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.
Shobsy
Vanity
Shobsy is a Dublin artist who was formerly singer with the band State Lights. He now makes music that draws from the eighties strand of Bronski Beat-esque electro-pop. Shobsy’s debut single is certainly pitched in that vein with a big Morten Harket-esque chorus and strong dramatic falsetto vocals.
“Lyrically the song deals head-on with the concept of vanity and self-obsession in an age where social media becomes an increasingly integral part of our lives.”
Shobsy
2.
Happyalone.
GUT
Cork alternative band Happyalone are sporting a fresh new vibe on their first single in two years. ‘Gut’ precedes upcoming Irish tour dates.
3.
Winnie Ama
Here I Go
Winnie Ama is a Belfast-born Northern-Irish-Ghanaian artist whose latest song ‘Here I Go’ is electronic pop melded with R&B with a catchy bouncy vocal melody and chorus.
Alma has previously studied jazz vocals and has some co-writes with an artist called Francis Groove. ‘Here I Go’ is her first solo track of the year after a debut single in 2020 and features production by Sim0n Le Saint.
Winnie Ama is also a lead data analyst for the Why Not Her? movement which campaigns for gender equality in the music industry.
4.
t-woc
Bum Nuites
Wicklow producer T-woc is about to followup last year’s Pantangle EP on Remote Town Records with a new extended player called Limbs on March 2nd, and the fuzzy bassline and unique rhythmic textures ‘Bum Nuites’ with its video by Richie Kaboogie, is a fine reason to check in on the release:
In the mid 90s in a small granny flat in a then rural Wicklow village a teenage producer kept himself busy making cassette tapes full of beats on his trusty s3000 sampler and an early wooden cased PC running Cubase v1. A world of music later comes this 8 track release for t-woc’s home county label Remotetown. Consisting of live set extracts, MPC workouts and straight from desk to tape jams, this collection of tracks are a connection to those days of constant experimentation with limited gear and endless imagination playing out like the flailing limbs seen through a strobe at a slow motion rave.
5.
April
Hotel
The Kildare artist April continues her forays into a fully-fledged pop mode on Atlantic Records with new single ‘Hotel’.
“I wrote ‘Hotel’ about feeling bad for hurting other people, being selfish in my personal relationships and my own bad habits. I’ve always been a very obsessive person and want things all to myself, so the whole idea of booking a hotel and being alone with someone and having them all to yourself is a play on that feeling. I wrote the second verse as a poem when I was on a flight to London – the sun was rising and it was so pretty, I actually did cry. The song was made with producer RISC, I sat behind him and the entire song spilled out of me, it’s a really special one.”
April
6.
Aimée
Nobody Else
Speaking of big pop, Dubliner Aimée has been at this game a while, and new song ‘Nobody Else’ has the vibe of a Sigrid-style hit. The song was made with long-time producer Richey McCourt and Swedish writer Nick Jarl.
“I am lucky to be in a relationship with someone who is my best friend and my safe place all in one. This is actually the first song I’ve ever written about my boyfriend and it’s really joyful, so it’s a nice juxtaposition with some of my other songs that deal with heartbreak and more serious subjects! In the song I am describing the journey of my relationship and how it blossomed into more than just a friendship. It’s really close to my heart.”
7.
Kelly Thornton
Linger On Me
Bewitching dark-sided pop music is actor turned pop artist Kelly Thornton’s vibe, as evidenced on previously-featured ‘Magick’ and new song (one of two) ‘Linger On Me’, which expounds the idea of leaving someone on read for a little power hit.
8.
Walshy
Tranquility ft. Pager the Sloth, eda, PCG Beats
Following on from recent sax-soaked track ‘Glass Case’, producer Walshy is on the phone to a temp agency on ‘Tranquility’ with raps by Dublin rapper Pager the Sloth, vocals by Philipines-born singer eda and guitar by PCG Beats.
9.
Aonair
Millennial Bug
Brendan McGlynn’s Aonair project is all about big sounds, chords and choruses as heard on the brilliant ‘Think Twice’. New song ‘Millenial Bug’ is a little too close to the same melodic vibe of that song to have as big of an impact but McGlynn is making bombastic music to be encouraged.
It’ll feature on the forthcoming Loveheart Birthmark EP due on May 5th with a The Workman’s Club Cellar on Friday May 6th.
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section for individual track features.
