11 new songs from Irish artists you should hear
Alot of Irish and Northern Irish music comes Nialler9’s way and there’s little time to feature everything we think is worthy of a thumbs up or more ears. Every week, we collate the new songs from emerging artists that deserve to be heard by you.
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section for individual track features.
1.
Robert John Ardiff
The Lion’s Share
The Dublin singer-songwriter known for his work with Come On Live Long is now on his second solo album, and The Corridors Of Love is a fine album exploring “despair, love, anxiety and hopefulness,” with a level of nuanced and interesting songwriting that Ardiff has become known for.
2.
Shakalak
Kurfewture
Shakalak is a band formed by poet John Cummins and musician Fin Divilly which now counts Johnny Jude, David Meany and Sam Lynch as members. ‘Kurfewture’ is a reflection on what lockdown can do to people’s psyches, delivered like a ballad-esque clarion call. The band have a GoFundMe for their debut album.
3.
RWYR
Bones
RWYR are a band formed by three former members of Overhead, the Albatross. It may be no surprise that some of that post-rock atmospherics is at play on ‘Bones’, The track also has some warm electronics and repetitive vocals that contrast from the members’ former band. It is he opening track from the project leading up to an album called Distance on June 4th.
4.
Citóg
Eyes Closed
Citóg is Irish producer Gavin O’Brien based in Hastings in the UK and ‘Eyes Closed’ is a gorgeously-arranged song about “a break-up, but more of an acceptance than despair. “
5.
Katie Kim & Seán Mac Erlaine
Empire One
Ergodos Records will be releasing an 8-track concept compilation album of collaborations and duets featuring Lisa O’Neill & Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Katie Kim & Seán Mac Erlaine, Paul Noonan & Roger Moffatt, Eileen Carpio & Sean Carpio, Conor O’Brien & Cian Nugent, Brigid Mae Power & Adrian Crowley, Saileóg Ní Cheannabháin & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, and Lisa Hannigan & Crash Ensemble.
In The Echo: Field Recordings from Earlsfort Terrace was curated and produced by drummer and multi-instrumentalist Ross Turner and comes out later this year.
Empire One by Seán MacErlaine & Katie Kim was one of the first collaborations recorded for it. “It really set the tone for the rest of the album,” says Turner. “It captures the unique sound of the building beautifully and the sparse arrangement allowed for the space to become a part of the recording.
6.
Súil Amháin
Lá Breá (prod. Bantum)
Súil Amháin is a rapper from Listowel who raps in Irish and ‘Lá Breá’ features a beat from Cork producer Bantum. A lovely day indeed. It’s the second collab between the pair.
7.
Post-Party
Wasting Time
‘Wasting Time’ is a punchy indie-pop single from Dublin four-piece Post-Party.
8.
The Sei
Let It All Go
The Sei are Irish / Swedish duo Stace Gill and Maria Nilsson Waller and producer Ross Dowling and their latest single ‘Let It All Go’ typifies the band’s contemporary minimal electronic music style they’ve cultivated over the last number of years.
Waller is a dancer who choreographed the song’s video.
“I wanted to show the longing for connection, and the minute timing that is required for
Maria Nilsson Waller
meetings and shared life experiences to happen, but also how we are all somehow united in our emotions and longings, travelling through space and time, trying to make ourselves at home while spinning around in space.”
Stace Gill
‘Let It All Go’ is my response and my lesson; my longing and listening for how to pass through a lifetime as a soft dreaming human, heartbroken, letting everything go and learning love on a speck of rock firing through space.
9.
Arn.
Hard To Believe
A bright laidback R&B vibe from Letterkenny artist Aaron Shaw aka Arn on ‘Hard To Believe’.
Arn. plans to release 26 songs, one every two weeks throughout 2021.
10.
How I Became A Wave
Fading Out
Pat Carey is the former vocalist and songwriter with The Hard Ground who launched his new solo project How I Became A Wave earlier this month. ‘Fading Out’ is a gentle folk-leaning number with a spacious and melodic arrangement.
Carey isn’t alone on his new project as players on the single alone include Cork composer Cormac McCarthy, Maria Ryan (Strung, Crash Ensemble), Aoife Burke, Matthew Berrill (Niamh Regan) and Brian Casey (Screenreader, John Blek).
An album is forthcoming.
11.
Rodney Paz
Quantize
Another Irish artist who has an ambitious plan to release music throughout 2021. Rodney Paz is releasing a song and video every three weeks and ‘Quantize’ is his latest, a lovely lo-fi rap single. Get it on Bandcamp.
