A lot of 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 songs that pass our writers that deserve to be heard by you. For more extensive Irish coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section for individual track features.
1.
Kojaque
Shmelly
Kojaque is back with a new track debuted on Colors. ‘Shmelly’ is a fine example of why the Dubliner is one of our finest MCs, not bowing to the zeitgeist and running in his own lane.
2.
Paddy Hanna
Colosseum
2020 isn’t all bad. We’ve had lots of great recorded Irish music, and this week’s announcement that Paddy Hanna has a new album called The Hill on the way on October 16th is much welcome. Another singular talent. Says Hanna:
“Colosseum is a Doo Wop song about Gladiators, or more specifically a song that deals with feeling out of step in a world not made for you. Your welcome to read into the allegories, but I’d be just as happy if you took the words literally and treated it as the rock n roll anthem for Gladiators, your call!”.
The album features Girl Band’s Adam Faulkner and Daniel Fox on Drums & Double Bass, Daniel Fitzpatrick (Badhands, The Mighty Stef) on guitar & Keys and Jill Redmond on Vocals. The record was produced by Daniel Fox and the artwork was designed by Jill Redmond.
Tracklist:
- The Last of Their Kind
- Cannibals
- A Strange Request
- Nameless
- My Ladybird
- Sinatra
- Howling At The Duke of York
- My Wise Addiction
- The Hill
- Jog On Shall We
- Colosseum
3.
April
Forever (To Feel Like Tonight)
Another Nialler9 favourite. Kildare R&B artist April is set to release a second EP of 2020, Luna on October 23rd. ‘Forever (To Feel Like Tonight)’ channels some vibes akin to The xx in its guitarwork, with moody synths and tension below April Lawlor’s distinct voice.
The EP overall is all about falling in love. Each song touches on the uncertainty you get when starting to feel strongly about somebody at the start of a relationship. You begin to wonder if it will last or if it’s just something to pass the time. ‘Forever (to Feel Like Tonight)’ fits into this idea as a song about wanting a particular feeling to last forever. When a relationship isn’t perfect but there are perfect moments that make it ok and it’s those moments you want to live in and never let them end.”
4.
Pillow Queens
Holy Show
As if you needed another reason to get excited for the debut PQs album on September 25th. ‘Holy Show’ is a beaut and real strong album highlight material.
“Holy Show is a song that relays the feeling of regret and insecurity about past words spoken and actions taken, even when they’re ultimately meaningless. The song tries to articulate the heavy burden of being the only person who is concerned about the minute details of how you present yourself to the world.”
Pillow Queens
Video director Kate Dolan says: “Myself and the girls are all queer so when they asked me to direct something for Holy Show we all felt it was time that we made a video that had some positive queer representation. There are often depictions of queer women in the media that really upset me. We are often observed through a male gaze by male directors. They are often hyper sexualised. We wanted to create something that really captured the joyful intimacy between queer women through a female gaze.”
5.
HappyAlone.
Private Sedative
More woozy alt-pop from the Cork trio HappyAlone. The song is accompanied by B-side ‘Silk’.
6.
delush
Lean On It
Just before the release of his full-length album Journey to Zero in April, delush had broken up with his girlfriend and went into lockdown, so naturally, that kind of shitty situation inspired him to write a new song.
“Just before lockdown I broke up with my girlfriend of three years. So lockdown became an isolation within an isolation. I could feel very physically during that time that rather than the love I receive it is the love I have for others that keeps me going when it gets really tough. I felt myself leaning on that feeling of love for others and for life itself. The refrain came first and the verse unravelled slowly over time. It’s a little like a Sufi poem. It could refer to a romantic lover or to the love of the divine realm.”
7.
Meljoann
Business Card
I previously shared some songs from Meljoann’s upcoming corporate-themed album of off-kilter anti-capitalist electronic bangers. It’s called HR and ‘Business Card’ from it, is about “about white supremacy’s unconvincing attempt at re-branding. The song aims to make explicit what we are supposed to read between the lines. Our complicity in dog-whistle politics: pitch shifted so we can hear it all.“
8.
Automatic Tasty
A Happy Town
Jonny Dillon aka Automatic Tasty has dropped a six-track EP of bouncy electronic tunes called A Farewell to Reason, with himself singing for the first time. It’s less acid, more pop this time out.
9.
Fixity
Still Still (Feat. Muireann Levis)
Dan Walsh’s Fixity released a new album Fixity6 this week. ‘Still Still’ is a exploratory psych-jazz odyssey from it.
10.
Paj
Superman
Paj got some talented Irish musicians together (Uly, Rob De Boer, Zeenie Summers, Joe Furlong and Fiachra Kinder) and made this delicate smudged pop song.
11.
Natural Wild
Hot & Sexable
One of the highlights of the Irish rare groove compilation Quare Groove on All City’s Allchival label, is getting some remix and extended treatment courtesy of Morgan Buckley.
12.
Sequence
Free (feat. Lukefly)
Sequence returns with a collab with young producer and fellow Galway native LukeFly.
