Tag Archives: New Music

Etaoin ‘Bedroom Walls’

Etaoin makes her stunning introduction with her new single, ‘Bedroom Walls’. Written by Etaoin, the song is the first to appear from a debut EP, due out later in the year.

Etaoin displays her knack with emotive pop melodies and tender expressive musicianship in her debut single ‘Bedroom Walls’. Etaoin takes a simple approach to create a sweet and earnest single. Warm rasped vocals coo over a tender bittersweet melody while supple picked guitar and delicate folk elements blend between pop to create a unique and engaging listening experience. The song builds softly as Etaoin’s vocals become more expressive while a soft wisping soundscape and suspenseful strums on guitar create an ethereal uplifting atmosphere for the crescendo. ‘Bedroom Walls’ is a moving and beautiful debut that marks Etaoin as an artist to keep an eye on. Looking forward to hearing more from Etaoin.

Stream ‘Bedroom Walls’ below 


Author : Danu

N.O.A.H ‘Darkest Hour’

N.O.A.H have released their eagerly awaited second single ‘Darkest Hour’, featuring Booka Brass. The single follows their first release “Shine” which received extensive airplay across both national and regional radio and was featured as 2FM’s Breakfast with Doireann & Eoghan’s Track of the Week. The band made their international debut with a featured live performance on Laura Whitmore’s BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast show. N.O.A.H is comprised of three lifelong friends, Ryan Hill,Adam Rooney and Ronan Hynes. The band was formed in January 2020, after the band decided to reform a previous musical endeavour. The band have taken inspiration in its naming, from the biblical story of ‘Noah and the Ark’, which is centralised around the theme of new beginnings. This idea is fundamental to the band’s vision and core values.

Filled with catchy hooks, a sing-along ready chorus and energetic instrumentation, ‘Darkest Hour’ is a sleek, edgy, and fantastic new single from N.O.A.H. The band create an eerie and tantalizing wall of sound while warm vocals coo in the backdrop. A driving rumble on bass and drums seduce through a muggy soundscape while luring guitar licks exude a dark indie tone. The triumphant rich elements provided by Booka Brass fill out the song’s backdrop with massive brass blasts while N.O.A.H injects psychedelic-hued distortion on guitars to create a confused and harrowing soundscape to match the vast brass sound. With shredding guitar embellishment and kick-ass rock bravado, ‘Darkest Night’ is a magnificent new single from N.OA.H.

Speaking about the track, N.O.A.H said: “Once you emerge from this mind spinning rock tune, its meaning is left starring you in the face. Broadly speaking it is about mental health, and how a sane mind quickly begins to deteriorate, we experience a person’s descent into their “darkest hour.”

Stream ‘Darkest Hour’ below


Author : Danu

Blue Fish Diamond ‘Sunshine In My Brain’

Photo Credit : Ruth Medjber

Dublin indie folk rock band, Blue Fish Diamond have released their new single ‘Sunshine In My Brain’. Produced by Gavin Glass in Orphan Recording studios, ‘Sunshine In My Brain’ uses vivid imagery to speak of the desperation that many people experience and the hope that each new day will bring some sunshine to their lives.Formed in 2016 by Jim Murphy, Blue Fish Diamond released their debut album From Dark to Light in 2018.Their music has been played on radio stations across Ireland, including on RTE Radio 1, Radio Nova, Cork’s Red FM, KCLR and Shannonside/Northern Sound. They’re also a staple of the Irish live scene having played Electric Picnic, Whelans, The Workmans and The Grand Social to name a few.

‘Sunshine In My Brain’ is a delicate and soothing number saturated in the heartfelt and beautifully expressive musicianship of Blue Fish Diamond. The song broods at the start with the use of lamenting ethereal instrumentation while elegant piano meanders between a steady beat and soft vocals. The track builds superbly. As the song progresses the melancholic atmosphere lightens with the introduction of a warm cello and glittering guitar melodies to create an uplifting atmosphere. Haunting backing vocals change to soothing coos as the song lifts into its vibrant crescendo. The attention to detail in this track is stunning. Blue Fish Diamond have knocked it out of the park again with this mesmerising track. ‘Sunshine In My Brain’ is a captivating, expressive and utterly moving piece of music.

About the song, Jim Murphy says….”We live in a time where anxiety and despair are increasingly commonplace but also a time where there is greater openness about mental health issues and where hope exists through communal support. A song for today’s world, I hope listening to Sunshine In My Brain has a cathartic effect against the challenges that we all face whether ongoing or from time to time.”

Stream ‘Sunshine In My Brain’ below 


Author : Danu

Event News : Rowlette to host private, online gig, with all unheard tracks

Rowlette will be hosting a private, online gig with all previously unheard tracks. This will take place at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 17th.

To sign up, simply email info@rowlettemusic.com with the subject line “I’m in”.

Rowlette is an indie-pop artist. As a solo performer with an acoustic guitar, she is recognised for her powerful vocals, inspirational lyrics and captivating performances. Hailing from Co. Mayo, she has a distinctive yet gripping writing style. Somehow not falling into the typical romance genre, you’re more likely to catch Rowlette singing about topics such as breaking the mould, friendship, embracing ambition and living in the present.

Before the pandemic struck, Rowlette was well known on the live scene, including Rowlette performing a packed-out headliner in Crowbar and joining Jack L on his latest tour, impressing audiences across the country in venues such Cork Opera House, Theatre Royal and the Pavillion.

Rowlette is a passionate performer. Her catchy indie-pop songs are sure to have you singing along in no time. Last year Rowlette took over our Indie Buddie Facebook and Instagram for a wonderful and engaging livestream that put a smile on everyone’s faces. Her charming and fun personality teamed with her mesmerising vocals is sure to make this event one not to miss.

About the event, Rowlette said:“I’m hosting it privately, as I want it to be an intimate experience. Attendees don’t have to take part, but all feedback will be welcomed and encouraged. It’s a chance to put on the kettle or pour a glass of wine, relax and hear some original and unheard music.” 

Check it out at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 17th.

To sign up, simply email info@rowlettemusic.com with the subject line “I’m in”.  

Stream Rowlette’s single ‘Cucumber & Ice’ below


Author : Danu

Indie Quick Picks Featuring – LI. LAC , Jessie Reid, Intervene, and Cassia

LI.LAC

Genre : indie pop

Bio : LI.LAC is the alias of Southampton raised songwriter and producer Sam Curtice. Sam has performed for over 10 years as a guitarist and songwriter in various projects, however LI.LAC marks the first outing as a solo artist.

Track: ‘Kiwi’

Why We Like It: Filled with punchy beats, swirling guitars, and lush pop melodies ‘Kiwi’ a glorious and vibrant introduction to ’LI.LAC’s sound. With smooth vocals and tight disco-infused elements blended into infectious indie-pop, there is no denying the talent of Sam Curtice. The track is a fun-filled infectious delight.

You Can Follow LI.LAC on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/lilacmusicuk

Stream ‘Kiwi’ below 

Jessie Reid

Genre : Singer Songwriter

Bio : Jessie Reid’s latest single has earned support from Spotify editorial curators, BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson and Chris Hawkins, BBC Wales’s Janice Long and BBC Introducing. Jessie was shortlisted for last year’s Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition and received support from the Alan Surtees Trust fund to record and release her new EP. Jessie travelled as far as New York and Brazil in the promotion of her debut singles, as well as supporting and touring with the likes of Seafret, Dan Owen, Ciaran Lavery and Brooke Bentham closer to home.  

Track: ‘Whole Heart’

Why We Like It: Wrapped in emotive vocals ‘Whole Heart’ is a beautifully haunting new indie folk single. The track exudes an earthy soundscape as warm guitar strums and plucks through a richly weaved tapestry of rhythms. Reid’s warm rasp coo’s over a supple guitar for the delicate verses however as the song progresses a cello warms the backdrop enhancing the rhythmic pulls and vibrant textures within. Rich in tone ‘Whole Heart’ is a compelling new single from an extremely talented songwriter. 

You Can Follow Jessie Reid on Facebook below https://www.facebook.com/jessiereidmusic

Stream ‘Whole Heart’ below

Intervene

Genre : Alternative 

Bio : Intervene are an Alt-rock five-piece from South Yorkshire who mix post-punk influences with a 90’s UK Indie sound.

Track: The Conquering

Why We Like It: It’s an abrasive storm of alternative post-punk. Jagged guitar riffs slice through a resounding bass rumble and punchy drum battering as Intervene showcase their refined chaotic sound in all its glory. The maelstrom of crashing instrumentation breaks momentarily for light guitar embellishments that whine in psychedelic turmoil – simply wonderful. With aggressive shouted vocals and 60’s-hued organ-esque meanderings on keys ‘The Conquering’ is a fantastic new single.

You Can Follow Intervene on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/interveneBAND/?ref=page_internal

Stream ‘The Conquering’ below

Cassia

Genre : Indie 

Bio : Cassia start 2021 by treating us to their new ‘Powerlines’ EP, which features a brand new song in the shape of its title track. The EP is a sun-soaked collection which explores dealing with an uncertain future. Having previously been nominated for Best Live Act at the AIM Awards alongside IDLES and DMA’S, 2019 saw them embark upon an intensive run of touring. Their acclaimed live shows won new admirers wherever they went, from some of Europe’s biggest festivals to major headline shows in London, Manchester and beyond.

Track: Powerlines

Why We Like It: It’s a laid-back radiant gem boasting the infectious smooth melodies and tropical tones we have come to love from the band. This slick song flows upon funky guitar lines and elastic bass grooves that evoke a hip moving charm while the buoyant drums bubble in the backdrop. With subtle, chic 70’s elements blended between vibrant indie tones, and catchy chorus ‘Powerlines’ is a glorious new single from Cassia.

You Can Follow Cassia On Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/wearecassia

Watch the video for ‘Powerlines’ below

You Can Follow Our Indie Quick Picks Playlist On Spotify Here


Author : Danu

Gallaher’s Green ‘Lucky 13’

Manchester-based Rock band Gallaher’s Green, are set to release their debut album ‘Lucky 13’ on 12th February. Showcasing warm ballads, fiery anthems, and oodles of swagger within each track ‘Lucky 13’ takes the passionate and dynamic rock n roll sound of Gallaher’s Green to new heights.

Boasting sweltering guitars, powerful drums, and bass ‘Black Beast’ introduces the album with vigor. Oozing panache from every note it sets the album up magnificently while a shredding solo and fiery crescendo teases and keeps the listener wanting to hear more. Gallaher’s Green express the energy of their live shows superbly throughout the album through the use of steamy guitar moments and razor-sharp rock n roll bravado. From the anthemic ‘Cut Right In To Me’ to the spirited ‘Ballad Of The One Eyed Bastard,’ the band evoke images of a live audience swaying and singing back the lyrics. 

The multi genre-blending within ‘Lucky 13’ is compelling. The band mix county tones into their infectious rock to create jaunty heartfelt bops in ‘Feel So Real’ (who can resist that ‘do do do’ lyric) and foot-tapping ‘To Be With You’ to make a full rounded and hearty sound.   

‘Lucky 13’ is also a majestic display of the band’s melodic prowess. Gallaher’s Green douse each song in sweet, catchy, and easy on the ears melodies that weave and blend beautifully between the blistering and brooding instrumentation. This is particularly evident in the delicate warm ballads ‘Prodigal Son’ and ‘Light Inside Of Me’, which feature beautiful guest vocals from Courtney Duncan.

Throughout the album, the sweet and powerful undertones of each track are magnificently balanced – delicate songs such as ‘Until I See You Again’ are followed by fiery rock tracks like ‘Satellite’ which is perhaps my favourite on the album. Exuding blazing jabs on guitar which soar between raw bass grooves and galloping drums, ‘Satellite’ is another fantastic expression of Gallaher’s Green’s animated wall of sound.

There is something mesmerising about this band’s sound that wrestles your ears into submission. The fun, energy, and rich musicianship within creates an album ready for repeat listens. ‘Lucky 13’ is a tight, well-crafted, and thoroughly enjoyable debut album from Gallaher’s Green.

‘Lucky 13’ is set for release on 12th February. For more, check out Gallaher’s Green on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/GallahersGreen


Author : Danu

Cultures ‘Ghost’

Manchester’s Cultures have released their new single ‘Ghost’. Bridging the gap between alt-rock and indie pop, Greater Manchester’s Cultures have been plying their trade across the region for the last four years, and their intelligent and idiosyncratic brand of indie has been turning heads and picking up traction ever since.

‘Ghost’ perfectly displays the engaging indie rock sound of Cultures. The track pulses with dynamic synths that rush around a buoyant beat while warm guitar sizzles in the background. There is a beautiful blend of tension and powerful release within this animated tune between the twinkling guitar and punchy snap on drums. Smooth vocals caress a dreamy melody while the swirling uplifting backdrop bubbles and rushes with adrenaline over a rumbling passionate bassline. Cultures have created a tight and mature sound to tantalise listeners with and it gets better with each release. Looking forward to hearing more from this band.

About the track, frontman Josh Spivey said, “For us in the band, the song has come to represent a huge number of different feelings and concepts as it’s developed. The lyrics “you never needed someone to take you home” refer to coming to realise that you are more capable of being independent than you knew and in “she never saw you as skin and bones” I try to tackle the idea of how people’s perceptions of each other can be completely different from our own ideas of ourselves. I think we have a habit of assuming that people think the worst of us when people are actually really good when given the chance.”

Stream ‘Ghost’ below


Author : Danu

A Chat With : Dara Quilty of Apella

Apella have released their much-anticipated debut album ‘1963’. I had a chat with frontman Dara Quilty to discuss the details of creating the album, his love of producing and crafting songs as well as the lengths he went to in order to create the right atmosphere within one of the songs.

‘1963’ is an album Quilty has been working on for quite some time. The album kicks off with Apella’s debut track ‘We Met At A Party’ which was released in 2016 and ends with ‘Point Of View’ last year’s release (with singles ‘Graceful Dancer’ 2016, logic 2017, City Limits 2018 in between). It’s a passionate album depicting Quilty’s journey since Apella’s debut. During this time Quilty’s love for production blossomed allowing him to experiment, hone his craft, and become comfortable with his style in order to create the compelling and dynamic collection of tracks within ‘1963’

“It feels wonderful to have it out there. Obviously, the circumstances in which it has been released are different. Usually, you would release the album, with a good PR campaign, a tour straight off the back of the album with a radio station tour and a press tour, and none of that happened. I’ve been in studios, pretty much my entire, well not my entire life but I started recording professionally, probably with my first band Fox Avenue. I would have been maybe 20 years old. Even at that time I remember when we were in the studio I was glued to Joe Egan, he’s the engineer who I’ve continued to work with all the way up and through Apella. He owns The Nutshed in Clara County Offaly. Joe and I have become really close friends and he’s sort of been my mentor in the studio in many ways because his musical ear is just astonishing so when we were doing Fox Avenue I was glued to Joe’s shoulder, I never left the control room. I wasn’t the lead singer of Fox Avenue, so [ with Apella ] I knew I needed to be the lead singer, purely not to have to rely on another person, if that makes sense. So I did vocal coaching for four years. Sinéad Flynn is my vocal coach and she is astonishing. Actually doing vocal coaching is like therapy. Sinéad Flynn encouraged me to do these exams and now I have a distinction in musical theater and performance from the University of West London. I’m not a musical theater person. I didn’t grow up in musical theater, I have no background in it. But I was learning all these songs, and she helped me to sing and get better at singing because some people are naturally gifted singers like Gavin James. I’ve recorded Gavin James several times in radio stations. He is a beautiful singer. I’m not that.”

“The reason I went with Sinead’s plan to do these musical theater exams…. because…it was so far outside of my comfort zone. The exams are, you in a room with a man who is 110 years old wearing a jet black suit. He is pale as the sheet of paper in front of him on his table and he sits there at this desk with all these sheets, you’ve paid piano accompaniment 50 euro so he plays for you for the day. Then you have to perform, whatever six or eight pieces. There is nothing more uncomfortable in the world than being alone in this room. You’ve got to act out the scene of each piece and you’ve got to introduce the song, discuss the composer and discuss the meaning of the song, the characters, all this kind of stuff and he’s just looking at you. He doesn’t have any expression. Then after you’re finished describing, he goes. ‘Thank you’ and then the piano guy starts playing. One song I did was, “Oh, Why am I Moody and Sad?” from Ruddigore, which was Gilbert and Sullivan from like 1890 something. The point is, it’s so far out of my comfort zone….people have fears about public speaking, people have fears of flying. When I was younger, my biggest fear was singing publicly. I think the most vulnerable a person could be is to sing in front of people. I don’t know why. I just think it’s such a vulnerable thing and I was never a great singer, so I worked hard on my vocals.”

“Over the course of this record I could have used autotune and just sound like Kanye West, but I was doing the voice training and I was learning how to produce properly and use ProTools and the more I learned the more everything made sense. Ronan Nolan my drummer is perfect. He is the best at his instrument, and I have realized the importance of that now with my knowledge of production, ProTools, and creating a song, whereas when I was 21, I had no idea. When you go to record a song there’s an assigned tempo. Then there’s the loudest beeping noise out of the speaker and you have to play perfectly in time. You think you’re doing a good job and then the engineer says ‘no timing, go back to the start again’ and you’re like what!. I didn’t realize until I learned how to do it where you can literally see on the screen, Oh god that’s way out of time. So, I guess it was, probably a four-year journey. ‘We Met at a Party’ came out in 2016. The album was done by 2018, for sure, then it sat on my phone for two years and did nothing because I had this fear because I put all my own money into it, I paid for everything, independently. I won’t disclose the amount of money that I paid, but I could have put a deposit on a house…”

“I’ve had the great generosity of the Irish artists and community like Andrew Holohan, who has directed ‘We Met at a Party’, ‘City Limits’ and ‘Point of View’, even though we did it on a collaborative basis, but even still, you gotta rent cameras, lights, spaces… it was just so much time and investment. When it was finished, ‘We Met at a Party’ came out and that did well ‘Graceful Dancer’ came out that did better on radio. Then I was like, if I release this album, and I don’t become Brandon Flowers of The Killers overnight, I’ve failed, which is absolutely delusional. I think it’s just because I knew how much work I put into it but I didn’t do anything with it. We released another single, we did all the festivals, we toured Ireland, the UK, and all this stuff.”

“Obviously, now I’ve come forward. I had all this personal stuff going on in the background of my life. My perspective has just changed. I was in New York and my friend Aidan Cunningham runs a studio at there called Empire Underground and we reopened the album, and basically remastered the entire thing. Everything just sounded better and I made a decision… to put this out. All I want is this to exist. What is the point, If it doesn’t exist. There was a comedian I spoke to Mark Normand, he was a guest on my podcast and he said hey life is a catalog just keep adding to the catalog. Make a big interesting catalog and then die at the end. I thought God, he’s right, so I just wanted the album to exist. We completed the post-production in Brooklyn, and then I decided, with things going on with my mom, that maybe I can use this to help, or I don’t know maybe there’s something I can do or give it a meaning, or something like that. “

The album is named after the birth year of Quilty’s mother, who lives with Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer. Apella have decided to give 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the album to The Marie Keating Foundation specifically to help fund the outstanding support services they provide to women affected by Breast Cancer. It’s a really moving gesture as Quilty funded the making and recording of the album himself 

“It’s the money of the sales and it’s important to be very specific with this because Spotify pay 0.00437 cents per stream. So I think you need to listen to ‘Point of View’ 250 times for me to make $1.00. I wouldn’t have got CDs or vinyls made if I didn’t partner with the Marie Keating foundation.”

“It’s my art. I was doing the album before my mom got diagnosed with cancer. This is all happening anyway. So, the reason that I’ve decided to go for 100% of the sales is because there would be no sales if it wasn’t for the Marie Keating foundation so it’s only right to do it this way. And it’s also, you know, it’s not a cancer album.”

‘1963’ is an exhilarating pop-punk album filled with wonderful indie nuggets and electronic blends especially in tracks such as ‘Buried You’. Quilty has a knack for creating catchy hook-filled melodies that ooze pop sensibilities and easy on the ear charm while packing in oodles of emotion. With Ronan Nolan laying down the deft drumming foundation notably in ‘New Things Get Old’ the album is jam-packed with rich vibrant tunes. This album is by no means a soppy, sad collection of tracks; instead, it is a refined display of instrumental prowess and meticulous musicianship.

“Yeah, it’s not written about sadness. All I wanted was it to exist in the world, and I guess if you can do something with it, why not and if this flops on its ass that’s okay. I’m comfortable with that now. Whereas three years ago, I would have had so much anxiety. But if this flops on its ass then it flops on its ass because nobody can take it off Spotify and Apple Music nobody can take the body of work away from me because it exists. But on Friday when it came, just seeing Apella ‘1963’ on Spotify and Apple Music I was so excited.  When it was published to Apple Music and you could see it but all the songs are grayed out and it said coming January 29th, I thought that was the coolest thing. I get excited by the nerdiest stuff. I mean I posted today, a behind the scenes video, like the recording of ‘New Things Get Old’ and it’s just Ronan and I in the studio. I love the creation of a song. My entire childhood, even now, I just love watching the creation of music when you produce a mix or you know how production works, you don’t listen to music the same way as a person who doesn’t. Much like a classically trained musician experiences music differently to someone like me who would be a contemporary musician…which is fascinating. So I put up this video because, technically you go into the studio, a Pro Tools session starts empty. Silence, and then layer by layer you fill that silence with instruments and you can do whatever you want. There are no rules, yes there are rules in music but technically you can do whatever you want.”

“For Apella, I started with music. There are some new songs that I’ve written. I’ve started with an idea or a concept, or an emotion and I’ve taken that to the instrument. So I’m going to the instrument with the emotion. I’ve never done that before. It’s a new way of writing like let’s say you’ve been through a breakup. I know it’s the cliche hit song. But you go to the song with the idea of the broken heart. This is what I’m writing about and that will have a different result. But with Apella, I would compose everything. There are co-writes and stuff on the album not that many two or three songs I co-wrote with other people. But yeah I would do it all in my home studio, there’d be MIDI drums on there and I’d record all the vocals and guitars and come to the studio with a session. Then, Joe Egan, who co-produced this record with me, his musical ear is unbelievable and because it was mostly Joe and I in the studio and Ronan there was never any arguments, tension or ego. It was like, if you can imagine a whiteboard and everybody’s trying to solve a puzzle and it’s whatever’s best for the whiteboard. Doesn’t matter who said it or who came up with it but if it’s the best thing for the board. It goes on the board. That’s what we applied to this record. I might have a part in and Joe would say, that’s not right, I think you can do something better. That happened for ‘Little Bit Less’, track 11. The middle section of that song was totally different then Joe said, This just isn’t right. I think you have something better, and he sent me home for the weekend. He gave me a U87, and I went home and rewrote the middle section and recorded the vocals, with the U87 in my closet. I came back to him with that idea… Actually, we never ended up re-recording. The whole middle section of ‘Little Bit Less’ wasn’t done in the studio… the vocals and everything were recorded in my bedroom.”

There are ideas or something I didn’t like on a track like an idea Joe would come up with and I was like I don’t know if I like that. We’d all listen and Ronan would say I think, that adds a lot to the song and whatever was best for the song went on the song. Ronan is the most positive person to be around. He’s so funny and he lights up every room he goes into. There were days where Joe and I were doing vocal mixes or recording guitars, but you know they can be 12 hour days, some days, we would literally call Ronan, because he gets all his drums done in one take and a second take for alternative parts, he’s so good. But he would come down and just be funny and kick chairs over and tell us we’re pricks. Ronan actually sings an awful lot on this record. All the high stuff, all the falsetto. There’s a song ‘Deja You’ and if you really listen closely in the chorus, you’ll hear Ronan, way up in the octaves or the intro of ‘New Things Get Old’. All the high stuff is Ronan he’s a great singer. He’s an angel. He’s a choirboy, but then he provides a contrast because I do all the other harmony so it’s good to have contrast and vocal because the texture is different. My voice layered five times, it’s gonna have a similar texture, no matter how you treat it so Ronan singing adds something different.”

There’s a lot of heartfelt emotion within ‘1963’. ‘Graceful Dancer’,’Buried You’, and ‘Point Of View’ exude heart-stopping melodies and meaningful lyrics. However, for me, it’s ‘Shadows Of My Personality’ that is the standout tune. This snappy glistening 80’s-hued track shimmers like a radiant glitter ball with sparkling electronics and zesty guitar flirtations providing an uplifting bounce through jazz-esque keys and hearty production. Quilty discussed with me the influences behind these songs and the interpretation of lyrics.

“They are personal songs for me and everything is authentic. The thing about music and I’m not the first person to say this, but lyrics are open to interpretation and you find solace in them. I’m sure you have your go-to songs for when you have a sad day or when you’re going out or before a date because that song means something to you and you sort of applied the lyrics to your life.‘Shadows of My Personality’ was a big one for me. I didn’t realize I was writing that song about anxiety, until after it was finished. That song was actually called 80‘s song. That was the name of the session. Each song on the record I hadn’t had an idea of how I wanted to approach it from a production point of view. ‘Point of View’ and ‘Graceful Dancer’ are clearly balanced. There is room in the songs, the songs can breathe. ‘We Met at a Party’ and ‘New Things Get Old’, they are clearly, punk sounding, from my influences from Blink-182, Green Day, and ‘Deja You’ is indie ‘Buried You’ was quite The Killers, so there’s a lot of influence on the record and for ‘Shadows of My Personality’, I was like I want to write an 80’s song. I love The Cure and The Police so it’s literally a juxtaposition of those two artists. My favorite bit of the whole record at the moment is the pre-chorus of ‘Shadows of My Personality’ because of the guitar riff because it sounds so Andy Summers and I really liked it. I was writing about anxiety, and that was when we decided to put the breathing in. That song opens with breaths, that are to represent the panic and the panic attack. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to breathe in time to a metronome. It’s a lot harder than you think it is. It’s very strange but that was fun to do. You can hear it in the track now and that’s kind of an acknowledgment to ‘Close To Me’ by The Cure, because Robert Smith does a similar thing in ‘Close To Me’. I think it’s nice to pay homage to your musical influences, and it just made sense with the song. So no I’m not afraid. I think it’s important that the songs are real. If somebody interprets, a song completely incorrectly that’s their interpretation of it and that’s okay. “

After touring all over the country – opening for Twenty One Pilots, appearing at all major Irish music festivals including Electric Picnic, Indiependence, Castlepalooza and Sea Sessions, accompanied by UK tours with Keywest and Don Broco, Quilty moved to New York City to work further on his career. 

“I needed to get out of my comfort zone. You know, 13 years on air, very grateful, loved my whole career, Ireland, I love this country. It’s small, and the fact that it’s small, it’s amazing. You can get to know so many people you can gain experience. I have pretty much done every stage from the Three Arena to the Olympia, to the Academy to upstairs in Whelan’s, to the big outdoor stage at Oxygen. But I was always the guy from the radio. People always start out saying you’re on the radio, must be easy for you to get your songs on the radio. It’s actually the complete opposite, because I was on the radio people go we’re not playing him he’s on another station. Then personally I wanted to expand and actually see was I good. I’ve had success in radio sure I got awards but that’s in Ireland am I actually good. So, let’s go to New York where there’s 8.5 million people. New York’s unfortunately been hit so hard by COVID that every venue is closed and everything has stopped but I was lucky that I had a studio that I built that I was able to work out of and Aiden Cunningham, and his studio in Brooklyn, that we were able to continue our work together over there, which is great. It took a lot of consideration. There was obviously a huge amount of work for the visa and everything, but it was right.”

With ‘1963’ released Quilty tells me he has other exciting projects in the pipeline this year.  

“ I’m back in Ireland for a while, we’ll head back to New York soon. I’ve still got so much to do over there. I have a new show with MTV, that’s out now called Stan vs. Stan, which is pretty cool. They’ve made it the header of the MTV YouTube channel over in the US, and that was all done in the pandemic. Eight episodes of that show and thanks to my ProTools and production knowledge, I was able to do the voiceover, do the comedy and stuff and provide them with broadcast standard audio from my studio. I’m pretty proud of that. Stan vs. Stan you can watch right now on youtube.com/MTV. It’s their main push at the moment which is just pretty cool. They all exist together – music, radio and production it’s all in the one sphere.”

Apella have created a sublime, engaging and energetic album filled with fantastic anthemic pop punk bangers.The effort and love Quilty has for music oozes from each song and his crisp production, passionate songwriting and melody wizardry makes ‘1963’ a satisfying listening experience.

100% of the proceeds from this album bought on apellamusic.com will go directly to The Marie Keating Foundation’s Positive Living support group. 

Check out the Apella behind the scenes video for ‘New Things Get Old’ here https://twitter.com/i/status/1356197080704950274


Author : Danu

Fast Trains ‘I Work In Lies’

Fast Trains is back with new single ‘I Work In Lies’ from the forthcoming EP ‘ourWorld Volume 1′.The song is an attack on the British tabloid newspapers, in particular those involved in the News International phone hacking scandal and their abuse of human rights. Fast Trains is the solo project of songwriter and producer Tom Wells. Combining inventive alternative pop with a cryptic visual space known as ourWorld, the project has received backing from BBC Introducing and BBC 6 Music, and its videos have been shown at film festivals all over the world.

Shrouded in ominous tones and alternative pop soundscapes ‘I Work In Lies’ boasts the expressive and luring sound of Fast Trains. The lyrics with the aid of a precise and refined instrumental backdrop tell the story of a newspaper journalist writing fictitious articles to sell more papers “spread our editor’s agendas”. Driving on a pulsing beat and hypnotic whines on guitar the track exudes a mysterious persona while swirling electronics create a muggy soundscape between the soaring guitar moans and constant plucking groove. The song creeps for the verses accompanied by Well’s vocals which sweetly coo the delicate melody. As the track progresses the song becomes more animated and heavy for the chorus. Oozing dynamic instrumentation from every note ‘I Work In Lies’ is an engaging new single from Fast Trains. 

Stream ‘I Work In Lies’ below 


Author : Danu

Event News: Cultures Takeover

Cultures will takeover our Instagram and Facebook for a live stream on Friday at 8.00 pm

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/indie_buddie/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/indiebuddie/

Bridging the gap between alt-rock and indie pop, Greater Manchester’s Cultures have been plying their trade across the region for the last four years, and their intelligent and idiosyncratic brand of indie has been turning heads and picking up traction ever since. With an equal focus on both head and heart within their lyricism, the band have succeeded in elevating themselves head and shoulders above their contemporaries, something that has afforded the band high profile support slots across some of Manchester’s most iconic venues, including Germany’s Giant Rooks at Night & Day Café, and Marsicans at The Deaf Institute – a venue the band have since gone on to headline in front of a rapturous audience, cementing themselves as one of Manchester’s most promising new bands.

Cultures have a vibrant indie sound doused in passionate songwriting and infectious melodies. Combining sweet synth-pop with rousing indie rock, Cultures’ songs flow with a breathtaking wall of sound. The band blend their indie charm with sublime musicianship to create an irresistible soundscape sure to have you bopping and singing along in no time. Cultures have a bright future ahead of them – really looking forward to this takeover.

You can stream Culture’s new single ‘Ghost’ below 


Author : Danu