Nicha has released her new single ‘Devices’.Nicha is a 22 year old singer/songwriter from Holywood, Northern Ireland. Having grown up listening to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley her music and writing is heavily influenced by these legends but more recently inspiration stems from hip hop, pop and electronic influences drawing on artists such as Loyle Carner, Jack Johnson, Tash Sultana, Moloko and Bonobo.
‘Devices’ is a vibrant bop, laced in the charming and mellow musicianship of Nicha. The track is sonically laid-back and easy going as Nicha douses a smooth melody over tropical beats and ethereal wisps on electronics with reggae elements and glimpses of R&B flickering throughout. Her warm rasped and soulful vocals melt elegantly upon the tracks bubbling backdrop with a sweet lulling tone as the song drifts between the balmy chorus and dazed verses. There are psychedelic hues rebounding off the warm guitar melodies and fluctuant rhythmic foundation while Nicha lilts through the chorus with a catchy vocal refrain.
The song reflects the feeling and freedom of detaching ourselves from the chaos of social media. Nicha expresses this perfectly through this breezy, pacifying sun kissed gem. A fine debut, ‘Devices’ escapes the tethers of genre as Nicha blends pop, folk, reggae, indie and electronic to create a satisfying and musically rich track.
AER Music, Fluttertone and dootdoot Records have come together to create live streams on the Zoom platform and last night was another outstanding evening of music as they hosted Belfast singer songwriter Brian Houston.
Deciding to play his new unreleased album Brian Houston provided a night of relaxed country rock. His warm, rasped vocals reverb with a velvety soothing quality. He could sing anything and it would comfort and soothe your soul.This glimpse into the new album was a real treat and showcased just how good a singer songwriter Houston is. The lamenting guitar accompaniment in ‘I Let Her Go’, ‘Good News Junkie’ and ‘The Angel On The Corner’ is emotive and powerful yet delicate and tender all at once.
Houston puts on a full and consuming show. His anecdotes and stories between tracks about opening for Elvis Costello, how he wrote his songs and even a rendition on Mandolin of Happy Birthday for one of his friends was a joy to listen to. They provided some light hearted relief from the emotional heavy hitting tracks. Houston has a wonderful ability to break your heart and stir emotion within the listener and the striped back acoustic version of his songs last night cut deep with passion and thrived within the live acoustic setting. Oozing spellbinding and spine-tingling charm Houston sings about religion, love and the people he has met through the years. His witty lyrics and calming tone lulled us into a world of folk/country rock.
For me the bright and charming ‘She Got That From Me’ was a highlight in the set along with Houston’s sweet falsetto in the delicate ballad ‘If’. However it is ‘Spanish’ which is the pinnacle moment of the show. Houston’s harmonica slices through a haze of melancholia while the lyrics depict the lives and sorrow of the people who lived in residential schools in towns such as Spanish, Ontario, Canada. It’s a beautiful, touching and melodically magnificent number which stirs hopelessness, fear and sorrowful remorse in the hearts of anyone who hears this song. The wonderful advantage of these Virtual shows is the audience’s silence. The silence allows songs like ‘Spanish’ to really hit home as you can hear every emotive word with such piercing clarity.
A Q&A follows the show with Houston answering questions about how he writes his songs, what he is doing in lockdown and what a ghillie weeper bird is ( ‘a wee bird that at the end of its life cycle goes round and round in ever decreasing circles until it disappears up its own backside’ ).
Brian Houston performed an outstanding set last night. His clear, deep vocals provide moments of sweet tenderness alongside subtle gravel-hued coos and sweet highs which evoke raw passion and emotion. There is no fuss or extravagance with Houston’s set – its honest, pure good tunes. Last night featured another knockout performance on Virtual. I have to hand it to AER Music, Fluttertone and dootdoot Records, these guys are highlighting some serious talent every week.
BECAH has released her new single ‘Forget’. BECAH is a 25 year old singer/songwriter from Lurgan, Northern Ireland.Having cultivated her art playing the local scene for the last number of years, BECAH is proving herself to be quite the emerging artist of note. Within that time she has secured support slots for renowned acts including that of Aslan, The Four of Us, and Brian Kennedy, and most recently played on the same bill as Brian Houston, Sam Wickens and Amy Montgomery. To date BECAH has recorded an EP ‘At Ease’ (2018) with the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast, along with two singles ‘Butterflies’ (2018), and ‘Yours’ (2019), both recorded by producer Matthew Greene in Greene Noise Audio, Lurgan. Her music releases have led to an array of significant competitive successes behind her – a finalist in both the Panarts Young Songwriter of the Year and the AER Solo Artist Award, as well as finishing 3rd place in the Dawson’s Singer/Songwriter Competition. Her upcoming single release ‘Forget’ was recorded with producer Michael Mormecha.
Stunningly moving and powerful BECAH takes a simple approach with ‘Forget’. With innocent twinkling on piano wandering through a pulsing beat backdrop the track presents an intimate and passionate account of a messy break-up. The song unfolds delicately adding lush backing harmonies and warm glimmers on guitar as it fleshes out its ethereal soundscapes. BECAH has a diverse and talented voice as she drifts into R&B elements at times while her warm rasp and velvety manner captures a pure sense of sorrow. There is a sweet innocence and heartbreaking undertone throughout the song. BECAH has an ability to capture emotions in a time loop allowing the listener to ruminate on her lyrics providing a slow motion impact of bitter/sweet pain. ‘Forget’ is an emotive and heart breaking track that displays BECAH’s rich, vulnerable and compelling musicianship.
About the track BECAH said : “Using my lyrics almost in a diary-like fashion as ever, Forget tells the story of a messy break-up. It reflects on how one person in the relationship can be left still loving the other, whilst having to accept it’s bitter end and making that difficult return back to the strangers you once were. Like all my songs, it speaks of very personal things, and it’s my hope in that brutal honesty with Forget that the listeners find they can relate and recognise they are not alone in these complicated matters we can find ourselves stuck in.”
Lav has released her new single ‘The Girls Before Me’. The track follows bedroom anthem ‘Wavvy’ and Billie Eilish co-signed lo fi garage-band cut ‘From Me The Moon’.The song is accompanied by a low-fi, 90’s VHS style video by Marielle Boland which captures an avant-garde picnic scene packed full of toys and scandal.
‘The Girls Before Me’ luxuriates in the hazy space between dream and reality as Lav delicately sprawls her soft vocals over a sweet melancholic melody and wispy soundscape. The entire song absorbs you in an endless and vast world of sombre longing as ethereal guitar twinkles through a lo fi soundscape while a pulsing beat grounds the track. The supple percussive taps and twinkles submerge the track in an almost magical innocence yet at the same time lament with a sorrowful undertone. Lav has created an enjoyable track filled with raw and honest vulnerability. ‘The Girls Before Me’ is a fantastic listen.
On the theme of the track Lav notes the song “was written out of a deep insecurity of constantly comparing myself to past loves. Always wondering if when they look at you, they’re recalling just staring into a paper mache they’ve built up of a before lover. Most of the time it’s all in our heads, and in this case it definitely was, however that didn’t make it any less real or painful to feel.”
Lav commented also on the video for the track saying “I love working with Marielle because she really helps my campy visions come to life. The video is a lot less emotional than the mood I got into while writing, and I think that makes the whole image more palatable, but also I loved to dress up and have a picnic with a bear and some snails.”
Based just outside of Edinburgh Scotland, Grant Kilpatrick is a songwriter with an edge. With introspective lyrics draped over a backdrop of raw angular guitar music, Kilpatrick displays his wide range of influences through his tunes.
Grant Kilpatrick’s edgy indie rock and smooth vocals makes for an engaging and thrilling listening experience and I’m sure his live stream is going to be entertaining for all.
Stream Grant Kilpatrick’s new single ‘Out My Mind’ below
Presse bilder til det nye Dagny albumet / januar 2020
Norwegian cult pop icon Dagny has just released the acoustic video for her brand new single ‘Somebody’ – the second track to be lifted from her debut album. Dagny’s long-awaited debut is split into two parts, with the first 6 tracks ‘Side A’ available for streaming now and the full album (Side B) to arrive later this year.
Dagny takes the vibrant dance floor ‘Somebody’ and strips it back to a sweet piano adorned gem for her new acoustic video. The soft piano lightly twinkles in the backdrop allowing Dagny’s beautifully expressive and warm vocals highlight the sweet and infectious melody. This version focuses on the rich quality of Dagny’s melodies and lyrical content as she unfolds the track to its bare organic beginnings. This simple and graceful arrangement showcases Dagny’s ability as a musician – it is a joy to watch this artist grow, can’t wait for Side B of her debut album.
A song written with a goal of conveying the ultimate “in-love” experience, Dagny said about the track: “It’s the all-consuming and exciting feeling when everything is still new. I’ve been lucky to experience it. I find that when I’m in love I feel everything ten times more than usual. With ‘Somebody’ for me it’s not just the lyrics but the whole vibe of the song that represents that: when I listen to it I get a lot of positive energy and I just wanna throw myself into something new and exciting.”
Virtual is a series of intimate evenings with exclusive live performances from the best emerging and established artists initiated by AER Music, Fluttertone and dootdoot Records
Last night’s show was a special treat featuring the mesmerising Rachel Grace ( nicknamed by one fan as “The Beanie Queen”). Grace is a diverse and engaging performer as she blends genres to suit her wonderful emotive style. Guitars adorn the wall behind her as she sits with a yellow beanie on her head ready to blow us away with her immaculate performance. The beanie becomes a hot topic of discussion – one viewer comments “the beanie is the only way to contain her talent from getting too much for us to handle“. From the upbeat pop gem ‘To Love Somebody Else’ to the warm cosy ‘Home’ and sassy, powerful upcoming single ‘Cry Me an Ocean’ she cruises through her set with a cheerful stride and soulful flair.
Her sterling voice and empathic songwriting are far beyond her years ( she has just turned 18 ). Whether she is singing about the pain of heartbreak, sweet love or a wistful lullaby, Grace beautifully translates those feelings into intimate moments of soulful tones and tender dreamy melodies. Time stops when Grace sings as the viewers are swept up in her luxuriant tones swaying and singing along. The comments section fills with compliments for the young starlet almost instantly as she shyly thanks the viewers and chats between tracks.
Grace could make the most brawny man weep like a baby with just one simple vocal coo but its the power and emotion within her songwriting in tracks such as ‘Love Will Come’ that will summon ocean-sized water wells in your eyes. There are R&B elements glimmering through the soulful and jazzy- like tunes even within the more attitude soaked ‘Quite Like You’ and bluesy country ‘Nice Knowin’ Ya’ as Grace’s delivery holds a professional entrancing poise. The simple setting of Virtual allows the viewers to truly appreciate the breathtaking ability of this singer songwriter
Rachel Grace put on a sensational passionate performance. Her impressive evocative voice is a joy to listen to and the perfect accompaniment to her emotive songwriting. I can’t wait to see more of this artist.
Songwriter April and the Drift releases her satirical new single ‘Garbage Rules’. Based in Australia, Copenhhagen’s April and the Drift is a singer-songwriter whose debut album ‘Shorelines’ came out in 2019 to much acclaim, with her most recent single ‘In a Prayer’ amassing over 29,000 streams on Spotify.
With wispy haunting tones drifting through a misty lo fi pop background and a creepy fairground soundscape, ‘Garbage Rules’ showcases April and the Drift’s eerie ambient musicianship. Whispered vocals coo over the floaty mysterious melody while ska rhythms and jaunty guitar add buoyancy. The songs rhythmic backbone bounces with reggae-like beats providing a cheery underbelly to the songs chilling exterior. Beautifully haunting breathy vocals add an ominous contrast while the lyrics question the priorities of modern society.
Written in a day ‘Garbage Rules’ is a thoughtful and satirical reflection of consumer culture which April and the Drift could see having a negative impact on their surroundings and environment. The way the haunting elements pivot around the cheery beats is masterful. ‘Garbage Rules’ is a lulling and eerie new single from April and the Drift.
Martha Hill has released her new single ‘Grilled Cheese’. The track is the first single off her upcoming EP ‘Summer Up North’. After being tipped as one of BBC Introducing’s “ones to watch”, followed by a feature on Jools Holland, Martha Hill is one of the most exciting upcoming artists of 2020. Funded by the coveted PRS’s Women Make Music Fund, and also a Rebalance finalist, Hill released her debut EP “Be Still” in October 2019 which received support from BBC 6music, BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio and Spotify Playlists (amongst others).
Thriving on a deep rhythmic beat, ‘Grilled Cheese’ presents Martha Hill’s engaging and edgy musicianship through a blend of soft pop and biting indie. The light verses are presented with hypnotic guitar strums between bouncy drum beats while Hill’s soft rasped vocals caress the melody. The track becomes dynamic as it builds to its harsher chorus. Crashing guitars slice with angst while a rampant bass groove and intensifying drums create the tracks raw backdrone. The song is surrounded with melodic hooks and vibrant soundscapes to create an effervescent expressive number which lyrically dissects the tumblings of a relationship. Hill crafts her music superbly and this invigorating tune is a glimpse at the potential of this talented artist.
AER Music, Fluttertone and dootdoot Records have come together to create an opportunity on the Zoom platform for artists to perform. They have called it Virtual and this week’s event hosted the amazing talents of Lucy Robinson.
I sit with many others (who are in their kitchen and various rooms in their houses) ready to watch Lucy Robinson live on Virtual. The last gig she will do as Lucy Robinson as she has changed her moniker to Nicha. It’s becoming a regular gathering on a Wednesday night and livestreams becoming the “norm” as members of the audience watch while doing the dishes, preparing their dinner, chilling on the beach or just sitting down relaxing.
Lucy Robinson is an outstanding performer. Her warm rich and rasped tone has a deeper more resounding depth than most of her singer songwriter counterparts and her songs are fun nuggets of delight. Sitting in her room adorned with green foliage, a lava lamp and soft tropical colour scheme the setting is perfect for a sunny summer’s evening. Lucy takes time to say hello to the viewers and banter with them showing her fun humour and charming bubbly persona.
Lucy didn’t disappoint. She served up a live performance interspersing raw musical talent with thought-provoking lyrics and beautiful vocals. She manages to mesmerise even within this acoustic setting. Her melodies wrap around the intricate strums and picks on guitar with ease adding to the golden radiance she emits. ‘Mustard’, ‘Poison’ and ‘Chess’ have the viewers bopping and swaying with cheery smiles on their faces. A little girl watching dances with her kitten teddy while the muted clapping and thumbs up manage to create a cosy and warm setting.
Lucy took the crowd away from the stress of the world outside to indulge in an evening of storytelling and song-craft. Her tunes are intimate and melodious as each song made the platform feel personal and comfortable. She treats the viewers to a few new songs – ‘Red and Blue’ is quite the sultry delight. With jaunty guitar striking between the smoky rich tones of her voice, it’s definitely a track to look forward to. Gearing up to release a new single ‘Devices’ on the 9th July Lucy gives us a glimpse of what we can look forward to. This golden ditty drifts upon a sweet as honey melody while the lilts through the chorus are earworm worthy. I actually woke up the next morning singing it in my head and I only heard it once. Lucy has quite the knack for crafting simple vocal hooks and her equally sweet personality is so warm and inviting it’s difficult not to be charmed by her.
A brief Q&A brings the session to an end as viewers ask Lucy questions about her influences, who she would like to collaborate with and how she deals with pre-show anxiety – I think she gave the best advice I’ve ever heard, don’t picture the crowd naked!.
Lucy Robinson is a unique artist and a wonderful singer. I’m certain the livesteam experience is nerve-racking for an artist however all the behind the scenes work with sound checks etc paid off. The end result was an entertaining, emotive show boasting an abundance of musical precision, originality and the enticing talent of Lucy Robinson.
