Big Sleep have released their new single, ‘In My Head’. The song is the second single off Big Sleep’s debut EP, ‘Feel Something Someday’ and details the turbulent times of a relationship that stays the course in the hopes of brighter days on the horizon. The track was recorded in the live room of Hell Fire Studios, in the Dublin Mountains in December 2021. James Smith (formerly of Gypsies on the Autobahn, currently J Smith) sound engineered, produced and mixed the tracks. Matteo Poli (drums, percussion), Rónán Connolly (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Aidan Gray (bass guitar), Jacopo (lead guitar) and Jessie Russell (trumpet, Cooks But We’re Chefs) recorded on the single.
Drifting upon a bed of warm guitar and indie/soul soundscapes, ‘In My Head’ is a lush new single from Big Sleep. The band create a sun-kissed laid back tune that flows effortlessly upon vibrant beats while gentle guitar melodies and hazy trumpet flirtations glisten throughout the track’s dreamy atmosphere. Big Sleep’s sound is a joy to listen to. Each track they release is a musical treat to the listener’s ears and ‘In My Head’ follows this trend superbly. The track is a fine display of the band’s expressive musicianship and compelling sound.
Irish indie-pop-rockers modernlove. have released their new single, ‘Islands’.The Drogheda band have also announced details of their brand new EP, ‘Oh My Mind’ EP which is set for release on July 29th on Akira Records (Phoria, Henry Green, Mt. Wolf, Rosie Carney, Shura). It follows the recent announcement of their debut UK and Ireland headline tour which will take place in November this year, including dates at London’s Camden Assembly and Dublin’s Button Factory.
Filled with earnest lyrics, effervescent synths, glittering guitars and slick basslines, ‘Islands’ is an invigorating display of indie pop. modernlove. take a sweet melody laced in melancholic tones and surround it with vibrant soundscapes to create an infectious tune for listeners to enjoy. However, the track deals with heavy subject matter as the lyrics depict the conflicting pressures and aching emotions caused by torn relationships “I don’t know what to say when my brother says is it his? is it hers? are we moving house?”. modernlove. are such an exciting band to listen to. They are masterful storytellers whose powerfully emotive songwriting is encased in upbeat vibrant instrumentation. The result is catchy tunes that pack a punch both lyrically and musically.
About the new single, the band said, “Islands is a classic coming of age story. Trying to cope with the fallout of a family coming apart due to divorce and one’s own romantic relationship coming to an end at the same time. It tells the story of both, blurring them into one at times.
“The song is about the distances between people in their relationships and how for some, it seems too impossible a task to even try to bridge those gaps.
These people are made into “islands” by the oceans they must travel each day to meet and see each other eye to eye.
“The song explores ways people try to deal with this struggle and this loneliness whether it be drink, drugs or sex but in the end it recognises that they are simply in a painful situation that they must accept and let happen as the song ends with the repeated words: “It’s coming apart and I can’t face it, I don’t wanna break down but I can’t take it”.
modernlove. 2022 November UK & Ireland Tour Dates:
The Backseat Lovers performed their debut Irish show, in The Button Factory last Wednesday night as part of Eastbound Dublin. Their show was completely sold out, following two venue upgrades. The Salt Lake City four-piece have had huge streaming success. They independently released, their debut album ‘When We Were Friends’ which smashed through industry ceilings after its 2019 release with 120m+ Spotify streams for the international phenomenon that is their single ‘Kilby Girl’ along with achieving a sold-out, first-ever 48-date US Tour and a Lollapalooza debut last year.
I spoke to Joshua Harmon (vocals/guitars), Jonas Swanson (vocals/guitars), Juice Welch (drums) and KJ Ward (bass) before their show in The Button Factory.
The Backseat Lovers have become known for their sun-kissed indie rock sound. The guitar in particular is an irresistible factor in this band’s songs. The sweet mellow and nimble guitar melodies weave soothing tones through each song, making every track utterly glorious to the ears.
Joshua: “ I think we look at guitar melodies pretty similar to the vocal melodies. They both guide the song and sometimes either/or will come first, especially with our older stuff, some of those songs will revolve around a riff or it would revolve around the melody and the riff would come later. It’s always sort of different”
Though the songs are laid back and melodious there is enough grit to keep each song interesting. ‘Pool House’, is a fine example of this, the song builds to a shredding guitar-heavy crescendo that is just exhilarating and the band explained to me how they crafted the song.
Joshua: “Well, I started writing that song on a classical acoustic guitar at a party somewhere. I guess it’s the morning after a very bad party and I was in Southern California. So it kind of…came from weird, some sort of beachy energy somehow. When we started playing it as a band, it kept that energy. I remember the moment we were in my parent’s basement, we were jamming it and I hadn’t written the chorus yet. It was once we kind of written that chorus we were just jamming it and I just started singing that “wait outside”, just that melody. It wasn’t even any lyrics yet, it was just singing that melody, and it got heavier as we kept jamming it, so it’s naturally the evolution, having a heavier side once it got to the chorus.”
The Backseat Lovers have an intricate sound. They carefully build the tracks to create catchy, light tunes filled with oodles of passion that is enhanced by delicately placed instrumentation. This creates a mature and lush listening experience. I wondered how the band write their songs and if they approached writing like a jamming session or if each member brings bits they have written to each other to work with.
Jonas: “I think that one depends too, a lot of the songs we have out were songs that Josh had written and then brought to us and we all arranged our parts. But as we’ve kept playing together as a band, we’ve started to, write songs more out of just jams or, either me or Josh coming up with a seed of an idea and then bringing that to the band and it growing from there. But there’s lots of different ways. We like to continue to explore new ways too.”
Well crafted and clever lyrical content is an obvious element in each of the band’s songs. Lines such as “Feels like a night to carry a tune, I’ve been carrying yours since you wrecked my room” “So we chase jack with love” from Kilby Girl eloquently express subtle messages and poetic undertones. The band explained to me the effort that goes into coining these lyrical elements and how they don’t feel pressure from outside influences to write poignant lyrical content.
Joshua: ” I feel Jonas and I are the main lyric writers and yeah, we’ve probably spent hours and hours most days churning through lyrics. Sometimes you’re just singing a melody and the lyrics are making their way into the melody in a very natural way in real time and sometimes it’s much more methodical, like trying out different puzzle pieces to fit the rhythm of the song and make a rhyme, and a certain cadence. It’s a combination between the two. It’s really fun, and it’s incredibly frustrating. It’s the best and worst part in my opinion”
Joshua: “ We don’t really feel pressure from outside. I think we have a certain amount of pressure that we create for ourselves. I think, at least for me, when I’m writing a song, it’s so much more.The only reason I’m doing it is to feel like I’m doing something for myself and I’m connecting with myself. When I think of something and it clicks and I’ve been working on it, for a second I feel it click in place. It’s the most satisfying feeling, it’s like Oh, I haven’t done that before, that pushed a little further than I went last time, you know. So that’s where the pressure comes from.”
Jonas: “Sometimes the most satisfying lyrics, feel the most genuine and I feel a connection to, are really simple ones that don’t really have a lot, I guess, super poetic value to it. But because they’re just saying exactly how it is, sometimes that’s even better than something that’s really flowery, I think.”
The Backseat Lovers’ song titles are interesting. They aren’t obvious song titles, they appear random with hints to the lyrics within the song. This adds a new dimension and meaning to the songs. Maple Syrup is a superb example of this. We spoke about what sparked that name for the song.
Joshua: “With the first album there is a strange arrangement of song titles. It’s something that’s fun when you can think of a song.. because naming a song isn’t very fun, generally, in my opinion it’s kind of like the last part, it’s like okaynow we have to name the song. But with those ones, it was really quite fun, because there were certain important backstories behind certain lyrics that only I would know about, that would end up making their way into the song title and Maple Syrup, I wrote about my friend. In the second verse, I’m talking about the purple sweater that he left at my house and he smelled like maple syrup. So that was where that came from.”
The band have been making waves in the music industry independently. With over 120m streams, their UK and Irish run of shows all sold out and they return to the US to support Jack White on his Arena tours. I asked the band if they had any advice for any upcoming independent artists and if we can look forward to their next album soon.
Joshua: “I think, take it with a grain of salt because we don’t know what the hell we are doing. We’ve always understood the reason why we’re making music in the first place. Ask [yourself] that question, then answer it and then act with that as the centre of what you’re doing. If you want to make music to get attention, then you have to know that’s why you’re doing it. But if you’re making music because it fulfils you, and because it’s something that you care about and you want to share it with people and that’s why you’re doing it doesn’t really modify it, essentially, if you’re acting on principles [that are] reasonably good.”
Jonas: “Yeah, we’ve been recording [album] for the last year. We still don’t have a date yet, but it’s getting close.”
Joshua:”Yeah, it’s about done”
The Backseat Lovers are crafting their sound beautifully to create tunes filled with compelling indie rock, wonderful intricate melodies and first-rate musicianship. Their debut album ‘When We Were Friends’ is just a glimpse into the many talents of this band. I’m looking forward to hearing what delicious musical gems they have in store for us with their next release.
Dublin Four-piece Emily 7 have released their new single and fan favourite from live sets ‘Oh Me Oh My’. I spoke to Kyle and Scott Bellow, Daniel Clarke and Brandon Craig about their new single, songwriting and their energetic stage presence.
The last time I spoke with Emily 7 the band was a two-piece consisting of brothers Kyle and Scott Bellow. At that time we discussed the potential of adding more members to the band and I was intrigued to find out what sparked the decision to welcome Daniel Clarke and Brandon Craig into the Emily 7 family.
Scott:“Well, over lockdown myself and Kyle, we really started to look into the production side of things a bit more, looking at it a bit more carefully and looking at the live sound at the time wasn’t half as, I suppose, good as it could be. We knew both Daniel and Brandon. I knew Brandon through college and we knew Daniel from gigging in the past together and just being on the scene. We always got on, we just made the decision to go from two to four, what was the worst that could have happened you know, and we’re happy we did”
The addition of two new members has given the band the ability to expand and evolve their sound to create rich diverse tunes and dynamic live performances.
Daniel: “Yeah, the sound definitely changed a lot just because it was like the two boys to begin with. So when me and Brandon came in we were like, what else can we do because the songs are already class to begin with. It was just supporting the arrangement bit that was their big thing.”
Brandon: “Yeah broadening the harmonic structure as well along with filling out the sound especially in recording and we looked to adding more instruments as well in the recording.”
Daniel: “Yeah I think in ‘Oh Me Oh My’ we have a piano. We’re changing constantly, seeing what we can do better and what we can add. It is the four brains thinking there and we all have different influences. It’s like, oh, what can I put in.”
Brandon: “We gel it together as well with our own unique styles and it blends you know. “
Daniel: “ It oddly works.”
Writing songs as part of Emily 7 is a collaborative process. Each member brings their strengths and styles into the rehearsal room and the result is a melting pot of shredding guitar, resounding drums, catchy melodies and a plethora of indie rock goodness.
Kyle: “I suppose the four of us would have our own ideas individually. Then we just bring them to the rehearsal and flesh it out from there. The odd time, we could come in with fully formed songs or whatever, but more often than not it’s bringing in the bare-bones structure to see what as a collective piece we can add to the song to make it the type of song we’d be happy to put out.”
Emily 7 have released their new single ‘Oh Me Oh My’. It’s a catchy tune that pivots around indie guitar hooks and buoyant rhythms which translate well in the recording. The song depicts the feelings of regret the day after a night out and the lyrics slowly reveal the memories of the protagonist as the song progresses.
Kyle: “That song in particular came very quick. Some songs you can find yourself gruelling over for a long period of time but fortunately that was very quick. From the initial writing of the song compared to the version we released, it’s completely different. When we were in the studio recording it, as Daniel mentioned, there was the four of our brains bouncing off each other. As the lads mentioned, there’s a piano in the final recording which was just one of them spur of the moment ideas and the backing vocals as well because that’s something we’ve never really experimented with before. It was just on the fly in the studio. So, it went through some development, from the initial song to what we came out with but we’re very happy with how it turned out in the end.”
Kyle and Daniel share main vocals on some of Emily 7’s songs providing a refreshing listening experience throughout their tunes. We discussed how they share out the different vocal parts and if they write songs with the other in mind for the vocal.
Daniel: “ It kind of just comes when I write the song. I’m like, oh, I won’t be able to sing this so I’ll ask Kyle to do it, type thing. It’s just something that clicks. I just know Kyle’s voice. So it’s like, oh, he’ll sound like he has more meaning when he’s saying this, as opposed to me.”
Kyle: “Yeah, If I bring the idea of a song in, I’ll end up singing it or vice versa if Daniel brings something in and I suppose just going from there and just figuring out the arrangements and then help to flesh it out and make it into the fully finished song that we’d like. It’s just something that happens naturally.”
“There’s a handful of songs I suppose where Daniel comes in with a song, he’ll sing the verse, I might do the chorus or vice versa and then I suppose thinking about the backing vocals and such but there’s no power struggles.”
Emily 7 exude swagger and energy on stage. From suave guitar poses or standing on the drum stool to effortless banter with the crowd, the band appear to have a tight and flawless stage persona. For a young band, they know how to put on a show and get the crowd moshing in a manic frenzy.
Scott: “To be honest, it is completely on the fly. It really does come from the crowd’s energy. Every gig is different. Every gig is unique. We don’t work off a script or even on some nights we will decide to play a certain song that hasn’t been in our set in a good while. It really does depend on the crowd, the venue and the gig and just really how we’re feeling I suppose. We put more focus into creating good music because that’s really what it’s about at the end of the day it’s not about a swagger really as such. We’re there to create good music and if the swagger comes along with that so be it. If people enjoy it, they enjoy it, if not f*ck off.”
‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a great track live. I have seen Emily 7 live a few times and this particular song is a hit with their fans and the crowd seem to love bellowing back the lyrics.
Scott: “Yeah, well, for me personally I don’t write many of the lyrics but I see a lot of these tracks when they are just general ideas and we’re bouncing them around in the studio. When you work on something for a long time and then, you notice that other people are getting enjoyment out of it, it’s great. I think it’s the best feeling in the world. You can only keep these things secret for so long and you have to let it out to other people. I think I speak for the rest of the band as well there are some songs that I think we personally don’t even like ourselves. However, other people have gotten enjoyment out of it and I think that really is the main thing, to be honest.”
Daniel: “Yeah for me and Kyle [we] definitely have where it’s like, oh, I wrote this in my bedroom, and you’re like playing the venue and people are enjoying it.”
I wondered if it was the live reaction to the song that made the band release ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ as their next single.
Kyle: “We released a couple of tracks last year and any time we played that song people seemed to like it even if it wasn’t necessarily a gig like if we were in rehearsals, and some of our friends were with us they always seem to like that song so when it got around to recording the next single it was a no brainer really, considering other people liked [it] anytime we played it live. Hopefully, people like the recording as much as they like it live.”
Brandon: “ I’ve seen people singing it live before it was released as well. It wasso easy to catch on to as well, but a lot of people, even that we knew personally as well they would be listening to the song and you’ll hear them singing along in the rehearsal as well.”
The four-piece are a young band making their imprint on the music industry with people like Liam Gallagher giving them a shoutout and brand endorsements from Fred Perry and Dr. Martens as well as playing their own sell-out headline shows in Whelan’s, The Workmans and The Grand Social. From their experience so far the band had some advice for a budding young band trying to make a name for themselves.
Scott: “To be honest, getting involved with other people is the main thing anddon’t be too close to yourself. You really need to be willing and open to other ideas, collaborating with other people and communication is the main thing but just work really hard. I think that the decision I made years ago to start playing drums was probably the best decision. I’ve met some friends that I’ll know for the rest of my life. I’ve been in some wacky places and stuff. It’s not a choice that you’d regret. Give it your all and just enjoy what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“I’ve made the choice now that I’m not going to be a bank manager in a coupleof years. I just enjoy what I’m doing and the only reason someone would say don’t do it or anything they’ve obviously not tried it or experienced it themselves you know. I’m 19 and the stuff that we’ve done so far, I’m very proud of and I don’t think there is a lot of people this age that do stuff like that. I don’t think there’s a lot of people enjoying themselves this much in that sense. I’m really having the time of my life really. I love this band, I love gigging, I love releasing music it’s all great. It all just works out. It’s brilliant.”
Emily 7 have some exciting few months ahead and the quartet told me what is next on their plan for world domination
Scott; “ Well we will start with Dublin then the world. We will be playing This Is It Festival in The Grand Social on June 2nd and we’re also supporting THE K’S in The Workman’s Club on the 21st of May. So yeah we will be releasing more tracks, a collection of tracks, an EP at the end of the year. They’re really good tracks. I think in the past we’ve been patient to say the least in terms of releasing music. Yeah, we’ve been spending a lot of time rehearsing and, writing in the studio and we have a lot of new sounds and new ideas. But until then, you can catch us supporting THE K’S in The Workman’s Club on the 21st of May and playing at This Is It Festival in The Grand Social on June 2nd.”
Emily 7 are a hard-working and dynamic band who lace their songs with effervescent indie rock and oodles of talent. ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a fine example of this. The track is filled with jaunty guitars, a bustling bass and drum foundation and warm vocals. ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a satisfying new tune to indulge in again and again.
Mark Daly & The Ravens have recently released their new single ‘Gotta Run’. From performing at the MTV EMA Awards with The Voodoos, hitting #1 on the Scottish New Music charts with his Autism Awareness charity solo single ‘Your World’ to his songwriting work with Geoff Tate-led supergroup, Operation: Mindcrime; and recently performing on the Monsters of Rock Cruise 2022 alongside the likes of Alice Cooper, Buckcherry and more, Irish Rock musician Mark Daly’s career has been as varied as it has been exhilarating. His last single, ‘Don’t Look Back’, was the first with a new line-up of like-minded musicians that joined him to create Mark Daly & The Ravens. In the summer of 2021, Mark teamed up with Avantasia guitarist and world-renowned producer Sascha Paeth to begin work on a brand new Hard Rock album called ‘Peace in the Panic’ which is set for a release this year.
‘Gotta Run’ is a fiery, swagger-filled tune that boasts the colossal rock sound of Mark Daly & The Ravens. The band take a brawny drum foundation and douse kinetic guitars, riveting bass lines and blues sprinkled panache on top to create a tune that is a glorious assault on the senses. The song is well crafted as the band blend classic rock elements with earworm melodies to create that big arena rock sing-along before the song unfolds into a swirling frenzy for the manic crescendo. With rasped vocals and dynamic energy pulsing throughout ‘Gotta Run’ is a satisfying rock stomper that displays the magnificent sound of Mark Daly & The Ravens.
Breakout Irish rockers N.O.A.H have released their new single ‘The Way We Are Told’.This new single follows the highly regarded debut EP Echoes of the Night, which features collaborations with the likes of the Irish hip hop duo, Hare Squead as well as New Orleans style brass band Booka Brass. The EP was produced by the Grammy-Winning Ruadhri Cushnan in Camden Studios and mastered by John Davis of Metropolis studios London. With word spreading fast and the ever-growing press, N.O.A.H signed with Natasha Bents’ newly founded Mother Artists Live Agency (Foster The People, Idles, CMAT). The band even made their first TV appearance on RTÉ Six One News to talk about their story and quick rise within the industry.
Laced in passionate melodies and cinematic instrumentation, ‘The Way We Are Told’ boasts the mesmerising sound of N.O.A.H. The band surge warm Americana rock over a bubbling indie backdrop of sharp guitars, rippling drums and 80’s – esque synths to create a gripping listening experience. N.O.A.H’s sonically lush sound is boundless and boasts an array of genres and tantalizing textures for listeners to indulge in. On each subsequent listen the track’s lush soundscape reveals little musical gems throughout from emotive musicianship to compelling songwriting. ‘The Way We Are Told’ is an excellent example of fine musicianship; the production, arrangement, lyrics and vocals all blend together spectacularly. N.O.A.H is an exciting and immensely talented band to keep an eye on.
Dublin’s newest indie-pop band, St Francis have released their new single ‘These Days’.The Dublin four-piece are graduates from BIMM Institute, giving them a huge head start in highlevel live performances and musical sensibilities.So far, the band have released their well-received debut single ‘Over & Over’, which has set the table for These Days to take them to the next level. No strangers to the live scene, St. Francis are booking shows for the rest of the year. The band are just off the back of their pre-release shows at The Grand Social and The Workmans’ Cellar and will soon be announcing more gigs for the upcoming months
‘These Days’ is a luscious guzzle of indie-pop that displays the energetic and irresistible sound of St Francis. The band create a lustrous soundscape of bright guitars, buoyant rhythms and driving bass lines while shimmering synths chime in the background. It’s a heartfelt tune saturated in earworm melodies as the band discuss the complexities of relationships through refined musicianship and expressive songwriting. ‘These Days’ is a joy to listen to and beckons repeat plays, and is a fine example of the exciting sound of St Francis. Looking forward to hearing more from this talented band.
On These Days, frontman Will Ryan said: “These Days is an important song for us, not just because of the meaning and arrangement, but because it was the first time we got to be a band in the studio. Forming just before the pandemic meant we had to wait a little longer to really show what St. Francis is about, and we can’t wait for people to finally hear that”.
Irish indie-rock outfit modernlove. have released their new single ‘Don’t Wanna’ through Akira Records (Phoria, Henry Green, Mt. Wolf, Rosie Carney, Shura).modernlove. are showcasing a more comfortable, confident sound with each release – the result is riveting tunes that balance gritty indie elements with pop sensibilities and immaculate production. ‘Don’t Wanna’ is a glorious example of this. The song travels along a jaunty backdrop of shimmering synths that pivots around a tight and irresistibly funky bass groove. Each rhythmic pulse and guitar stride is deftly used to deliver a tune that is sleek, expressive and radiates youthful energy. The track beckons repeat plays and is an excellent showcase of the boundless musical talent this four-piece has to offer. Boasting an infectious pop sprinkled melody, velvety vocals and a swaggering 80’s-esque guitar solo; ‘Don’t Wanna’ is a musical delight from modernlove.
Neon Atlas have released ‘Your Mistakes Have Got Nothing On Mine’ – the first single from their upcoming, as yet untitled, 3rd album. This radiant indie-pop tune is saturated in jangly guitar and buoyant rhythms as Neon Atlas flesh out the more raw side of their sound. With lo-fi soundscapes providing a haze over the track, the band create a sunkissed atmosphere while edgy guitar and rich percussion lace the song in scorching indie undertones and grunge elements. Well-crafted, catchy and brimming with energetic instrumentation ‘Your Mistakes Have Got Nothing On Mine’ is a fantastic new single from Neon Atlas.
Stream ’Your Mistakes Have Got Nothing On Mine’ below
Post-punk band, Chalk have released their debut single ‘Them’. Chalk is an Irish band based in Belfast. After meeting at film school, the band was quickly established during the summer of 2019. Chalk’s songwriting is image-driven, influenced by their filmmaking roots. Their visual style (as seen in their self-made music videos) interweaves with their sound in an evocative fashion. Their debut single, ‘Them’, was recorded with producer Chris Ryan (SORBET, Robocobra Quartet), known for his work with Irish acts Just Mustard and NewDad.
‘Them’ is a beast of a track that showcases the raucous and enthralling sound of Chalk. Filled with dance beats and catchy bass hooks the verses brood within dark eerie soundscapes before erupting into a battering instrumental assault for the chorus while spoken word vocals spit enigmatic lyrics with sinister venom; “Your shape cries and bends through me “. The vocals venture from whispered nonchalant tones to fierce wails and exclaims as the song builds to its manic rave-like crescendo. ‘Them’ is an utterly thrilling experience, the listener is treated to many musical gems on each subsequent listen from deft production to lush textures and evocative lyrics. Chalk are an exciting new addition to the post-punk scene. Keep an eye on this band.
Stream ‘Them’ below
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Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
