Combining environmental Nordic soundscapes with lo-fi Hip-hop beats, The Seawolf has released his new album, ‘Niflheim’. Based in Los Angeles, The Seawolf worked with an array of contributors who helped produce this album to an extraordinary standard.Connecting with his Scandanavian heritage, ‘Niflheim’ is the 1st of the Nine Worlds of Norse, and The Seawolf is set to create 8 more after this has been released. Naming each song after one of the rivers of this Norse mythology, The Seawolf takes the listener on an ambient journey through this high concept album, in which he utilises the skills he has acquired by working in Hollywood’s TV and film, editing and crafting audio.
Filled with ambient soundscapes ‘Niflheim’ isan atmospheric and compelling body of work. Throughout the album The Seawolf explores hip hop, alternative and electronic lofi to create an engaging listening experience. From spacious synths and pulsing rhythms to echoed vocals and soft chants each song flows fluidly into the next while dark and heavy tones in tracks such as ‘Sylgr’ contrast lighter breezy elements in tracks such as ’Fimbulpul’. These contrasting elements within the album allows The Seawolf to evoke a push-pull of emotion within the listener while showcasing his ability to blend different genres with lush sounds and intricate instrumentation.
I caught up with UK Pop Singer AJ Wander who has just released the video for his brand new single ‘Eye To Eye’. We talked about the new single, working with Louis Berry for the expressive video and his plans for releasing music. Wander starts the conversation on the topic of settling for a muffin over the desired pitta and hummus dish he craved for.
“I just tried Tesco’s, and found out that there are no pitta breads left. I was very excited for pitta and some hummus but, toasted muffin and cheese it is. Pitta breads have a long shelf life. So I feel like there’s always pittas and there’s so many different kinds of pittas they have the mini ones, they have brown, white, the organic ones but they have none. So, I wouldn’t say my days got off to the best start. I’m sure it’s on the way up though”
He explains how walking into Tesco for some pitta bread now more than ever can be the only in person human interaction one experiences during these crazy pandemic times.
“Yeah, this is like Black Mirror coming into reality. I like a bit of human interaction, I’m stuck at home by myself all this week and I’m tempted to just go to Tesco and see if there are any pittas there again, even though I know there aren’t. Just to say hi to the cashier.
“I hung out in the wine aisle. It’s just like urban wine tasting in Tesco. I’ve definitely gotten into my red wine in the last year. That’s been a good pastime. I’m actually doing a wine tasting this weekend with my family. I haven’t managed to go to the pub yet since they have reopened. I was away in the studio when they opened. I was in Spain, and then I just hadn’t gotten around to going, I was gonna go tomorrow night, then I’m in the studio on Saturday and I tend to sound a little bit like Bob Dylan when I’m hungover. Which is completely great for Bob Dylan I mean Bob Dylan pulls off Bob Dylan very well, but it doesn’t go so well for me, I wouldn’t say. So I’m not sure, I might have to rethink my pub plan and push it back another week. But I’m going wine tasting on Sunday, so perhaps I can wait a little while.”
Wander has released his new single ‘Eye To Eye’. He explains to me that he has had this song for a while and is buzzing to finally be able to let people hear it
“Yeah, I’m super excited, it’s one I’ve had in the bank for a little while so to see it step out into the world and start its own journey is an exciting moment”
“I started this journey with a bunch of songs and I haven’t been releasing songs until November last year. I’ve been writing since I was 14 So, naturally I’ve built up quite a few songs so it’s a sensation that I’ve gotten used to. I think now the desire to release songs comes from more of a point of wanting to move on to the next thing, forever chasing the next thing. Releasing a song, allows you to move on to whatever comes next.”
With each release, Wander is showing a constant and impressive ability to capture emotion within his beautifully crafted tunes and this is an organic and natural result of the artist’s talent.
“It’s just how it comes out, every song is different. It depends on the subject of the song but I think that the tracks that I’ve released to date are cathartic and they are me dealing with personal experiences, and managing those emotions that come along with those experiences. Yeah, so definitely not contrived. It’s not an overly thought out process for me.”
“If it’s something that’s not about my own story and my own personal experiences, I probably will spend a little more time rephrasing things and working out what should be said, but those songs that are about my own experiences and come from my own life it’s more of a natural way of thinking and it just spills out into the page”
Wander’s knack for writing precise, well-crafted lyrics and clever turn of phrase within his songs is impressive. Lines such as “living it up is a lazy lie” “stay calm through the smoke alarm as we let it burn” are impactful and thought-provoking.
“I just stick my phone on to record and sing over the song a bunch of times, as I’m writing it, as it’s first coming to life. I don’t really know what I’m saying as I’m writing it and then I’ll listen back to those voice memos and latch on to certain lyrics. I think “living it up is a lazy lie” is something that felt good to sing and it did sum up, what I was feeling, and was trying to tell. I was talking to my girlfriend in the song and that’s what I was trying to convey to her. I guess it was the quickest way to get across that.”
The piano melodies within Wander’s songs are always a strong figure that adds a unique quality to each track. I wondered if the reason for this is because he writes the songs on piano or just that he loves having piano in the songs.
“Yeah I do write them on piano. It’s the only instrument I can play. It’s my only choice. I’m starting to have some guitar lessons but they’re progressing slowly, because I just gravitate towards the piano when I’m writing on the guitar. I should probably have a little bit more discipline. Maybe I’ll lock my piano in a cupboard somewhere so it forces me to write on guitar. I think naturally I create piano parts as I’m writing them on the piano and then I get into the studio and the producer loves them so they’re like we’ve got to put this in. Actually I just recorded a bunch of songs and there’s a few that are piano-less, which is refreshing.”
“I had co-written those songs though, so I didn’t necessarily write them at the piano and I had someone who was playing the guitar or a producer there sort of putting the track together and we wrote to that. So it didn’t have to center around me at the piano, which I think will be quite liberating especially for me when I get to perform live, to be able to actually step aside from my piano and just have a moment to sing and fully connect with that side of the performance.”
“I only really started getting into the swing of co-writing since September last year. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to step up and really get my teeth into, because I constantly have so many ideas that it’s almost nice to take some of the pressure away to present those ideas within the co-writing session, they can be like, I love that, I love that. I don’t love that. It means you get more ideas finished. My music is there to speak to other people so being able to have a co-writer in the room to tell me how it comes across is really helpful and it’s just a great indicator for me as to how it’s conceived outside of my head.”
The video for ‘Eye To Eye’ is well crafted. It has a groundhog day vibe with lots of plate smashing and tension. Wander got the opportunity to work with Louis Berry (JP Cooper, Emily Burns) on the video.
“So much fun. We shot the whole thing in one day, which was tough, it was definitely a bit manic and we were shooting until the very last second of the day. It was great fun. I was really lucky to work with a team that I’ve wanted to work with. I’ve loved the director Louis Berry. He’s worked with a bunch of music videos that I’ve admired for a little while. So to be able to get the chance to work with him and create this vision for the song and again, like I said with the co-writing, to hear his take on the song and how he perceives its meaning was super interesting and how he thinks it should be conveyed into the visual world was really interesting, yeah that was a great day.”
“We had a bunch of long chats on Zoom about what the song means to me when we were coming up with the concept for the music video. I realized that it was about the cycle of this relationship of just constantly fighting because we knew something wasn’t right, and then something wasn’t right because we’re always fighting. It’s just this messed up cycle really that we’ve fallen into. He echoed that feeling as well when he had just listened to the song, without me saying it. It’s like our heads met there, we were like ‘well this is what it has to be, it has to be sort of highlighting that cycle and the toxicity of it all’.”
Wander’s debut single ‘Time Out’, has racked up 3 million streams on Spotify to date. It’s a fantastic achievement.
“Yeah, it’s a bit weird to be honest. It’s beyond anything I’d hoped for my first release. People are still listening to it and it’s just so nice to see it have its own life and get some lovely messages from people saying that it means something to them and it’s helped them more or it echoes a personal experience of theirs. That’s more rewarding than the numbers. It’s hearing that people are getting something from it, and can relate to it. But yeah it’s beyond anything I had hoped for my first release and I hope that it continues and people listen to the rest of the music I release.”
Wander hasn’t had the opportunities to experience performing these new songs live. He hasn’t experienced that magical moment of connecting with a live audience yet. This live show interaction is something he is buzzing to see.
“No, I haven’t been able to gig any of the songs yet which is top on my list. I crave the most to get out there and be able to perform and hopefully, I am going over to the State’s in July. If they let me in and that’s a big if. So, yeah if Biden lets me in I will be performing my first show in July, which is so exciting and I’m starting to get into rehearsals now putting that show together with the band and, yeah, big moment and very exciting for me. That’s something I’ve been looking forward to a ridiculous amount since I started this whole thing.”
Last time I spoke to Wander he told me he had a lot of songs in his repertoire already. I asked if an EP is something we could see very soon.
“That a very good question. Initially, the plan was to release an EP and start touring that. Well, I guess, as I was releasing it I would be on tour already promoting that EP. But, of course, there’s a virus going around. I can’t tour yet… things are starting to open up but I think realistically it’s not going to be until the latter half of the year until I can actually get out and tour properly. So, I’ve had to tweak plans and I’m actually going to now release a bunch more singles, which I’ve just been in Spain recording. I’ve got 10 tracks that I’ve recorded, and ready to release. So the plan is to release a song, a month until the end of the year, and then start touring that, and 5 of those 10 songs are going to make up an EP, and the other five are just sort of going to sit as stand alone singles, but again I feel lucky to be able to extend that record deal and be able to release more songs. Yeah, so lots more music is basically the solution to Coronavirus apparently.”
AJ Wander is a passionate artist and an exceptional melody wizard with a talent for writing poignant and captivating songs. His music comes from the heart and his warm and velvety vocals leaves you craving to hear more. I am looking forward to the luscious musical treats he releases in the coming months.
Night Flight have released their new EP, ‘Songs From Echo Zoo’, which includes the critically acclaimed singles ‘Dreaming’, ‘Canada’ and new single ‘Something Going On’. The London four-piece have also announced a October UK tour, including dates in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol and Brighton.
‘Songs From Echo Zoo’ is a rich collection of tracks. From the jubilant jangle of ‘Dreaming’ to the folk drizzled warmth of ‘California’, the band creates lush and well layered songs that glide through psychedelic tones with elements of pop, folk and indie thrown into the mix. ‘Canada’ exudes a dreamy soundscape that is greatly enhanced by the bands use of supple bass, twinkling keys and psychedelic tones on guitar. Sam Holmes’s croons softly over a mellow melody as he pines wistfully for Canada, “I hate what you do to me. I find it so hard to leave. I’m head over heels in this country… O Canada”.
The crisp production within ‘Songs From Echo Zoo’ highlights the tender emotion rippling through the vocals while the intricate soundscapes chime with a dynamic and deliberate suspense throughout. However it’s the dark and blues-hued ‘Something Going On’ that shows the true versatility within this band’s sound. Filled with deep pulsing synths and distortion the song simmers with aggressive undertones. The blending of musical elements within this track is a thrilling assault on the senses.
‘Songs From Echo Zoo’ is a mature and impressive body of work that showcases the compelling musicianship of Night Flight. Each track is deftly layered with hidden gems revealed on each subsequent listen that leaves much to be admired.
Dublin based dance/pop artist Butler has released the video for his new single ‘ME & YOU’ featuring White Wax. This vibrant tune oozes Butler’s signature sun kissed pop sound. I caught up with Luke Thomas aka Butler to talk about the new single, working with Wax White and the possibility of an EP.
“I love trying to discover different artists and I’m always on the lookout for different acts, particularly when the media will focus on maybe 10 of the best up and coming acts, there’s another 50 that are just outside the spotlight that you don’t see that are doing just as good. I like going down different paths and different rabbit holes to find different acts. I came across these guys and they had a couple of great songs out and I was like, I have to work with these guys. I never thought they would actually agree to do it. They’re two cool guys, two cool rappers and I reached out to them and thankfully they said yes. So we put the song together around Christmas and we felt the time was right now to get it out there”
“ With the lockdown you have to work within the parameters that you can and from the previous summer I had vocals and we had an idea on the guitar so we were able to put that together and send over that to the guys in December. They worked on it, got it back to us, we got it mastered. The process going back and forth can take time but it was worth it in the end. It was a few back and forths and I suppose, by the time we met up to do the video, it was actually the first time we’d ever met, physically, which is crazy.”
Remote recording and collaborating has created an opportunity for artists to work with other artists and producers that they perhaps wouldn’t have been able to work with before. I wondered if Luke thought remote recording is something that will be a lasting addition to recording music in the future after the pandemic is over
“I think it’s the way forward, certainly for electronic music anyway, because the digital stuff is so strong now, it’s so advanced. You have the opportunity to finely tune parts of songs and get them ready way before even going into a studio and that cuts down costs. People can produce albums from their house now. I know they’ve been able to do that for years but it’s really gotten a hell of a lot stronger. So I do think it’s the way forward. Absolutely.”
“Even the microphones people use now are so much better. The technology, the post production software, there’s presets…obviously you need to be able to sing to begin with, but to get to that studio level quality is not as hard to do anymore, which is great. It’s great for the underdogs. It’s great for people who are really struggling to get a record deal, or, they might have written some songs and they’re up and coming, it’s great to see that it is possible for those guys to get through and break through.”
Luke regularly collaborates with a variety of artists for his Butler project. For Luke each artist brings their own sound and style to the tunes. This blending of musical talent creates engaging and refreshing music for listeners to indulge in.
“I suppose that’s another reason why I wanted to work with so many different people because you grow yourself when you work with different people. You grow as an artist and you can learn so much. No matter what age, what genre those people that you’re working with are. It really, helps you and you’d be foolish to think that you know everything, in any field so it’s always good to absorb more knowledge, skills, information, all that sort of stuff. I love it“
Luke is a master at creating sweet earworm melodies that stick in your head for days and make you crave to hear them again. Within ‘ME & YOU’ the doo wop -esque melody is utterly irresistible. Teamed with the love saturated lyrical content, Luke once again proves his song writing prowess.
“I have been writing melody and stuff like that for years and, yeah, it’s just the way the track was. [The] strummed guitar part, we decided to cut it up a little bit, and cut down some of the strums and just make them a bit more staccato. I think that worked and that helped give more room between the chords to get a bit more melody in there, a bit more feeling in there and I think that came out in the song, it’s benefited hugely from that.”
“I was trying to put myself back as a teenager, maybe 15 years ago, when you’re that age and it’s us against everybody you know. It’s kind of naive hopeful love, that side of things where anything is possible in life and it’s just about what’s happening right there and then. Nothing else matters. That is what it was aiming for. I’m quite used to putting myself in certain situations where I can draw on experience or draw on past situations and things that might have happened, maybe not exactly but close enough”
Dublin’s charismatic duo Wax White and their fluid, edgy raps add a cheeky edge to the song. Their clever rhymes perfectly contrast the track’s sweet melody.
“That was one of the reasons why I wanted them on board. It’s like yin and yang at times. Where I’d have more of a sweeter pop delivery and vocal, and then the guys come in [with] a different kind of energy, which is great. It keeps the track interesting and lively. You always have to have one eye on that. That a song or a piece of work doesn’t plateau and make sure it’s interesting for the listener, which is key.”
Luke has also released a video for ‘ME & YOU’. It’s a fun and charming video featuring a random panda head, bikes and the guys dressed in sleek suits. Being able to make a video is a treasured experience in the middle of this pandemic.
“That was the first time, physically together. It was crazy we were on the phone a lot and zoom and various different avenues getting back and forth to each other, but it was great to actually be there face to face, and have a laugh and the director just kept the camera rolling at times when we had the football there and so forth. Just to have fun with the whole thing and not take it too seriously, I think that’s the key. That’s the key with this stuff, so it naturally came out that we were enjoying ourselves. You can overthink stuff and it just causes more issues and there’s more opportunities for it to go sideways if you overthink it, as opposed to doing a simple idea very well.“
Last time I spoke to Luke he told me he was building up his tunes for a potential EP. I wondered how the EP was progressing.
“Yeah I have enough tunes for the Butler EP, I’m going to put it on ice till closer to Christmas because I might have another single, maybe in September as well just to build with the EP, and there’s no massive rush, I would like to coincide the EP with a live performance. So, I’m holding out to maybe closer to Christmas if I can get a venue, you know, just a small intimate venue maybe 100 people, and see if I can do it that way to get across what Butler is properly and see what people think of it live. That would be the idea. Everything, obviously has been pushed back a little bit with the times we are in which is fine. I’ll just be ready and waiting in the background locked and loaded, ready to go.”
Butler is an electronic pop project and the prospect of live shows soon had Luke and I discussing what a Butler show would look like
“Yeah, it’s heavily based with acoustic guitar, sample bass and drum machines, that’s the way we’d start off anyway and probably keyboards at the start. There’d be no point having a huge band, initially, until we see what sort of reaction we get and what sort of venues we’re playing. It would be like what you see electronic artists do on the likes of Jools Holland and stuff like that. They would set up for two or three musicians and they would cover the spectrum of instruments, between them. Initially, that’s what we are looking at”
So what can eager fans look forward to from Butler in the coming months?
“The plans are to promote this [‘ME & YOU’] as much as possible, look at maybe another single in September, with an EP around Christmas and hopefully a live gig to go with that. That’s the big plan and hopefully looking at collaborating with some other people as well. I have a few in mind, but I won’t say anything yet until they say yes or no to me, and just to create music to keep building on the brand.“
Luke Thomas is an ambitious and talented artist. His catchy pop songs and melody wizardry is mesmerizing. ‘ME & YOU’ is a fantastic example of his earworm magic. This upbeat radiant tune is the perfect pick me up we all need. I’m looking forward to hearing the tunes Butler releases next.
Irish glam-pop artist Jack Rua and American hyper-pop artist Saint Taint have teamed up on a scintillating EP called ‘I Don’t Party Enough Anymore’.
‘I Don’t Party Enough Anymore’ is a tantalizing body of work that melds heavy electronics with intricate instrumentation and dazzling production. The artists knock it out of the park with their sugar rush of sounds while allowing each track to evoke the wide range of emotions everyone has been feeling since the pandemic began. ‘Contact’ kicks the EP into motion. With smooth vocals gliding sweetly over a bubbling backdrop of ethereal synths, infectious rhythms and swirling soundscapes, Jack Rua and Saint Taint provide a punchy assault to the senses. Title track ‘I Don’t Party Enough Anymore’, continues the lush textural blitz of its predecessor as it spirals into a chaotic dizzying explosion of electronics between staccato synth and dance immersed beats that create surges of adrenaline between the chilled verses.
As the EP progresses the quality of earworm melodies and glitter pop backdrops intensify, completely absorbing the listener in vibrant electronics, EDM elements and tropical tones. A fine example of this is ‘Lovemelikeiloveyou’ – a glorious moment within the EP. This bright tune radiates sun kissed tones, shimmering synths and deft beats. Within ‘Lovemelikeiloveyou’ Jack Rua and Saint Taint lyrically capture 2020’s feelings of frustration, loneliness and anxiety “my paranoia’s been keeping me company”. The high energy and infectious melodies continue throughout until the grand finale, ‘Bike Ride’.A piano reverb laced tune layered with sticky beats and quirky samples that provides a biting backdrop for Saint Taint’s poignant depiction of life in America amidst the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests.
Over four tracks Jack Rua and Saint Taint succinctly explore the impact of 2020 and covid 19. It’s a remarkably confident EP boasting exquisite melodies and bewitching electronic pop sounds creating a contemporary and unique listening experience. Within ‘I Don’t Party Enough Anymore’, the listener witnesses two dynamic, talented artists showcase their musical prowess and hone their craft to create an EP that is as passionate and emotive as it is engaging and enjoyable.
After playing main stage of BARE In the Woods in 2018, supporting Fangclub, and performing sell-out shows in venues such as The Loft & Roisin Dubh in Galway, Waterford based alternative rock group Under Starling have release the first single ‘Icarus’ from their upcoming self-titled album on May 7th, 2021. Under Starling, originating from Dungarvan (Waterford), consists of brothers Danny and Tommy Dunford as well as Colin Drummey and Alex Pollock.
‘Icarus’ is a fine example of the dynamic and passionate musicianship of Under Starling. The band take a heartfelt melody and drizzle it over a bubbling alternative backdrop to create a heart skipping, intense soundscape filled with potent lyrics and immersive musicianship. As the song veers from it’s brooding verses into the anthemic chorus the band flesh out their expressive instrumentation – twinkling guitars expand into the songs ethereal atmosphere becoming more raw while the tight rhythmic foundation raises in magnitude allowing the drums pound through the soundscape with a harsh and vehement force. Under Starling deliver tunes that speak from the heart while exuding cinematic undertones and ‘ICARUS’ follows this trend superbly. The track is masterfully crafted and an exhilarating ear worm to indulge in.
About the track Danny Dunford explains : “The narrative of the song goes back and forth between 2 characters, an optimist wading through life’s oncoming choices, and a pessimist attempting to “clip their wings”, however in the end the optimist would rather crash and burn trying, than to never try at all.”
Steve Wall and Simon O’Reilly have released their brand new single ‘Rise with the Sun’. The two collaborated on the song over WhatsApp and shared files online, with Simon recording the music and mixing the song in his studio near Lahinch and Steve recording vocals and some extra bits in Dublin. Simon O’Reilly is a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, music video maker and founder of Music Minds festival, he is based in Lahinch in the west of Ireland and owner of Fern Studios. He has worked with many musicians including The Contempo Quartette, Susan O’Neill, Davey Spillane, Twin Headed Wolf, Kila, Luka Bloom and The Monks Of Glenstal amongst others. Steve Wall has penned some of the best-known songs in Irish rock music: “Brewing up a Storm”, “Romeo’s on Fire”, “Half Past Two” and “To the Bright and Shining Sun” to mention just a few. Best known in Ireland as the singer with legendary Irish bands The Walls and The Stunning, he also juggles a successful acting career.
‘Rise with the Sun’ is a refreshing and glorious new tune. The track floats upon an alternative country rock backdrop while pedal steel guitar and reggae hued beats inject balmy tropical tones into the mix. Lyrically the track gives an honest and quirky depiction of a person’s struggle with will power and self-discipline and the challenge to stay focussed. Lyrics ‘I’m a hunter gatherer in my prime, I stocked up on frozen foods and I’m already watching season two, Close the curtains and turn the dimmer down’ express relatable experiences over the past year while lines such as ‘Sometimes I get a little bit lonely but I can never find the right emoji’, – although tongue in cheek, resonate with darker emotional undertones. The refined instrumentation and lyrical content within ‘Rise with the Sun’ displays Steve Wall and Simon O’Reilly’s enjoyable musicianship and deft production skills.
Speaking of the single Steve Wall says: “It’s my first collaboration outside of The Stunning and The Walls and I’m really buzzed about it. It was refreshing for me to get music that someone else had written for a change and to see what kind of song I could make out of it. Simon was great to work with. We both have years of experience so neither of us is precious when it comes to the creative process and we were on the same page the whole time which helped”.
With Simon O’Reilly adding: “Over many long conversations about all things music, I found myself to be in sync with Steve’s musical sensibilities and styles. We have a mutual passion for guitars, gear and everything encompassing the creative process. During the last two months, working on this uplifting song was joyous. I hope the song can do a bit of the same for the listener”
Owen Denvir‘simaginative and brilliant EP trilogy/album idea is coming to a close with the final EP “Bones” released today, that will then create the ‘Sticks, Stones & Bones’ album. The first EP, ‘Sticks’ was released in 2019, ‘Stones’ in 2020 and now ‘Bones’.With over 200,000 streams on Spotify, combined video views of over 2 million, music shared by Coldplay and supporting the legend Dodie.Belfast born, Owen Denvir at only 30 has asserted himself as one of the finest singer songwriters around.
‘Sticks, Stones & Bones’ is a wonderfully crafted record filled to the brim with beautiful melodies, immersive musicianship and the passionate songwriting of Denvir. The artist confirms his status as a pure, emotive and heart-felt storyteller. He floods tracks ‘Ghost’ and ‘The Lighthouse’ with eloquent and vivid narrations of loss and loneliness. The latter is perhaps Denvir’s most moving tale of all. This heart-breaking story is riddled with emotional vulnerability expressed beautifully through terse and cruelly honest lyrics “And he awoke to find that he was on his ownAnd he was nothing without anyone. His little head he sank into his little hands, And he said “Why oh tell me why am I alone”.
Denvir is a diverse musician who has a knack for creating catchy tunes. From the cinematic pop production of ‘This Could Be Love’ to the sweet guitar plucked ‘Stones From Paris’ and anthemic ‘Loud & Clear’, Denvir pours every fibre of his being into the songs to create a tight and passionate collection of tunes that exude his musical wizardry. Highlights from the full collection of work are ‘Stay’ and ‘I Want You So Bad’. Both these tracks are simply outstanding and lushly arranged. In these songs we see Denvir’s majestic and tightly weaved instrumentation in all its glory. Intricate melodies and delicate sonic flourishments interplay and entwine as he masterfully builds each song lovingly to express emotion and stir empathy within the listener.
Denvir’s soulful vocals tie each song together. His smooth but supple vocal delivery invites listeners into his world as he ventures between warm croons, sweet falsettos and velvety tones while his lyrics carry the listener through the vast spectrum of human emotion and complex themes of love, loss and excitement. ‘Sticks, Stones & Bones’ is a magnificent collection of tracks and a fantastic display of poetic musicianship from Owen Denvir.
About the album, Owen says...”The album and EP trilogy idea is based on Sigmund Freud’s theory that personality is a sum of 3 parts: the Id (acting on raw impulse), the Ego (being terrified of consequences) and the Superego (the balance between the two).The first EP (“Sticks”) deals with loss and delusion and the impulsive decisions we make while in the spell of ‘love’. The second (“Stones”) being a more confident but brash take on love, and finally the last EP (“Bones”) is when you have the balance between the two, which mostly leads to more healthy relationships.”
SOMEFINN have released their debut single ‘Starlet’s Dream’. SOMEFINN are an alternative rock band whose story begins where that of another band ends. Paul Finn was lead vocalist and songwriter for Irish Choice Music Prize Nominees The Flaws, who called it quits in 2016. Finn then took up an offer from Shane Clarke, to tour as guitarist with his band Elephant, with whom he played shows all over Ireland to rave reviews. During this two-year period, Finn built a studio in his hometown of Killanny, Monaghan. There, he began writing and recording what would become SOMEFINN’s debut album, ‘…Tsk, Tsk…’. The band’s line-up was completed when an accomplished roster of multi-genre veterans came onboard. David Marron (Sanzkrit, Derek Ryan), Paul Markey (Sanzkrit), Paul Carolan (Finnian) and Darren Finn, Paul’s brother, are to be found on guitars, bass, drums and keyboards respectively.
‘Starlet’s Dream’ is a spectacular display of biting alternative rock. The track pivots around a driving bass line that weaves through an agitated soundscape of jangly guitars, haunting backing vocals and frenetic percussion creating a rich and meticulously layered tune for listeners to indulge in. Lyrically the song explores the paradox of a weakness becoming a strength and is greatly enhanced by the tracks instrumental backdrop, “strength ain’t a weakness of mind, is that a weakness of mine?”. Filled with complex textures and refined instrumentation the track is a fine display of musicianship. ‘Starlet’s Dream’ marks SOMEFINN as a band to keep an eye on
‘Queen’ is the brand-new single from Dublin bedroom-pop act Jacqueline Kennedy. The track is written, performed and produced by Kennedy and features vocals from Cork rapper Darce.
Jacqueline Kennedy made waves when she was the winner of the 2020 TilT Development deal with Sound Training Productions and 98fm’s Totally Irish. Now the Dublin producer and artist is ready to add her name to growing ranks of Female Irish pop acts, forging their own way.
Filled with R&B tones and a hypnotic soundscapes, ‘Queen’ is a confident, laid back tune from Jacqueline Kennedy. The song deals with the idea that anyone can be royalty against the backdrop of a changing society and this theme is expressed through Kennedy’s crisp production, knack for earworm melodies and sleek lofi musicianship. The artist sprinkles twinkling synths into a pool of ethereal electronics to create a chilled luring atmosphere while her soulful soothing vocals caress the smooth melody. As the track progresses the soundscape becomes lush with supple layers and samples, greatly enhanced by Darce’s punchy rhymes which pierce the hypnotic backdrop with a verse of intense potent lyrics. ‘Queen’ is a fine example of Kennedy’s blossoming and enticing sound. Looking forward to hearing more from this artist.
Stream ‘Queen’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
