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.
Rory Sweeney
Veggies (ft. Curtisy)
Breaks, bass and a trademark rap from Curtisy gives ‘Veggies’ some big swerve. A new track from fellow-Dublin producer Rory Sweeney’s Trash Catalogue Vol.1 which is 8-tracks, one half of his debut album. It also features Curtisy, EMBY, E The Artist and Txpe_Eater. Get it on Bandcamp.
The album comes from nature, with a rich and cinematic sound palette, and most of the sounds and song ideas coming from field recordings.
2.
Siobhán Franks
Spill It All Over You
Siobhán Franks is a Dublin singer-songwriter, here releasing her third single ‘Spill It All Over You’, a melodic indie song about making the reluctant trip to counselling.
“‘Spill it all over you” is about my long journey cycling down the Grand canal to go to counselling. Through the wind and rain I describe my complete resistance and rage that I feel I need to go. But the longer I spent racing on my bike the more I knew it was good for me. The end of the song describes how I feel after I have Spilled it all over my counsellor. Crying like a baby and back on my bike for a much sonder journey home.”
3.
Sorcha Durham
Fireside
The Dingle songwriter and composer Sorcha Durham is known for being in Walking On Cars. Since that band’s dissolution, Durham has been painstakingly working on new solo songs, of which ‘Fireside’ is the first song from the project, with an ambient pop mood evident.
“These songs are my first chance to tell my own story,” is how Sorcha introduces herself.
4.
Christian Cohle
Strength
Speaking of ambient pop, that’s a descriptor that could apply to Christian Cohle whose atmospheric electronic productions have a magnetic aura to them.
This newest song ‘Strength’ features Antony-style vocals before beats kick in and melt away the uncertainty with a typically stylish and excellent Tristan Heanue video to accompany.
Cohle plays Whelan’s this Friday, and this song is from his forthcoming album Wetlands, which is chiefly concerned with a relationship that dissolved.
“The song was written like a prayer, begging for the strength to just get through the day, without doing something stupid, which for me would probably have been relapsing, being sober now for over five years. I was yearning for someone to tell me I was going to be okay.
Christian Cohle
See also – ‘Wasted’ / ‘Another Life’
5.
Sequence
Move
Belfast-based Afrobeat artist Sequence comes through with some motivational music, featuring a Rocky sample.
“‘Move’ is a motivational afro song, talking about how no matter what situation we’re at in life we have to keep moving. Our goals won’t come to us if we stay stagnant, that just leads to regrets and resentment. You have to know what your next move is….”
Sequence has featured here since 2018, but did you know he has directed videos for Sello and A92 also, as well as being the man behind the New Eire YouTube channel.
His track ‘Shine’ also featured on Atlanta season 3.
6.
Theo
For You (ft. Josh Gray)
London-based Irish soul musician Theo is back after a break with a collaboration with Irish artist Josh Gray.
‘For You’ is a ’90s R&B-indebted track was written by the pair in Dublin last year, after they realised they were going throug the same thing, namely, “losing themselves in a relationship when they should have drawn the line.”
Theo has a joint EP with Naughty Boy incoming with a single in February 2023.
8.
Mount Palomar
Pale Blue Dot
The Belfast electronic producer dropped a new Brace For Impact EP last Friday. ‘Pale Blue Dot’ is a propulsive synth workout and percussive track from it.
I previously featured ‘Simmer’ featuring folk singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside. More on the artist here.
9.
Post-Party
Turn To Gold
Indie rock four-piece Post-Party mark their card with their second single of the year.
‘Turn To Gold’ has a fine melodic indie style that reminds me of Mullingar’s The Academic, and features production by Philip Magee, and comes ahead of their debut EP next year, after a steady stream of singles since 2019.
“Turn To Gold was sketched very early in our career. Years of revisiting it & maturing as a group allowed us to complete the song earlier this year. It tells the story through our lived experiences that things get better and dark times can be overcome. Mental health, Relationships, World issues, it talks about the start of a new day as the sun rises “Darkness turn to gold”.
10.
7th Obi
The Alchemist
The now Essex-based Irish-Nigerian artist 7th Obi contines a new chapter of singles after last year’s Love & Goodluck album. ‘The Alchemist’ is a psychedelic trap song about with effect-laden vocals high in the mix, with synth bass and drums produced by Parisian producer Thoms PN.
“Through fantasy and escapism, Obi toys with the idea of taking his request to an Alchemist, asking what would he have to give up in order to go back to memories of a past love.”
11.
Leila Jane
Dance With Me
Leila Jane is a name familiar from Nialler9 gig guides, but I believe this is the first time a song from the Dublin-based artist with London and Donegal heritage has featured.
The artist has released a new Revolve Evolve EP, showing her affinity for ’60s alt-folk and classic harmonic sounds. Stated influences are Big Thief, Mac Demarco, Angel Olsen and Timber Timbre on these latest tracks like lead single ‘Dance With Me’, there’s a vintage blues and soul quality to Leila Jane’s voice also.
12.
Echo Northstar
Silent Fears
London-based Waterford man Paddy Hennessy, formerly of Cork band HappyAlone released his second single and video for his Echo Northstar project.
Like debut single ‘Someone Else’, there’s a late 80s / early ’90s guitar haze present on ‘Silent Fears’ a song about “letting go of what you hold the closest.”
A forthcoming EP things I wish I could say will feature 5 songs including these two so far.
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.
