Category Archives: New Music

Soda Blonde ‘In The Heat Of The Night’

Photo Credit : Ste Murray

Soda Blonde have released their new single ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ taken from their highly anticipated debut album ‘Small Talk’ which is set for release on July 9th via Velveteen Records, the entirely self-produced album sees the group reflecting on their twenty-something experiences with refreshingly honest transparency.

Teasing with a lingering refrain on keys, ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ announces itself with an air of mystery. In true Soda Blonde manner, the track expands on this refrain to delicately reveal lush textures and melodies as the song progresses. The band creates an enticing and rich soundscape that exudes a disco-esque persona enhanced by an irresistible groove on bass, supple guitars and gentle percussive shuffles. The song flows with subtle cinematic qualities that is simply awe-inspiring and mellowed by Faye O’Rourke’s bewitching soft coos as she sings, “It’s the way you carry on and the way that you lie, It’s under harsh lights baby we say our goodbye”.

‘In The Heat Of The Night’ is a nostalgic and engaging slice of indie-pop cementing Soda Blonde as a band that sets a high standard. Their timeless sound is set to inspire future bands and artists.

About the track, ‘O’Rourke describes: “The music possessed an attitude that I wasn’t familiar with as a songwriter. It deftly evoked the neon of night and brought Scorcese’s Casino to my mind. Our goal was to create a song that had everything we wanted to hear. It allowed me to write, uninhibited by the labour of self-analysis. It’s a song about conflict-and getting a kick out of it. The thrill of the fight”

Stream ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ below 


Author : Danu

Lissy Taylor ‘Quiet Rage’

UK Songwriter Lissy Taylor has released her new single ‘Quiet Rage’. Lissy Taylor is an emerging British artist with a distinct indie-pop sound. Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, Lissy moved to the USA in 2015 where she began experimenting with songwriting.  Her earliest gigs and formative live musical experiences were spent playing in bars and restaurants across the States. Returning to the UK in 2017 to continue her studies at BIMM Manchester while continuing to perform with her band at music venues and festivals including Neverworld, Y Not and 110 Above and being the solo support for a UK Tour in October 2019. Following a commanding debut single ‘Mayday’ (Jan 2020), followed by the liberating single ‘Wildflowers’ (Apr) and debut EP in October 2020, ’Quiet Rage’ is the lead single from the forthcoming EP which is set for release this summer.

’Quiet Rage’ is a powerful and well crafted indie track that seethes with raw emotion and Lissy Taylor’s exhilarating musicianship. Taylor superbly balances the brooding dark verses with a mighty chorus to create a spine chilling new single as the song travels between soft glimmers on guitar and echoed spacious soundscapes, to an intoxicating sonic explosion of blazing raw riffs and pounding drums. Exuding an intense atmosphere shattered by cinematic melodies and wild energy, the song explores untapped anger and a recognition that everyone has their own hidden battles to fight. With Taylor’s warm, expressive vocals venturing from a soft, almost numb delivery to powerful angst, ‘Quiet Rage’ is a consuming and commanding new single that marks Lissy Taylor as an artist to keep an eye on.

The Stoke-on-Trent musician tells us the meaning behind ‘Quiet Rage’ : “Quiet Rage is essentially trapped anger and bottled-up feelings, not wanting to deal with emotions, you hide them instead. The lyrics ‘I will grow, I will blossom’ is the recognition of the emotional strength it takes to get through and rise.” 

Stream ‘Quiet Rage; below 


Author : Danu

Amie K ‘Solas’ EP

‘Solas’ is the brand new album to come from Folk / Pop songwriter Amie K. Exploring themes of home, homesickness and nostalgia, ‘Solas’ sees Amie K come into her own as songwriter and producer. A real homemade EP, ‘Solas’ was produced by her brother Leo and was mixed and mastered by her dad Danny. Extra backing vocals were sung by her sister Alicia on ‘Sunflowers’ and the EP’s artwork was grown by her mum Ita. Recorded during the various UK lockdowns, ‘Solas’ muses on the emotions surrounding the idea of home, and the idea of misplaced nostalgia. ‘Solas’ takes its name from the Irish word for light, whilst sounding like solace as Amie found comfort in returning home during this year. This five-track EP features all brand new songs, including ‘Pink Skies’ which was previously an exclusive Bandcamp release.

‘Solas’ is a beautiful collection of soothing, warm and emotional tunes that display Amie K’s wholesome songwriting. The songs are delicately crafted with sweet tones on guitar, melting into a bed of rich rhythms and soft percussion to create a nostalgic, dreamy hue throughout. Amie K blends soft folk tones with bright indie elements to enrich her songs with a unique glowing soundscape that is both tender and comforting all at once. From the wistful melodies within ‘Dreaming Of May’ and ‘Pink Skies’ to the mystical earthy plucked guitar and lush harmonies within ‘Sunflowers’, each song flows into the next with ease. However, it is ‘Evergreen’ that is the most compelling tune within ‘Solas’ – with just soft celestial backing lulls, immaculate harmonies and supple guitar, this time stopping piece is a moving and special gem. So beautifully arranged, this song hits you in the core with its potent vocal delivery. There is a sunkissed glow throughout the EP that is utterly charming and unique to Amie K’s organic sound and is greatly enhanced by the artists sweet vocals cooing through each track’s lush melody and vibrant instrumentation. ‘Solas’ is a glorious new EP from Amie K.

About the EP Amie said : “Home, or the idea of home, was an unshakeable force in my mind over the past year. Getting to record this at home with my brother just feels so fitting for the journey of this EP. The songs all come from different places but all meet at the place we call home”

Stream ‘Solas’ below 


Author :Danu

A Chat With :Keelan O’Reilly of Post-Party


Post-Party
have released the video for their brand new single, ‘Wasting Time’. This high energy track is a fantastic follow on from their previous single, ‘Being Honest’.With a sweeping rush on guitars, rampant basslines and driving rhythms, the track is an instant shot of adrenaline saturated in the infectious musicianship of Post- Party. I caught up with Keelan O’Reilly to talk about the new single, Colin Peppard’s magical camera skills and navigating through social media.

The band are all in their final year of college and studying for their exams. Between all this remote learning, final year preparation and study, the band manages to write, record and release some seriously smashing songs – ‘Wasting Time’ is the latest single to delight our ears.

“We wrote the song, just on the brink of lockdown when it was starting and we always really really loved it, just the energy and the ideas behind the track. I think it was the idea of how throughout the lockdown, we were spending all this time just waiting and waiting on normality to come back around, it felt like a good fit for the track with the name being wasting time. Everyone was picking up different kinds of hobbies and things just to pass the time that we hadn’t done before. It felt like a good fit, but the track had already been a favourite of the band in general, just because of the energy, and the ideas.”

The band have paced the release of their tracks well. Each track has been given its own time to shine. This has resulted in ‘Wasting Time’ being featured on key playlists, including Spotify’s New Music Friday, Hot New Bands, Fresh Finds: Rock, The Indie List and A Breath of Fresh Eire alongside Apple Music’s Breaking Rock, The New Rock and New in Rock.

“It’s just really good to see the reception we’ve received. Spotify have been very kind to us by putting us in all these fantastic playlists. It’s just really cool overall to see that people are receiving the music well. There’s been a good buzz from what we’ve released so the fact that we got a few playlists with ‘Being Honest’ and now for ‘Wasting Time’ to grow and develop on has been really really cool for us to see.”

“We definitely take everything on board, and we wanted to give ‘Being Honest’  enough time to breathe, but then we wanted to develop and push things on and we have loads of tracks we wrote and recorded during the lockdown period. We realized that we want to get them out and push the momentum forward, especially with the hope that live shows and stuff come back towards the end of the year or maybe the start of next year. We’re wanting to have as much music out for people when we are able to get a live show, but at the same time it is really important to let each track do its own thing, and to give it the time it deserves”

Post-Party shot the music video for ‘Wasting Time’ themselves with each band member recording their part individually, in separate locations. The result is a visually stunning video that superbly captures the band’s energetic and unique image. 

“Our bass player Colin [Peppard], he’s a magician with a camera, editing stuff and everything. He’s been so interested in film for years, and it’s only now in the past I would say two years he’s really taking a passion on learning the ins and outs of working with film. So that’s slowly become part of our identity as a band like the imagery we use for our music through video, and as a means of expression, that’s definitely down to Colin’s passion and drive for film. That’s been spread across all of us as four different individual members, we’ve all become really interested in what we can do with visuals to personify our music. I think the lockdown was a catalyst for that whole thing, because it gave us the time to really hone in on creative ideas and creative decisions. It was something that was going to come eventually but we hadn’t really developed it before we got a chance over lockdown”

“ When you’re releasing any kind of art into the world you’re consciously aware of how people are going to receive it. But I think there is something to be said about just letting your work, do the talking for you and letting each individual piece of art, do the talking. It’s important to not take too much consideration of what other people think about your art, but at the same time you’re releasing it for people to appreciate and for people to enjoy. I think you can be critical about anything and it’s important to be happy with the work you produce”

The band recently released Post-Party merchandise which sold out in just a few hours. It’s great to see people supporting bands especially now during covid, artists need merchandise and record sales perhaps more than ever and Post-Party put a lot of work into their image, visuals and designs, it’s fantastic to see people appreciating it.

“Yeah, that was really helpful. We didn’t expect that at all. We had some of the basic designs done by an artist from Russia, his name on Instagram is idlehead [Nikita Maslov]. We used the designs that he created. He designed the band’s logo. He designed the artwork for all the singles we’ve released so far as well. So we used his artworks as the main focal point of the designs, but in terms of designing the T-shirts, that was all down to again Colin. He was a big help in that factor. We all pitched in our opinions as well. We all came together and made it work and we’re really happy with the reception and people seem to like it.”

“ That was a big help for us because I think people realize the struggle of the music industry at the moment. A lot of artists are putting out new merch, and it’s getting bought up really quickly and it’s really nice to see that the fans are coming together and trying to support those artists that are struggling to make a living at the moment. Luckily for ourselves, we’re only at the very early stages of our careers and we’re all finishing college at the moment. But for someone who is heavily involved in music as their nine to five. It’s really important for the fans to support them through this awkward stage. Luckily we’re hopefully coming towards the end of this but without people supporting the industry, I don’t know how things would go in building things back up.”

The return of live shows is an exciting prospect for Post-Party as they have been releasing music during the pandemic and growing their fan base, without having to tour. The shows will be different when they do return as the band will see new faces and fans that haven’t been able to see the band perform live yet.

“Yeah 100%. That’s something we’re really excited about. We’ve obviously had a good solid fan base coming to all our shows prior to the pandemic, but it’s really exciting for us to see new faces and new people listening to the music and enjoying what we’re doing. We’ve received loads of messages of people saying, as soon as the show is announced they will be at the show so that’s just really exciting for us to know that people are waiting and are excited to see the songs we’ve released over lockdown live in person”

The music scene in Ireland is very vibrant lately – there are so many amazing acts producing great music. Before the pandemic hit there was live music almost every night in Dublin. I wondered if the rush for venues when they open will create competition between bands to book certain venues, etc.

“ It’s something we’ve been aware of. The ideology behind it is when things come back, everybody’s going to be out the door and ready to go. I’ve seen a lot of gigs, and just live events being announced, as of now, and for the next 12 months or more. I think when things really do get back to normal, there’s going to be a stage of just so many bookings, so many gigs So there is going to be a lot of competition and we’re aware of that and we’re willing to wait until it calms down before we go out with our music,  We’re very happy with the pace that we’ve built our audience through the release of music and we are super excited to play live, but we’re not in any immediate rush, knowing that it’s going to take some time before things clear up”

A lot of artists have had to promote themselves more, and be more active on social media because of this pandemic. This is something O’Reilly and the band have had to become proficient at. Now that they have the hang of how social media works there is no stopping them.

“Yeah, absolutely. Social media has always been something that, personally, I’ve never been great at. It’s something that over the lockdown I realized how important it is to artists, seeing a lot of artists, expand their fan base through TikTok, Instagram and all these different platforms, and to such an extreme extent, compared to what you would have done in live performances beforehand, but the pandemic has shown, I guess, that social media is so powerful in that it can be nearly as powerful as live performances, or you know releasing music, if you use each platform in its unique position. I think in the future, for example, we started the TikTok just at the start of the pandemic to just put off our music video and we’re going to continue using that through the summer when me and the guys are all moving in together, and we’re going to try and push our TikTok a bit further. It’s quite difficult to create content when we are all separated, and it’s a lot easier for individual artists or a singular person, but as a group, we want to express our identity through our social media and it’s more difficult when we’re not all together.  So it’s going to be really exciting to get the opportunity to do that over the summer and just expand on what the public see and how they perceive us as a band.”

Post-Party create air-tight guitar-led tracks that are sharp, elaborate and energetic. The band’s sound is a fine display of feel-good dynamic indie rock at its best. ‘Wasting Time’ displays the strength of their songwriting and provides a glimpse into the ever-growing talent of this young band. Looking forward to hearing what they have in store for us in the near future. 

Watch the video for ‘Wasting Time’ below


Author : Danu

Thrillhouse ‘Just At The Right Time’

Thrillhouse return with their latest single ‘Just At The Right Time’.The song is a little love letter to anyone that comes along and helps you out in a time of need.

‘Just At The Right Time’ simmers with Thrillhouse’s intense indie sound as the band spread scorching instrumentation over a quivering rhythmic section to create one exhilarating gem. Pulsing synths ferment through the verses while deep vocals hurry through the lyrics with a sense of urgency. Driving rhythms, sparkling keys and lush melodies come to the fore as the chorus builds into the 80’s infused sound we have come to love from the band with bright guitar refrains glimmering through the muggy synth-heavy soundscape. Thrillhouse use precise layering and a cinematic crescendo to create an epic quality within their songs and ‘Just At The Right Time’ follows this trend perfectly allowing the listener to indulge in an immersive, hair raising listening experience. ‘Just At The Right Time’ is a passionate display of musicianship from Thrillhouse.

About the track singer Sam Strawberry says : “I wanted to say thanks to someone who’s done a lot for me. I’m no good with words in real life so I just wrote a song about them… I should probably send it to them at some point” 

Stream ‘Just At The Right Time’ below 


Author : Danu

Junoplast Cave ‘How To Stop Bad Thoughts’ EP

Junoplast Cave have released their new EP, ‘How To Stop Bad Thoughts’. Hailing from Belém in Brazil, this four-piece share the goal of writing and recording their music to have their songs heard.

‘How To Stop Bad Thoughts’ is a raucous blast of alternative rock as Junoplast Cave present their bloodthirsty exhilarating sound within this collection of tracks. Blues soaked riffs slice through the EP with relentless energy as the band create slick swagger soaked tunes saturated in gritty rock. With raw muscular drums driving the kinetic ‘Cheap lies’ while sensual guitars soar and ricochet off the beefy foundation, Junoplast Cave pull no punches. They spread some slinky blues into ‘Are you feeling’ while the dizzying ‘In my head’ drops some heavy electronic elements into the mix, allowing the EP to remain diverse throughout. With raspy vocals, smooth melodies and mosh ready crescendos ‘How To Stop Bad Thoughts’ is an impressively crafted EP marking Junoplast Cave as a band to keep an eye on.

Stream ‘How To Stop Bad Thoughts’ below 


Author : Danu

Ugly Beautiful ‘Sunrise’

Live @ Crúiscín Lawn

Irish alternative-rock trio Ugly Beautiful have released their new single ‘Sunrise’, along with an animated music video. The band employs collaborative songwriting between Kieran Lane (lead vocals and guitar), Falender (drums) and Galagher (bass). The band was founded in 2007 and released several successful projects and toured extensively around Ireland between then and going on hiatus in 2013.

‘Sunrise’ is a melodic alternative rock track that simmers with dark undertones. With sweet guitar melodies creating an ethereal atmosphere between the light wisps on synths, the band crafts a precise and biting tune. This airy and breezy soundscape is anchored by a raw bass groove and punchy drum progression, which exudes a heavy 90’s rock foundation. Moody vocals brood throughout the verses as Ugly Beautiful creates an emotional wall of sound that breaks for the powerful chorus. Featuring catchy melodies and expressive instrumentation, ‘Sunrise’ is a compelling and passionate new single from Ugly Beautiful.

About the track, Kieran says, “The song tells the story of two people trying to help each other through this relentless, confusing, distracting world in which we live.” It’s a conversation – one person caught in their own thoughts, the other trying to help them get out of it. The chorus is a reminder to live in the moment – to acknowledge what’s happening right now in the present. “

The music video was created by visual artist and animator Aaron Wiley. Watch the video for ‘Sunrise’ below 


Author : Danu

Oli Barton & The Movement ‘Martyr’

Photo Credit : Marcus Maschwitz

Rising London alternative group Oli Barton & The Movement return with their new single ‘Martyr’. ‘Martyr’ follows the release of last year’s ‘Get Out’ which proved to be their biggest hit yet. Having gained great support from BBC Introducing, the band played multiple festivals in the year before the pandemic where they stormed through many high-profile performances garnering significant attention. 2021 promises to be a huge year for Oli Barton & The Movement as they complete their debut mixtape ‘pipe dreams’ alongside producer Jules Gulon (Sam Smith, Liam Payne, Sam Fender)

‘Martyr’ is a cinematic, emotive tune that displays Oli Barton & The Movement’s passionate indie rock. Infusing powerful synths with biting indie sensibilities, the track is a mighty power ballad. The song is beautifully crafted and radiates a smooth bittersweet melody while Oli’s dynamic vocals exude emotion throughout. ‘Martyr’ builds to a dramatic crescendo as crashing guitars and pummeling drums collide into spacious synths allowing the band to display their fantastic musical prowess and vigorous indie rock sound in all its glory. Once again, Oli Barton & The Movement knock it out of the park with ‘Martyr’.

Speaking about the new single Oli says “This last year has really proved something to us. You have to look beyond the negativity, beyond the politics, beyond the media and you will find that people are ultimately always there for each other. We’ve seen these amazing people laying their lives on the line for others and being completely selfless. Lyrically, I wanted to pay tribute to these unsung heroes because they prove that we are always stronger together. The production on this track too is my favourite yet, utilising multiple synth layers and huge drums to bring that pure 80s vibe. . .”

Stream ‘Martyr’ below


Author : Danu

BUTLER ‘ME & YOU’ featuring Wax WHITE

Dublin based dance/pop artist Butler has released his brand new single ‘ME & YOU’ featuring Wax White . Bursting with the signature pop sound we have come to expect from Butler, ‘Me & You’ sees White Wax bring a fresh new dynamic to the song. Butler is the brainchild of award-winning singer/performer Luke Thomas, and the electrifying new project has allowed him to explore his more commercially creative side.

Bright, sun-kissed and saturated in sweet melodies, ‘Me & You’ is a glorious new single from Butler. With smooth vocals spread over a sugar dipped doo-wop esque melody, the track has a dreamy and irresistible charm while bubbling beats and lush electronics create a buoyant backdrop. This earworm surges with Butler’s natural melodic prowess and refined musicianship without becoming overpowering. His meticulous rich production and hazy soundscapes makes the song instantly likeable. Boasting jaunty guitar lines and catchy chorus teamed with a refreshing rap from Wax White, ‘Me & You’ is a radiant guzzle of summer pop to indulge in.

Stream ‘Me & You’ below 


Author : Danu

Smoothboi Ezra ‘Stuck’


Photo Credit: Leon McCulloughl


Wicklow artist Smoothboi Ezra has announced their upcoming EP with a brand-new single, ‘Stuck’. Smoothboi Ezra is a 19-year-old songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Their recent single ‘My Own Person’ garnered widespread acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1, NME and The Irish Times for its candid exploration of gender dysphoria and depersonalisation, something many young LGBTQIA+ people deal with.In their short career, they have amassed over 10 million Spotify streams, despite releasing their music independently. They have supported Orville Peck at Dublin’s Grand Social and also sold out their first headline show at Whelan’s, Dublin.

‘Stuck’ is a delicate and emotive new single from Smoothboi Ezra. The song balances soft ambient soundscapes with tender lyrics and soothing tones to create a dreamy, compelling tune for listeners to indulge in. They layer and build the song meticulously, spreading warm guitar twinkles over an ethereal soundscape to provide a cosy sense of comfort from the song’s heartbreaking lyrics and bittersweet melody. Filled with tender emotion, elegant instrumentation and poetic lyrical content, ‘Stuck’ is a powerful piece of music and a fine example of Smoothboi Ezra’s heartfelt and earnest musicianship.

Speaking about the title track, Ezra says: “‘Stuck’ is a song about being in a relationship with someone you care a lot about but you know it’s not going to work out. It’s an unsaid mutual agreement that you can feel the relationship ending but you’re both waiting on the other person to end it.” 

The single is accompanied by a touching, lo-fi music video, starring non-binary couple El and Lauren. Watch the video below


Author : Danu