Following the success of their 2 last singles ‘Moonlight’ and ‘I Had A Dream’, and after a mini tour in Ireland, UK, Toronto and New York up until lockdown, Rowan have released their debut EP ‘No One Is Safe Here’.Rowan bursted onto the Irish and UK music scene with their first release ‘Finish Line’ being featured on titan Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday UK, Your Kitchen Stereo, The Indie List and many others. Since then, they have accumulated over 200k plays in total. The indie trio are currently commanding a great deal of attention for their symphonic indie-anthems, particularly in Ireland, the UK, Germany and Canada. The band have supported internationally renowned artists such as Badly Drawn Boy, The Walls, Duke Special, Brian Deady, Hamsandwich and many more and have earned international recognition as they were nominated for an IMA, judged by Robert Smith, Tom Waits, Roberta Flack and many others, with their song ‘Big Wave’. The band have also been awarded the ‘Colin Vearncombe’ Songwriting award.
Well crafted, and doused in emotion ‘No One Is Safe Here’ is a smashing debut EP from Rowan. The band use their musical prowess to pull out all the stops with this wonderfully rich collection of tracks. From dynamic anthems to moving ballads the EP flows with tantalizing arrangements and deft embellishments. Blending sharp zest stricken indie elements in warm undertones of folk, sweet surges of pop and edged rock the EP is a joy ride of lush soundscapes.
Rowan weave the EP’s soundscapes superbly, utilising jangly indie guitar, buoyant drums and resounding bass rumbles to inject ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Big Wave’ with vigor. Creating a full bodied wall of sound they provide meaty choruses and soaring sing along melodies to provide that passion igniting explosions of the soul worthy of arenas.
Rowan cool things down with some heartfelt and beautifully crafted slow burners ‘Love Gets In The Way’ and ‘I Had A Dream’. Exuding cinematic arrangements, lush strings, powerful crescendos and earnest songwriting these tracks showcase the band’s maturity and heartfelt musicianship as they discuss longing for perfect love, and the loss of love.
‘No One Is Safe Here’ comes to a close with the animated piano led ‘You’re Not The One’. Doused in sombre tones while a building vibrant backdrop of strident strings and raw guitars ricochet off a tight percussive wall of sound – this blistering song is joy to the ears. The dramatic builds and grateful drops in tone on the track is masterful and showcases the versatility and mesmerising talent of Rowan
Rowan has created an exhilarating EP showcasing first rate musicianship. These guys aren’t just crafting their sound, they are thriving, pushing boundaries, exceeding expectations and releasing tunes of the highest quality.
Waterford based singer/songwriter Mark Duggan has released his new single ‘Promenade Firework Show’. His music combines folk and indie with electronic elements, complete with clever lyricism and thoughtful songwriting.He started releasing music in 2018 with the single “Hey Blue.” In 2019 he released “Long Way Home,” twelve continuous songs with no breaks that tells the story of a character who’s been away for work for a while driving home late at night, trying to get there as quickly as possible. His most recent release was the acoustic single “As The Sun Hits The Day Down” in February 2020.
‘Promenade Firework Show’ is a cheery nostalgic gem as Duggan provides a sweet summer soaked indie rock tune to indulge in. The bright jaunty guitar, strides through the track with a scorching rock n’ roll persona while the buoyant drum machine sets a soft rhythmic pulse. Duggan creates a little pocket of summer as he spreads a dreamy melody over the bubbling radiant instrumentation. Upbeat and laced in good time vibes, ‘Promenade Firework Show’ is locked and loaded ready to thaw those winter blues and transport you to a hazy sun kissed world of folk hued indie rock.
Having released eleven tracks in 2 years as well as becoming Spin1038 “ones to watch” and many other highlights. Brian McGrane ends 2020 with an incredibly emotional Christmas song ‘Time Machine’.
Brimming with nostalgic tones, Brian McGrane displays his majestic and emotive songwriting in his magical tune ‘Time Machine’. The track floats on ethereal vibes of lush piano arrangements, wistful melodies and graceful strings. The melancholic tones simmer and brood through the verses as McGrane’s warm velvety vocals fill the track with tenderness and hope. Vivid winter landscapes are painted through the artists wonderful evocative lyrics as McGrane provides the perfect Christmas song to sing along to.
Rising Dublin singer songwriter TYG is set to release his fourth and final single of 2020 on December 4th. The track is called ‘Lord Do You Hear These Prayers’ and is inspired by his time spent living in emergency accommodation.
‘Lord, Do You Hear These Prayers’ reinforces the mature, earnest song writing and melodic prowess of TYG as he delivers his most gripping single yet. TYG’s emotive vocals mourn over a heartbreaking melody; his rich deep tones exude warmth while a lamenting piano paints a cold and icy backdrop. The track is riddled with pain, expertly expressing hope, agony and desperation as striking strings lift the chorus and tone to angelic heights.
The song is a gritty tale of addiction, recovery and the struggle to hold onto hope in these challenging times and TYG asks at what point do we begin to question our faith, our most deeply held beliefs. At what point does giving up seem more appealing than struggling on.
This moving number builds superbly. We see the song wallow in pain and sorrow and build with a sense of hope as it reaches it’s compelling crescendo. TYG’s songs are a wonderful display of beautiful musicianship. His raw and honest songwriting stimulates the senses and ignites emotion within the listener. ‘Lord, Do You Hear These Prayers’ is a fantastic new single from TYG.
‘Lord, Do You Hear These Prayers’ is set for release on December 4th for more you can follow TYG on Facebook herehttps://www.facebook.com/TYGMusic
Bombay Bicycle Club have announced details of their new live album, ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose – Live At Brixton’. The album was recorded on 8th November 2019 at the band’s sold out Brixton Academy show, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album. It will be released on 11th December via Mmm… Records + Caroline International. I caught up with drummer Suren de Saram to talk about the new live album, Bombay Bicycle Club’s three year hiatus and the music wizard Jim Abbiss.
‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose – Live At Brixton’ is set for release during a time when no one can see shows. It is quite a blessing to a lot of people. It’s a moment in time that people can remember how great it was as well as hopefully look forward to the return of shows. Suren explains it was a special moment for the band as well.
“We did play a very short run around the UK at the end of last year, celebrating the 10th anniversary of our debut album. We sometimes occasionally record our shows. We usually do, just to afterwards make notes to see how we can improve with that kind of stuff. I think we recorded a couple of nights on our tour, one of which was the Brixton gig. At the time we didn’t record it specifically with a view to putting out a live album, but it turned out to be a really special night for us. Listening to the recording afterwards we were all really happy with what it captured. It did capture exactly how we see ourselves as a live band, that kind of raw energy that personally, I’m not sure we’ve ever fully captured on one of our studio albums. So basically we were so happy with the recording and then, started talking about releasing it and you know with the way everything’s gone, this year, seems like a great time to be putting out a live recording to remind everyone what a gig actually is. That’s basically how it came about.”
Bombay Bicycle Club were due to embark on an extensive European and North American headline tour and numerous festival headline appearances this year. This live album is a really great way for fans to experience the bands wonderful sound. After returning from a three year hiatus the band were not expecting to have to take another year off.
“Yeah, absolutely. it’s been a difficult year. It’s been a super difficult year for literally everyone but I think it could have been worse. We came back from a few years hiatus towards the end of last year. We managed to do some gigs, end of last year and we managed to do a UK tour, at the start of this year, after we released the last album. It could have been worse, we could have just announced our comeback and then immediately, the pandemic and gone into lockdown right away so at least we managed to do some gigs. Yes, it is a real shame that the album campaign got cut short after two months.I think we were just getting to grips with exactly what was going on and I don’t think we were really in the right headspace to be writing new music but now we are getting our heads down and we figure the best way to use this time is just to start writing new material which hopefully we’ll be able to get out spring or summer next year. Then we’re trying to reschedule some festivals and the headline gigs that would have happened this year, for the end of next year, because we’re a bit hesitant to do it earlier than that. So, hopefully new music at some point next year to help propel those dates for a second offer next year.”
Upon its release in 2009, ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ was met with acclaim and cemented a barely-out-of-school Bombay Bicycle Club as key players in a thriving indie music scene; an unpredictable new act and a rapidly rising one too. I wondered what comes to mind for Suren when he thinks back to that album and its making.
“When I think of that album I think of very hectic live shows, with our mates when we played in London obviously not so much around the rest of the country but we just had our mates jumping up on stage shaking tambourines completely out of time and essentially ruining the gig a little bit. I think of that time as being like a crazy ball of energy, I suppose and yeah obviously over the years, we’ve I suppose, refined ourselves a little bit, especially our live shows, it’s changed quite a lot. So yeah, I think of that time as just a little bit hectic. A lot of sweat. Just generally a little bit messy, you know, in a good way.”
The band have come a long way since then and yet tracks like ‘Always Like This’ is still an undeniable live favourite, however the band never felt the pressure from that album’s success.
“It’s interesting because I don’t think we did at all. That album debut holds a special place in a lot of people’s hearts and I think people have come to really love that album, but upon releasing it, it’s not like it completely exploded. I don’t think any of us thought that was the album that sort of broke us, if you want to put it that way.The whole career of the band – album to album – has been like a gradual build. So, No, to be honest, we didn’t feel much or any pressure really to follow up that first album. We did quite a smart move releasing essentially an acoustic album as our second album. After releasing that no one really knew what to expect from us. We kind of gave ourselves, complete creative license to come on and do whatever we wanted after that. So, to answer your question, no it didn’t feel like any pressure. I see that first album as being a bit more of a slow burner and people have connected with it as time has gone on. “
The band had been developing and crafting their sound with each album release gaining momentum so when they decided to take a break it was quite a shock to people. It was a brave decision to just stop the band. I wondered if there was anxiety around what the consequences could be. Everyone’s mind can panic when you have been doing something for so long, the fear of being alone, trying to do something else or even that if you return to the band it won’t be the same.I wondered how Suren coped with this or if he had any worries at all.
“It was a mixture of things, there was definitely some anxiety for sure. Looking at it from the outside it probably looked like a very strange time to put a stop to the band temporarily. When we decided to go on a break we didn’t know what the future would be at that time, we had no plans to ever get back together again. For all we knew that was essentially it as far as the band was concerned. Yeah, looking at it from the outside, it probably seemed like quite a strange time to put that stop to it. The last album, before we went on a break, ‘So long, See You Tomorrow’, was nominated for Mercury Prize, Novello Awards, it definitely reached the biggest audience of any of our albums up to that point. It went to number one in the UK aswell.So, yeah, that album was amazing for us. But then, from the inside, we just needed time, we needed to experience life outside the band really once we finished touring that album. We started the band when we were in school. We went straight from finishing school into doing the band and the four of us had never really lived life without the band. So we thought it was really important for us to grow individually, a couple of the guys were clearly itching to release some of their own music, which they did. Personally, it took me a little time to adjust to the band not being there at the start of the hiatus because obviously you know it’s a big part of your life and identity so to suddenly not have that felt pretty strange. I eventually fell into the mode of working as a session musician playing with other artists which at the end of the hiatus can look back on that and think those years were super beneficial for me personally and I think it’s the same for everyone in the band, we definitely grew as individuals. We have come back, much more mature with a refound energy, enthusiasm and love for the band.”
The live album follows the release of the band’s fifth studio album, ‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ earlier this year. The album peaked at #4 on the UK album chart and garnered widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike.‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ is a great title especially for all the madness that has gone on this year however when you delve deep into the albums themes one realises the title is timeless. It reflects something everyone has experienced at one time or another, finding comfort in something when everything else has gone wrong.
“It was the title of one of the songs on the album and when we were brainstorming – it looks like a morbid album – to us it’s actually a very optimistic and positive title to do with having music as that kind of solace and escape from anything and everything really, whatever’s going on in someone’s life, or our lives collectively. It did turn out to be weirdly kind of prophetic, which is very relevant. Obviously we didn’t see any of this coming. We just liked the idea of music being that escape that we all have whenever sh*t hits the fan.”
Bombay Bicycle Club merge a lot of styles on ‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ but what stood out to me is the album is a slight return to the more guitar heavy days with some electronic flurries. I wondered if revisiting ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ influenced the creation of the new album in anyway
“It’s more to do with the album “So Long, See You Tomorrow” Jack ( Jack Steadman ) he’s the main writer and singer in the band, a lot of the stuff that got introduced sees that kind of heavy use of sampling. Then if you go and listen to the album that Jack made as a solo artist under Mr Jukes. he really goes off in that direction. So I think Jack kind of got that out of his system so to speak with “So Long, See You Tomorrow” and with the Mr Jukes album. Then, when we regrouped, we started writing..and they were just naturally more kind of guitar focused. I think we quite like the idea of going back to our roots a little bit, we went off on various tangents over the years. Yeah, I quite like the idea of returning home, so to speak.”
Seen as it’s 10 years since the bands debut album. Suren tells me what advice he would give his younger self embarking on his journey with Bombay Bicycle Club
” I think we were quite smart in that we took our time with things. I know that sounds crazy because we recorded our debut when we were 18 and recorded EP, when we were kind of 16/17 but we consciously stayed grounded and did not allow ourselves get carried away. We waited to sign a record deal, until after we’d finished school when we were 18 and as I say, everything has just been sort of a gradual build at least that’s what it felt like to us over the years. There was never a moment where we signed a huge deal and were all looking at each other being like, ‘come on, this is it guys, like gonna smash it’. We’ve never had that moment, like never you know, had a number one single where we were like, ‘yeah, this is gonna break us’, Even “So Long, See You Tomorrow” that got to number one in the album charts, we’ve just taken everything in our stride, and any success that’s come our way we’ve felt like we’ve earned it, I suppose, and very grateful for it.”
“So what advice would I give – I’d say just take your time. There’s no rush, stay grounded. Don’t get carried away. Don’t get caught up in your own hype. Just work on honing your craft, becoming the best musician you can be in terms of the instrument you’re playing, or in terms of songwriting. Some of the earliest recording sessions when we were working with Jim Abbiss, he’s the producer, he’d just done the debut Arctic Monkeys album, just after the time that we were with him when we were 16. That was a real learning curve.It was a really interesting experience. Our first day he was like ‘ What on Earth have I got myself into’ because we’d never been in the studio before. We kind of let nerves, get the better of us. But, yeah, in hindsight that was a very valuable learning experience. So, yeah just take your time to learn your craft and there’s no rush, basically.”
A lot of young bands when they’re starting off they think when they are going into a recording studio everything is going to be natural. To know that Bombay Bicycle Club were a bit nervous going in is something that will give budding artists a lot of comfort.
“Yeah, absolutely. I think we have those recordings lying around somewhere when we were 16 with Jim first. We set up in the room and we ran through a few songs, initially just to show them to him and…in the end they are like a complete mess. It’s four very over excited and nervous kids and he had to whip us into shape very quickly just in the space of a few days. Obviously in the space of a few days you don’t change drastically but yeah he really used that time to kind of kick us on, and to work on what we need to work on.”
‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose – Live At Brixton’ is a real gem which showcases a band without boundaries. Bombay Bicycle Club can take three years off and return fresher and more dynamic than ever. The album captures the magic and raw psychedelic indie sound of the band superbly. It the perfect album to tantalise the senses and ease the cravings until the next blast of Bombay Bicycle Club shows
‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose – Live At Brixton’is set for release on 11th December
Bio : Zimbabwe-born, Kildare-raised singer-songwriter Shiv has released the lyric video for her recently released single ‘Letting You Know’, the third to be taken from her debut EP ‘Me 2 Me’.The lyric video is a lo-fi visual storyboard shot in Paris, where Shiv recently relocated to continue exploring her creative process. Writing, producing and recording her six-track debut EP during a year of self-discovery, shiv was able to reach into her soul to figure out who she really is.
Track: Letting You Know
Why We Like It: It’s a deeply emotive and soulful number as Shiv’s silken vocals glide over a lush melody. Shiv builds a tender soundscape with warm piano and R&B elements to create a passionate and tender ballad. The light piano twinkles create a sweet sense of innocence which pierces through the dreamy soothing soundscape with graceful elegance. ‘Letting You Know’ is a sublime single from Shiv.
Watch the lyric video for ‘Letting You Know’ below
The Goldborns
Genre : Alternative
Bio : West London band/production trio The Goldborns have released their new single ‘Broken Homes’ which was recorded at Mick Jones (Clash) studio.
Track: Broken Homes
Why We Like It: This catchy track strolls in on bright guitar riffs and punchy drums as the band create a radiant buoyant number that almost veers into reggae territory. With quirky soundscapes swirling between attitude soaked vocals and a catchy chorus the track is an instant shot of adrenaline.The light indie guitars and elastic bass contrast the stark lyrics as The Goldborns create an upbeat, bouncy and instrumentally rich tune to bop to.
Bio : The Decades are a four-piece band based in County Wicklow, Ireland comprised of David Mulvey ( Drums), Myles Keogh ( Bass), Rhys Doyle ( Lead guitar ) and Seán Fox ( Rhythm Guitar and Vocals ). Prior to forming the group, Sean had spent many years working on and performing his own songs, opening for the likes of Aslan and Jerry Fish along the way.The group originally came together in the early months of 2020 when both Sean and David met in a music production class in college.
Track: Electricity
Why We Like It: It’s a swagger soaked indie rock number filled with blistering guitars, a driving rhythmic backdrop and rock n roll vibrancy. The track flows upon slick guitar licks and sharp riffs with a scorching solo thrown in for good measure while the rasped powerful vocals surge with emotion allowing the feet shuffling groove provided by a steamy bass line and pounding drums to get you up and dancing.The rock n roll bravado and well crafted instrumentation makes ‘Electricity’ an outstanding debut.
Bio : YAWA is a musical duet of two teenagers in college from Dublin. The duo have released their debut single ‘Tiger’.
Track: Tiger
Why We Like It: It’s a dreamy tune which exudes warm guitar, supple beats and glowing soundscapes. ‘Tiger’ is a nostalgic look back at the good times that we had before the pandemic happened. The duo use soft sunkissed instrumentation and luscious honey steeped melodies to create a delightful indie number full of positivity and soothing tones.
Bio : Charlie Hanlon is a 15 year old indie artist from Downpatrick,Co.Down who has recently released his debut single ‘Will You Stay Tonight’.
Track: Will You Stay Tonight
Why We Like It: This jaunty indie track surges with passion and the mature, well crafted musicianship of Charlie Hanlon. This indie rock track is full of charm as warm animated guitar weaves between punchy drums while Hanlon’s vocals caress the wistful melody. Hanlon presents us with a solid single for his debut.
For The Girl are an indie pop rock sextet from Nottingham.With a number of high profile gigs and UK supporting tours under their belts, this is a band that’s clearly going places, helped by a style and sound all of their own. Their stage presence is like no other irrespective of where they play, from small and intimate venues, to the electric crowds of the UK’s O2 Academies
For The Girl have a tight, shredding and utterly exhilarating sound. Exuding deft melodic prowess and indie pop energy the band create dynamic earworms backed by driving rhythms and powerful emotive vocals. For The Girl have a bright future ahead of them – really looking forward to this takeover.
You can stream For The Girl’s new single ‘Fishnets And Dreams’ below
Longcoats have released their new EP ‘October’. Longcoats are a four piece pop rock outfit hailing from The South West of England. The band present a solid, tight and instrumentally deft EP brimming with passion and catchy melodies.The energetic jaunty indie sound this band provide is impressive as they surge zealous guitar lines, funky basslines and dynamic drums into each blistering tune. ‘Drag’ kicks off this speedball of energy – infectious and blasing with anthemic power this indie belter is a fantastic opening track. The band coat their buoyant instrumentation in irresistible pop-peppered melodies and instant hooks against shredding solo’s and blazing heartfelt instrumentation. Each song evokes images of mass sing-alongs at gigs while creating a vibrant listening experience. Even the more emotional tunes, ‘Used To Being Used’, ‘October’ and ‘Plasticine’ have an upbeat infectious radiance. Longcoats have a wonderful ability to create tunes that brighten your day. The songs are laced in intricate well placed guitar lines and groove infested bass lines that keep each song animated and dance ready.
‘October’ is a cohesive thoroughly enjoyable EP from Longcoats. The band are building and crafting their sound superbly and the result is a tidy energetic and emotive collection of tracks sure to be knocking around in your head all day.
Oregon native and Pop R&B singer Noah Elliott has released his new single ‘Empty’, the third release from his debut album ‘Songs For The Optimist’.His previous releases already have over 500k Spotify listens from a growing fanbase of loyal music lovers and this is just the beginning.
Honest and infectious ‘Empty’ displays Noah Elliott’s ability to blend intricate electronic pop with emotion to create a wholly consuming number. The track simmers with buoyant subtle grooves while warm guitars lament between a dark R&B backdrop. Elliott’s lyrics are earnest and raw “ I was brain dead, close to the edge” while haunting backing vocals and spacious soundscapes flutter about the track’s expansive wall of sound accompanied by earthy twinkles on xylophone. ‘Empty’ is a sublime engaging song from Noah Elliot.
Dublin artist James Lonergan is set to release his new single ‘Tip the Can’ on November 27th. Lonergan joined his first band aged 10, since then he has steadily fronted bands – most notably as the vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of the recently disbanded progressive band, Synk.
‘Tip the Can’ is a wonderful display of Lonergan’s unique and hypnotic musicianship. Lonergan uses his wide sonic range to simmer his instrumentation, carefully creating rich layers of shadowy soundscapes. The track’s electronics haunt through a tapping beat while rumbling distortion and bubbling synths build suspense in the background.The only relief from the muggy wall of sound is Lonergan’s reverb-laced vocals and the soft keys which add glimmers of innocence, while at the same time lightening the thick asphyxiating soundscapes.
This track boasts unique production and the enticing obscurity of Lonergan, as he lures the listener into his mesmerising, musical depths. ‘Tip the Can’ is an enthralling, obscure track from James Lonergan. It is beginning to feel as if there is no genre or style he can not twist and make his own.
