Formed in 2022 and headed up by Evan Walsh (former drummer with The Strypes) The Savage Hearts have made several exciting appearances on the Irish scene including sets at Electric Picnic (2022 & 2023), Sea Sessions, Kaleidoscope and others. The band have performed support slots including a notable appearance as special guests of The Boomtown Rats in July 2023 (Evan later joined the Rats onstage for a jam of Mary Of The 4th Form and John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom). The band have now released their first single ‘Gang War’(co-authored with Ste Kelly of Dublin’s own indie powerhouse Raglans). The track is released in collaboration with Galway-based Blowtorch Records, an Irish indie record label whose previous credits include Adore, Turnstiles, Search Results, TV People and The Swedish Railway Orchestra.
‘Gang War’ is a top-notch record. It is a thrilling concoction of garage rock, psychedelia and gritty rock and is an intriguing glimpse into the exciting potential of this band. The song opens on slinky keys, and sleazy howls on guitar while the drums stomp throughout; laying down a swaggering foundation that complements the 60’s psychedelic element on keys. With blasts of harmonica injecting a warm tone; the band create a prism of sounds that is both dazzling and tantalizing to the ears. ‘Gang War’ is an exciting new release from The Savage Hearts. Keep an eye on these guys.
Hawke The Band have released their new single, ‘If I Made The World’. Hawke The Band was formed in 2018 by two friends in the shadow of the world-famous Guinness Brewery (in the south of the city) and features Richie Power (vocals/keyboards) and Eoghan MacMahon (vocals/guitar). Irish rock legends Aslan quickly declared themselves major fans, with frontman Christy Dignam proclaiming Hawke The Band “the next big thing” to emerge from a country that consistently punches above its weight in terms of quality music.
‘If I Made The World’ showcases an emotional and tender side to Hawke The Band. The lyrics were inspired by “the outlook of a homeless man who Richie bumped into after a night out in Dublin. He illustrated how the world would look if he was the one in charge. His optimistic, idealistic and selfless imagination in contrast with his bleak reality was a message we tried to convey in this track.” The band express this message wonderfully through poignant lyrics and uplifting soundscapes. With warm guitar gliding between soft vocals and emotive tones, ‘If I Made The World’ is a moving beautiful song. The band build the instrumentation to create a cinematic effect that is thrilling making for a wholesome tune and a glorious listening experience.
Breakout Irish indie rock band N.O.A.H have released their blistering new single ‘Something To Believe In’.The track follows the recent single ‘Sour Kiss’ which received more than 500 plays across Irish/UK and International radio and reached #2 on the Amazing Radio Charts.
Boasting crisp production and expressive melodies; ‘Something To Believe In’ is a time-stopping listen.The band take icy guitar lines and weave them between driving bass and powerful drums to create the perfect balance between hauntingly cold and vibrant edgy indie. This song is superbly crafted. It ebbs and flows with subtle textures of shimmering synths and heavy rock riffs while Ryan’s sweet falsetto glissades upon a chilling melody that at times cools the fiery instrumental outbursts. Well balanced and laced in N.O.A.H’s superb brand of effervescent musianship ‘Something To Believe In’ is an exciting addition to their fantastic catalogue
About the track the band said: “We love the fact we can mash our heavier rock influences with our pop-rock melodies and indie guitars. It feels like we are pushing ourselves and our sound.
This is the most authentic we’ve ever sounded, it’s the type of song we’ve always wanted to make. We were inspired by bands like Nothing But Thieves, Bring Me The Horizon and Fontaines DC”
Soda Blonde have announced their new album and tour dates with lead single ‘Bad Machine’, out 14th July.The new album ‘Dream Big’ is out on 8th September 2023. Tickets go on sale Monday 17th at 10am GMT for Soda Blonde’s November ‘Dream Big’ tour. Available at www.sodablonde.com. Following two successful introductory EPs (2019’s “Terrible Hands” and 2020’s “Isolation Content”), they 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. The band have grown tremendously in the two years since their debut, and it shows. Whereas “Small Talk” was an anxiety-fuelled coming-of-age record about navigating their twenties, “Dream Big” is a mature awakening to the world at large; one that dives deeper and hits harder than its predecessor.
‘Bad Machine’ pulses with intoxicating raw energy, and the cool suaveness Soda Blonde are becoming known for. Instantly the band hit you with a jagged sharp guitar hook and a dominant almost spoken vocal delivery before the song opens into a pop-sprinkled chorus that is embellished with scratchy guitar, dark synths and sticky beat slaps. The eerie tones are mirrored within the eloquent lyrics ‘’every part of me is a bad machine breaking everything all the time, every part of me has been wired to repeat, I’ve got a bad desire by design’’ and enhanced by shadowy hypnotic keys, whining guitar moments, and intoxicating bass. Soda Blonde weave together soft disco elements with sharp indie rock to create a single that showcases this band’s sonic wizardry in all its glory. If ‘Bad Machine’ is anything to go by then the new album looks very promising.
About the track, Adam O’Regan said: “We can be slaves to our own impulses, it’s this idea of recognizing that this is just a part of who you are and going with that; but it’s a double- edged sword. Sometimes taking a chance, being spontaneous and taking a risk – they’re not always the safest moves to make, but that propensity to dare is what makes us great. We wouldn’t exist without it.”
N.O.A.H, the breakout Irish indie rock band have released their highly anticipated new single ‘Sour Kiss’.’Sour Kiss’ is a poignant and introspective exploration of a toxic relationship, delving into themes of deception, emotional pain, and the transient nature of happiness. Formed by lifelong friends Ryan Hill, Adam Rooney, and Ronan Hynes in January 2020, N.O.A.H emerged amidst the global pandemic, symbolising a fresh beginning and the determination to make their voices heard. With their debut single, “Shine,” released in September 2020, N.O.A.H garnered significant attention from music critics and fans alike. They quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, gaining airplay on prominent Irish radio stations and even recording an exclusive acoustic rendition of “Shine” for BBC5 Live’s Laura Whitmore. Following their successful debut, N.O.A.H continued to make waves in the music scene. Their debut EP, “Echoes of the Night,” produced by Grammy-winning Ruadhri Cushnan, showcased their dynamic sound and garnered international acclaim, transcending genres and captivating listeners far and wide. The band solidified their presence in the UK music scene with regional radio play and a thrilling live performance on CBBC’s ‘Saturday Mashup.
Boasting driving indie elements, glorious melodies and expressive songwriting ‘Sour Kiss’ is a thrilling new tune from N.O.A.H. There is much to admire about this track. Tension simmers through the verses as Hill’s expressive vocals aptly convey the emotional turmoil of a toxic relationship while buoyant drums, bubbling bass and jagged guitars complement the lyrics wonderfully before the chorus erupts with the band’s enigmatic energy. An intriguing aspect of the track is the twinkling keys which inject a refreshing ethereal tone between the consuming and intoxicating wall of sound and gives the listener a sense of hope throughout the tune.
N.O.A.H are getting better and more exciting with each musical release. Their sound is simply captivating and ‘Sour Kiss’ is a fine example of this.
Blood Donor (the solo project of ex-Otherkin frontman Luke Reilly) returns with his debut four-track EP named after his new single, ‘Baby No More’. ‘Baby No More’ EP includes previous singles ‘Lonely Street’ and ‘Man, What Have You Done?’.His releases to date have drawn press acclaim and enjoyed considerable radio play, having been named a ‘Future Artist’ by BBC Radio One’s Jack Saunders and received rotation on RTÉ 2FM, Today FM and FM104.
‘Baby No More’ is an exciting blend of lush melodies and exquisite songwriting from Blood Donor. Wrapped in warm shoegaze melodies, balmy guitar and driving rhythms this EP is a consuming listening experience from start to finish.
‘Baby No More’ sets the EP in motion with sunkissed tones and irresistible soundscapes. The track plays like a daydream enhanced by shimmering synths, soft guitar twinkles and a sweet melody while Reilly’s vocals venture between warm rasps and falsetto coos. The song is a wonderful piece of music and perfectly sets the scene for the western-esque tones of ‘Lonely Street’ and woozy vibes of ‘Waking Up In The Emergency Room’ that follow.
An exciting musical element within this EP is Reilly’s use of synths. The artist’s ability to create expressive and evocative moments is admirable and the addition of synth elements wonderfully lifts the soundscapes to exciting heights. The EP is not the banging indie rock sound fans might have expected from the artist instead Reilly gives us expressive soundscapes filled with emotion, texture and movement that exude a timeless quality within. Sure, it’s filled with fiery guitar moments, pounding drums and beautiful psychedelic moments but these are balanced with elements of jazz and do-wop tones, glittering synth embellishment and sweet as-taffy melodies.
‘Baby No More’ is an absolute treat to listener’s ears.
INHALER have released their eagerly awaited second album ‘Cuts & Bruises’ on Polydor Records. Produced by Inhaler’s long-term collaborator Antony Genn, ‘Cuts & Bruises’ features 11 tracks including recent single ‘If You’re Gonna Break My Heart’ as well as the uplifting ‘Love Will Get You There’ and last summer’s euphoric anthem ‘These Are The Days’. Following a prolonged period of touring, INHALER’s sophomore album began to take shape over Christmas 2021 in The Nunnery, their rehearsal space in hometown Dublin, with the four band members – vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon – writing and rehearsing a clutch of new songs.’Cuts & Bruises’ is the follow-up to Inhaler’s debut album ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ which debuted at no.1 in both the UK & Irish Official Charts. Released in July 2021, ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ became the fastest-selling debut album on vinyl by any band this century and saw Inhaler become the first Irish group to top the Album Charts with a debut in 13 years.
Tastefully blended with various genres and musical elements ‘Cuts & Bruises’ is a treasure trove of engaging indie tracks. This album is the product of a band acutely aware of their place in the music scene. It is clear that with ‘Cuts & Bruises’, INHALER are confident to display their musical growth while staying true to themselves and they achieve this perfectly.
Filled with sharp guitar licks, driving rhythms and baselines each track rushes with the irresistible sound INHALER have become known for. From the get-go the band grab the listener’s attention with a catchy guitar hook, and hazy melody from ‘Just To Keep You Satisfied’. The track is an impressive start and beckons repeat plays before moving through the rest of the album. As the album progresses INHALER flesh out their sound and showcase other facets of their musicianship. ‘Love Will Get You There’ chugs with a western-esque undertone while ‘These Are The Days’ boasts raw indie rock swagger.
Amongst the fresh stadium bangers, the band sprinkle a healthy serving of brooding ballads throughout the album. A fine example of this is ‘If You’re Gonna Break My Heart’. The track contains wonderfully expressive jazzy keys that chime behind Hewson’s velvety vocals as he croons, “if your gonna break my heart smash it to pieces, ’cause I’m not gonna need it, as much as I do right now”. Another noteworthy ballad is the melancholic ‘Valentine’. This beautiful song surges with heartfelt yearning while a bubbling beat and chiming guitars complement an acoustic refrain and Hewson’s tender coo’s.
The slower more gentle tunes on the album are welcome interludes between the band’s more anthemic work, simply because we get to truly appreciate another aspect of this young band’s music; the lyrics and the emotive musical accompaniment each four members use to enhance the poetic elements to their sound. It’s an exciting experience to hear this part of the band’s music come to the fore through tracks such as ‘Valentine’ that display the meticulous amount of effort the four-piece put into this facet of their musicianship.
‘Cuts & Bruises’ presents a band who’ve grown exponentially in the last two years, both musically and lyrically, but still boasts plenty of pit-opening choruses, refined musicianship and oodles of youthful adrenaline.
About the album the band said: “It was just the four of us jamming in the live room and trying to come up with ideas on the spot,” says Keating. “Playing live for a few months beforehand really helped shape what kind of direction we wanted to take it in.”
“The subject matters of the songs are still all about coming-of-age stuff – the standard stuff you write when you’re a teenager,” adds Hewson, the band’s principal lyricist. “But it also became a little bit more about being in a band. These songs are less about the world around us, and more about what’s going on inside Inhaler.”
Irish indie band modernlove. have released their new alt-pop banger ‘Only Ever Only You’ ahead of their debut US Tour in March. modernlove.’s previous single ‘Ruin Your Night’ boosted the Irish alt-rock quartet’s growing fame, adding airplay from Gemma Bradley at BBC Radio 1 Introducing and John Kennedy at Radio X to previous support from Jack Saunders BBC Radio 1.
Boasting a frenetic wall of sound that surges with effervescent synths, bright guitars and pummeling drums ‘Only Ever Only You’ is a vibrant indie, pop-punk track from modernlove. This band are growing their sound superbly while still maintaining the raw indie charm that has always been at the centre of their songs. The lyrics rush with urgency over the bubbling instrumentation while telling the story of realising that “the object of your desire isn’t as infatuated as you are.” The track is an exciting piece of expressive musicianship from the band filled with driving bass lines, pounding rhythms and an irresistible refrain that sparks images of mass sing-alongs at a live show. ‘Only Ever Only You’is simply glorious.
The band commented, “‘Only Ever Only You’ chronicles the breaking down of communication in a relationship. It’s about being in love when it’s too late and trying to communicate with someone who has moved on and simply isn’t there anymore. It’s probably the most sincere and direct we’ve been as a band in a song and the music speaks to that. We’ve taken from our early inspirations and gone straight up pop punk on this track.”
Irish Five-piece indie rock band, Kill ‘Em Charlie have released their new single ‘Local High Roller’. The band consists of Eoghan McGuigan (Vocals/Guitar), Alex Sheehan (Backing vocals, Guitar), Patrick Kirwan (Guitar), George Broadbank (backing vocals, Guitar) and Damon Walsh (Drums). Since forming, the band have played shows in Cyprus Avenue in Cork, Dublin’s Whelans and Valley of Arts Festival in Tipperary.
‘Local High Roller’ is a fun energetic track that showcases Kill ‘Em Charlie’s youthful indie sound. The song steamrolls in on frantic guitar riffs, rampant bass lines and powerful drumming to create a frenzied wall of sound that is sure to be epic live. With a catchy melody, shredding guitar outbursts and hyper instrumentation ‘Local High Roller’ is an impressive banger. This band are developing their sound superbly as they blend their impressive musicianship with oodles of swagger and rock n roll panache.
On the background of the song, the band state: “The track came about one evening while we were practising. Eoghan started playing the main guitar line and everyone joined in what they felt was right for the song. We knew from the get-go that it would be an energetic song so we tried to stick to that vibe. By the end of practice, we had the first draft of the music for the song which has not changed much since. Eoghan then went away and wrote the lyrics and vocal melodies, getting inspiration from our own experiences as we mentioned above. Once the lyrics were done it was just a case of melding both together and the outcome was the song ‘Local High Roller’ as you hear it now.”
“The song was recorded at Claycastle, Youghal by producer Triss. It was our first time recording in this studio and Triss’ energy matched us incredibly well and he knew exactly what our vision for the song/EP was. Our old band member, Gavin Murray, was the mixing maestro for this song and EP. We previously worked with Gavin on our previous single ‘Hazey’ and, as Gavin used to be a former member, he really understands how we wanted the songs to sound. We could not be happier with the result of both the recording and mixing. Finally, the songs were mastered by Fergal Davis who has mastered most of our previous material so we also have a good trusting relationship with him.”
The Neon Cars have released their new single ‘Hold Onto It’.The Neon Cars are a four-piece Indie Rock band from Cork, Ireland. The band consists of Kevin O’Brien (Lead Vocals), Brendan Mckee (Drums), David Forrester (Bass) and Eric O’Sullivan (Lead Guitar). To date, the group have performed across Ireland and the UK, playing several headline shows and festival appearances, including Indiependence music and arts festival, sold-out shows in Record room Limerick, Fred Zeppelins Cork, Walsh’s Bar Mitchelstown and many more.
Bursting with energy and oodles of indie rock goodness ‘Hold Onto It’ is an infectious new anthem from The Neon Cars. The band take a punchy drum foundation and lathers it in chiming guitars, driving bass lines and warm saxophone blasts. The track travels on a hazy nostalgic melody while the bright instrumentation maintains ethereal tones throughout. With a massive sing-along chorus and a dynamic indie rock wall of sound ‘Hold Onto It’ is a glorious new tune from The Neon Cars.
About the track, Kevin said: “In times like this we don’t know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. It’s a puzzle. You feel like giving up hope sometimes. Why am I doing this? What’s the point? They were the thoughts running around my head. Being in lockdown really made me think and I wasn’t going to let my thoughts get the better of me. I got to hold on to my dreams”.
Stream ‘Hold Onto It’ Below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
