A lot music from Ireland and Northern Ireland comes Nialler9’s way and every week, we listen through it all and select the tracks from emerging artists and some established acts 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.
Jay Ronic
Cork City Life In Mahon
Cork rapper Jay Ronic celebrates his suburb of Mahon, with this very fun dance rap pop track.
2.
Kayleigh Noble
I Didn’t Care, Until
Dublin R&B artist Kayleigh Noble brings in iced electronic productions and neo-soul textures on new EP Hot Mess, as heard on recent feature ‘Imaginary Boyfriend’.
‘I Didn’t Care, Until’ is the track that stood out to me after a couple of fresh listens, which is giving off SZA vibes for sure.
3.
Samuel Powell
Aries
A new once-off single from Kildare producer Samuel Powell on Part Four Records. ‘Aries’ is tension-filled twinkling synth glitchy electronica. Another single follows in June.
4.
Essiray
City
A debut single from Essiray, who is a 23-year-old classically-trained singer-songwriter and producer from Dublin. ‘City’ expresses its desire to escape the city with the song’s gently-burnished lo-fi calm vibes and “how that can almost feel like a breakup.”
Tirzah, Jorja Smith, Amber Mark, Shiv, and Gemma Dunleavy are named as the artists’ influences.
The inspiration came from conversations with friends about longing to explore new places, get out of the city, take a step back from a fast-paced existence, and just breathe. Many people, including myself, have struggled post-pandemic to create a balance between an increased pace of life and much-needed downtime. The second verse touches on the closure of many important cultural spaces in Dublin that have been replaced with hotels and unaffordable student accommodation, which most young people cannot enjoy.
Essiray
5.
Def Nettle
War Machine feat. Andy Rourke
Irish musician Glen Brady (aka DJ Wool) is the vocalist and guitarist of new punk-funk band Def Nettle. The Smiths’ Andy Rourke also appears on this second single from the project, along with Jay Oglesby on drums and guitars by Graeme Slattery.
‘War Machine’ takes its inspiration from a real-life experience with a friend.
Glen Brady says: “The lyrics to ‘War Machine’ were written when I was driving home from dropping a good friend to a drug and alcohol recovery clinic. I found myself making a comparison between that experience and the planet’s profound need for ecological rehabilitation.”
GoldenPlec have more on Def Nettle.
6.
Big Sleep
In My Head
Irish-Italian duo, Dubliner Rónán Connolly and Florence’s Matteo Poli akahttps://www.instagram.com/bigsleepmusic/ Big Sleep are back with a new smooth single inspired by the funk soul pop sheen of the likes of Jamiroquai, Jungle, Parcels and Tom Misch.
It’s from their forthcoming EP Feel Something Someday. produced by J Smith out soon.
They featured in this column in April.
7.
Fortúne Igiebor
The Prayer. Kid Kuba, F3miii
Drill and mournful strings form the backing for Fortúne Igiebor’s latest tune ‘The Prayer’, who plays a headline show at The Grand Social show on June 20th.
The video was directed. Nicola O’Reilly from BabygirlFilms and was edited by Fortune Igiebor
8.
Selky
Paradise
Club Comfort’s DJ Selky dropped a surprising Phil Collins edit as part of his recent edits and blends collection The Bumps. Hey, it works.
The EP is on Bandcamp.
9.
Firm City
Handsome Rover (The Alpinist Remix)
Dublin/Berlin duo Firm City have released this fine remix of their recent single ‘Handsome Rover’ by The Alpinist, who you may know as Gavin White, one half of White Collar Boy. It just keeps rolling in an engaging Berlin electronic manner.
Firm City previously featured here for the original and their debut single.
10.
David Owens
Ghost
David Owens was born in Scotland and grew up in Galway. Owens was working as a software engineer but felt the pull of the music calling that took him travelling and busking for nine years. ‘Ghost’ is an atmospheric folk singer-songwriter song about growing up, produced by Enda Gallery (Strange Boy, Tolu Makay).
“This is a song about growing up. About a childhood friend you separate from and go on different paths but always end up connecting again at different points in your life. You feel like they’re always watching over you somehow even when they’re not around.”
11.
Polytunnel
Bioacoustics
When not making electronic tunes with Solkatt (and formerly Replete), Peter Lawlor makes music as Polytunnel.
A recent move to Glasgow has seen the producer hook up with the Glasgow label Seventh Sign Recordings on a new 12″ release of the Bioacoustics EP.
The lead track is an electro track with bubbling pad percussion and bass and subtle AFX acid textures.
12.
Throatsugar
Ascend
A debut single from Colleen Heavey, aka electropop artist Throatsugar, formerly of Brass Phantoms, who is also a producer, DJ and songwriting graduate with a master’s degree in Music Technology.
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, hit up the Irish section for individual track features
For this and more Irish songs, follow the Nialler9 New Irish Spotify playlist.
