Arthur Valentine has released his latest single, ‘Dream About You’, the lead single from his forthcoming debut EP, ‘Splitscreen’.
‘Dream About You’ blends Arthur Valentine’s luscious alternative pop with bubbling R&B and hip hop elements to create a cohesive, mellow, and infectious number for listeners to indulge in. The song maintains a sunkissed dreamy soundscape throughout filled with woozy synths and bright glistening indie guitar. As the track progresses sticky beats are added into the mix to flesh out the song’s expansive sonic sound.
Valentine layers the backdrop in thick hip hop beats and rippling bass and contrasts this with a wistful melody. The wispy, light texture of the melody immerses the song in a carefree, laid-back tone as Valentine displays his tight and ambitious production skills. Valentine’s soulful vocals ooze tenderness throughout as his laid back tone and the care-free instrumental backdrop gently paces the listener into the songs hypnotic crescendo.
‘Dream About You’ is an irresistible gem and a fine display of Valentine’s cool musicianship. His alternative pop aches with sincerity over sugary arrangements and deft production. There is a compelling and soothing effect to Valentine’s songs and ‘Dream About You’ follows this trend superbly. Arthur Valentine is an artist to treasure.
Almost a year after the release of his debut single ‘My Father’s Clouds’, Tadhg Williams returns with his second release ‘The Hope Song’ – a reflection on a trans-Atlantic relationship he experienced as he began to experiment with writing songs.
‘The Hope Song’ is a heartwarming number as Tadhg Williams displays his poetic and reflective lyrics over a beautiful melody and elegant instrumentation. The track floats upon a warm indie folk tone as soothing guitars, steady rhythms, and icy keys create a richly textured foundation. Williams fleshes out his honest songwriting by utilising poetic lyrics to create beautiful imagery and a sweet sense of nostalgia and innocence “these droplets of moments better not melt too fast.”
‘The Hope Song’ is a wonderful example of Williams’ compelling musicianship and sublime songwriting. Exuding supple cinematic builds through catchy melodies and heart-stopping arrangements ‘The Hope Song’ is an earnest, and tender new single from Tadhg Williams.
West Cork singer-songwriter, Míde Houlihan (pronounced ‘Mee-dah’) has released her new single, ‘Without Me’.This is the first single from Míde in 2021, following on from the success of her 2020 offering, ‘Idle Words’, which was co-written with Mick Flannery. ‘Without Me’ which is released on Cork’s Unemployable Records, is taken from the EP, “Shifting Gears”, and was recorded by Christian Best in Monique Studios, Cork. Míde and band closed out 2020 with an appearance at the online incarnation of the Liverpool Irish Festival, adding to past performances at the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival, The ExChange (Hosted by Folk Alliance International), Quiet Lights, and many more.
‘Without Me’ is a heartfelt number brimming with the emotive songwriting of Míde Houlihan. This melancholic slow burner is a well-crafted, tender tear-jerker. The track floats upon a bed of delicate instrumentation filled with country folk tones blended between smooth pop sensibilities.
Míde paints beautiful images with her poetic painful lyrics
–“feeding off our memories while you explore the seven seas without me”–
while injecting a sense of poignancy through the use of sombre tones. The sadness is greatly enhanced by Míde’s sincere and expressive vocal delivery which is backed by soft, innocent keys, steady beats, and sweet guitar laments.
‘Without Me’ is a captivating new single from Míde Houlihan. The track is a wonderful example of Míde’s musical talent. Simply divine.
Fears has released details of the highly anticipated upcoming album ‘Oíche’. The album is due for release Friday, 7th May 2021. To celebrate, Fears has released her new track ‘vines’. This is the second single released from ‘Oíche.’ Fears’ first single ‘tonnta’ received staggering support on radio in Ireland and Internationally with plays on KCRW, NTS, Triple R in Australia, Tom Ravenscroft at BBC6 Music, added to RTÉ Radio 1 playlist, added to BBC Radio Ulster playlist. Support also came from RTÉ 2FM, Newstalk, Play Irish, Cork’s 96FM, Flirt FM, RTÉ 2XM, 98FM, KCLR 96FM, Raidió Na Life, Near FM, West Limerick 102 FM.
‘vines’ ripples and pulses with the mysterious and enchanting sound of Fears. With tribal distant beats, palpitating between wispy haunting electronics, Fears creates an eerie and expansive soundscape for the listener to indulge in.
An intriguing aspect of ‘vines’ is the hypnotic effect it has on the listener: the dark tones and clean production draws you in, lulling you into a soothing, dream-like state. Fears has a unique and consuming style that builds upon layers of delicate melodies which in this case creates an ethereal yet muggy quality to the song. Fears’ pristine vocals anchor the listener within while cooing a melancholic melody that exudes a sweet sense of innocence and vulnerability. However, the listener is made aware of darker elements in the track. The soundscape quickly becomes ominous, heavy, and suffocating and the distant tribal beats become agitated and express a sense of panic which greatly enhances the message within the lyrics.
Depicting frustration, at times anger, and moments of clarity within confusion the lyrics give the listener a keyhole glimpse into the artist’s mind and emotions at the time.
– “I don’t wanna live my life like this” ….. “I dug that hole I buried those seeds, Now they’ve grown to fully fledged vines” –
The sincerity and poetic delivery in each lyric is powerfully evocative, hits hard, and carries such emotional weight it sets the pace and tone of the track.
‘vines’ is a superbly evocative number that boasts the enthralling and captivating musicianship of Fears. The track is such an enjoyable listening experience and is a mesmerising display of musical skill from Fears. The artist is certainly one to keep an eye on. Fears’ music keeps getting better and better with each release. Looking forward to the upcoming album ‘Oíche’.
About the track Fears says : “This track was written before a breakdown. It chronicles a stage where one blames themselves and sees that it is only them that is the problem in a situation. Listening back, I hear myself drowning in confusion as to why I can’t control my feelings and want to shed those thought patterns.”
Dublin trio N.O.A.H have released their new single ‘Darkest Hour’. I caught up with drummer Ronan Hynes to chat about the new single, their collaboration with Booka Brass, and how they create their energetic sound.
N.O.A.H. have taken their time releasing their sophomore single, letting their anthemic debut single ‘Shine’ breathe a little while keeping us all in suspense as to what we can expect next.
“Initially, we were hoping to have the track out by January but obviously as soon as Christmas time was over and we went back into a longer period of lockdown we felt that it wasn’t the right time, that it would probably get drowned out by all of the news and negativity.So we decided that we’d hold off for a few weeks and see if that would have any effect and thankfully, it’s worked out in our favor. We released this at the very start of February instead of January and it’s been received quite well at the moment so we’re really happy with that”
‘Shine’ received extensive airplay across national and regional radio and was featured as 2FM’s Breakfast with Doireann & Eoghan’s Track of the Week – alongside N.O.A.H making their international debut with a featured live performance on Laura Whitmore’s BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast show. During a difficult time for musicians, the band managed to create a fantastic number to charm all our hearts. The band collaborated with Booka Brass for their new single, ‘Darkest Hour’. The collaboration elevates the song to new heights and adds a new dimension to N.O.A.H’s already dynamic sound.
“It’s amazing when you actually think about it. It’s certainly something that we don’t think about enough. It’s very easy to get lost in these times, and expect things to be like they used to be but it’s nice to take a step back every now and then and see what we have achieved with the obstacles that have been in our way. To be honest, we thought ‘Shine’ was a great song, but we weren’t expecting the positivity that it got during such a negative time, then we were thinking, how do we beat ‘Shine’ or what comes next. I suppose we went with a different direction this time. We wanted to give our rock roots a bit more freedom than the more commercial pop side of things and we were delighted to be able to express that. Even to have the lads from Booka Brass, that was great as well to have such cool lads feature on the track too. “
“It happened while we were writing the track. We had done everything pretty much remotely. The drums had been recorded in a studio back in, I think it was June or something, and then the rest of the time was spent in our different houses sending emails back and forth. We were kind of struggling to find a certain element that was missing, you know, it was a good idea as a song, but we wanted to make it great. It was our manager that said, you know, it’d be very cool to have brass involved there. We were big fans of Booka Brass anyway because they’re so unique and it just so happened that our producer, Phil Hayes had actually worked with them before. So he reached out to them and from there, we created an email thread to get it all sorted because we haven’t met them before, we haven’t even spoken to them properly. So it’s quite interesting when you listen to the track and realize that, the chemistry is a bit strange, but it still works out”
‘Darkest Hour’ shows a more raw side to N.O.A.H‘s sound. It has a spiraling soundscape that conveys mental health in an extraordinarily intense and evocative way and feels as if both lyrically and instrumentally, the band dig deep in an attempt to explain or describe the vast emotions one experiences. Ronan explained to me how the band achieved this through the space created by remote writing.
“Yeah, it’s a tough one, when you’re speaking about things that are close to you. I suppose that side of things is close to all three of us. So when you’re being, even a small bit open…,I suppose you feel a bit apprehensive to do it. But the lyrics display the emotion, and the music is kind of the armor around it. Sometimes if you listen to the lyrics, then you’ll get the idea. But then you’re almost distracted by the music going on as well. So it’s not so much focused on it. I think we’ve done a good job at that. It’s not something we were ready to dive into completely yet but it is a very important topic that we did want to cover”
“With the song talking about the whole getting into your head, it’s just yourself, battling yourself. So, to be honest, when you’re by yourself, and you’re recording this kind of style of music and having that deep thought in the back of your head, I think it almost motivated you to do the best take that you can do and ultimately, I think, it’s made the song even better.”
‘Shine’ and ‘Darkest Hour’ are a fine display of musical prowess. N.O.A.H are becoming pros at writing big melodic hooks that evoke images of arena-worthy shows. Their catchy choruses and energetic soundscapes have made plenty of people hungry for live performances. The band automatically puts that image in people’s heads of what to expect when live shows come back, and it’s getting people excited. This alone is a fantastic way to entice people and gather the masses for live shows when they return. Ronan discussed with me how they write these catchy hooks and melodies and how they are prepping for the return of live shows
“It’s certainly something that changes from time to time. But, there is plenty, of situations where, say, Adam or Ryan could come in with a little idea or melody, and we will expand on that. Then other times, it would be, moments when we’d be playing together, through jamming, it would just come organically. So it’s not something that’s consistently the same formula, we’re lucky enough that there’s times where we could just come across a really nice melody, or it could be a case where we’re just really into a jam and something cool comes out, just like ‘Shine’ did.”
“Yeah, funnily enough, we’ve had conversations throughout the week, just saying, you know, imagine when we play this,live, how is it going to be received? And, it’s cool to think, even the “Oh oh “ parts, if it was blasted back at you, but at the moment, we’re still writing. So our main focus is to make sure that anything that we do translates to a nice energetic field for live, because we know in the back of our minds that as soon as gigs come back, as you said, People are dying to go to them. So it’s going to be a case that we need to be ready. We need to have the arsenal behind us togive that energy back to the people. So it certainly is exciting when you listen to it, and you imagine, but It’s a bit sad, because you’re just waiting to get that out during uncertain times.”
N.O.A.H released a cinematic and impressive music video for ‘Shine.’ It has a Stranger Things vibe, and I wondered if we can expect another equally captivating video for ‘Darkest Hour.’
“We hooked up with this up and coming director, Mark, JD Smyth. He’s just a really cool, really creative guy. We basically just let him have free rein on the idea that we gave him, the themes that we wanted to be covered and we gave him a rough idea of how we wanted it to be. Then from there, he just went wild. So yeah, it was really cool and definitely had an 80s kind of Stranger Things vibe to it. We have a great team around us that keeps our feet on the ground. I think, if it was just left to the three of us, we’d be throwing music out every week. You know that’s the way we see things. So it’s important that we have a team around us that make us think logically about things as opposed to just sporadically throwing things out there.”
“We were discussing it to see if we were going to do a video but I think this time around what we’re trying to do is just connect with people through our social media as opposed to just throw out a video on YouTube and ask people to watch it. So we’re doing different things with ‘Darkest Hour’. I think at the moment, we have a TikTok video that is in three parts, and it’s explaining what all three of us do in our mundane days. It’s a day in the life of kind of a thing. So we’re trying to be a little bit more creative and a little bit more DIY with what we’re doing at the moment. We don’t have any plans for any major blockbuster videos for ‘Darkest Hour’ at the moment, but who knows? something could change next week, and we could think, let’s go for it.”
Like many artists now, the band has taken to social media to engage with their audience and release content to showcase their style. N.O.A.H have done a fantastic job once again with this; pacing their content and giving something fun, engaging, and fresh to their audience each and every time.
“ I think bands strive to make their name from a live point of view. It’s all very well and good listening to us on streaming platforms and stuff like that. But the real raw emotion and vibe that you get from a band comes from live. So to be a band that’s come into the music world without that element, it’s I think, tougher for us to gain the trust of people. It’s like what do we have for them to follow us kind of a thing. It pushes us to think, what do we have to offer? What can we give to people in order for them to give back to us? So I think it’s tough. It certainly is something that we’re wrecking our heads around every day, and trying to think of new things. But it keeps us on our toes trying to think of content, and not necessarily be musical. It certainly gives us a bit of adventure during the days to think about.”
The band are pacing their songs well, leaving us hungry fans on a hook and craving for more music. However, Ronan reassured me we will be getting a steady stream of new music from the band this year.
“At the moment we’re just writing so much. We’re focusing on getting a few new songs out before the end of the year. So hopefully, we’ll have three or four more singles planned before the year is out. That’s basically what we’re doing at the moment, we’re just figuring out obviously, the songs, whether it be one that we write tomorrow or one that we’ve written last week. Then from there, the logistics of it, when we’re going to release it, how much time it gives us between them because at the end of the day we don’t want to jump too quickly from one single to the next one. As you said previously it’s a case that we need to let ‘Darkest Hour’ breathe a bit and kind of settle in, and then move on in the background, after a month or two and see where we can go from there. So our plan is certainly to release more singles. The dates for them are to be confirmed, but we’re certainly not looking to slow down”
N.O.A.H are a promising and talented band with a powerful, refined sound well beyond their years. Their confidence and musical knowledge allow them to create exhilarating tunes which exude deft lyrical content and mind-spinning rock soundscapes. Watch out, these guys are locked, loaded, and ready for some well-deserved world domination.
Kerry singer-songwriter, Colin Andrew, has released his new single, ‘Nothing Sweeter’. Since releasing his debut single ‘Too Far from Kind’ in 2019, Colin has performed live on TG4 and BBC 2 NI, received notable radio support from Radio Kerry, RedFM and Quarantine FM.
‘Nothing Sweeter’ is a fine example of Colin Andrew’s melodically lush musicianship. Boasting tropical refrains and intricate buoyant rhythms the track is cinematic in scope and bursting with vibrant instrumentation. The sublime melodies within flow with an undercurrent of heartfelt sincerity portrayed through supple guitar plucks and elegant piano. A combination of which is a joy to listeners’ ears.
Colin’s emotive lyrics paint a vivid and beautiful image within the listener’s imagination ” fills me up with love she pours it in me, when everything around me seems so bleak” which is enhanced greatly by lush backing harmonies and heart- fluttering soundscapes. His warm, soulful vocals coo a dreamy melody while the fluctuant backdrop builds in intensity until the dramatic and passionate crescendo takes over – a truly gripping display of musical prowess that showcases Colin’s deft musical ability. ‘Nothing Sweeter’ is an impressive, dynamic tune from Colin Andrew. Looking forward to hearing more from this artist.
The Jonah Medal have released their debut single ‘Septembering’.The Jonah Medal is a collaborative project with Wicklow singer-songwriter Bjorn Ballie at the helm.Baillie’s own creative journey had taken him around the world once already with his hometown band La Rocca. He spent his 20’s with them signing a major record deal, posting up in LA and touring with the likes of Phoenix, Jet, Silversun Pickups, and more.
Weaving indie-folk tones into soulful hues, ‘Septembering’ is a sweet little ditty that exudes The Jonah Medal’s wonderfully charming songwriting. Oozing lush harmonies, velvety vocals, and warm melody, the track radiates a soothing, calming persona. The Jonah Medal flesh out the dreamy aspects within the song through the use of country -esque acoustic guitar and bouncy, soft rhythms, while a mournful twinkle on keys adds sprinkles of jazz into the mix. Although at times, the nostalgic instrumentation is sombre in tone, the lyrics are surprisingly upbeat. Ballie coos lyrics which are uplifting and often thought-provoking, “You haven’t lost your way, You’ve gotta wait for it”.
‘Septembering’ is a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience boasting irresistibly catchy melodies and filled with The Jonah Medal’s wholesome musicianship – a treasure for sure.
About his debut single, Baillie says “The song is about being in the middle of the mid-life storm. You’re pulled every which way by the younger who need and rely on you, and the older who need you for a whole other set of reasons. I like the word September as a metaphor for middle-age. You’re no longer in your Spring-youth :). So being in your 40’s is Septembering. The things that have come along in your life, the people who have become part of your family, and define who you are now. The responsibility and weight of those relationships is reflected in this song. The melody is one of the simplest but most instant of anything I’ve written. It feels like it has been around forever, but it just landed in my lap. Areal gem.”
Frontman James Konnanov of The Donaghys performed an acoustic version of the band’s songs ‘Hindsight’ and ‘The Midas Touch’ for Our Indie Buddie Sessions.
The Donaghys consists of Manchester trio James Konnanov on Guitar / Vocals, Scott Ripley on Bass Guitar, and Nathan Ripley on Drums. Having grown up in the same village, just playing in different bands, it took a chat after a local open mic night before the three-piece collaborated, taking only two months before they took their idiosyncratic brand of trans-Atlantic indie rock on stage. 2018 saw The Donaghys release their first E.P, Turning Heads featuring early singles such ‘Incandescent’, ‘Control’ and ‘She Can Fly’ – all tracks which made the setlist for the band’s raucous debut headline show at Manchester’s Castle Hotel.
The Donaghys new single ‘Don’t Mind Me’ is a jaunty passionate indie rock track doused in the dynamic musicianship the band has become known for. Boasting blazing guitar refrains, punchy drums, and driving bass lines, which are all backed by catchy sing-along ready choruses the band has a full-bodied, fiery sound that is sure to ignite a live audience. Keep an eye on these guys.
We are delighted to have James showcase The Donaghys’ fantastic tunes and strip them back to a wonderful acoustic set for our Indie Buddie Sessions. Check out the performance below.
Bath-based band Caravella have released their new single ‘the way that it is.’
Shrouded in a bright yet gloomy soundscape while warm nonchalant vocals coo sullen lyrics, “I can hardly feel since she broke me, I’ve not been ideal” over a bittersweet melody, ‘the way that it is.’ is an intriguing display of Caravella’s musicianship. The glum retro- esque soundscape is contrasted by delicate bouncy drums and soft radiant guitar which inject a dash of indie into the track’s mellow dream pop exterior. With glimmers of hope and uplifting tones building in the background for the song’s crescendo, ‘the way that it is.’ is a sublime and tranquilizing new single from Caravella.
Caravella are developing their sound superbly showcasing their refined ability to express emotion through their intricate musicianship. ‘the way that it is’ expresses the journey of acceptance, numbness, and glimmers of hope one feels after a break up through the band’s unique and compelling songwriting.
Dublin-based singer/songwriter Kevin Casey is set to release his new single ‘Shout it Out’ on February 26th. A long-standing regular in the Irish music scene, Kevin Casey has released several singles, two EPs, and a full-length album since 2014. He has done two European tours and gigged extensively across the country as well as in Germany, the U.K, and the USA, including two consecutive years at Electric Picnic.
‘Shout it Out’ is a 90’s brit-pop stomp oozing raw rock energy and Kevin Casey’s infectious and powerful musicianship. Lacing slick riffs in scorching attitude Casey continues to flesh out his mighty expressive sound. The upbeat swagger and sing-along chorus is saturated in the irresistible charm Casey is becoming known for. The song surges with positive vibes and uplifting tones, reinforcing the message of the lyrics that support those treated differently by society because of skin colour, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. In this exhilarating anthem, Casey urges it’s ok to be different, and it’s also ok to be proud of being different “stand up, stand proud, come on and shout it out “. Filled with punchy drums, driving bass, and blazing guitar, ‘Shout It Out’ is a fiery and adrenaline-inducing new single from Kevin Casey.
