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.
Tanoki ft. Farah Elle
Let Go
Formerly operating as Geppetto, Kilkenny musician and visual artist Paul Mahon’s latest project Tanoki has seen fruitful collaborations with singer-songwriter Farah Elle, like this second single ‘Let Go’, an electronic and organic offering of playful keys, brass tones, jerking rhythms and big bright synth noises. It’s from an upcoming album File New.
“More than coming of age, the song is when you suddenly decide you want to live a life that’s aligned with your values and what you believe in, based on what you see in the world. The ‘senses are tingling’ line is when your empathy receptors are turned right up and you can really feel everything, and realising the potential and power in that.”
Farah Elle
2.
Ruby Ivy
Made to be Yours
Floaty R&B second single from a new London-based singer-songwriter Ruby Ivy and BIMM graduate, who spent much of lockdown in her native Cork.
3.
All the Luck in the World
Waves Poem
The Irish trio All The Luck In The World are about to release their third album How The Ash Felt in 2021. Proceeding the release, is this slice of guitar atmospheris inspired by the Irish west coast sea.
The band are Neil Foot, Ben Connolly and Kelvin Barr, and are based in Berlin.
4.
Smoothboi Ezra
Without Me
Smoothboi Ezra makes beautiful intimate bedroom alt-pop music, and the latest Stuck EP further confirms the fact. ‘Without Me’ is an earworm about a breakup that lollops its way in to the brain, much like one.
5.
Rachel Mae Hannon
Alright
A second appearance from Rachel Mae Hannon, the Monaghan-born Dublin artist with ‘Alright’, a beaming bright soul pop song, produced by 1000 Beasts’ Cian Sweeney.
‘Alright’ focuses on our individual experiences of recovery, moving on, and our constant ability to rediscover ourselves.
Life can throw so many unexpected hardships at us, but ultimately it’s our resilience that will see us through. There’s no right or wrong way to react. Be yourself, deal with things how you want to, and take your time. Everything will be alright.
6.
Alex Gough
Pocket Change
Waterford multi-instrumentalist Alex Gough drops that smooth low-end rhythm on new song ‘Pocket Change’. OOF.
7.
James Lonergan
Joop
James Lonergan’s ‘Joop’ sounds like he’s built a song out of a mountain crevasse, such is the lush gargantuan nature of this tune, a debut on new Irish label Here Listen.
8.
CHERYM
Listening To My Head
You can rely on Derry trio Cherym to bring the pop punk vibes but did you know you can rely on them for a music video inspired by the Netflix show Dirty John? Snapped.
“The music video for Listening To My Head is a full on 5 star drama about Betty Broderick being mentally tortured by her lying, cheating husband of 20 years (Dan Broderick) until she one day snaps and murders Dan and his lover in cold blood….except we play all the characters, and have funny wigs to match 🤪 “
“Of course, we don’t condone murder (!!!!!) but felt Betty’s story was one that needed to be told.”
9.
Zach James Douglas
Even As The Knife Went Through
Zach James Douglas new project pairs electronic production with different singers as heard on opening salvo ‘Something / Anything’ with vocalist Kintsuku. This second single features the voice of Saoirse, and “explores the scarred mental state of someone who’s been hurt by a previous partner.”
“It details the intimacy and trust issues that a person develops within future relationships and how despite being the target of such abuse, they still tend to carry a sense of guilt and a deeply hard wired love for their ex partner.”
10.
Kimono Vega
Automatic
Producer Alex Smyth has swapped his guitar and electronic soundscapes for tougher, more immediate minimal electronic music informed by cinema soundtracks on new project Kimono Vega’s ‘Epigraph’.
11.
Tomike
Wildflower
Ah, some devastating vocals going on on this live version of Tomike’s ‘Wildflower’ featuring Louth singer Omo Aston.
12.
Kevin Blake
Let Go
Limerick producer Kevin Blake has a new album Rough With Smooth on the way, and its arrival is signalled with this hazey fizzed up synth-line track that suggests euphoria in its tones.
