Chris Corey has released his new single, ‘Storms We Face’. Raised in a small city in Northern Ontario, Chris Corey now splits his time between Ontario and Western Canada, where he’s currently working on releasing his debut album, which is set for release in 2022.
‘Storms We Face’ is a vibrant tune laced in a rich fusion of indie rock, folk and subtle pop embellishments. Corey uses chiming guitars and driving rhythms to create a lofty and suspenseful backdrop for listeners to immerse themselves in while his passionate vocals croon atop a catchy melody. The track has an expansive and building soundscape filled with intricate layers of guitar and ethereal synths that exude a lamentful undertone throughout. Boasting dark rumbling drums, soaring melodies, and intense instrumental outbursts, ‘Storms We Face’ is a cinematic, musically lush tune to enjoy again and again.
Shammy Lafferty has released his debut EP ‘Changing Times & Looking Back’. Shammy Lafferty, Paul Hughes (both originally from Scotland), and Londoner George Nash, who were all members of 60’s and 70’s UK London-based groups, met up again, quite by chance, fifty plus years later in Asia and wrote ‘Changing Times’ and ‘Looking Back’. Later Shammy decided to re-arrange and re-record the two songs to be released in conjunction with Paul’s book ‘Chasing Dark Shadows’ released on December 16th. Shammy was originally a guitarist and backing vocalist with a Scottish group The Premiers, with whom Paul was a roadie, and they toured all over Scotland and the North of England. Eventually, The Premiers were no more, and three members formed 1-2-3 with Paul again being a roadie. They were almost immediately signed by Brian Epstein with The Beatles, Cream, The Bee Gees. They did go on to feature in a residency in the world-famous Marquee Club in Wardour Street and had the honour to support Jimi Hendrix at his UK debut in The Saville theatre. Later they had a jamming session with the legendary Jimi and Eric Burden of The Animals in London’s Speakeasy Club. During the Marquee residency they met an unknown David Bowie and played on his first demo records. They became lifelong friends and in David’s autobiographies, he has a full chapter devoted to 1-2-3.
‘Changing Times & Looking Back’ is a fine display of Shammy Lafferty’s tight and sleek musicianship. Shammy weaves blues-toned guitar through these tunes to create a satisfying listening experience. From the psychedelic-hued rock n roll of ‘Changing Times’ to the nostalgic ‘Looking Back’, Shammy takes an easy-going and effortless approach to his songwriting; the instrumentation is lavish yet not overdone with embellishments of sax and oodles of suave guitar moments throughout. Lyrically the tracks ruminate on how times for musicians have changed over the years, and Shammy presents the nostalgia in the lyrics perfectly through refined, expressive musicianship.
Shammy showcases his knack for earworm melodies, strut worthy soundscapes and emotion within these tracks. ‘Changing Times & Looking Back’ are infectious, enjoyable tunes to indulge in again and again.
Irish born singer-songwriter Megan O’Neill has released her stunning cover of ‘Fairytale of New York’. O’Neill takes this beloved Christmas song and strips it back to create a haunting and moving rendition that highlights the lyrics of the song.
I caught up with O’Neill to chat about the immaculate cover, her songwriting and her recently released album, ‘Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty’. O’Neill also gave some solid advice for aspiring musicians.
“I suppose, it’s a brave one to cover. It’s a really gorgeous song that a lot of people love, myself included and so I was thinking, is this a good idea? But it’s just one of those amazing songs that I feel the message of the song can be interpreted in loads of different ways. That’s what we tried to do with our version. We just tried to interpret the story of the song in a different way, in a different mood.”
“When you actually sit down and you read those lyrics without the revved up production that’s in The Pogues version. When you actually sit down and read the lyrics. It’s really sad. It’s a song about failed relationships and broken dreams and unfulfilled potential and it’s quite a sad message in the story. I felt there’s another way you could interpret the story sonically, and that’s really what I wanted to do. Also, I think, a lot of time if you are going to do a cover, it’s important to do it uniquely in your own way that’s not trying to just recreate the original but trying to do something that’s your own.”
O’Neill’s voice is the focal point that carries the song’s emotional tone and she achieves this perfectly without overdoing it – the result is a time stopping, and a unique listening experience.
“Yeah, I didn’t really feel pressure. I think I have an ability with my voice. It took me years to figure out that I had [the ability] to portray emotion quite well, and it was something that for years, and I think this is the thing with all singers, you’re not really entirely sure how to use your voice or where the best elements of it are and that was kind of it for me. It was only when I started to actually sing less and pull it back and allow the natural tones and the natural emotion to come out that I realized, oh, I can do something here. [with ‘Fairytale of New York] It wasn’t really a pressure that I felt. It was just I wanted that emotion of the lyrics to come out. So I worked quite hard for that to come through my voice rather than it be something that was over sung. I wanted it to be vulnerable and close and haunting and like you were in the room with me really”
“I’m such a lover of stories and all the way through when I’ve been writing and releasing my own songs, the story has to be really important, it has to be the central point of the song. So I really zone in on lyrical content, and the story, and the message that I’m trying to get across in that story. It’s funny because when you’re recording songs, you can be in the room and there can be a bit that’s a little bit out of tune or a little bit too fast or a little bit too slow or you’re a little bit off tempo with the music. But if the emotion is there, those are the takes that I always keep. Those are the parts of the song that I always keep because that’s more important to me. It’s more important that the emotion comes across than the song is absolutely perfect as a recording.”
O’Neill worked with producer Mark Caplice on the track. Caplice and O’Neill have worked together before, and she explained to me how their friendship made creating a moving and vulnerable rendition of the track more comfortable.
“ Mark and I are very dear friends and we’ve worked on a lot of stuff together. So when I wanted to do a Christmas cover, Mark and I had been discussingwhich ones that I might do and what could work and he’s just got such an amazing ear. He’s such an incredible musician that always working with him, particularly because we’re such good friends, is easy, I don’t mind being vulnerable in the room with him. I don’t mind messing things up to then get them right at the end. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and it always ends up being a great product at the end of the day.”
O’Neill’s songs have received great attention over the past year – including her recent single ‘Ireland’, which hit over 400,000 views on social media during release month and her album ‘Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty’ hit #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts in the UK and Ireland. We discussed the whirlwind of a year and how 2021 brought a variety of ups and downs for the artist.
“Yeah, it’s been a weird and wonderful year. It’s been odd to have all these things going on and have them all going on, still stuck at home for a lot of it. You know, usually, when you release an album and you’ve got stuff happening, you’re able to tour with it and I wasn’t really able to tour this album before its release. I was able to tour it in September, October, November this year, thank God. I just got in the window..it was fantastic. Throughout the past two years it’s been good to me and also been challenging on a lot of levels but it has been great that the songs have been reaching more people and I’m glad that the album is out there now because we’ve delayed the release with Covid. So there’s been a lot of great things I think, for everybody pluses and minuses of the last two years.”
Similar to many artists, O’Neill’s return to live shows was a fantastic source of joy and anxiety. The return to shows brought pressure on artists to just jump back on the horse when they hadn’t performed in over a year.
“Yeah, terrifying. My first run of shows were in Germany in September and I was absolutely riddled with anxiety and stress before I was due to go and I’m not that type of person. I’ve never really suffered from anxiety in my life. I’d always get a bit nervous before shows. But this was a totally different thing and the day before we were due to fly I was just a complete mess. Then once I got there and I got to perform, I was nervous but once I got in the swing of it, I was fine. But it’s been so long so there is an anxiety about getting back up and doing it again. There’s obviously the nerves with performing but there’s also a feeling of we all should have gotten better over the course of this pandemic, as in that’s the feeling. I’m not saying we should have. I’m saying people feel pressure to be coming out with better songs, being a better musician, being a better songwriter, like coming out of this pandemic almost as a new artist. That’s an awful lot of pressure. This has been a difficult time to be creative for a lot of people. It’s been a difficult time to be motivated. So I think there’s a lot of layers to what musicians are feeling going back into performing, myself included. I found it amazing to be playing in front of crowds again, but there was a lot of anxiety around it from my point of view and also from people in an audience not necessarily wanting to be in a crowded space. So it’s a difficult time and I don’t think it’s going to change very soon.”
‘Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty’ is a striking and impactful album. O’Neill packs a serious emotional punch with the album which is filled with glorious indie/country-toned songs and wonderful, meaningful ballads. I wondered if she found it daunting or exposing pouring so much of herself into her songs.
“Oh god yeah. I think it’s kind of a blessing and a curse because I am a songwriter that writes about my own life. I write about what I’m feeling at the time and you can write those songs and they end up being good songs that you fall in love with and then you’re like, oh no [ I ] have to release that, people are gonna know that side of me. So there is a vulnerability in it. But I think it’s important to be real and be true with what we do as artists because we’re all human beings. We’re all living similar lives obviously with differences, but, if I’ve felt heartbroken, if I felt lonely, if I’ve felt removed from my homeland, if I’ve felt frustrated with my career, the reality is that most other people have felt those emotions. So it’s important to be truthful with the stories that I tell because people will relate to them. They’ll relate to something that I’ve felt and that I go through because we’re all humans at the end of the day. It can be a bit daunting, particularly when people ask you about a very specific one. There’s some songs coming out in 2022 that will be pretty vulnerable for me so those might be challenging ones to discuss. But yeah, I think it’s important to be real with the messages you’re putting out.”
‘Time in a Bottle’, the bonus track off the new album featured on episode one of the hit Netflix TV Show Firefly Lane. One week later, O’Neill performed the song live on the RTE Late Late Show – reaching an audience of approximately two million and the single charted that same weekend in Ireland across all genres. ‘Time in a Bottle’ was the highest new entry on the Irish Homegrown Charts at the end of February and playlisted by RTE Radio 1. This was a crazy unexpected experience for O’Neill.
“Yeah, it was. We were again, in the height of lockdown and it was February this year when it came out, and I didn’t at all know how it would be received orwhat kind of feedback there would be, but people loved it and again it was one of those brave songs to cover. It was a song loved by very many, and I grew up listening to that song. That’s one of my mam’s favourite songs. So it was an odd one to take on. But again, the story and the message of that song is so powerful and it’s so relatable. It’s so emotional when you listen to those lyrics. So I wanted the story to be at the forefront.”
“I was approached by Firefly Lane by the creators of the show, because theywanted a female version of Jim Croce’s ‘Time in a Bottle’. They didn’t really give too much direction or what way to do it or how it was going to go and I did my take on it, again, that was produced by Mark Caplice. We did our take on it, and they loved it and it ended up on the show. But it was one of those things, you know, February this year, it was the height of lockdown and everyone’s sitting down to watch this Netflix series and I’m just sitting down to watch it with everybody else and then listening to myself on it, so it was very surreal. I’m so glad that people really love that version and it was a wonderful thing to have happen, particularly again in a year where we weren’t leaving our houses.”
The singer-songwriter’s video for ‘Ireland’ got picked up and shared by none other than Olivia Newton-John. With such well-deserved recognition under her belt, I asked O’Neill what advice she would give to somebody starting a career in music.
“That’s a hard one. Be careful who you decide to work with, as in who you decide to be on your team, as a manager or an agent or whatever else. Thoserelationships are really hard to get right. But it’s really important to get them right. I know a lot of people, myself included who have had bad experiences on that front and it just, you know, it can destroy everything. We all get into music for the pure love of music, then all of a sudden it becomes a career and it becomes a business and it becomes a job and that can really challenge your love of it and challenge your attitude towards it which is hard. So I think being careful who you decide to work with, and also trust your gut because loads of people are going to tell you that you’re not good enough or you can’t do it or it’s too competitive or whatever. You’re going to hear “NO” way more than “YES” but your gut is usually right. Doing something that means a lot to you and that feels, like I was saying earlier authentically you, there will be people that will relate to that. Not everyone’s gonna like what you do but there will be people that will relate to what you do if it’s authentically you. So trusting your gut is important. Not even half the world is gonna like what you do. The whole point is having a niche market or having a select group of people that love what you do, and that can be a very sustainable career.”
O’Neill is an eloquent singer-songwriter who pours everything into her compelling tunes and her rendition of ‘Fairytale of New York’ is a fine example of this. Her moving vocals evoke a deep sense of loneliness and melancholy within the song and her sombre tones easily stir emotion with the listener. O’Neill is certainly an artist to keep an eye on. This singer has exciting plans ahead as she told me what next year has in store for her.
“Well, next year there is going to be a single coming out every eight weeks from January onwards. So next year will be a lot about releases and my music is going in a completely new direction, which I’m very, very excited about. It’s much more kind of into the pop realm. So I’m really excited for those new songs to come out and there’ll be two EPs. The first one will be in March-time. The second one will probably be in September/October. It’s not fully decided yet. So it’ll be mainly a year focused on releases because none of us really know where live is going to be next year, unfortunately. There are a few shows in the UK in February and then after that, we’re just gonna wait and see how the touring climate is. There’s going to be some songs I’ve written with other artists as well coming out which I’m really excited about. So just keeping creative. Keeping it going.”
Stream Megan O’Neill’s version of ‘Fairytale of NewYork’ below
KÎND have released their new single ‘Stripped Away’.KÎND are a five-piece melodic progressive rock band made up of members from all over Ireland. Led by songwriter Matthew Redmond, the band consists of Ryan McClelland on drums, Jane Patterson on lead vocals, Charlie McCarthy on bass and Eoin Butterfield on guitar and keys. ‘Stripped Away’ marks the 3rd release for the band following their release in conjunction with Devoy Records: ‘Piercing Light Live at Sun Studios. and their debut release ‘Fix of Dopamine’
‘Stripped Away’ is a brooding alternative rock track that boasts the majestic and impressive sound of KÎND. The band create an expansive and atmospheric wall of sound that haunts with chiming guitars and wispy soundscapes and tender vocal delivery. As the song progresses, the band slip into a more rock peppered aesthetic as sharp guitars weave between a pounding drum beat and intricate percussion. KÎND take their time buliding the song allowing it to unfold into a heavy alternative rock tune while still maintaining the ethereal aspect introduced at the beginning. With beautiful vocal harmonies and moving melodies, ‘Stripped Away’ is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that ebbs and flows with rich musicianship and dynamic textures. KÎND have created one heck of a tune that perfectly displays the potency of their sound.
‘Time’ is the brand new EP from Australian Folk/Rock duo Piperlain. Featuring songs written during the early stages of collaboration between Piperlain artists Ben and Bec, ‘Time’ is the culmination of years of work and partnership. Recorded at MusicPro studios by engineer Paul Iannuzzelli and mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London by engineer Geoff Pesche, ‘Time’ was originally scheduled for release in 2019 but was delayed due to the pandemic.
‘Time’ is a wholesome EP brimming with the bright musicianship of Piperlain. The duo blend warm folk sensibilities with alternative pop and indie elements to create a cohesive and engaging body of work. From the hearty and buoyant title track, ‘Time’ with its catchy “do do do” lyrics, radiant pop melody and lush harmonies to the icy piano glittering throughout the mournful ‘Deceived’, the EP has a charming and musically lush aesthetic. The EP is brimming with passion and gusto, featuring expressive vocal deliveries and sweet moving melodies as the duo layer each song meticulously, creating wonderful moments within the instrumentation that boasts dramatic solos and rock bravado.
Piperlain have created a versatile and engaging collection of songs that exude refined musicianship and compelling songwriting.
I sat down to have a chat with Daniel McCarthy and Jim Higson from KAWALA before their headline show in The Academy Dublin. We discussed their upcoming album ‘Better With You’, live shows and their YouTube sitcom ‘Paradise Heights’
Champagne Jacket has released his debut single ‘Walls of China’.With a host of diverse life experiences to draw upon, songwriter Jack Lewis infuses his blues-rock sensibilities with folk and funk to create Champagne Jacket, a project with an entirely singular and timeless sound.
Featuring guest vocalists Dana Ariel and Maesa, ‘Walls of China’ is a sultry blues tune that boasts the refined and sleek musicianship of Champagne Jacket. The track has a vaporous and luring quality with jazz piano elements speckled between a smoky string and guitar interplay. The blues hues weave between the soft melody and lounge-like soundscape to create a laid back yet mysterious tune filled with rich layers and oodles of sass. Champagne Jacket displays his lush and immensely tantalising sound through this wonderful debut single.
On the song’s title, Jack said “It could be the symbol of conflict and human achievement in The Great Wall of China, the fragile permanence of porcelain… or I’ve also heard ‘Chinese Walls’ used when people keep secrets to protect their relationships. There’s quite a bit in there really and I’m keen to hear how people read into it with their own experience.”
Hailing from Co. Kerry, 22-Year Old Singer/Songwriter Nially has released his third single ’Four Years’. While originally written on acoustic guitar in May 2021, the song was quickly brought to life in the studio by top producer Brendan O’Connor. From the age of 16 Nially has gigged extensively across Kerry, Cork and as far afield as Augsburg, Germany. His debut single, ‘I Want It All’ released in January 2021, amassed over 10,000 streams in it’s first 4 weeks and received support across a number of radio stations in Ireland such as Spin South West, Radio Kerry, Red FM, Dublin City FM and FM104 and also reaching listeners across Europe, the UK and the US.
’Four Years’ is a rush of passionate indie as Nially takes a heartfelt melody and douses it with vibrant instrumentation to create an anthemic bopper for listeners to enjoy. With strident guitars pining between a steady beat and soaring soundscape, ‘Four Years’ has a dynamic indie rock wall of sound while raspy vocals exude emotion throughout. It’s an earnest and relatable tune that describes the experiences, relationships and events a person explores throughout their college years through suspenseful and compelling musicianship.
pMad has released his debut single, ‘Who Am I’. Paul Dillon is a solo artist named pMad. Dillon started out writing and playing with The Suicidal Dufflecoats, The Return of the Suicidal Dufflecoats, The Greeting and now pMad.
‘Who Am I’ showcases pMad’s dark alternative sound through thrilling cinematic musicianship. Blending ominous undertones with 80’s power rock elements, Dillon creates an epic and dynamic sound for his expressive vocals to glissade over. Dillon’s voice ventures between haunting falsetto coo’s, deep croons and spoken echoes as he depicts the eerie lyrics “You’re living a lie. I’m living you die“. Raw bass rumbles add a dash of grit between punchy drums while swirling soundscapes and jabbing heavy guitars create an expansive and intoxicating atmosphere throughout. Well crafted and packing one heck of a dramatic punch, ‘Who Am I’ is a fantastic debut from pMad.
Irish born singer-songwriter Megan O’Neill has released her stunning cover of ‘Fairytale of New York’.Megan O’Neill’s songs have received great attention over the past year – including her recent single ‘Ireland’, which hit over 400,000 views on social media during release month. The video was also picked up and shared by none other than Olivia Newton-John as well as being added to the RTE Radio 1 playlist for three weeks running. O’Neill released her second full-length studio album this year, titled ‘Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty’. This much-anticipated album follows her last release, ‘Ghost of You’ which hit #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts in the UK and Ireland. ‘Time in a Bottle’, the bonus track off the new album, featured on episode one of hit Netflix TV Show Firefly Lane. One week later, she performed the song live on the RTE Late Late Show – reaching an audience of approximately 2 million and the single charted that same weekend in Ireland across all genres. Time in a Bottle was the highest new entry on the Irish Homegrown Charts at the end of February and playlisted by RTE Radio 1.
Megan O’Neill presents a beautiful, time-stopping rendition of ‘Fairytale of New York’. Her compelling voice gently coos the melody while an elegant piano provides a delicate accompaniment. She slows the pace of the song, allowing her striking, expressive vocals become the main focus of the track. With soft bell elements and delicate instrumental builds, O’Neill’s version of ‘Fairytale of New York’ is heartfelt, elegant and emotive – an utterly spectacular performance of this beloved classic.
Speaking of the single Megan O’Neill said “‘Fairytale of New York’ has always been my favourite Christmas song and a bold choice to cover, I will admit! I was really hesitant about covering such an iconic song but I knew that if I was going to go for it, it had to be so uniquely my own and a far cry from the original sonically. I think myself and Mark Caplice (producer) have managed to capture something special here. Our haunting version of this song really captures how heartbreakingly sad the story actually is”.
Stream ‘Fairytale of New York’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
