Tag Archives: The Riptide Movement

A Chat With, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With : Mal Tuohy from The Riptide Movement

I caught up with Mal Tuohy from The Riptide Movement to talk about their latest release ‘Turn on the Lights’ which is featured on the current Guinness campaign #KeepTheLightsOn. After some chat about our preparations for Christmas and the new vaccines being rolled out we discuss how the track was written and what brought about its use for the #KeepTheLightsOn campaign. 

‘‘We got contacted by someone from Guinness, they were telling us about the campaign that they had planned and that our song was perfect for it. They talked us through the campaign highlighting all the pubs and in particular the family pubs around the country that have been affected by the COVID restrictions and have been closed down.They wanted to do a campaign that was uplifting and they thought our song was perfect for it really, which we agreed with. The song itself, taps into that feeling that everybody has had this year where everything has been shut down and everybody’s at home and haven’t got to see their families and stuff and I think that whole message of turn on the lights, is a really uplifting message that was perfect for the Guinness campaign and perfect for the times we are in. It’s funny because we recorded that song four years ago and we released it this time four years ago. We all thought it would be a great Christmas song and it never really took off when we released it, not like other songs on that album, ‘Elephant In The Room’ really took off but ‘Turn On The Lights’ didn’t. I’m a big believer in timing and this song is more relevant today than it ever was, even the video for it is as well. The video was made around Christmas time four years ago. This time four years ago, it was shot around Dublin, and it highlights Dublin at Christmas in pre-COVID times. So it’s nostalgic to look at it now and it actually makes more sense now in a mad way than it did four years ago,”

The fact that ‘Turn on the Lights’ featured as part of the 2016 ‘Ghosts’ album shows how timeless the track is, as well as showcasing sometimes, all a great song needs is time to grow legs.  

“Definitely, yeah, and the great thing with that song is the journey it took as well because with the song there’s a few other writers involved, it was not only just the band. I was on a writer’s retreat five years ago with an English writer who invited me to it, Kat Williams ( Kathryn Williams ). Basically songwriters spend a week together and write songs and one of the songs Kat was showing me was this song called ‘Turn On The Lights’ and she was showing it to me on the phone. It was actually called ‘Same Time Every Year’, I think that was the original song and I thought it was great. We had kind of forgotten about it and then she came over to support us for a few gigs in Whelan’s back in December 2015 just before we went to Texas to record ‘Ghosts’. She showed us the song again and all the lads in the band loved it as well. When we were doing the album out in Texas, we were putting all our ideas together and the whole album was taking shape. Ted ( Ted Hutt ), our producer, asked us, had we any other ideas that could tie into the whole feel of the album, and we said we’ve got a song that was written by three other writers that we like. We showed him the phone recording, and he loved it. So what we did then is we rearranged it, and we added our own bit to it as well. So we kind of wrote it as well with them. So, all in all, there’s actually eight writers on the song. It’s brilliant, and it’s great because we’ve never done that before, had so many writers on one song, and it just happened organically and we had the Suso Gospel Choir sing on it. We recorded it all in Texas, and we got the choir to sing on it in Windmill Lane Studios when we got back from Texas. We put out the song four years ago and there was no real interest in it. Here we are four years later and it’s used in a Guinness ad. It’s great.”

The Riptide Movement are pretty good at Christmas songwriting. Last year the band released ‘All I Ever Wanted’, a heartfelt Christmas tune laced with luscious melodies. It’s not easy to write a Christmas song. It can be difficult to create the right recipe of atmosphere, heartwarming feeling, sense of sad/jolly undertones and inner reflection. However the band have achieved this. I wondered if they find it easy to write a Christmas song.

“No, not at all. With “Turn On The Lights”, it was definitely a Christmas song. The first original version of that song from the phone recording that was the idea – trying to make it home for Christmas because there’s a line ‘There was a place for me, an empty chair waiting for me to take it’ – so it’s that idea of trying to make it back for Christmas and if you don’t, there’s going to be an empty chair around the table at Christmas and then it’s that idea as well when we lose loved ones there’s always an empty chair around the table where, that loved one used to sit for Christmas dinner. That song was always like a Christmas song. We have to give credit for the lyrics to Kat Williams, Joel Sarakula and Josh Kumra, brilliant songwriters in their own right. They are singer songwriters so their craft is lyrics and they wrote a majority of the lyrics for the song.”

‘All I Ever Wanted’ it’s like a day in the life, kind of a song. It just happened to be on Christmas Eve on Grafton Street, it wasn’t set out to be a Christmas song. It was just depicting the day if that makes sense and it happened to be Christmas Eve. So we didn’t actually sit down to write Christmas songs, it just happens”

Everyone finds something different that hooks them into a song, whether it’s a melody, riff or beat and for me, with ‘Turn on the Lights’ it was how the band ended each line in the verse with a sort of dramatic dum dum part in the instrumentation.

” It was actually one of the toughest songs to record. When we were doing the whole album it took the most time because of the timing, it’s not a 4/4 timing, it’s an off beat time. Even where the vocals start and where they end, they come in at times where, for me anyway, where I would normally put the phrasing in, if that makes sense. A lot of that would come down to Ted, the producer because he had a vision for the way it should sound, and I think Ted should really take credit for the way it sounds and that’s really cool that your ear was drawn to that so he’s gonna be delighted to hear that.”

I wondered did Mal find it difficult to sing ‘Turn on the Lights’ considering the arrangement is not what he is used to.

” Usually a lot of our songs I would write them, so the phrasing, and where the vocal comes in and goes out would be my natural rhythm. The way I just naturally sing it or naturally come in at certain parts where it feels right. So, this song was a real challenge for me because it was on a different timing and it was the way Ted envisioned that it should be. When I was in the studio trying to drop the vocals it took a long time for me to drop them because my instincts were telling me to come in at different parts, and I had to restrain myself from doing it. I suppose when you’re making an album, writing an album, and recording it, you don’t really have the benefit of having played it live for three months or six months… so it did. The songs are new, and it takes time to find the flow of where everything is supposed to bed in.”

Last time I spoke to Mal he mentioned that next year will mark The Riptide Movement’s 15th year as a band. I was delighted to hear they have some big plans ahead with or without a vaccine.

“We’ll probably start planning for shows later in the summer, I imagine. In terms of playing live we have to base it around the vaccine being rolled out so we will probably play it by ear next year and see how that pans out instead of booking and that might not go ahead. But that’s only one part of it. We’re doing stuff with the National Symphony Orchestra so we’re gonna be releasing some of that next year…We’ve some cool ideas around the 15 year anniversary of the band being together.. As I say, we’ve done some stuff with the National Symphony Orchestra which sounds really cool and can’t wait for people to hear that. We’ve done two songs with them so far and they’re rearrangements of our songs with the Orchestra, it just sounds beautiful. So it’s stuff like that and releasing behind the scenes stuff from albums that we made over the years. It’s gonna be a lot of focus on that for next year. In terms of gigs that will come secondary based around how things are going to roll out next year and if we’re allowed to go back to the way gigs were.” 

We are all looking forward to the return of live shows but I couldn’t help but think there must be some consequences or casualties to this year. I asked Mal if he thought the industry will actually come back to the same level as it was pre- Covid. Will we have the same venues we had in previous years or will a few talented bands and artists not survive the strain of this year. 

“I’d say there will be to be honest, some bands and some artists might move out of the industry because it’s a tough industry to make a living in anyway. But in saying that you are always going to have art and you are always going to have artists and you are always going to have musicians that want to play, and want to release albums and the same for venues. I think the idea of a venue is going to change from this whole COVID experience. It’s not just going to be your standard venue – a stage, a large room and a bar. I think people want something more. I can see gigs moving into nice spaces like churches and heritage buildings and different venues that are exciting for the punter as well. But I imagine some venues won’t be here after all this, but other ones will open up and it will be an evolution of the whole industry.”

” I think once COVID goes away it will definitely go back to normal, go back to mosh pits and full rooms, there’d be no reason not to because there’d be no threat of people getting sick. I imagine next year, they’d be just rolling out the vaccines and we will still be practicing social distancing until we get past COVID but I reckon, maybe 2022 will be a throwback to the oldest type of gigs with packed rooms and mosh pits.”

‘Turn on the Lights’ is a heart-warming and passionate single that seems to have been written ahead of its time. It’s uplifting and tender message expressed through evocative lyrics makes the track a timeless Christmas gem.

Watch the video for ‘Turn on the Lights’ below


Author : Danu

New Music

The Riptide Movement ‘Turn on the Lights’

Dublin four-piece The Riptide Movement have just released their beautiful Christmas song ‘Turn on the Lights’. The song is full of hope and is truly of the times – perfectly complimenting the current Guinness Campaign #KeepTheLightsOn, on which it features.

The Guinness #KeepTheLightsOn campaign quite literally shines a light on pubs, highlighting their readiness for a safe reopening. Recorded and produced in Sonic Ranch Studios, Texas with Grammy award winning Producer Ted Hutt the song is accompanied by a nostalgic video of Dublin City at Christmas, filmed by Crooked Gentlemen in pre-covid times.


Doused in the wonderfully emotive songwriting this band do so well, ‘Turn on the Lights’ is a heartwarming and delicately crafted new tune from The Riptide Movement. The band coat an uplifting chorus in warm guitars, bright drums and rich chiming percussion. Mal Tuohy’s passionate vocals soothe over this ethereal backdrop for the verses before lifting the song’s crescendo to angelic heights. Exuding country rock tones this positive and emotive track is a moving and well written gem.

Watch the video for ‘Turn on the Lights’ below


Author : Danu

A Chat With, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With : Malachy Tuohy From The Riptide Movement

Photo credit: Ian Smith

Dublin four-piece The Riptide Movement are back with their eagerly anticipated new single ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ which was co-produced in Attica Studios with Tommy McLoughlin (Villagers, SOAK).Hailing from Lucan, The Riptide Movement’s music has taken them all over the world from Main Stage at Electric Picnic to Glastonbury and Benicàssim. Their extensive recent ‘Something Special’ tour included a blistering headline performance at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. From busking on their native Grafton street to playing with the BBC Orchestra, Neil Young and The Rolling Stones, music has taken the band from Lucan to India, America, Russia, Australia and everywhere in between.

I caught up with frontman Malachy Tuohy to talk about the new single, the changes in music promotion due to covid-19 and how the bands sound is growing as well as what they have planned for the coming months and next year. 

I spoke with Tuohy and John Dalton last year before their fantastic show at The Olympia Theatre Dublin when the usual format for Indie Buddie was a video interview. However this time due to Covid-19 it is by phone. We began comparing the changes from video to phone interviews for me and that a lot of Tuohy’s interviews are by phone now and this has made promotion a bit easier for him.

“Do you prefer the video interviews? From our own perspective, some of it’s kind of better in some ways for the interviews, because some of the radio ones we would be driving around a lot. I remember last year when we were doing ‘Something Special’ and the fun going around doing all the radio interviews, but you could be driving from say Wexford, Waterford or up to Kilkenny and you’re trying to beat the clock the whole time to get to each interview.So it’s a bit more relaxed. If you’re doing them over the phone it’s more relaxed not to be racing from one part of the country to the other. It’s definitely got some positives anyway. In saying that it would be nice to have a mix, maybe.”

With six critically-acclaimed studio records to their name – most notably The RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated, Gold selling, Number 1 Album “Getting Through” – The Riptide Movement are renowned for their energetic live shows and soaring, guitar driven anthems. But live shows are something artists can not do at the moment. However the band have put up live streams on their socials as a way of reaching out to their fans and maintaining that buzz.

“Yeah, definitely. It’s a great way of connecting with people, I think, particularly during the lockdown anyway when people were stuck inside their house and you weren’t really allowed out. That was a great outlet for people, to be able to go on the couch, nine times out of ten during that lockdown, a band or an artist, that you like would be going live that evening. I know some of the sound quality would be better than others but if you had a good Facebook Live stream or YouTube stream that had good sound quality it was great, it was the next best thing to being at a gig. Obviously not near as good as going to a gig but, I think to still have that interaction is great”

“We did a couple of the facebook live streams from the house. And one thing I noticed was a lot of people that would be watching us were kind of talking amongst themselves on the stream. So it was a community kind of, a bit of a vibe going on as well, which I thought was interesting. It’s definitely a positive, but it’s not a replacement for live gigs. It will be nice to keep an element of that when things do eventually get back to some kind of normal”

The new single ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ is out now. It is a feel good anthem brimming with earworm melodies heartfelt instrumentation and good vibes and the fans are really enjoying this surprise release

“Yeah, it’s been really positive. It went out on Friday, all the feedback on our social media has been really positive. With radio, as well, we started getting some radio play with it already. It’s been really positive. We’re really happy with it.I think it’s time to release it now because we were holding back releasing the song. We were going to release it next year but we felt now was the right time to put it out. Just with everything that’s happening, and just that it’s a light hearted kind of love song as well, it’s not too serious or too dark so it’s the right kind of energy to put out in these times anyway.”

When I saw the band perform last year in the Olympia Theatre they played ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ as it was a part of the vinyl version on the album. I wondered had they planned to release it as a single.

“Yeah that’s right. Actually it was just on the vinyl because we never released ‘Fall A Little More In Love’ digitally, so it was only on the vinyl. We only sold them at that gig because they were a limited edition.What we are doing now is we are selling signed copies with Golden Disc for record store day this Friday and there’s a special on them as well so anyone that buys it online gets a signed copy, and it includes the new single ‘Fall A Little More In Love’ so kind of worked out well holding that song back.”

It feels like this track blends plenty of the lovable elements in their previous albums – the ‘Ghost’ album was quite keys or synth based then ‘Something Special’ was indie based with sharp guitar elements and ‘Getting Through’ was an anthemic-oriented album. ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ seems to take the best aspects of those albums and expand on this. This was a natural result of the bands progression and not intentional.

“ I think it’s just something that came organically. I think when you’re producing it, you’re just going to come up with all different ideas and stuff but it wouldn’t be a conscious thing where we go. Okay, what’s the best elements of the band and maybe put them together but actually that’s a really good way of looking at it maybe that’s something that we might try and think about when we’re writing newer songs ; what’s actually the best elements of the band and try and put all that into one song. I never actually thought about it like that before. You’re after planting a seed in my own brain now, that’s a really good idea. Yeah, that’s after hitting me for six there, good stuff.”

Tuohy misses the touring which comes with promoting new material. However he has found the break revitalising as The Riptide Movement have been touring for over 10 years, so time to do normal things is refreshing. 

“Yeah, definitely. Usually you’d have a tour or something to coincide with this or a few live dates. So this time around everything’s very much online and then, even with that, because with the new restrictions that came in again. We were hoping maybe to do a full band Facebook Live session but last week the new restrictions brought in where you can’t have any more than a certain amount in the one place and from three different households so it’s kind of hard to perform as a band and put it out online as well, so it’s kind of just trying to figure out other ways of doing it”

“What we have done has worked well. On a few videos we’ve done it remotely, where, I’d play the guitar and sing and then I send the video on to the lads and they add their individual parts to it. Then we’d mix it all together, and edit it up as a video. So that works pretty well as well. I suppose you just have to find ways of doing it remotely. I’m looking forward to when gigs do eventually come back and get back playing. We have done a lot of touring, over the last 10 years. It’s unheard of, like, even just take Saturday night like a Saturday night in August. I can’t remember. it’s probably 10 years since the last time I ever had a weekend off, anytime during the summer. I’m enjoying it at the moment. It’s nice to have these weekends back and be able to get to live a normal life I suppose”

“I’m definitely looking forward to going back gigging. I’ll probably enjoy gigging even more now, because it’s been taken away from us for a while. As I said we have toured intensely the past 10 years or so, so it is nice to get some time away from it. The one thing I’ve learned myself throughout the lockdown is just appreciating the simple things really, as opposed to, I’ve found, I’ve always been so busy so it’s just been moving on to the next project and next thing. So the last six months feels like, even though we were still releasing stuff and writing it’s just everything has slowed down a bit. I’m just enjoying the downtime, really, to be honest and definitely feeling the benefit from it”

Artists have had to learn new skills to connect with fans such as navigating through platforms such as Zoom. The Riptide Movement have been editing their own videos and putting their own content online themselves but this wasn’t too much of an ordeal for Tuohy

“Last year I would have got into a lot of the edits and we started making the bands videos last year, and then the content for online and I was learning that as I was going last year so that’s come in very useful this year, because it makes it easier and quicker to get things up online, or to do these little videos remotely with the band. But that would be more so editing in terms of Zoom and stuff like that, I’m still trying to get my head around it. I suppose it just takes some getting used to. But everyone’s in the same boat aren’t they? Everyone’s trying to catch up on how all of this works.”

I wondered if Tuohy felt pressure to write during this time or is he just allowing his creative flair to decide when a song will come to fruition.

“I have been writing and some of it has been good and some of it has been bad and that’s just the way it is. You just have to keep at it, and I always write anyway. I suppose I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. At the start I thought, I’m going to write like a couple albums here. And that wasn’t happening, and I was thinking I don’t really want to put this kind of pressure on. So, for now I’m just writing as I go, and some of its good and some of it’s bad. Then when it comes time to start on an album which probably will be next year. I’ll start putting a little bit more pressure on myself because, pressure seems to work for me a little bit, if I’ve got a deadline or a timeline that I have to get something finished by”

“So it’s nice to have a lot of ideas in the can and some songs finished, some kind of half finished, and then to approach an album with a timeline. It makes you have to finish it then because there’s a definite deadline. Sometimes you can leave a song unfinished for years, which is no good because the longer you leave the song unfinished, the harder it is to finish it because you’re always trying to make it perfect, maybe, putting too much time into it as opposed to just letting it flow naturally. You can lose the whole essence of the song or that little spark that drives the song or that it’s built around, but then, other times, it can work the other way. You might have a really cool melody or riff and you’ve written a song to that, and you listen back to it and you actually go “no there’s nothing in that song that’s really that interesting or that good” and then you can re-write it into something else.That happened with one of our biggest songs ‘Changeling’ because that was a completely different song before we went into the studio and it came out a completely different song. It wrote itself really in the studio, so it does happen. I think with songs, they find their own way onto the albums.”

“It’s just trusting the process I suppose. In a mad way even though that sounds really all over the place. It kind of works and it tends to work for us when we’re in the studio. We have the songs and the ideas and the ones that make the album are always the ones that made themselves, because you could have 15 or 20 songs when you start the pre-production on an album and you bring that down usually to around 10 or 12 songs, and you’d be surprised the ones that always find a way on to it. It’s a mad way to think about it but they always find their own way and you just have to trust that process. “

The Riptide Movement will be celebrating 15 years as a band next year and they have something special planned.

“ I’d say this will probably be our only release this year and then next year, the band is together 15 years, believe it or not, which is Mad ! but we’re going to plan something special for that to celebrate 15 years together as a band. So, we have a couple of ideas with an orchestra, and we’re going to put out something next year. Then we’re going to be working on another new album, which we will probably bring out the year after. We’ve lots of ideas in the pipeline. It would be cool to have some sort of party or a concert with other bands, maybe for us to do something like that would be cool.”

What better way to mark 15 years as a band then another phenomenal live show from The Riptide Movement. With the bands soaring, guitar driven tracks and vibrant energy it would be the perfect thing to look forward to after all this Covid craziness ends. Seen as the band are always evolving and refining their sound, if ’Fall a Little More in Love’ is anything to go by the next album is going to be another smasher. I can not wait !

Stream ’Fall a Little More in Love’ below 

Author : Danu

Indie, Indie Pop, indie rock, New Music

The Riptide Movement ‘Fall a Little More in Love’

Photo Credit Dara Munnis

Dublin four-piece The Riptide Movement are back with their eagerly anticipated new single ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ which was co-produced in Attica Studios with Tommy McLoughlin (Villagers, SOAK).Hailing from Lucan, The Riptide Movement’s music has taken them all over the world from Main Stage at Electric Picnic to Glastonbury and Benicàssim. Their extensive recent ‘Something Special’ tour included a blistering headline performance at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. From busking on their native Grafton street to playing with the BBC Orchestra, Neil Young and The Rolling Stones, music has taken the band from Lucan to India, America, Russia, Australia and everywhere in between.With six critically-acclaimed studio records to their name – most notably The RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated, Gold selling, Number 1 Album “Getting Through” – The Riptide Movement are renowned for their energetic live shows and soaring, guitar driven anthems, like “All Works Out”, “You & I” “Elephant in the Room” “Changeling” and “Something Special”. They also released an environmentally conscious web series called “Plastic Oceans” in 2018.

‘Fall a Little More in Love’ is honey to the ears as The Riptide Movement drizzle heart skipping indie-pop over a dreamy infectious melody. Jaunty guitar refrains add a buoyant lift to the track while the snappy beat and synth swirls create an intoxicating soundscape to perfectly accompany the beautiful melody. There is nothing sweeter than a heartfelt ditty and The Riptide Movement know exactly how to write one that is destined for repeat plays.They don’t over do it, adding just enough of each element to create a well blended mix of musical delight. The production on this track is superb as the synths effortlessly slip in between the full band sound to create the perfect harmony while Mal Tuohy’s warm vocals melt upon the catchy melody. With elements of country rock, indie, electronic and pop The Riptide Movement make a triumphant return with ‘Fall a Little More in Love’.

Stream ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ below


Author : Danu

Indie, Indie Quick Picks, New Music

Indie Quick Picks

Josh Vine

Genre : Alternative singer/songwriter

Bio: Alternative singer/songwriter Josh Vine has been steadily gaining attention and a following with his captivating performances and stunning vocals. Vine has also received great support from his local BBC Radio Introducing who have made every one of his releases so far, their ‘track of the week’.

Track: Alright

Why We Like It: It’s a punchy gritty gem as jagged guitars slice and drive the track while pounding drums create tension and dark buoyancy throughout. Vine’s striking vocals fuel the intensity and pulsing soundscape as he haunts with sweet falsetto and powerful rasps. With a shredding guitar solo and swirling ethereal yet kinetic soundscape, it’s an exhilarating and haunting radio friendly number .

About the track Vine explains : “ The song is about how your own emotions can leave you feeling isolated from the world, as though you are not really a part of it. It makes you question if you are ok but also wondering if you are alone, or if others are just like you, feeling the same way” 

You can follow Josh Vine on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/JoshVineMusic/

Stream ‘Alright’ below 

Luke Hyland

Genre: Singer songwriter

Bio: Luke Hyland is a Dublin based singer songwriter. He has released his third single ‘The Perfect Storm’. Hyland comes from a pop/folk background and has been streamed over 70,000 times on Spotify.

Track: The Perfect Storm

Why We Like It: It’s a warm passionate track with subtle blustery soundscapes. Amidst strident guitars, strong piano and gusty drums the track pounds and batters with emotional bursts of intensity while the innocent tender melody glides sweetly upon this strong backdrop. Hyland’s sweet and passionate vocals coo the melody as he presents a well crafted and tight number filled with singer songwriter intensity and contemporary pop charm.

You can follow Luke Hyland on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/LukeHylandMusic/

Stream ‘The Perfect Storm’ below 

Atticus

Genre: Alternative Rock

Bio: Atticus are a four piece alt rock band from Dublin, comprised of Dan Wigglesworth, Steph Comiskey, Daragh O’Connor, and Paul Gleeson. They strive to take the best aspects of pop, rock, metal and rap to create an energetic and intriguing sound that is brought to life with riveting live shows. They have released 2 EPs to date: “Coherence” and “Deadlines”, both of which were self produced and recorded by the band themselves.

Track: 47

Why We Like It: This blistering force of Alternative rock punctures with vigor as the band create a rich biting number with a slithering groove and sublime guitar work. The twinkling guitar create a sweet sense of innocence through the verses before becoming more powerful for the all consuming chorus. Atticus tease and entice creating tension for the brooding verses as the vocals coo and caress the light melody with a tender delicacy. The band flesh out their shredding swagger and raw sound for the dynamic mammoth chorus as the pulverising drums pummel through with a blistering bass flirtation while the guitars slice and dice with relentless stamina and vigor right up to the scorching solo. With grit-slapped vocals and well crafted musicianship the band have created a thrilling and absorbing number. 

About the track the band said : “The song was written about our guitarist, Steph, coming to terms with her Father’s deteriorating health in later life. Steph’s Father, Ray Comiskey, was a writer and Jazz critic for the Irish Times, has recently passed away and we have decided to dedicate the music video to him as a thank you for his support for us since day one.”

You can follow Atticus on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/atticustheband/

Watch the video for ‘47’ below 

The Riptide Movement

Genre: Alternative

Bio: Off the back of a blistering tour including a headline performance at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre, four-piece The Riptide Movement are flying high on the success of their latest EP ‘Something Special’, with current hits ‘I’ll Be There’ & ‘Something Special’ blasting out across national radio it’s a triumphant return to form for the Dublin Rockers, to date the EP has over 200,000 streams on Spotify. 

Track: All I Ever Wanted

Why We Like It: This sweet, tender, not “in your face” Christmas tune floats delicately into the ears with a simple yet striking arrangement that stops you in your tracks. Elegant piano accompaniment drifts beautifully around the passionate vocals as the band allow the emotional lyrics and sweet melody take the lime light.The band have created that Christmas tune with substance and nostalgic charm. The video for the song is a touching visual – written, directed, produced and edited by singer Malachy Tuohy and it focuses on the human side of the tragedy that is homelessness.

You can follow The Riptide Movement on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/TheRiptideMovement/

Watch the video for ‘All I Ever Wanted’ below 

Saytr Play

Photo Credit : Jack Whiting

Genre: Indie

Bio: Captivating audiences from the get-go, Manchester’s Saytr Play have been turning heads since their birth in 2017. Known for their explosive live sets around, the five-piece are quickly being acknowledged as one of the must-see, up and coming groups on the music scene.

Track: Honest Man

Why We Like It: It’s a vibrant indie anthem filled with the rushing, invigorating melodies that Saytr Play do so well. With bubbling verses the track swirls and whirlwinds to its infectious effervescent chorus. The Strokes-esque jangly guitars stride effortlessly with an ethereal jubilant buoyancy while the punchy drums and elastic bass create the fluctuant foundation that is sure to have a live audience dancing along. With a dreamy sun kissed melody and vibrant vocals this charming indie banger is a satisfying warm shot of zest and euphoria filled passion.

About the track frontman Fred Farrell said: “Honest Man’ is a raucous heartfelt garage indie song that explores the idea of being happy in a bad relationship for the sake of easy love. It’s the idea of settling down out of fear of being alone. I’ve seen too many friends try to “make this work” on false promises and I too have lost years of my life on the wrong people before. This ones’s for us.”

You can follow Saytr Play on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/Saytrplay

Stream ‘Honest Man’ below 

VELVET

Genre: Indie 

Bio: VELVET are an up and coming five piece indie band from County Durham.The quintet have a unique electric pop sound which takes you on a floaty psychedelic adventure with their summer haze, early 80’s rock vibes and light rich melodies.

Track: Brother

Why We Like It: Its a sublime dreamy track that drifts delicately upon a honeyed melody while the hazy guitars create dazing prisms of sparkling light and luminosity throughout. The track drives effortlessly on a punchy drum and bass groove while the raspy vocals coo and float through the feathery light soundscape. With classic rock elements glimmering throughout in the form of shredding guitar solos and edged instrumental moments the band create a well layered intriguing track with rich instrumentation and a laid back presentation.  

About the track Drummer Josh West said : “It feels as though we’ve really progressed as a band with this single Brother in terms of experimenting with our sound. I think our earlier singles have been what we call ‘dreamy brit-pop’ where as this one is probably not as dreamy and more in your face. Really looking forward to getting the rest of this EP out now in the new year, there’s a real variety on it.” Singer Jack Rasmussen explained : “This song means a lot to us as a band, I think we all connected it with it instantly. It was always stuck in our head. It’s about one of my closest friends who really struggled earlier this year due to certain situations. It’s a really emotional and moving song I think so we wanted to make sure that the video did it justice. We worked with a guy called Peter Storrie on it and loved what he did with it.

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Stream ‘Brother’ below 

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Author : Danu

Indie, Live Music, Live Music Review, New Music

The Riptide Movement Live At The Olympia Theatre Dublin With Support From Adam Weafer ,Midnight Wayne and ELLYD

The Riptide Movement headlined The Olympia Dublin last night. Promising us a set brimming with tracks from their rich and exhilarating repertoire the band created a show that was buzzing with adrenaline and vigor without fail.

Dublin’s Adam Weafer kicks off the night with his rich and warm tunes accompanied on keys by the beautiful and strikingly powerful vocals of Amy Penston. Their vocals blend perfectly – sweetly cooing the glorious catchy melodies with passion and gusto. Weafer has an extremely expressive tone and velvety texture to his voice. His tracks charm and coax the crowd to the front as they sway along while the pair banter and laugh between songs. Weafer is an enthralling performer and he brings a lighthearted and charismatic approach to his riveting tracks. Charming on stage they both settle the crowd in nicely. 

Midnight Wayne, the solo project of Wayne Soper the front-man of Dublin rockers The Hot Sprockets follows. His style is perhaps a little different to what you might expect. After time travelling from the 70’s he brings a brown flared trousers suit and some sweet luscious melodies to the stage. His falsetto coo’s through each track with a candied delicacy. With acoustic guitar and loops he creates the perfect, simple yet lush soundscape for his retro rose-tinted tunes. He proves himself quite the proficient musician creating wonderful psychedelic hues and rich sounds with a simple yet effective set up. A must see. 

ELLYD (Elaine Doyle) is the next act to grace the stage. With rich depth in her voice she is mesmerising to hear through the wonderful acoustics of The Olympia. With real heartbreaking emotion conveyed beautifully through her voice there is no denying the power behind every track she performs. The mighty and expressive choruses could break or heal your heart while her more tender tones create a warmth within you. With simple acoustic accompaniment its the outstanding vocals and wonderful melodies that hit you in the chest and confirms Doyle’s firm grip on your ears… potentially forever.

The Riptide Movement take the stage while the crowd cheer and scream. As the harmonica whines the band leap into ‘What About The Tip Jars’. The crowd are set alight. There is not a word, guitar riff or bass rumble that this crowd doesn’t know and the band pack in as much as they can of their exciting five album long back catalog. There are members of this crowd that adore and worship this band. They are on their knees in adoration, head banging to the more animated ‘Reno’ while holding each other and swaying for the slower Americana swing of ‘Skin and Bones’ and jumping, clapping and stomping for all the tracks between. Malachy Tuohy gives shout outs to the many familiar faces they have seen throughout their 13 years as a band.

The lighting was a dazzling display with strip lighting and a disco ball. The band flash lights on the crowd to see them singing along to beloved tracks like ‘Keep On Keepin’ On’. Each song the band plays empowers the audience more, causing mass jumping and singing. Tracks from the new EP ‘Something Special’ are greeted with as much enthusiasm as ‘Changeling’ from the 2016 album ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Getting Through’ from the 2013 album of the same name. The band have oodles of tracks ready for mass sing-along’s – the audience is hooked on their infectious sound. One guy from the crowd on the balcony rushes to the front – dancing and wiggling uncontrollably to ‘Getting Through’ as he shouts the lyrics and points to the band before thumping his chest while others in the balcony and the pit are standing flailing their limbs and dancing. Its manic but good humored fun that only a band as beloved in Dublin as The Riptide Movement could bring.

Guitarist John Dalton appears to go into his own world on stage – his hair streaming over his face while he blazes through shredding guitar lines with finesse and a majestic quality that is to be admired while Gerry McGarry prances about springing from the raised drummers platform where Aaron O’Grady stands in for Gar Byrne. The crowd love and cherish every member of the band as if they are their own kin and that creates such a wonderful and vibrant atmosphere for a live show. The band play ‘Fall A Little More In Love’ taken  from the vinyl version of the new EP ‘Something Special’ and boy is it a spectacular reason to buy the vinyl! That sweet melody is a dairy milk chocolate box on Valentines Day and a lot more. A real treat, the track jangles on warm acoustic guitar and a radiant Americana-hued indie backdrop with a touch of Roy Orbison flickering through the melody.

This audience will not leave without an encore from The Riptide Movement, they shout for the band singing the lyrics to ‘Elephant In The Room’ until they return to play a few more tracks. Tuohy sits by the keyboard under an immaculate spotlight for the Christmas- y  ‘All I Ever Wanted’ and they finish the night with a standing ovation as the crowd sing, jump and dance to ‘All Works Out’ as Gar Byrne triumphantly takes to the drum kit. What a spectacle.

The Riptide Movement have been around for 13 years and their show in The Olympia last night was a blistering first rate experience. They are a fantastic, primed band that are thrillingly raw and vital with their finger on the pulse of musical melody brilliance . 


Author : Danu

Check out some more images from the show below

EP Review, indie rock, New Music

The Riptide Movement ‘Something Special’ EP

Dublin four-piece The Riptide Movement are back with the release of their eagerly anticipated new EP ‘Something Special’ which was co-produced in Attica Studios with the legendary Tommy McLaughlin (Villagers, SOAK). With four studio albums to their name – most notably The RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated, Gold selling, Number 1 Album “Getting Through” – The Riptide Movement are renowned for their phenomenal live shows and soaring, guitar driven, energetic tracks.

An EP frantic with kinetic energy, infectious musicianship and mammoth choruses is exactly what The Riptide Movement have lavishly bestowed on our ears with ‘Something Special’. From the snappy rock ‘n’ roll ignited opener ‘Is This What We’re All Living For ?’ with its shredding guitars, groove infested rhythm and passionate melody to the finger clicking swag of title track  ‘Something Special’  these guys whack out feel good emotive tracks ready to set you alight with their dynamic wall of sound. Each drum pound, shrilling guitar whine and bass rumble rushes adrenaline into the veins. There is oodles of passion radiating off every track. It feels like each track is going to burst from the seams with vitality and lusciousness. From the juicy melody and “ba ba bah bah bah” lyrics in ‘I’ll Be There’ to the suave coolness in the more chilled melody of ‘Something Special’ each track will leave you craving for more. The band wrap each track in a fizzy golden soundscape of refined, well polished yet edgy instrumentation that shows just why this band have such a shining repertoire. There is a chilled desert-night vibe with  ‘Where Are You Now’ as glistening guitars sparkle between western-esque whines and a steady shuffling rhythm. Malachy Tuohy’s vocals as always exude passion throughout the EP with hues and undertones of The Killers’ Brandon Flowers and U2’s Bono shimmering through his warm expressive rasp. The band wind down the EP with the gentle and tender ballad ’All I Ever Wanted’. Piano adorned – ’All I Ever Wanted’ is an emotional sweet track swooning on a loving melody while Tuohy’s vocals express the touching lyrics “my girl you are all i’ve ever wanted”.

Since their conception The Riptide Movement present a well crafted and energizing sound however ‘Something Special’ EP takes that sound and turns it up a notch with blistering guitar driven anthems, bigger choruses and more passion than ever before. A solid EP from the Dublin four-piece.

To celebrate the release, the band have announced an extensive Irish Tour, aptly called ‘The Something Special Tour’.  Tickets are on sale now.

25 Oct – The Limelight, Belfast.

27 Oct – The Olympia Theatre, Dublin.

15 Nov – Mike the Pies, Kerry.

16 Nov – Cyprus Avenue, Cork.

22 Nov – Dolans Warehouse, Limerick.

23 Nov – Kavanaghs, Portlaoise, Laois.

29 Nov – Roisin Dubh, Galway.

13 Dec – Set Theatre, Kilkenny.

Stream ‘Something Special’ EP below 


Author : Danu