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A Chat With, Alt- Pop, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: LYRA

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Irish pop-dance sensation LYRA has released her new single ‘Chess’, which is taken from her highly- anticipated upcoming album. I caught up with the singer-songwriter to discuss the new single, what we can expect from the album and what she has planned for her upcoming tour. 

“So this song is about the mind games I was going through at the very early stages of my career in the music industry trying to make it as a female artist. I wanted to write about it but I didn’t want to write about it in the way of like pointing the finger and being like, Oh, I can’t believe you all told me to lose weight. How dare you kind of finger wagging style. I wanted to do something that told the message, through my style, which I suppose in this song a bit darker, a bit poppier. My dad taught me how to play chess when I was younger, and I was like, Well, this is a perfect way to say what I want to say, but not have to do the whole finger-wagging thing. So I sat down on my sofa and put the two concepts together and started writing about my experience. The lyrics say exactly what I want to say so there’s no hiding there, so it’s all out there like, “Would it make a difference if I was the same sex” It’s unfortunate us poor women seem to be pitted against each other? I don’t know why because I would love if we all got the lime light, it would be fantastic. And actually another one; “I dont want the lime light I just want a fare fight”, you know, I just wanted my chance, my opportunity to show them what I could do. So that’s the main inspiration behind the whole song, just me wanting to get there.”

 Whether it’s energetic dance elements, bright pop soundscapes or moving ballads, LYRA’s music is filled with dynamic and passionate instrumental arrangements that express the tone of the track.  ‘Chess’ is a fine example of this. LYRA has wrapped the darker subject matter of the lyrics in pulsing beats, tense synths and ethereal soundscapes to create a track that is mesmerising and moving while balancing darker tones throughout.

“Yeah, I knew that I wanted to have dark elements in it, but I also didn’t want it to go too dark. Because obviously with the message being dark, you don’t want the instrumentation to completely go to the dark side because you just end up with a track that you know, it’s not very uplifting and I didn’t want it to be a woe is me kind of thing. I also wanted to have the uplifting side of it. So when I was going about producing this with Dan Priddy, who is a producer on it, I was very much expressing that to him. There are certain sounds that I knew would sound good in this track, like, the bass and clicks and stuff like that. So, I’m very, confident in myself to be able to express that when I am in the studio, in order to make my songs sound very much like me. I have had a massive input in it. When I’m writing songs and when I’m sitting at home on my iPad, when I was coming up with the lyrics and the melody, I can almost hear how the song should sound. So it’s very easy for me then to just portray that to a producer and be like, Okay, this is how this song needs to sound because that’s how it will get the story across the best.”

“ I’m not going to sugar coat it. It is telling a darker message. It is telling a message of, being a woman and, being kind of battled up against other women, which is something that I am not for. I am all for women supporting women and, you know, going through being told to lose weight to fit in this box that they wanted to put me in or you know, things like that and it was a struggle, so that’s why I did want to bring the production down the darker side of things because it is a dark side of the industry.”

The melody within ‘Chess’ is luscious and oozes emotion. It’s a powerful pop song that boasts a catchy refrain and striking melodic flow.

“With this song when I sat down at home, I knew what I wanted to write about and I had written down some words. Then I just started singing the words and the melody just came. I actually didn’t have the chorus for a while, which actually is the easiest part of the song because it just says “chess you want to play chess”. I don’t know how I didn’t come up with that at the start. But it was more about telling the story for me in this one than finding a melody and then hoping that the words fit. For me, this one was all about the lyrics. So I started with that. Then I just threw down a few chords on my iPad, and it just came about. They just all seemed to match together. It didn’t take me that long to write which is great when you have one of those. Not all of them are like that, but this one, I think I was so passionate about what I wanted to say that I was like, right? Here are the lyrics, lets find the melody for it and that was it. “

‘Chess’ is an exciting glimpse into what we can expect from LYRA’s upcoming album.

“Oh, that album. It’s gonna be so bloody juicy. It’s a nice little introduction to the album for sure. This is the start, it’s kind of like okay, we have a little flavor here. The flavour is gonna get more and more and more intense until your mind is blown.”

“I’m really excited for it. I actually had to stop myself from listening to them, like don’t listen to it now you’re gonna ruin it. You’re going to ruin it for yourself and I keep picking out things. I’m like, oh, that bass could have been higher. Oh, that beat or whatever and I’m like stop listening to it now. But I’m very excited for everyone else to listen to it. It’s definitely gonna tell a journey and it’s going to tell people a lot about me and my life. So people are going to get to know me and I can’t wait to tell them what every song means and why I wrote it and where I was in my life when that happened to me etc. All of them are personal journeys to me. It’s what I’ve been through the past couple years so I’m looking forward to sharing it with you in a musical way because it makes it not so scary when its a musical way”

UK producers Mark Crew and Dan Priddy who have also worked with Bastille, Rag ‘n’Bone Man and Freya Ridings, worked on the record with LYRA. We discussed what they brought to the songs and how they influenced her sound.

“Yeah, you know, in fairness credit to the boys. I started Chess at home on my ipad and it literally was just a melody, lyrics and chords. When I brought it into Dan he was like, this idea is amazing, lets go with it. I know the production I want and I’m very good at vocalising it but it was you know, trying to go through the libraries and catalogues of sounds and stuff like that. It’s fantastic to have him on board saying, okay, I get what you mean there, I think this sound is what you’re looking for. So to have that from them is really good. Sometimes I suppose, me being so close to the music, I need somebody on the other side to have a fresh set of eyes and ears. I really appreciate [them], they’ve worked on songs with Rag ‘n’Bone Man, Bastille the new Shania Twain stuff. I know they know what they’re doing. So it’s really nice to also ask their advice and pick their brains with things like, oh, how would you think this would sound bigger or wider or what reverb do you reckon we should use on my voice? I love things like that. That’s why I love collaborating and finding new people and it originally started with me and Dan creating Chess. Then when I went to reproduce it for the album, Mark Crew came in, so it was really nice to have another fresh take.  It’s nice knowing that they’re so well up in their game, and I feel very confident with the choices that we make together as a team, which I love.”

To celebrate the release of ‘Chess’,  LYRA will be heading out on a twenty-two-date Irish Tour this Spring including two dates at 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin. This is huge for the singer-songwriter and a wonderful opportunity for her fans to see her charismatic stage performance and mesmerising presence.

“Oh my god. I’ve actually started to do spin classes because my mom was like, you’re doing 22 shows and I suppose I didn’t really sit down and let that sink to my mind. I was like, oh my god, I’m doing 22 shows. I’m going to be found dead in the bush somewhere if I don’t get my cardio up because getting on stage in thigh high boots, heels, and belting out the songs is a lot. So I was like, right, I need to get myself in shape. So I actually started these spin classes. I hope they don’t mind me there in the back and any track that I know I’m like trying to sing along quietly to try and get my lungs working while I’m sweating myself on the thing. So it’s going to be a great tour. I think [the] tour is actually one of my favorite times because you get to sing your songs. You get to see the audience you get this initial reaction and communication with them and its such a life experience. I’m always bawling, crying when I come offstage. Everyone’s like, oh my god, you give her a minute. She’s bawling. But I’m never sad. I’m so overwhelmed with happiness just seeing people have your back. It’s a very lonely industry that we’re in. So to get on stage and see all these people who have come to support you, and love you is just mind bloody blowing, like the best ever. So it’s my favourite time. I’m going to really live up these 22 days.

LYRA is a passionate and compelling songwriter who pours all she has into her art. ‘Chess’ is a fine example of first-rate musicianship and is a delight to listen to. With this track as a tantalizing appetiser, it’s sure the album is going to be a triumph for her. LYRA is gaining momentum and has a lot more exciting things to come.

“When we’re selecting the album, we had so many tracks to choose from. So this is chapter one of LYRA. Then I’m just going to keep going and spend this whole year doing my album, it’s all about my album and it’s all about getting out there singing it for people, getting people to know it. Getting people to know me as an artist. This is what this year is about. It’s about everything LYRA and I’m so excited I finally get to do this. I’ve been waiting for so long. I feel like this is the time now. It’s so exciting. I just feel I’m living the dream.”

“Obviously, all this was supposed to happen the year that we were stuck inside and covid got us all locked down. I thought that maybe that was me done. I thought I’m never going to build up momentum again. Two years of lockdown. I’m not very great at social media. People are gonna forget about me and I couldn’t get into the studio and do my album. The bans got lifted. I had to go back out on the road just to get people re-familiar with me. So the album took another backseat. Now I’m finally happy to say that this year, we’ve spent so many months working on it and it’s actually coming out. It’s weird. It’s actually so surreal. Every time I post anything about it. I say to my sister, I feel sick. I can’t believe this is actually happening. Even yesterday when I posted the album cover for the first time I was like I feel sick. Eight months ago I was in a photo shoot and now with one click of a button everyone has seen it. It’s just weird, but it’s great. I’m really just going to enjoy it and live it up because you never know when it can be taken away from me again so I’m just going to go hell for leather girl.”

LYRA’s grandmother has been at the forefront of her mind and career since she started releasing music. Her first single ‘Emerald’ was about her grandmother and even today as we discuss her stunning album cover she feels her grandmother is watching over her and blessing her music endeavours.

“Thank you. I think it was like one of the first shots that we actually took and we all, well I didn’t because I couldn’t bloody see it. I was bloody blinded by that light that was in my face. But everyone in the crew just went, that is it. I was like surely not. We’ve literally just started, that can’t be it and they were like, that’s it. I looked at it and I was like yeah, that’s the one. I’m all about my nan being with me for this whole experience because I wrote Emerald about her which was my first song which started my career. So I feel like she’s been there and that happening, I was like yeah, for me, she’s making it happen.”

LYRA is a diverse and captivating artist who isn’t defined by a genre. ‘Chess’ showcases an emotional and powerful ballad aspect to her sound and teases an exciting glimpse into what is sure to be a brilliant album.

Stream ‘Chess’ below


Author: Danu

A Chat With, EP Review, Indie, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Pa Sheehy

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Former lead singer of Walking on Cars, Pa Sheehy, has released his new Christmas EP ‘The Christmas Fool’. I caught up with the Kerry songwriter to discuss his musical inspirations for the EP, his European and UK tour, his plans for next year and what sparked the decision to release a Christmas EP.

“Basically what happens to me almost every year, well the last couple of years.I get this lovely notion to release Christmas music around November time, but by the time November comes, it’s too late.So I found myself a bit more organized this year. I spent half the summer working on Christmas tunes.The weather wasn’t great anyway, so it wasn’t too difficult to get into the swing of things and pretend it was Christmas. So yeah, I always wanted to write a Christmas song and I just felt that it needed to be part of something bigger. So I found some songs that felt right and I’m happy to have something out there now.”

The Title ‘The Christmas Fool’ comes from one of the musical gems on the EP, ‘Abigail’ we discussed the track and why it sparked the title for the EP.

“[The title] is a lyric in a track called ‘Abigail’. I suppose for me ‘Abigail’ represents a symbol of Christmas or a symbol of sadness, loss, its a symbol of home, craic, all the things that represent Christmas. That tune is about looking back at simpler times, and times like for me probably early 20s when all your friends are in the same room at Christmas but life is very simple. It’s all about just going out and having the craic and being with your friends and it’s all easy. Then you fast forward a couple years, where everybody has their own life and everybody’s doing their own thing and that room suddenly becomes a lot smaller and the people in it become far less and it’s just a different place that everybody’s in their lives. So ‘Abigail’ represents what we had back when I guess.”

‘Abigail’ is a beautiful track. With delicate instrumentation encased in strong drums and icy piano. Sheehy eloquently captures that sort of chill and cold harshness of Christmas while balancing a warmth and cosy contrast showing the many emotions that Christmas can bring.

“Thanks very much. I had that motif, for ‘Abigail’ for like two years. I knew it was a Christmas song, but I didn’t know what to do with it or how to approach it. So I met a friend of mine one day this year, and we sat down and we got on it. Yeah, delighted to evolve into what it is now.”

Within this EP, Sheehy manages to keep the instrumentation and production sparse and organic. It is never overpowering yet is filled with emotion. The production, his voice and his choice of instrumentation all ooze passion and tenderness. Sheehy takes the time to allow the music to evolve naturally and form relatable images of Christmas within the listener’s mind. 

“Thanks for noticing that. That is something that I was very, very mindful of. I suppose a lot of my earlier career was around making songs as big as possible and like throwing the kitchen sink at it production-wise. I often look back at the music I made my early days and think its over produced and it hasn’t aged well because we used modern production a lot. Whereas I really want to just keep it as organic as possible. Because in 10 years time, a drum kit is gonna sound like a drum kit. A real piano is gonna still sound like a piano or the guitar is gonna sound like a guitar. I feel the minute you start adding too much modern sounds to it you’re going to walk away and look back in a couple of years time and think why did I do that? So I was always mindful to keep it real and keep it really organic and acoustic “

Sheehy provides a wonderful cover of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ on the EP. Again he provides a timeless and moving version of this song. With warm vocals and expressive instrumentation, he creates a soothing, warm and sombre rendition. 

“I think it was one of those Christmas songs that like its Christmassy but it’s not cheesy. Because there’s a lot of cheesy Christmas songs and they’re all great, but this one just has a little bit of class to it, I think. Yeah, to be honest, the guys that produced that track, John Bird and Jake Curran. They really brought that to life with the fretless bass and just had the little fire in the background and it feels nice Christmassy. They did really well and they didn’t overcook it”

Sheehy was in the airport heading to one of his shows while we were chatting and we discussed how the European and UK tour was going.

“Yeah, really enjoying it we had our first gig last night in Berlin and that went really well it was a nice really warm welcome and the crowd were unbelievable. So really nice way to kick off things. We’ve just landed in Amsterdam now and ‘Abigail’ and ‘So Much Wine’ are the two tracks that are on the setlist and yeah it feels really good to play live. “

“I think we’re just in time. I think if we were on tour last week, it would have been too early for Christmas songs. But it’s just the right moment I think we got lucky with the tour dates”

With a fantastic Christmas EP just released, I asked Sheehy if he plans to release more music in 2024.

“I have a song coming out on the 12th of January. Its a  cover. Myself and my friend Hannah Cullen have recorded an acoustic version and its set for release on the 12th of January and then after that, I’ve got loads of music on my laptop and I have made no plans. I need to make January my planning month so at the minute I just have loads of music but no plan as of yet.”

Pa Sheehy is a musician to treasure. His ability to evoke raw images and capture emotion within his songwriting and musicianship is captivating and makes his music timeless and relatable on many levels. His songs are heartfelt, raw and catchy. ‘The Christmas Fool’ is a glorious listening experience and a moving example of his talent.

Stream ‘The Christmas Fool’ Below


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Isaac Butler

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Following a whirlwind summer of songwriting, performing, and charting, Isaac Butler has released his new single ‘Heart of Gold’, ahead of the upcoming headline show at Dublin’s Academy on December 1st. I caught up with the singer-songwriter to have a chat about his upcoming show, his plans for the rest of the year and how he created his new single.

‘Heart of Gold’ is a wholesome heartfelt tune brimming with anthemic melodies and passionate songwriting. Butler explained the personal story behind the track.

“Yes, so it’s a funny one. It actually came about from a conversation that I had with my dad. The pre-chorus leading into the chorus, those lines are: “my dad said son you’ll find the one but love is never easy” and this whole conversation came about because I had just ended a relationship and I was feeling almost worried and anxious about like, oh my god I’m getting on. I’m into my mid to late 20s and I’ve just broken up with or from a long relationship like, what’s the story? Am I going to dial up? I was freaking out, I suppose and he let me have my panic, kind of 10 minute rant. Then he just looked at me and said right are you finished? and then gave me some advice and he said, Look, you need to relax. Just chill out. It’ll all happen. If you get out of your own way. I suppose it was those two lines. My dad said son, you’ll find the one, love is never easy and then I wrote the song around that idea.”

As in all of Butler’s songs, the lyrics are relatable, express a sense of vulnerability and are deeply honest. This earnest quality enriches his songs and makes the listener really connect.

“Is it hard for me to put out there? Yeah, it probably is. But I’m getting much better at it. I think I fell into this trap when I was first releasing music of, well not a trap but I suppose this works both ways. But I was writing songs that weren’t too personal. There were stories that I heard or even things sometimes that I just kind of created and what I found is in recent years is the songs that really connect are the songs that I can talk openly [ about ], like this. I think it comes [ across ] in the actual recording. Then when I’m speaking about them, like in this situation I can really get into the deep tissue of what the songs actually mean to me. I think that’s what connects with people more so than catchy melodies all that kind of thing.”

‘Heart of Gold’ has Celtic elements sweeping between indie guitars, pop melodies and an anthemic chorus. We discussed the production and how Butler envisioned the song’s sound when he first wrote it.

“I started with those two lines. Obviously, that’s what I build the song around, but I had the “My Heart of gold” I had that chant in my head on the first day and I again, tried to build the chorus around that big chant because I always come back to the reason I’m doing this is I want to play big shows. I want to have people belting out these songs and I think the best way to do that is, there’s three things that I’ve put it down to; tell the truth. Number two, make them anthemic and three, make them emotional. But yeah the big guitars and also all the vocals was definitely a very important part to me even from day one of writing the song and I made that very clear when we went in to produce it.”

The new single is released ahead of what will be Butler’s biggest headline show to date at Dublin’s Academy on December 1st. 

“I’m very excited. Yes, I’m very excited. I got some tickets to sell, but I’m very excited. So Whelan’s obviously was in March. That was great. So they seemed to really enjoy it. I loved it and then yeah, moving now towards The Academy. It’s going to be obviously my biggest headline to date, but my biggest production to date as well. I’m bringing in some lights guy, sound team and stuff. So yeah, it’s really going to be a level-up. So for anyone listening that wants to come along, it’d be great to have you there because it’s really going to be I suppose my best showcase to date”

Upon listening to Heart of Gold, the listener gets an instant feeling that the song is going to be epic live. Its powerful chorus sparks images of crowd’s bellowing it back live. I wondered if Butler had a particular track that he is excited to perform in The Academy.

“There’s a few unreleased ones, you know super emotional ones I’m gonna probably chat about a little bit before I play them on the night. I’m excited to see how they go down. There’s going to be a couple where [ it’s ] myself and the guitar. I always liked doing that. But yeah  ‘Heart of Gold’, ‘On The Run’, ‘Devil on my Shoulder’ they’re always just so much fun to play”

Butler is becoming quite the confident performer on stage and we discussed how he approaches his interactions with the crowd at his shows.

“ I really used to struggle with it quite a lot and that’s only because I felt like it was a little bit ill-prepared. I’m kind of comfortable enough now where if something happens, I can pick up on it. I think my starting out or even up until a couple of years ago, I probably rushed through the sets quite a lot, just a little bit of nerves, a little bit of anxiety, but now I feel I’m more mature, more confident and able to control myself a little bit more as well.”

“It’s a funny one even as an up and coming performer. For instance you can’t do full band shows three or four times a week unless you’re doing a tour but you need to do that to get to that level. It’s a funny chicken-and-egg situation. I’d love to be doing full band shows three or four or five times a week. But you have to create that demand first and then hopefully the demand is there and like, oh god, I’ve only done a few full band shows but you got to roll with it a little bit.”

Butler’s upcoming headline show at Dublin’s Academy on December 1st comes fresh off the heels of a sold-out performance at Whelan’s main room in April. December is always a good time for shows as everyone is in high spirits and love a good December show.

“I think so. I was lucky enough to get a Friday, which is great. The Whelan’s headline was 31st of March as well. So it was a nice gap. But yeah, it felt natural to have that on the first of December.”

Butler has previously sold out shows in ‘Whelans’ main room, ‘The Grand Social’ and ‘The Soundhouse’ and amassed 3 million spotify streams for his singles (including ‘Moon Song’, Just One Night’ and ‘On The Run’). He is growing his following more and more each time I speak to him. We chatted about how he is finding getting this recognition for his work.

“ We probably first chatted five or six years ago, which is pretty crazy. Maybe five years ago. It was definitely before Covid Anyway.. But yeah its nice. Obviously Covid in between that and that was a major deal obviously for everyone for lots of reasons. But now the last couple of months it really seems to be growing nicely. So yeah I can’t complain. All I can do is keep doing what I’m doing,  chip away and hopefully get a bit lucky.”

Isaac Butler’s music is a delight to listen to. The artist has a wonderful ability to create expressive soundscapes and emotive lyrics that connect with the listener with ease. ‘Heart of Gold’ gives Butler the chance to showcase how he can take these qualities and deliver them through an exciting energetic and blistering sound. I have no doubt his show in The Academy in December with be one not to miss and Butler has some exciting plans for the rest of the year as well.

“ I’m supporting True Tides and their tour, their Irish tour. So that’s six dates in November, which should be great. Then leading up to obviously the Academy show on the first [ December ] and then I’m going on tour with Ryan McMullanin in December. That’s all of the support shows. I’ll be doing some smaller acoustic shows. I’m playing a few in the Hard Rock Cafe in October and November in Temple Bar. I’m toying with the idea of releasing another song before the gig. We’ll see. We’ll see.”

Stream ‘Heart of Gold’ Below


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Album Review, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Adam O’Regan of Soda Blonde

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Photo Credit: Patricio Cassinoni

Irish Alternative pop quartet Soda Blonde have recently released their sophomore album ‘Dream Big’. This album is an impressive follow-up to the band’s acclaimed debut and I sat down to discuss the album and dissect its themes and wonderful musical elements with the band’s Adam O’Regan.

“ It’s been about a year since we started writing it. We gave ourselves six months to write it and record it and then you’re waiting around for a while, but we really worked hard on it. I’m really proud of it. So it’s been really nice. Everyone has responded really positively to it and yeah, it’s been great.”

Following two successful introductory EPs (2019’s “Terrible Hands” and 2020’s “Isolation Content”), Soda Blonde released their debut album, ‘Small Talk’, in 2021. The LP was subsequently nominated for RTÉ’s Choice Music Prize for Album of the Year and received rave reviews. We discussed the pressure that comes with releasing and creating the follow-up to such a successful and highly praised album.

“Yeah, I mean, only within ourselves. It’s important that we feel we’re always doing work that we’re proud of, and we definitely were very proud of ‘Small Talk’. We knew that we had something to live up to I suppose. There was a minute where you go, how are we going to do this, but very quickly, we just got into the studio and we started writing and you just have to leave the past in the past and focus on trying to make good stuff. We are always trying to challenge ourselves and always trying to push ourselves and very quickly, it just became its own thing, and we knew what path we were on.”

‘Bad Machine’ was the first single released from the album. It gave us a wonderful glimpse of what musical treats the album contained. With biting guitar and an indie edge, it was the perfect introduction to this era of Soda Blonde. The thrilling angular, scratch guitar element cuts through the pop soundscape and injects an eerie tone throughout. I wondered if the guitar was the element that sparked the song’s formation. 

“Oh, well, I’ve got two answers to that question. The first one is it didn’t start with the guitar. It started with a piece of.. like a chord progression and a vocal that Faye had been working on. She’ll never come to us with a song unless the lyrics are finished and the structure is complete. So sometimes it can be a bit frustrating for us because we want to start working on music and she’ll have a verse or a chorus and we’d be like, please play it for us and she won’t do it. This one occasion she sang this little piece on the guitar that she was working on. It was very, very different to what you hear now and she had no lyrics she just had the melody and kind of like an acoustic, almost like a country ballad sort of thing. So we started working on the music right away. That’s the first part of my answer. Then the second part of the answer is that I was very interested, making this album to try and bring more guitar into the record. I’m a guitar player. I don’t think I’m a guitar player first necessarily, but I’ve certainly been playing guitar the longest in my life. When I started the band, I was playing guitar and I wanted to bring a bit more aggression or a bit more kind of bite into the record. So I started trying to find different sounds and this was the first occasion when we were working on the music for this song that I stumbled across this sound and it was really exciting. So the music found itself before any of the lyrics did and we built this big broad-shouldered kind of electro-rock song, whatever you want to call it. Then there was the process of trying to figure out what the song is about. That was fun. It was definitely a sidestep, you know. It’s very different from the first record but we liked that about it. It’s a palate cleanser.“

When it comes to recording and creating their music Soda Blonde do everything themselves. We discussed the journey the songs on the album went through before the final version was released in the album.

“Yeah, they always go through different stages. Well, they always start off differently, on this record we didn’t have so many. So many of the songs go through such a journey, I think ‘Midnight Show’ is the only one that we took a little bit of time going through. We actually went into the studio and made the whole album and that one just wasn’t right and so we came back to it but this album, everything happened fairly fluidly. You know, it wasn’t too much going back and forth like there was with the first album.”

Title track, ‘Dream Big’ is a musical delight. Soft soundscapes which are created by a warm expressive bass, rich drum beats and Faye’s elegant vocals produce an exciting cinematic atmosphere that has strong indie undertones accomplished through the use of synths and hazy guitar. The band manage to brilliantly layer and create lush textures within this track making it a joy to listen to. O’Regan explained how they created this gem of a tune. 

“I think that we were just letting our imagination run wild and we were just having a lot of fun and we were feeling very free. We were feeling very trusting of one another. We went into this writing retreat for about two weeks, called The Beekeepers Daithí [Ó Drónaí] owns it and we just had this beautiful environment surrounded by woodlands and it sounds a bit corny, but we just got lost in the music and that song in particular. On the first album, we recorded everything in our bedrooms and in our living rooms and part of the limitation of that was we actually recorded every drum separately because in order to get the sound that we were looking for, we had to record every drum separately, and then I would mix it together. That worked out but it slightly inhibited our drummer, Dylan, we’ve got one of the best drummers in the country, and I’m not afraid to say that. So it was really exciting making this album, we had the freedom to be in the recording studio and we were able to record Dylan properly. So there’s a moment in the album where the song takes off, and he’s doing all this amazing drumming and it’s so exciting to have that playfulness on the album, you know. I think that if there’s one thing that I really hope comes across, it’s the playfulness and the fun that we were having”

‘Space Baby’ is a lush little ditty and memorable moment on the album. It’s catchy, sweet and filled with the melodious goodness we love from Soda Blonde. With warm guitar and striking lyrics, it’s a clever expression of Soda Blonde’s unique songcraft and musicianship and fits flush with the other tracks on the album while holding its own sense of identity. In fact, all the songs do. We discussed the selection process for the songs.

“Oh, it’s funny, I think that every writer will tell you like, this might be some sort of inside confession. But I would say that most writers kind of make sense of the work when they look back, you know, when we’re making the stuff we’re just making this stuff and then it comes to the point where it’s like, Okay, we have these other songs. What does this all mean together? How does this all sit together? How do we make this feel cohesive? So yeah, it definitely wasn’t the case that there was some sort of preconceived method to what we were trying to do you know, but I’m really pleased that you feel that it runs that way and that it feels cohesive, because we’re an albums band, we love albums. I know albums are not necessarily the “in vogue” thing and people are on Spotify now just listening to songs, but we want to make albums, you know. So I’m pleased that it feels like it.”

Within ‘Dream Big’ the listener gets a sense that the band are growing into themselves. However, there is a residue of self-doubt through many tracks. Within the lyrics of ‘Midnight Show’ Faye expresses “I just wanted to sing / But I’m not good enough, am I?”. We discussed how the band navigated the themes within this album.

“Yeah, I mean, we’re all 30/31 now and myself and Faye just got married, not to each other though and so we’re definitely arriving at this point in our lives that we are maturing in certain senses. But there is a constant push and pull with self-doubt. We kind of look back over everything and we try to make sense of what it all all means together. We’ve spoken a little bit about what ‘Dream Big’ means and I think we’ve given a few right answers, a few right kind of explanations and a few wrong explanations. But for me, I’ve been thinking about it a bit recently.

You know, ever since we were like 14 or 15. We’ve wanted to be in a band, and we’ve wanted to make albums and we’ve wanted to tour the world and we’ve wanted to win Grammys and play on stages to thousands and thousands of people and we’ve done lots of great things together in our time in the music industry, but the music industry has just changed so, so much in the last 10 years since we’ve been playing together. There’s I think 100,000 songs being uploaded to Spotify every single day. That’s 100,000 artists, just like us who have the same dream as us. Who all think that they have what it takes and all feel they have something to say and something to offer. 100,000 artists that go to bed every single night agonising over their art and waking up every day thinking what do I have to do to make this work? What do I have to do to achieve my dream? I think that the dream needs to be redefined you know, in 2023/2024, whatever it is, what does it mean to be an artist these days, you know? And that’s what we’ve been trying to figure out. That struggle, I think is where we’re at right now in our lives. Struggle is maybe the wrong word because I feel like we’ve maybe arrived at some sort of spiritual space where the meaning is derived in the creation of it and the being together. So that’s a bit of a roundabout way of answering your question, but that’s what it means to me anyway.”

There is a lot that goes into releasing music from the actual writing to the imagery, music videos and promotions. The band take control of all aspects of their music and image and I wondered how O’Regan navigates content creation with music creation in this world which requires everyone to be on the pulse when it comes to social media. 

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“Yeah, it’s really hard especially because we care so much about our songs and about our production and how we present everything. We put a lot of thought into our artwork and our music videos and all of that takes a lot of work, you know, every single aspect of it. You also have to be on TikTok and make 20 second videos and put them out every day and it’s kind of never-ending the amount of output that you have to have and that is hard, you know, because it’s not really enough anymore, to just make like a great song or 12 great songs or the best video like doesn’t matter how good it is. You have to play in this arena of being a content creator and it’s something that I wrestle with a bit because I feel like artists aren’t really content creators. They’re culture creators but they’re not valued as such really. So I feel there needs to be a bit of a revolution around. We’ll see if we can get there.”

The dreamy 1970’s -esque ‘Going Out’ brings the album to a lush lulling end. With pristine keys, mellow beats and spacious guitar between supple bass, the track is soft and seductive and wraps your mind in a warm soothing tone. I wondered what sparked the decision to end the album on this song.

“I’d love to be able to say that we wrote that song to be at the end of the album, but it’s kind of like a song suddenly comes along in the process and you go, that’s the opening of the album or a song comes on and you go, it’s called ‘Dream Big’, and that’s the name of the album, we’re gonna call the album Dream Big or the song comes along and in the case of ‘Going Out’ like this, never has ever happened before in our life making music together. We were set up in the room together and we were playing and I started playing this guitar part Dylan joined in and Donagh joined in and we were just kind of jamming and then Faye started singing and the whole song, we put the phone down to record it and everything came out just improvised, like the lyrics and everything just flowed through her. I don’t know that I believe in God but if you’re channelling something I mean, definitely there was some spirit going through us when that song came out. We played for about seven or eight minutes and then you kind of go wow, that was really magical. Should we chop that down. It’s a bit too long, seven minutes is really long. But it just felt perfect and it did feel right. I think after it was finished, we were like okay,  we’re gonna end the album with that. But you know, where did that come from? I mean, I don’t know. It’s just, we’re lucky to have been present in the room when God walked in. I don’t know, I can’t, we can’t take credit for some of these things that happened and they just kind of come and then the music tells you what to do. “

Soda Blonde are touring the UK and Ireland to celebrate the album and the band are buzzing to get to play these new songs live.

“Now we have to go through the process of learning how to play them all again, but I think it’s gonna be really fun album to play live. I think we can already tell that it’s going to be a good energy in the room”

So what have Soda Blonde got planned for their next step for world domination…. 

“Yeah, good question. Well, we want to get out and tour the album. We haven’t been able to tour outside of Ireland yet. Obviously, we brought out our first album during Covid. So we still have that kind of restless hangover. We’re going to Europe in January for five dates around Europe and we’re hoping to get to America we’d love to play SXSW and some of the festivals over there. We will probably start thinking about making another album pretty soon, because that’s our favorite thing to do. But the album’s just breathing now and we just want people to spend a bit of time with it, and let the audience digest the music and I feel like it’s still going to develop a little bit you know, in the next while.”

‘Dream Big’ is an album to cherish. Soda Blonde take life’s challenges and relatable themes and channel them into well-crafted tunes that act as anthems to navigating life experiences. There are songs within the album filled with lush instrumentation to dance carefree to; with pop melodies and earworm tones that are so sweet to the ears you can’t help but sing along. Also, there are meaningful eloquent lyrics, intricate instrumentation, grand production and cinematic masterpieces all contained within this 11-song treasure trove. Soda Blonde are growing with each release and ‘Dream Big’ is just a keyhole glimpse into the musical masterpieces this band can produce.

Stream ‘Dream Big’ below


Author: Danu

A Chat With, EP Review, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Glu; Michael Shuman’s New Project

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Queens of The Stone Age Bass Player and Mini Mansions Frontman Michael Shuman has released his new EP ‘MY DEMONS’ under the moniker GLU. I caught up with Shuman to discuss his new project, the EP and his plans for world domination.

‘MY DEMONS’ is an intriguing glimpse into Shuman as an artist. The EP is different and more hip-hop-esque than people might expect from him while still maintaining an alternative edge. I wondered if he was worried or wondered what fans would make of this broadening of his sound.

“Yeah, I definitely wondered if it would work for the fans I already have. But I also think that most of my fans are pretty open-minded and could see the influence from all the bands and projects I’ve done before this. At the same time, I did this wanting to attract new fans that have no idea about my past, and just like this music for what it is.”

We discussed if there was a particular event that made him decide to become GLU or choose to do this solo project. And if he found it difficult to pick the songs for the EP? 

“After decades of being in bands, where you are tied to other people’s wants and schedules, I finally thought it would be good to have something where I could do it when I wanted to. On my time. The pandemic accidentally gave me that chance.”

“I did have more songs to choose from, but these were the first ones I created for GLU, and probably because of that they all tie together and live within the same thematic world.”

Shuman showcases a plethora of musical delights within this EP. From jazzy keys to slick lo-fi- hip-hop alongside pop-hued melodies. I asked if he was just pottering about with different sounds or if it was a deliberate imagination of genres and sounds.

“I don’t think you can ever take yourself out of what you do. All the influences, experiences, and tid bits you’ve picked up along the way. So they are definitely all there. But yes, I wanted to make sure it felt somewhat like something you hadn’t heard before. There’s no reason this song shouldn’t have slide guitar solos, harmonies, hip hop beats, and rapping.”

We see Shuman rap on this EP in the title track ‘My Demons’.

“I always wondered if it was in me. But of course there’s always the fear of judgment. I think because I was locked down and nobody was watching, I was privileged with the time to experiment with it and the delivery that felt authentic to me.”

Shuman collaborated with Phantogram’s Sarah Barthel on ‘My Demons’. We discussed how that collaboration come about and if that piece was written with her in mind.

“We have just been friends for a while and I wanted someone to counter the masculine undertones throughout the song. And also having someone that is a bonafide badass pop singer. She delivered the fuck out of it.”

“Not at first, no. But she was the first thought I had when wanting someone to collaborate with.”

Shuman recently released a coinciding video with a sultry, latex-laden Barthel symbolizing the demons that dominate GLU’s thoughts as he satirically raps through a leather ball gag.

“Honestly I just always saw some kind of vision of being tied up for this song. I think because of the sexual, yet traumatic undertones, it felt like the right concept to match the lyrics.”

“Yes, it was uncomfortable and I’m pretty sure I got some kind of mouth injury from it that has lingered to this day. No pain, no gain. “

Another great track on the EP is ‘Cold Sweat’. The song is a chilled tune that displays the swagger and musical wizardry people might know Shuman for from previous projects such as Mini Mansions. 

“I started with that simple groove and chord progression. Thought it maybe could just be an instrumental track. Kinda like Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain”, where it’s just one long guitar solo. But then that chorus melody popped in my head and it start to develop into what it is now. Yet, I wanted to keep it very simple. Verse chorus, verse chorus, out. Less about the lyrics and melody and more about the groove.”

Within this EP Shuman provides some meaningful lyrical content. ‘Night Shif’, discusses the impending doom we feel, generated by the current state of our world while ‘My Demons’ explores how childhood traumas continue to seep into adult life. Both are relatable themes that are well presented through sharp phrases; “ I’m so fucking chill, but I’m quite erratic, emphatic and somewhat problematic”. 

“I did take a lot of time crafting these, as lyrics are not my favorite part of writing songs. That being said, a lot of those lyrics come together pretty quickly when you decide on a theme and you roll with it. Also, using lines that are happening in real time. Sometimes I wish I was recording all my conversations with friends. I think there would a lot of gold in there.”

“MOONWALKIN’ is probably my favourite track on the EP. It oozes effortless swagger. Shuman told me which of the songs on the EP he is most proud of.

“Moonwalkin’ is an inside joke I have with my friend, which I won’t get into. But it started with that chorus melody I wrote on piano. It was the start of a different kind of song I was writing, but then realized it slotted in perfectly with the verse groove and melody I had. This track was a bit of that. A patchwork with elements that all worked perfectly together.”

“I think My Demons I’m most proud of, only because it was the first GLU song I wrote. It inspired what is GLU and got me out of my comfort zone.”

Finally, I asked Shuman what he has planned for the rest of the year and if he has plans for a GLU world domination.

“World domination? Yes. Expectations? No. Just chip away everyday and enjoy whatever comes of it.”

Filled with lush textures, eloquent lyricism and expressive soundscapes ‘MY DEMONS’ is a fascinating keyhole glimpse into the many facets of Shuman as an artist. The EP is an immersive experience from start to finish that beckons repeat plays and is simply a must-listen.

Stream ‘MY DEMONS’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Isaac Butler

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Irish Pop/Rock artist Isaac Butler has released his highly anticipated new single ‘Good Enough’. Last week I caught up with Bulter to discuss how he crafted the song, his plans for the coming months and his upcoming headline show in Whelan’s main room on Friday, 31 March.

“I actually wrote it on a piano with a good pal of mine. He plays with me live as well, Jake Richardson. We wrote it together on the piano. Then I wanted to have that big live feel to it so for me electric guitars are just the way forward. I’ve kind of fallen back in love with them and I think everyone’s gonna see that. It’s very obvious in the upcoming tracks and stuff, I’m kind of going for that big live sound vibe. Obviously, the electric guitar lends itself to that, but yeah, exciting stuff, really.”

Within the track, Butler takes a tender stance and highlights it with vibrant indie pop instrumentation. The result is a glorious sing-along anthem that is a joy to listen to. 

“Yeah, it’s funny that the song started out quite sad. It’s a sad song if you really break it down. It’s funny when I wrote it, it came from quite a vulnerable place. But we came back to that when we were producing the five or six songs and obviously “Good Enough” was one of them, but we came back to it at a time where I was very much over what had happened and where that song came from. So it turned from this tender, vulnerable side to this kind of more brash, angry thing. Production-wise and even performance-wise that song, it’s angry, you know, there’s a bit of grit there. So yeah, it was an interesting exercise really going from that tender spot to one of I suppose, anger really, is the word.”

Butler has a knack for releasing wonderfully crafted videos to accompany his songs. I asked if he has one planned for ‘Good Enough’.

“Yeah, actually funny enough we’ve done a live band performance, which I’m going to probably release on Monday, I think. Then I’m actually headed off, so, the opening verse line is “that weekend in Paris”. So myself and Peter are heading off to Paris tomorrow morning, we got some cheap flights so we thought why not? Let’s actually lean into this a little bit and get some authentic vibes in there. But yeah, so we’re off to Paris to film. It’s gonna be a simple, enough video, but yeah, looking forward to that and I’m excited to share.”

Lyrically the song is powerfully emotive, relatable and honest. I wondered if Butler was unsure whether he was going to release this song or if its earnest lyrical content was difficult to put out into the world.

“No. It is definitely my most honest and probably my most personal song I’ve released to date but I knew once it was written that I one hundred percent wanted it to be out. I performed it live a lot and I love performing it live because it is so honest. I connect to it quite strongly and then obviously, in that live setting people understand and connect to it when I’m singing because I am so passionate about it. It’s a true story so it’s easy for me to really get into it and I think people appreciate that. So yeah, it was a no-brainer for me to be honest. I love it.”

Like all of his previous songs, this single has a wonderfully catchy chorus that evokes images of live crowds singing back the lyrics. Butler is set to headline Whelan’s main room with a full band on Friday, 31 March and I wondered what his hopes were for the show.

” Well first of all, thanks so much. That’s a really nice compliment. I hope and pray that they do. But yeah, Whelan’s is coming up soon. This show is definitely going to be for me a complete level up. Not that I don’t always put a huge amount of effort into the shows but this one in particular we’ve really been behind the scenes working hard on getting everything right from the production to different instrumentation and even lighting and stuff like that. So I  think people will be excited to see that we’ve really levelled up here. So yeah, I’m really excited to just get out there again. Whelan’s is such an important venue to me. I’ve seen so many people that I love there and I’ve been there probably nearly 100 times. So to actually get on that main stage and headline it is pretty amazing to me. I’m very, very happy.”

Butler recently performed at the Ruby Sessions and we discussed how he found the experience.

“Yeah, I did the Rubies a couple of weeks ago. I love the Rubies to be honest and everyone there is so passionate about playing music, hearing music, listening to it so you really get that attention from everyone which is great. I think as an up-and-comer you get used to not being heard quite a lot in different shows and different gigs. So that’s one that really is close to my heart and I love the guys in there as well. They’re great.”

Butler is no stranger to the stage or the airwaves amassing over 2.5 million Spotify streams and selling out shows in The Grand Social, The Soundhouse and Whelan’s while also playing festivals across the country including Electric Picnic. Two of his previous singles have also been chosen as the ‘Select Irish’ Single of the Month across the Wireless Group and Butler told me how important that support is to him.

” Yeah, it’s amazing, it’s really amazing. To be perfectly honest, I was quite nervous to put myself out there and announce the Whelan’s headline, I was kind of like maybe I should test the waters a little bit more. So yeah, I do feel honored people are listening to me. I’m really hoping to get a whole host of new kind of listeners over the next couple of weeks and months. I think the summer is gonna be really, really important for me to get out there and I’m just looking forward to playing live again and meeting people as well. That’s such an important aspect to me. I love chatting to people after shows and hearing about different stories they have and all that kind of stuff. It is probably my favorite part. “

The first time I interviewed Butler, he was gearing up for a big summer of festivals and then COVID put a halt to his plans. We discussed the impact of COVID and how he overcame the shock of all those plans being pushed down the line.

” It was honestly, lots of people had awful times but yeah, it was heart wrenching to be honest. Everybody had to cancel shows. I had a clear plan and then for that to be taken away was difficult. But I suppose the other side of that is I got to write a lot of songs. I got to meet a lot of different writers, different musicians even and that really has developed me quite a lot. I think I’m much more mature now in my sound, and in the way I’m writing even the way I’m performing. I think I’m in a much better place to hopefully get in front of some more people and get more people listening and connecting. I think the songs are at a place where people will start hopefully connecting to them like I do.”

Isaac Butler is an ambitious and talented artist. His catchy indie pop songs showcase his depth, honesty and maturity. ‘Good Enough’ is a fantastic example of his earworm magic and diverse musical range. I’m looking forward to hearing the tunes Butler releases next.

Stream ‘Good Enough’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, Live Music, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Jack Cullen

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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.

Tickets for Eastbound Dublin are available for purchase at www.singularartists.ie

Stream ‘Dark Days and Nightmares’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Gabrielle Aplin

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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 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Def Nettle

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Photo Credit Rosie Wall

Post-funk and alt-punk band Def Nettle have released their new single ‘Architecture’. I caught up with frontman Glen Brady to chat about the band’s sound, their support slot for Scattered Ashes and how he crafted the new track.

‘Architecture’ is a fantastic tune that showcases diverse musical treats within its soundscape. From intricate rhythms to beautiful guitar refrains and wonderfully rich textures the track is a joy to listen to.

“I started a lot of the music myself before bringing in other musicians. That’s usually how it’s been so far with this project. Over the last few years I’ve been working as a producer, engineer and writer for a long time and so on this one I actually had some bass sounds, a basic rhythm and I had written the main guitar it’s, I guess you’d call it the lead line that comes in over some beats, and [ I ] wrote the lyrics and the vocals based off of that. Then a guitarist named Joe Donegan, who I worked with came in, and he added a lot of the riffs that go throughout the track, then the higher, more melodic parts, another artist named ABoyInCords, he does some solo stuff, Graeme [Slattery] he came in at the last minute and added a few of those lighter touches but most of the guitar was played by Joe Donegan, even though I had done the main line myself at first”

” So, yeah, the track was one of the slower ones to come together in a way because sometimes they really come together quickly in a day or two. That one the vocal line, and the rhythm section came together first, and that main guitar lead, and the rest of it came together over a series of months. Jay Oglesby, a friend of mine added the live drums and then a guy who’s in our live band now, Ely Siegel added the baseline right at the end, because we’d been using a synth bass for most of the time. I just started working with Ely. In fact, that was the first thing we did together and that came together just before I finished the track so it was a nice way to end it and to start my working relationship with him.“

“The vocals are very similar to the first day I wrote them. However, the song had been a little more electronic in the beginning and when Joe came in, he’s a brilliant guitarist, and he really had his own vision for the sound. Sometimes I’m reluctant to trust other musicians and I had been working with Joe on a live basis for a while. I really trusted him actually, which is unlike me, but I really trusted him with it and you know what, I was really glad I did.”

“We almost struggled to get it right for a while. I live in Wexford. He lives in Dublin. So he had to come down a few times and thankfully he did…and I decided to just trust him because he’s so good and trust the process. So I definitely, allowed his place in the track but the track itself and the general vibe is very much led by the vocal and that first lead guitar line, which was in the more electronic version. So although it’s definitely more rocky than I would have done it in the beginning I’m super glad that he came in.”

” Also Graeme, he does ABoyInCords he really added some beautiful guitar touches right at the end that gave it a really nice retro feel along with that rock and roll feeling. I think his guitar really worked with the dark retro feel of the vocal and gave the track an almost light feeling on top of that.”

The melody in ‘Architecture’ is irresistible. This is something Brady has a knack for and the frantic pace of the vocal melody in his previous release ‘The Pills’ gives a teaser to the style of the vocal in ‘Architecture’. 

“I’ve been making music for a long time under lots of different names and with lots of different people but ‘The Pills’ was maybe the first or second track where I was like, Oh, this could be an act. You know, this might turn into a band. I might want to front a band with this sound and they’re definitely related. The sound of the band is very much influenced by the songs of my teenage years and punk, post-punk and kind of gothy and the early indie alternative stuff. So they’re definitely all related.”

” I think ‘The Pills’ was more influenced by a lot of skate rock and a little bit of hip hop in a sense like you said, the frantic flow. So there was a little bit more hip-hop influence on the vocal, and like I said, it was one of the first songs with this act. So as I’ve gone deeper into this act, I’ve got maybe a little more confidence in the vocal and I’ve been able to explore a bit more of where I’m going with it. I did a number of cover songs, in the beginning, to explore the vocal sound. I covered a Tom Waits song, PJ Harvey song, a Billy Bragg song, and by doing that I found where I wanted to go with the vocal. So ‘The Pills’ was in a very early version of that. So it’s definitely an evolution from there but still influenced by that important period in my life.”

Def Nettle is Brady’s first project as lead vocalist. I wondered if he was nervous about taking on the vocalist role.

“I definitely wasn’t confident and I’m still not. But, I have to say that the first thing I ever did musically in my late teens or early 20s was a very similar band to this before I ever became a DJ and a producer and had a career. Before I did that, one of the first things I ever did was something that touched on something I’m doing now, and then I never really did it again. I did some vocals about maybe 10/15 years ago, on a few songs, but I’ve always been in the background. So somewhere in my mind, I definitely always knew that I was gonna come back to it. I just didn’t know when and there was all sorts of other stuff going on. I was working with people who are more established, as vocalists and I learned a lot from them along the way. I learned a lot about myself and what I wanted to express.”

” So when I made ‘The Pills’, I liked the idea of maybe one day doing it, but I didn’t see myself doing it live and now it’s happening and it’s part of my life. So I’ve almost had to just bury the nerves or the lack of confidence and, I think a lot of that is related a little bit to I gave up alcohol a few years ago, and I think doing this act I have to be sober, you know, and that’s why I’m not as nervous because the stories are real. There’s honesty there. I’m not trying to cover anything up. I’m not trying to get pissed and, perform and use that to cover my fear. If I did that people would see through it in a live element and it would look fake and I think because I’m sober, what I’m doing is me and so I don’t have anything to fear because I’ve come through that if that makes sense.”

” I definitely feel I owe it to myself, to the people that are hiring me to do gigs and to the material to do it in my right mind and through doing that, that’s how I fight the nerves and that’s what makes me more confident and less nervous about it. I’m not doubting myself because it’s actually me. It’s not a version of me that’s covering it by being drunk or something, you know.”

The lyrics within  ‘Architecture’ are stark and honest with vivid imagery. Brady sings ”When It rains in Dublin. You can hug the buildings. Go where you want. Like when we were children” over ominous bass lines and eerie soundscapes. 

“That one definitely came in a burst. I think I wrote the whole thing in an hour or so here at my studio. All the songs are usually about one person when they start and then I add a load of other people that might have something in common with them and I make it seem like it’s all about one person and maybe ‘Architecture’ is a little different because it’s very personal. I’m definitely thinking about a certain period in my life, a post-adolescent kind of period, where I’m unsure of myself. You know, there’s definitely a feeling of being lost or heartbroken, that early 20s not being quite so sure of where your life is at, being broke especially, it’s based in Dublin in the 90s. It’s very grey and autumnal and there’s definitely that image of myself in my late teens in the city, looking for friends or somewhere to go and being lost in the rain that kind of idea and the lyrics talked about the main theme of architecture you know, using the buildings in the city and the structures to shield myself from the weather and from that forlorn feeling.”

The single is accompanied by an atmospheric video that portrays Dublin in bleak rainy weather and dull filters. Brady explained to me how he created the video. 

“I started by going on YouTube and looking for the actual streets where I had these experiences as a young version of myself and I found myself looking at tour guide videos of Dublin. Then I found tour guide videos of Dublin in the rain and I thought, Oh, that’s really interesting. I contacted the people, the tour guides, who made those videos, and I said, Hey, I’m in a band, can I use some of your footage? And I made the video myself. I tried to then effect the video. There’s a lot of emotional turmoil and difficult past and difficult history and some levels of insanity and very, very dark and abusive relationships that I had had before that or grew up in. I wanted to show them and I think the black and white in the reverse was a really nice way of showing the insanity of that time. Then I set up the camera myself at home I did the entire thing myself.”

Brady has worked at the top of his field in every aspect of music production, performance, and DJing for almost three decades, making music with the likes of R.E.M., Dominique Keegan (The Glass, Plant Records ), the California State Symphony and has toured as a member of DARK with Andy Rourke ( The Smiths) and, the late Dolores O’Riordan as well as having mixed their album, Science Agrees. We discussed how all these experiences shaped the sound of Def Nettle.

“Well, you know, people who have been successful that I’ve worked with, some of them have been very awe-inspiring in terms of their performances that I might have witnessed, so I don’t really feel on the level of some of the artists that I’ve worked with. I feel like technically I’ve learned a lot by being very dedicated to learning music. I learned music late. I didn’t learn music as a child. I came to music in my late teens and early 20s. So I always felt like I had to make up ground. So I’ve been very studious in my life and in terms of learning music I’ve been pretty obsessive. I think musically that came from a more personal place.”

I asked Brady from his experience within the music industry what advice he would give to an aspiring musician.

“Never stop at all. We all have to pay our dues and some people get what they need right away or within a couple of years and some people, it takes 30 years, so it really doesn’t matter. The process is what’s important and being able to express yourself. I think if I had to give some advice to myself, back then it would be practice instruments and don’t drink so much.

It took me this long to come to the point where I’m happy with what I’m doing and perhaps that’s why I’m able to do it now because of all of those experiences. I surely write a lot about the people and places and trials and tribulations that occurred during all that so there’s definitely a lot to write about because of mistakes I’ve made and lifestyles I’ve led in the past.”

Def Nettle had a show supporting Scattered Ashes at The Workman’s Club on 18th November. Brady told me about the band’s upcoming plans and how fans can catch them again live. 

“This is our third single and the Scattered Ashes show is our first show with the full band. We did a Fanning at Whelans. It’s going to be on Virgin Media one in a couple of weeks. We did another thing for  RTÉ 2XM Sessions from Oblivion, that’s going to be on in January or February. So you know, we’re really just getting out there. So I don’t have any plans as of now. I’d like to, but I don’t think we’ve developed our business that well, not enough people know us yet, I feel. I’m hoping that this one is going to help with that and I’m sure doing the Fanning Live at Whelan’s should help. 

We’re also doing a show in Fibbers [Fibber Magees] in February, supporting one of our favourite punk bands, The Nilz, that we’re really looking forward to. So yeah, I’m really hoping there’s gonna be a lot more shows, especially in 2023. We’re ready to do that. Definitely.”

Def Nettle creates a tight and utterly compelling sound with earnest lyrical content at the core of each song. Showcasing refined production, thought-provoking lyrics and first-rate musicianship, Def Nettle are making their mark as a band to keep an eye on.

Stream ‘Architecture’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Electronic, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Dashoda

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Irish electronic producer Gavin MacDermott, better known as Dashoda, returns with his new single, ‘Looking For You’. The track was written and produced by Dashoda with London-based Ross Fortune (A.K.A.  Benny Smiles), who has worked with Jonas Blue, Clean Bandit, Hotline Miami Soundtrack, on additional production. I caught up with MacDermott to chat about his upcoming stripped-back video, his exciting plans for new releases and how this infectious retro-hued bop was created. 

“Originally the track started as something a little bit more Lo-Fi than the final version which I worked on with a mate called Ross Fortune he makes music actually as Benny Smiles and a lot of his music is quite synth wave. I was a fan of his years ago when I started making music. So it was really nice to get to work with him years later on this. So I’d say in terms of inspiration, I bought this keyboard a while ago off a friend called a Korg SV- 1, and it has like a Lo Fi sound, its quite analog. I was just playing some chords and they went over to a guy called Richey McCourt’s house, who is a writer. He invited me over. We just started working on and I think I was listening to a bit of Caribou at the time, kind of the older stuff and I was coming out with a little bit of that in mind. But then when I was working with Ross, on the co production, he said I’m going to try a shot in the dark here. I’m gonna try something a bit different, feel free to tell me no, don’t talk to me again if you don’t like it. But what he came back with was what you heard like the much more upbeat almost French indie thing. I just really liked it because it brought it in another direction and taught me to be more open-minded about other avenues and yeah, that’s where it came from. Yeah I gotta give a lot of credit to Ross as well for guiding the sound there.”

MacDermott is releasing a live video for ‘Looking For You’ in the coming weeks. It’s a slower and stripped-back version of the song that allows the melody and lyrics to shine throughout. 

“Actually, funny you mentioned that.The keyboard part that’s played in the video by Alma Kelliher who’s a great player. That is the original part from my original demo, and I’d asked her, I thought it would be nice to show that because the song kind of worked on its own just as a keys part. There’s very little of that sound actually in the recorded track version. So yeah, it would have sounded like that and a much more obvious drum machine and the bass part I think was the same. Then there’s a bit more chorusy kind of 80s electric guitar. I actually think I might at some point bring out that version maybe further down the road if I ever get to the point where I can do you know rarities and B-sides that will be nice to show and certainly when I get to do the song live I’d like to do that version. So yeah, the one on the live video, at least the structure and the timbre of the sound is similar to the original demo”

This song comes after a 3-year hiatus and MacDermott explained how the break gave him a new perspective on how he writes and crafts his songs.

“Yeah, I definitely think differently about music and art in general now [it] has taken on a very different meaning for me, I see it as all sort of connected. I’m a musician and this is what I do and what I know but I watch a lot of film and I love film and I would love to get into it a bit more and the guy who shot that video actually is Ror Conaty, the live video and it was really great working with him because it awakened me to how everything is connected in the art world. When you talk about the stripped-back version of the song it actually required me to meditate a bit on what am I doing and why am I doing this and what’s the meaning of it and often you don’t really know the meaning or significance of things until you put a distance between you and them, you know, in terms of time. So, yeah, I’ve leaned more into the cathartic aspect of creating art. You’re trying to understand something about yourself and the world that you’re in and art is sort of a psychoanalytic Freudian thing. When you put something out in the world, you don’t know what’s going to happen with it and you have no control over that in many ways. So if you just focus on what is within your control, then it’s the pursuit of the art. I think it’s made me a lot happier about making music and art as well because I realized I could go on and do this forever, you know, until I’m dead”.

I wondered if this more artistic view on releasing music eased the nerves that come with releasing music.

“No, I’m still really nervous. I was trying a lot of self-talk and trying to frame it that way and it’s just fine, but whatever way you frame it, it’s still a huge investment of time and there are a small number of people who are close to me and care about what I do, even if I’m not necessarily feeling it so there are actually people that want to hear this because they’ve been invested in the journey I’ve been on as well. That helps me relax a bit about it and try not to be too worried. But yeah, absolutely. You worry have you done enough to give it the platform it deserves. Have you presented it in the best way possible. [I] definitely think about things like that and probably preoccupy about them. But I think most people I know that are into this sort of thing they worry as well. Actually my friend Ror who shot the video, he had an exhibition in Cork in August and up to the last minute he was thinking have I done all this correctly and right and of course it was very well received and I was very proud of him. So hopefully I get the same, who knows.”

‘Looking For You’ is a chic number that struts on a slinky bassline and swanky guitars presenting the tight and refined sound of Dashoda in all it’s glory. With a sweet melody teamed with smooth vocals and chiming keys, the track is sure to have you dancing and singing along in no time. This lush sound isn’t set to stop any time soon, MacDermott told me that he has some exciting plans for next year to delight fans with.

“I have a couple of releases in the pipeline and I worked a bit with Ror on some video accompaniment so even though I was quiet for three years I was chipping away at a lot of different stuff and eventually a pattern of songs started to emerge. So yeah, there’s gonna be a few more releases in the new year and into spring and I’m really excited about that because I’ve been sitting on this for a while and it can take so long for things to actually come together and then the actual release process is another thing. So yeah, I’m hoping that because we approached it thematically, myself and Ror and Mark O’Brien was involved in that. He performs as Royal Yellow, and some other people close to me. They helped me put together the visual stuff with the music, and come up with a central idea which I’d never done before. You know, try to think that deeply about what I’m doing. So hopefully thematically people will see something like that emerge. So there will be a few more of these. I suppose that’s the best way I could put it.”

Stream ‘Looking For You’ below 


Author: Danu