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.
Viscose
Focus
Viscose drops ‘Focus’ fresh from playing the Mother Pride Block Party last week. The Irish electro-pop queer artist’s new song is big, brash dance-pop. Viscose also produces the music of Pastiche.
“There’s something about expressing a certain feeling not only through words but actually through the texture and format of instrumentation. Dance music doesn’t always have to have a happy story behind it.”
VISCOSE
2.
The Barbiturates
Jesus & The Slave Chain Ft. Siânna
Derry band The Barbiturates impressed me with their third single, a rolling bassline and wonky rock tune with vocals from Siânna Ní Laithbheartaigh. Kinda reminds me Yo La Tengo.
3.
Driven Snow
Sunlight
Kieran McGuinness of Delorentos and his wife Emily (Republic of Loose and Stars On Fire) previously featured here with the song ‘Trying’, and the followup is equally worthy of your ears. ‘Sunlight’ is a melodic charm, and is out now on FIFA Records.
“Sunlight” was the first song that the duo ever performed live – before they even had a name! It is a classic, cautionary tale of how easy it is to lose one’s way in life while reminding that, if you hang on to hope, it’s never too late to rediscover the right path!.”
4.
Anna Mullarkey
Falling Apart
Galway singer and composer Anna Mullarkey is back with ‘Falling Apart’ on the Strange Brew label. Mixing string arrangements, ambient textures, piano, double bass and electric bass by Sam Wright and Anna’s lead vocals, it’s the first song from Mullarkey’s debut album Falling, ou August 19th 2022.
“‘Falling Apart’ is a song about the end of a relationship. It’s about that moment you realise it is over and you have to let them go.”
The music video was directed by Mia Mullarkey and features with dancers Robyn Byrne and Emily Kilkenny Roddy “as a couple as they find themselves both bound together while growing apart.”
We interviewed both Anna and Mia for our Black Gate episode.
Anna Mullarkey plays the Róisín Dubh as part of the Galway Arts Festival on Thursday July 14th.
5.
RIA RUA
I Don’t Care
Irish hyperpop artist Ria Rua has released a debut EP called chaos/control on the German indie label MPM. ‘I Don’t Care’ is the newest song from the artist to debut, and rounds off the EP. See previous features.
6.
Boyfrens
Thought U Were Clever
A woozy alt synth-pop 2-minutes from Boyfrens, which is the songwriting and production project of Dublin’s Jack Hevey. You may have caught a Boyfrens song on the Gaptoof Beat tapes.
7.
Grave Goods
Come
Grave Goods are a new band featuring members of Girls Names, September Girls and PINS, based between Manchester, Belfast and Dublin.
‘Come’ is the trio’s debut track, a claustro-rock tune with punky guitars and drums.
A debut album called TUESDAY. NOTHING EXISTS. is out September 9th via TULLE, the label run by Fears’ Constance Keane, who also releases and plays drums in M(h)aol which this isn’t a million miles away from
“This is one of the first tracks we wrote, and for me the one that helped to cement the feel of the music we make. I wanted to use the guitar in a percussive way, and I wanted the track to feel stressful and furious. I felt frustrated at the time and had so much to express. I wanted the lyrics to reflect all this, and to come from the gut. The best noise I could imagine for this is ‘Ugh’ which I use towards the end – it represents frustration, disgust and sex.”
Singer, Lois Macdonald
Grave Good are:
Lois Macdonald – Guitar/Vocals (She/Her)
Sarah Grimes – Drums (She/Her)
Philip Quinn – Bass (They/Them)
8.
DBA Clique
Andale
Dundalk rap trio DBA Clique last featured here in November, and ‘Andale’ finds them in aspiration mode affirming a dream to produce for Gunna or Lil Wayne on the interplay-featuring lead track from their new EP Ipsum.
9.
Zach James Douglas, Honas
I’d Breathe For You
Dublin producer Zach James Douglas returns to his collaborative project in his own name with a song featuring Honas on sweet vocals over a production that reminds me of The Postal Service or Passion Pit. The tune features on a forthcoming EP called 4×2.
“I wrote ”I’d Breathe For You” as a way to address the mental drain that comes with the search for a sustainable, intimate connection during lockdown and the excitement and rejuvenation that is gained from encountering someone who you feel is truly special.”
Zach James Douglas
10.
Daire Heffernan
Castles
Ahead of a gig in Whelan’s on Thursday, 19-year-old artist Daire Heffernan has released her debut EP Wasters. ‘Following the Phoebe Bridgers-influenced ‘Midwest Emo’, and the alt-rock of ‘Skeletons’, ‘Castles’ has a more vintage rock flavour.
The EP was produced by former Spies’ bassist Hugh O’Dwyer.
11.
Brian Ring
Touching Distance
The Berlin-based Cork electronic producer Brian Ring has made a name for himself across Europe with releases on Running Back, Bordello A Parigi, Freerange
His latest release is a five-tracker, lead by the propulsive synth and bass of ‘Touching Distance.’ It’s on vinyl here.
12.
Helen Murray
Royalty
Helen Murray’s new soul-electro-pop single ‘Royalty’ takes both its song and video inspiration from dealing with rude customers while working in the service industry.
The concept came from years of working in the service industry and interacting with extremely rude customers, who couldn’t seem to recognise that I was just like them. It’s something we have all come across in our working lives and I feel the lyrics of Royalty hone in on that perfectly, “your blue blood’s red, like the rest of us”.
Helen Murray.
13.
Arthur Valentine
Rocket Fuel
Take a magic trip to space-land with Arthur Valentine on his new single and video ‘Rocket Fuel’. Shuffling beats, neon synths and treated R&B vocals combine on this one, released on the alt label Hausu.
The endearing video was directed by one of the track’s producers Jack Corrigan, also known as Actualacid.
14.
Sean Carpio
Dunes
We premiered the song ‘Ancestral Love’ from the Dublin multi-instrumentalist Sean Carpio forthcoming album Waves of a Present back in May, and making the closing slot this week, is the followup – ‘Dunes’ is a harmony-laden song, like hearing the Beach Boys in horizontal somnambulist mode.
The song’s original wellspring was a transcription exercise on Chris Weisman’s and Milton Nascimanto’s music: the works of both these artists can be found snaking their way through non-related keys before arriving back at their origins. Dunes’ lyrics were inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune, a novel depicting a world where science and technology mingle with spirituality and instinct, and where prescient truth exists on a knife’s edge.
Sean Carpio
Waves of a Present is out on Friday July 15th on Ten Spot Records, and a launch happens at the Fumbally Cafe on August 13th.
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.
