Dublin based singer-songwriter Tommy Cullen has released the latest song, ‘Put Me Down’ in a series of home-recorded singles. The track continues Tommy’s collaboration with Marcus Jay and Ivan Jackman on mixing and mastering duties, respectively, and the single’s artwork features photography by Bobby Zithelo.
‘Put It Down’ is a warm, easy listening number. Cullen spreads his wholesome songwriting over intricate beats and sweet melodies to create a mellow emotive track. By blending positive vibes and bright textures with darker rhythms, ‘Put It Down’ provides remarkable contrasts and engaging soundscapes for the listener to indulge in. Using twinkling keys that create moments of innocence between the sullen shuffling drum machine grooves and supple bass, Cullen crafts a song that is immersive, engaging, and soothing all at once.
Cullen’s vocal’s coo over tight backing harmonies as the smooth pop melody flows over the bubbling backdrop with ease. With a bright chorus and soft mellotron flutes, the track maintains a sweet and uplifting tone while the poetic lyrics delve into deep reflection, “are you strong like the trees you tend, will you break or can you bend.”
‘Put It Down’ is a catchy, charming single that displays Cullens tender, rich musicianship and deft songwriting.
Wexford award-winning singer/songwriter Hallie has released her new single, ‘Waves.’ Hallie emerged in early 2019 with her debut single “Familiar Place” to critical acclaim with national airplay on multiple radio stations. The debut song made its way to the RTE Radio 1 Recommends Playlist and got multiple spins on Rising Time with Shay Byrne and Late Date with Cathal Murray.
Filled with rippling dark synths and emotive melodies, ‘Waves’ displays Hallie’s gripping and passionate songwriting in all its glory. This powerful alternative pop track oozes a viscous beat which slaps against a haunting electronic soundscape.
As the ghostly synths wisp about the backdrop, an ominous backing vocal creates a brooding and lamenting atmosphere that is utterly compelling. The song is dripping in lush, ethereal textures allowing Hallie’s earnest vocal delivery to highlight the sweet pop melody.
Through the powerful emotional lyrics, Hallie deals with grief, honestly, as her passionate vocals coo and warm the lonely expansive soundscape. The song builds to a powerful chorus which expresses the emotional turmoil one goes through when dealing with the feeling of loss. A poignant moment within the track.
Hallie’s capacity to create an intimate, heartfelt alternative pop song is impressive. The ability to take dark and complicated emotions and express them in wonderfully evocative musicianship which stirs the listener’s soul is a remarkable feat. Hallie achieves this with ease and astonishing skill. ‘Waves’ is a captivating alternative pop number that displays the immense talent and songwriting prowess of Hallie.
Joe T. Johnson is back with his incredibly spectacular new music video for his single ‘FRIENDS’.In the past, Joe T. Johnson has performed at Glastonbury Festival 2019 and achieved local success in 2020 after three singles. Joe teamed up with cult British photographer ‘Rob Bremner’ for his single artworks to create a vintage world that’s now become Joe’s signature style.
The new music video tells the story of two grandma’s enjoying a day out at Western Super-Mare Beach. Using a lo-fi retro filter, we see the grannies get up to all sorts of mischief. It’s a quirky, light-hearted, and fun video to accompany the melodic tune. ‘FRIENDS’ is taken from Joe’s up and coming debut EP ‘English Elegance’ available to buy in Rough Trade Record stores in February 2021!
JC Stewart has released his new single, ‘Break My Heart’. Over the course of the last year, JC Stewart has already achieved a growing following of 3.1 million monthly listeners at Spotify, plus extensive airplay across Radio 1, Radio 2, Capital, and Kiss. The song is accompanied by an official video directed by Charlie Sarsfield (Stormzy, Dermot Kennedy), who also directed the video for JC’s previous single, ‘I Need You To Hate Me’.
‘Break My Heart’ is a passionate burst of alternative pop as JC Stewart spreads a heartfelt melody over a dynamic instrumental backdrop. This heart-racing track drives on a pulsing beat and warm guitar laments while Stewart’s velvety vocals explode with emotion. The song builds superbly simmering through the verses before the catchy sing-along chorus kicks in. There is a confidence and swaggered undertone to ‘Break My Heart,’ which tells the story of a romance that has to be all or nothing. Stewart displays his wide musical range on this song, surging adrenaline into his passionate songwriting to create a fiery anthem that is a joy to listen to. Drenched in kinetic energy, ‘Break My Heart’ is an incredibly catchy song sure to be chiming in your head for days.
About the track, Stewart says: “‘Break My Heart’ is big, fast and fun. It’s about someone who can catch you so off guard that they can ruin a city for you and tear your life apart. But sometimes that can be addicting.”
The video features JC as one-half of a couple who share an erratic relationship. It switches between a whirlwind of ups and downs: the joy of hitting the open road and blissed-out moment home alone, juxtaposed with awkward silences and icy stares.
Ria Rua has released her new single, ‘Bad Girl.’ Ria Rua is a modern Irish female electronic art-pop singer, songwriter, and producer. After spending years as a professional drummer and touring the world with orchestras, she decided to take a chance on her own material. Her first three releases received national radio play in Ireland and the UK, and she was nominated for 2020 International Artist of the Year by a UK radio station.
Ria Rua’s first-rate musicianship soars to new heights with her latest track ‘Bad Girl.’ From the well-formed turn of phrase to rich musicianship, this bewitching track is intricately crafted. Crisp vocals swirl around infectious rhythms and dark electronic pulses, while tropical embellishments and edgy indie textures add depth and colour to a tantalizing luring soundscape. Within moments the listener is captivated and in awe of the superb display of skilful production.
Lyrically Ria pulls no punches. She exudes an empowering attitude through witty lyrics, which at times cuts deep like a knife. “Yeah, you’re nice to me now say it’s great to see ya. Where was this year’s ago when I was no senorita. I know it’s a fake, only your mistake fire in disguise, let’s go burn this f*cking snake”. Radiating swagger and sass throughout, Ria’s wonderful, pristine vocal delivery heightens the honest lyrical approach.
‘Bad Girl’ is a fantastic display of production wizardry and deft songwriting ability. I can not wait to hear more from Ria Rua. Ria is a talented artist and one to get very excited about.
About the track, Ria Rua said: “I spent three months creating this song – recording over 500 individual tracks in the process! The lyrics are about being bullied by people you once trusted when you ‘become who you are.’ So in a sense, it’s about betrayal, but more importantly, it’s about standing up to bullies and being brave enough to embrace your potential! “
Former Coldplay tribute singer Siimon is finding his own voice with his debut album ‘Cuts & Bruises’. Using the time spent in lockdown to write and record, ‘Cuts and Bruises’ evolved from demos of songs written at various song writing workshops over the years.
‘Cuts & Bruises’ is an enjoyable collection of easy listening rock as Siimon uses his passionate songwriting to create emotive anthemic tunes. His warm vocals caress the delicate sweet melodies radiating tenderness and affection in tracks such as ‘Cuts & Bruises’. This track is a surging display of affection and emotive songwriting filled with elegant keys and ethereal soundscapes. Siimon’s gripping mellow rock encompasses ‘Misread’, ‘Ordinary’ and ‘Last Stop On The Line’; biting guitars flurry across an uplifting and bittersweet wall of sound as soft beats build between icy keys and moving melodies to create a satisfying listening experience. Siimon injects wonderful sparkle into ‘Break Together’. Subtle eruptions on keys flourish through a swirling soundscape of buoyant beats allowing the emotion and sweetness of the melody make your heart skip a beat. Showcasing clean production and rich instrumentation ‘Cuts & Bruises’ is a sublime album from Siimon.
“‘Cuts and Bruises’ became the perfect title for the album as it seemed to encompass many of the unhealed scars, unseen wounds, memories, thoughts, feelings and emotions emanating from the other tracks.” explains Siimon who enlisted Paddy Byrne (Paloma Faith, Tom Grennan, Olly Murs) to produce this project.
Jack West has released his new single ‘A Little Shine’. Showcasing a lighter indie sound and warm glimmers of country the track is an upbeat and charming new single from this young yet mature songwriter. Glistening guitar radiates cosy tones through a buoyant beat injecting a dash of rock edge into the songs building backdrop and ethereal wall of sound. West’s raspy vocals exude passion as the track reaches its heavier crescendo while the effervescent instrumentation fizzes in the background. There is no denying this artists talent. West is developing his sound superbly. His ability to create sweet earworms which soothe the soul is admirable. ‘A Little Shine’ is a well crafted tune displaying tight production and mellow easy going tones sure to add a ray of sunshine to your day.
Cormac Russell has released his new single ‘Lotus Train’. Canadian born, but raised in Ireland, Cormac Russell has taken his music across the globe, including England and China. He released his acclaimed third album titled ‘Regicide’ in May last year, which won very favourable reviews in the press, as well as airplay on national radio. He will be releasing his fourth record ‘Ghost Town’ this spring. Playing all the instruments himself, he draws from a wide range of influences; from indie contemporaries like Kurt Vile and Bill Callahan to literary giants like Whitman and Rimbaud.
Easy going and laced in passionate instrumentation ‘Lotus Train’ is a sublime single from Cormac Russell. The track travels on a steady beat and warm guitar strides as a lamenting harmonica pines in the background while raspy emotive vocals and earnest lyrics inject a dash of grit into a heartfelt melody. Exuding warm country tones between an indie rock backdrop the track is a wholesome gem which displays Russell’s tight, refined and expressive musicianship. ‘Lotus Train’ is an impressive new single from Cormac Russell.
Stephen Kelly – frontman and songwriter for Dublin rock band Raglans, has released ‘Home Brew Volume 1’ a lockdown concoction of newly written and home produced material. Working with mixing engineer, Eamonn Conway (Raglans, The Scratch, Sorcha Richardson, Otherkin) remotely from pandemic bedrooms, ‘Home Brew’ is a collection of new tracks and bonus unreleased older recordings that have never seen the light of day until now.
‘Home Brew Volume 1’ is a cohesive, melodically rich collection of tracks which showcases the versatility of Stephen Kelly as an artist. The EP has a diverse and engaging soundscape oozing alternative edgy elements blended between indie pop melodies, rock n roll tones with the odd country twang thrown in for good measure.
Boasting deft production and first rate musicianship, ‘Pile Up’ sets the EP in motion. The tracks luring, enticing beat is the perfect appetiser for whats to come. From the sun kissed swag of ‘Hollandia’ to the sweet ballad ‘Same Old Town’ the EP provides emotive and passionate tunes showcasing Kelly’s musical prowess – the latter displaying poignant songwriting “Forever lonely waiting on tomorrow”.
Exuding witty lyrics and wonderful melodic changes, the attitude soaked ‘Shit Song’ is a brisk, glorious assault on the senses. As in all ofKelly’s music his tracks are brimming with rich instrumentation as he spreads slinky basslines and slick guitar lines over a punchy rhythmic backdrop – a joy to listeners ears. Within ‘Home Brew Volume 1’ each song flows into the next with ease, subtly revealing different aspects of Kelly’s musicianship.
Arguably the most intriguing track on the EP ‘Icarus’ is a dynamic shot of adrenaline. Perhaps it’s the deft lyrics combined with invigorating use of instrumentation but there is something special about this track. Radiating ethereal guitars, eerie soundscapes and a rumbling bass the track is one of the highlights on the EP. The song emits kinetic energy and a magnetic personality that entices the listener to press the replay button repeatedly. It is utterly sublime.
‘Fallen Heroes (Live)’ triumphantly brings the EP to a close. A jangly live track laced in good vibes, witty lyrics and a heartening sing along refrain. This catchy ditty is a treasure at the moment. Providing us with a hint of live atmosphere through a fun, free spirited track, it is a superb way to end the EP.
Stephen Kelly presents a well crafted and charming collection of tracks which showcase his refined musicianship and exceptional knack with melodies. The earworm gems are a delight on the ears and mark Kelly as a first rate songwriter. Looking forward to Volume 2.
Moncrieff has recently released his second EP ‘The Class of 2020’. Having spent most of early 2020 in the solitude of his friend and co-producer Toby Scott’s home studio in Brighton, Moncrieff has created a collection of songs free and unconfined by genre that capture the zeitgeist of an ever changing musical and cultural landscape. Moncrieff’s debut body of work ‘The Early Hurts’ EP featured lead track ‘Like I Do’, this debut radio single (released in Sept 2019) received extensive airplay across national radio racking up nearly 12 million audience impressions and 5 million streams. The success of the single and EP led to Moncrieff selling out his first headline show in Dublin in less than 3 hours. His growing reputation also landed support slots touring with headline Irish acts Picture This and Walking on Cars.
As far as sophomore EP’s go ‘The Class of 2020’ is a musical triumph which boasts the unique genius of Moncrieff. Within this catchy, upbeat and candidly honest EP Moncrieff pushes boundaries and expectations while being extremely forthright with his emotions. The rich and utterly lush production on the tracks is masterful and something to be admired. If his debut ‘The Early Hurts’ EP had you thinking Moncrieff is an exceptional artist – ‘The Class of 2020’ will not only confirm your hypothesis but tell you the artist has more talent up his sleeve than he is letting on.
‘PLAYLOUD’ jump starts the EP – lathered in electronic production, R&B and infectious pop Moncrieff’s fun, euphoric expression of youth surges through playful soundscapes and witty lyrics “I’m a f*cking unicorn if I say so”. Oodles of attitude spills all over the EP. From quirky censored F word’s to catchy shout along choruses – it’s an energetic start to the EP. Moncrieff utilizes his unique and soulful vocals to inject rich depths through the rapid lyrics in ‘PLAYLOUD’ and surge emotion and velvety tones into the upbeat, urban pop ‘AMERICA’. A track that is vibrant, rich and laced in satirical commentary ‘AMERICA’ displays Moncrieff’s versatility as an artist through tropical rhythms, jangly soundscapes and a catchy chorus subtly scented with the aroma of Fun Boy Three’s ‘It Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It)’. The track is an impressive earworm which will chime in your head for days, its infectious rhythm unabated by any other tune you play after it.
Moncrieff doesn’t pull punches lyrically in this EP. He delivers an exhilarating middle finger to those in power failing to support society; “We chase our dreams while you spread your lies, Build castles in the sky, Heaven knows we’re all gonna die” in ‘AMERICA’ and rips shreds out of himself in ‘Sad and Horny’ “I’m a looser yeah i’m just a creep, who would wanna f*ck me”, it’s an honest account of his journey and thoughts on this year expressed through slick, first rate musicianship. The lush falsetto on the latter is simply flawless and gives listeners a teasing reminder of Moncrieff’s debut work – a clever addition and one that works so well. The chorus of ‘Sad and Horny’ erupts with subtle bursts of luscious pop followed by bubbling beats and simmering synths which blossom into a catchy release of tension as Moncrieff gravitates from glistening pop into a more melancholic undertone.
Similarly the dancefloor bop ‘DANCE’ follows the glum lyrical theme ‘we’re born, make money then we die’, however once again Moncrieff packages the ominous message within an upbeat infectious gem. ‘Dance’ is arguably my favourite track on the EP. This tightly produced glitter ball is drenched in bitter-sweet dreamy melodies, warm vocals and a catchy whistle along feature. Destined for the kinetic energy of a live show, the body moving beat, sweet electronics and jaunty guitar make this track a delight on the ears.
Moncrieff brings the EP to a close with the first demo he released this year during lockdown, the tender and earnest ‘in my room’. This beautiful track is again, a throwback to ‘The Early Hurts’ EP and the ruminating, depressive side of Moncrieff. Brooding, sombre and soulful Moncrieff coos a bittersweet melody atop ethereal soundscapes and lamenting piano creating an expansive, lonely and almost celestial backdrop. His wonderfully expressive vocal delivery hits hard and is raw and honest. Riddled with pain and expressing heartfelt emotion the track winds down the EP to a perfect end. ‘in my room’ is a poignant representation of how many people felt this year. However the track can be interpreted in many ways, for example it is a wonderful contrast to the upbeat, energetic bravado of opening track ‘PLAYLOUD’ where youthful angst has the potential to take on and change the world whereas ‘in my room’ is vulnerable, afraid and filled with doubt. Looking at the EP as a whole one can see Moncrieff is allowing the listener to glimpse different opposing facets of his personality and emotional state, which in truth on introspect is within each and every one of us. Moncrieff is vividly painting through the medium of music how we all feel at times. We may put on a brave face but within we are vulnerable and filled with doubt. Subtle messages, themes and nuances such as these lurk throughout the EP, within the lyrics, soundscapes and musical embellishments, deftly left obscure by the artist for the listener to make their own assumptions on the topic at hand.
Another point of interest is Moncrieff is ending the year as it began for the artist. His first release of 2020 is his curtain call as well – the finale of a chapter, the end of a crazy year and ‘in my room’ aptly closes the chapter or does it ? .. the haunting nature and sorrow of the track feels as if it’s a small break before everything kicks off again… Intriguing to say the least.
‘The Class of 2020’ displays a different facet to Moncrieff as an artist. His sublime ability to make you feel the pang of his isolation and emotional state through tonally tight, crisp and full flavoured production is awe-inspiring. The dynamic energy within each track is infectious and each song warrants its place on the EP creating a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable collection of tracks. Moncrieff is a musical force of nature who possesses depth and artistic understanding that is both mesmerising and enviable. ‘The Class of 2020’ is only a keyhole glimpse of the boundless talent this artist has to offer. Keep an eye on this guy.
Stream ‘The Class Of 2020’ Below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
