12 new songs from Irish artists you should hear
A lot of Irish and Northern 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 new songs from emerging artists 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.
7th Obi
Midnight Drive
Waterford artist 7th Obi , now based in the UK, drops a bit of an ’80s synthwave vibe here, on a track that is a collaboration with Malaysian producer Joel.T, and which was mixed and mastered by Irish producers LHK and Adam MyFault.
7th Obi has a gig lined up for London’s Waiting Room on August 18th.
2.
PHOENO
Alive
Adam Matthews and Liam Corbett are new band Phoeno, and ‘Alive’ is an emotive song which harks back to early 2000s anthemic indie, which debuted with an impressive video, by Luca Truffarelli and Philip Connaughton.
3.
Qwasi and Banríon
Do You Miss Her?
Bad Soup Records releases this charity collaboration between qwasi and Banríon which samples Irish civil rights campaigner Nell McCafferty, who was partner of writer Nuala O’Faolan, and addresses how the press treated McCafferty and O’Faolan’s queer relationship in the aftermath of when O’Faolan died in 2008 from cancer.
All profits will be donated to BeLonGTo Youth Services, who support LGBTI+ young people in Ireland.
Banríon is now a solo act and qwasi is the owner of Bad Soup records, which recently released music from Toke-O-Drift.
4.
Hex Hue
Shrink
Belfast artist Katie Richardson makes music under the name Hex Hue and her latest track is an edifying slice of moody alt-pop.
5.
Welshy
All For You
The latest Irish dance producer blowing up across the water, is Welshy, whose Malian artist Rokia Traoré’s ‘Ka Moun Kè’-sampling ‘All For You’ , also features Shells on vocals an is undeniably big fun.
Welshy’s last tune ‘Haiti’ features Haitian vocalist Coralie Hérard.
6.
RAJI Music
My Guys
Baba Raji, Ayo Tori and Junzy are RAJI and the trio’s music has a swerve and Afro-fusion rhythm that nods to modern trends, it has the immediacy of drill and the rhythm of Afro pop but feels like it keeps itself on its own path.
7.
Marcus
The Juice
After debuting with ‘Obey’ in March 2020, the casual indie rap of Dubliner Marcus is back with his third single ‘The Juice’.
8.
New Spectrum
Secret Highway
Conor Hamilton who you will know as Hamo from Brame and Hamo, has released a solo EP that is more inspired by Italo than the usual house music. I love the piano chords and the general Yazoo-esque brightness of ‘Secret Highway’. Sounds like a good mood. Bandcamp.
9.
Mac G x Davieo X Shaq
Who Am I Kidding
A melodic drill track from Mac G with Davieo and Shaq on the beat.
“To me, it reflects how I always wake up at half five in the morning to grind on football or study or write music and I don’t go to sleep until the work for the previous day is complete.”
Mac G
10.
Zissou & Julia Louise Knifefist
WORK (OWIN REMIX)
From a 13-track remix album of Julia Louise Knifefist and Zissou’s Fortune EP from last year, and featuring the likes of Toke O’Drift, Rory Sweeney and Cheesmore, comes this fine remix by Owin. All sorts in there.
11.
Cathal Murphy
Blue in the Best Way
Newry artist Cathal Murphy impressed last month with his song ‘Frame’ and here he is again with a bright breezy jazz-soul pop single to follow it up.
12.
Topline
Blue Velvet
There was basically no info on offer on who Topline are, except they are two brothers and ‘Blue Velvet’ is a French house-inspired dance jam, so that’s nice.
