do’ is the lead single. It’s the perfect song I think to represent the first track and to give the flavour of the album. Then the album takes you on a journey through the in-between.”
In 2021 McGinty released a pandemic project, where he released a new single every month. This album takes a different approach. We discussed how differently he approached this album.
“Initially whenever you’re starting out a project or a record and you’ve got a blank canvas sometimes the only way to start filling that canvas is to just naturally start writing and start creating and see what comes out. That was the really fun thing about this project. I did start writing and start essentially, like painting on the canvas for the lack of another analogy, I started painting on the canvas, and the album and the idea started presenting itself very early on. So I was able to hone in on what boxes I wanted ticked on the album because the album is all about being present and recognizing little moments that never get the recognition because life so fast-paced. Because the album is about that I was reminded on a daily basis to be present. I was reminded on a daily basis to slow down. So it happened to be the record cycle that I’ve enjoyed the most just because I was so present and just because it didn’t feel overwhelming. The entire process has not felt overwhelming. It’s felt well timed, well-paced, so much so that the last song on the album is a song I was able to write whenever the other 10 tracks were already finished. I was like, I want to write a song that really wraps up this theme and I was able to do that which is not like any other writing experience I’ve ever had. So that felt really nice as well.”
To celebrate the release of his new album, Damian McGinty will be hitting the road this autumn for his ‘Live in the Moment’ tour across the US, with dates in eastern Canada as well. With a lot of artists approaching touring differently since the pandemic, I wondered if McGinty was going to take touring at a slower pace and if a show in Ireland would be a possibility.
“Yeah, I’m really excited to get on the road. I’m really excited to perform this music. Obviously, I’ve never performed it live yet. It’s gonna be great. Live music looks a lot different now. It just feels different in a very weird way and I think almost in a healthy way live music for the artist doesn’t feel like it’s 100% necessary anymore. I’m trying to explain that because I’ve seen a lot of artists being like I don’t want to tour right now. It’s not good for my health. It’s not good. So I think we’re entering a really healthy period for music, where people are not letting it define them. Which is really important because touring, sometimes can feel like the be-all and end all and how many shows you do in a year, defines how successful your year is. Whereas now, people are just learning a little more to look after themselves and the music and the performance will then benefit from that. So it’s almost like a partnership. It’s like if you take care of your health, and if you’re in a good place, then the performances don’t feel like a chore. They just feel like something that you enjoy, and that you happen to do and you’re lucky enough to do. So that’s where I’m at. I’ve been just trying to be present, be steady look after myself and then I just feel very fortunate that I get going and do six weeks of live shows in the autumn. That just feels really exciting to me to get to see people on a face to face basis. So I’m really excited.”
“It’s something that I’m very interested in [ a show in Ireland]. I’m heavily considering so I’ve had a couple of conversations about it. At the moment, it’s most certainly a watch this space thing so yeah, that’s definitely something I’m gonna keep my eye on.”
Filled with wonderfully expressive instrumentation, sweeping melodies and warm lyrical content ‘Like Moments Do’ is a compelling glimpse into the joyous musicianship of Damian McGinty. This song is a fantastic appetizer for his upcoming album.
Rowlette has released her third release of 2022, ‘Perfect’.The song explores the relationship with one’s body and our tendency to chastise it, despite all the amazing things it enables us to do. The song was produced by Dave Skelton and mastered by Aidan Foley. Rowlette, currently based in London, has been busy since the world of live music has returned. She recently hosted a packed-out headliner in the British capital with fellow musician Faraway Martin. As well, she’s back in Dublin frequently, performing at venues such as Workman’s and The Soundhouse. As a solo performer with an acoustic guitar, Rowlette is recognised for her powerful vocals, inspirational lyrics and captivating performances. Hailing from Co. Mayo, she has a distinctive writing style, known for her storytelling ability. Rowlette’s tracks have received radio play across Irish radio stations and abroad and were added to several Spotify editorial playlists.
‘Perfect’ is a tender ballad that displays Rowlette’s eloquent songwriting over delicate yet cinematic soundscapes. With swooning strings and warm bass sweeping over folk-esque acoustic guitar and elegant piano, Rowlette creates a well-crafted backdrop for her soothing vocal delivery. Her voice caresses the soothing melody with a sense of comfort and uplifting earnestness as the song ventures into its cinematic crescendo with a grace and elegance that is to be admired. Filled with warm tones and ethereal orchestral elements ‘Perfect’ is an emotive gem from Rowlette.
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.
Stream ‘Warm’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
