Dublin five-piece, indie rock band Brass Phantoms have released their new single ‘Hurricane’.The track is just a taster of what’s in store from their forthcoming debut album ‘Holding Out For Horrors’ set for release 18th September. So far, the band have released their well-received single ‘Waiting Up’, which garnered national airplay. Their guitar driven, drum fuelled track ‘City Of Wolves’ was used to promote Irish television coverage of the UEFA Champions League this year, as well as being added to Spotify’s editorial Hot New Bands playlist.Their music featured on the likes of BBC Radio 6 with Steve Lamacq, RTÉ, Today FM, 98FM, Radio Nova, Amazing Radio and more. No strangers to the live scene, Brass Phantoms have toured throughout Ireland, the UK and the United States, having been listed as one of the top acts to see at MONDO NYC Festival. They have a host of major festival appearances under their belts plus support tours for the likes of Delorentos and The Slow Readers Club.
Boasting an epic and dizzying wall of sound ‘Hurricane’ isa labyrinth of tightly layered indie rock from Brass Phantoms. Initially the deep dramatic vocals from Ryan Cashell lures the bittersweet melody into your ears. The track blossoms from here. Swirling synths create an ethereal high while the arena ready backing vocals and meticulously textured backdrop erupt as intricate guitar melodies run rampant through the songs rich soundscape, weaving between rumbling bass lines and punchy drums. As the track reaches its hair-raising crescendo the band use whirring guitars to intensify the atmosphere.
‘Hurricane’ is quite the power anthem and sublime piece of music. Brass Phantoms have always provided indie tracks of epic proportion and ‘Hurricane’ continues this trend while at the same time taking the bands sound to new heights. Brass Phantoms are accomplished musicians: they have the deft ability to write tunes comprised of heavy indie rock elements interspersed with psychedelic moments which intoxicates the listener. Once their tracks end you are left surging with adrenaline and craving to hear more.
On the song, band member Greg Whelan says: “Hurricane is definitely one of the songs we’re most proud of on the album. It has quite an accessible sound, but there’s quite a bit of depth and openness in the words, and the energy in the music accompanies that quite well. We’re so excited for people to hear it, and the entire album”.
Written over a number of years, ‘ICE’ is the debut album to come from indie singer songwriter Dave Quackenbush. Growing up Mormon, Dave Quackenbush developed his love of singing in church and continued his love of music discovering New Wave with his siblings. After a life changing trip to Japan as part of a Mormon Mission, Dave Quackenbush reclaimed his life and his music, devoting it to writing his experience into memorable and catchy music.
‘ICE‘ is an upbeat and uplifting album which oozes character and radiance. Through bubbly indie pop Dave Quackenbush displays his ability to produce bright heartfelt tunes. With jangly guitar refrains, buoyant drums and catchy choruses each track is a delight to listen to. Quackenbush has a knack with infectious melodies. Through ‘The Hustle’ he spreads an earworm melody over a country-esque backdrop while sprinkling elements of swagger and joy between sassy soundscapes to create a zealous start to the album. The more indie pop element to his sound kicks in for ‘Rock Room’ which takes a sweet delicate melody and melts it upon a rich rhythmic backdrop and jaunty indie pop guitar. Writing on themes of love, friendship and loyalty, Quackenbush presents a sweet and positive soundscape that will brighten your day.
‘Move Along’ with its reggae rhythmic bounce is quite the power pop song as Quackenbush’s vocals ooze passion and emotion while ‘Another One’ shows a more sultry and dark side to his songwriting. Filled with mystery and a more edgy indie sound the track adds a refreshing enigmatic tone to the album. ‘Go Away’ closes the album on a chilled pop backdrop with elements of R&B/Soul flickering through an elastic bass groove, lush backing vocals and sultry beats.
‘ICE’ is a well rounded collection of vibrant indie pop. Each track is hook-filled with melodies that stick in your head all day and Quackenbush’s warm confident and dynamic vocals ignite the passion within each song. ’ICE’ is a superb introduction to Dave Quackenbush.
Following the consistent success of radio playlisted singles, critical acclaim and selling out shows across the UK and beyond, Sea Girls have released their highly anticipated debut album ‘Open Up Your Head’ on Polydor. I caught up with drummer Oli Khan last Friday (release day) to see how he’s feeling about the release and talk about the album’s conception as well as his hopes for live shows.
“I’m good, I’m a bit tired. I guess, you know it feels a bit like Christmas Day. I mean like straight away at midnight there were a lot of people listening to it so it’s been great to see so many positive comments already and I guess it’s gonna be loads more throughout the day, hopefully.“
The band had a live stream chat with fans just before the album was released and got an idea of what fans thought of the album.
“We just went to Henry’s house and sat on the floor. Just like chatted and vibed and you know got some of the fans involved. You can do a split screen on Instagram and we did that with a few of our bigger fans and yeah it was great.”
Sea Girls have built their songs superbly, creating tracks which are bubbling indie gems and lyrically moving. Tracks such as ‘Do You Really Wanna Know’ lyrically display feelings of self-loathing and uncertainty while the vibrant backdrop makes the track anthemic and infectious.It seems that dealing with these real and raw themes in an upbeat way connects with listeners and makes an impact.
“Yeah, I guess it’s like, we’ve always been a fan of that kind of really upbeat indie music. But we did want to create some sort of like, very personal to us but also you know something people can relate to and I think naturally that’s kind of a timeless thing, you know the sad banger like someone like Robyn who we really love. ‘Call Me Out’ was kind of based around or been inspired by Robyn and it’s that you know, dance through the pain kind of vibe that we really like and strive for in our music as well. We do have happy songs as well.”
The album is a collection of some of Sea Girls’ best tracks from previous EPs and singles and for the band it’s an album that follows the journey of their career and musical growth so far.
“Yeah, I guess because there was never really a point where we were like, ‘All right, now we’re recording our album’. There’s bits where it wrapped up more but essentially we’ve just been making it since we first started recording because it’s got ‘Call Me Out’ which is our first single and that’s on it. I think it was just once we had a good collection of songs, it was just trying to find these 14 songs that all fit together. And I think it was important to have some of these older songs because I think it tells the story, like I said, Call Me Out’ and having ‘All I Want to Hear You Say’ on there. That was definitely like a turning point for us so definitely it felt right to honor that, and also lots of these songs the fans really love, we just wanted to include them for that reason, as well.”
There are so many wonderful moments within each track. Sea Girls move from epic bittersweet guitar refrains to blazing basslines, anthemic drum pulses and even surging rushes on synths. Each track oozes emotion from every anthemic note. It’s the knockout combination of all four members of the band and their influences that creates such passionate and vibrant tracks. However there are some tracks written that didn’t make the cut for the album.
“So normally with the songs either Henry or Rory will come with a full song, and then it’s just like hashing it out in the studio. We’ve been lucky with making the album. Quite a lot of these newer songs, we’ve been able to take our time and do them, and quite a few have gone through different versions. It’s just kind of finding what the vibe is for the song, because we want all the songs to be different and have their own character, and it’s then just plugging away at that and finding, little guitar riffs and little synthesizer parts to make the song shine. But, you know, ultimately its about making that core song as best we can do it. All four of us are really creative so it’s just like throwing everything we can at it to get it to that point.
There is quite a few songs we did in the same sessions that didn’t make it so maybe they’ll eventually get re-jigged and find the way out but like ‘Shake’ which is on the album, we first played that maybe two years ago, I think, it was just the verse we played in practice and we thought this is really cool and then we never really ended up finishing writing it. Then when it came around to the album we tried it again and we were actually like, okay. I think this could work and with the help of our producer, we fleshed it out into a full song and then recorded it. So yeah it definitely happens and there’s a few songs like that when we’ve been playing them for ages and then finally got them right for the album.”
One track that didn’t make it on the album is in fact the title track of the album, their 2019 song ‘Open Up Your Head’.It’s quite unusual for a band or artist to have a title track that does not appear on the album
“I guess we had the collection of songs before we chose the name….I think with the kind of themes of the album about mental health and you know, exploring, you know just what it means to be in your early 20’s and a little bit lost and I think that Open Up Your Head, the name just kind of spoke to that. It’s also like a little callback for fans who liked that song as well. It seemed fitting and I don’t think they really mind that it wasn’t on there.”
When I first heard the album ‘Closer’ was one that definitely caught my attention with it’s blazing guitar and rapid rolling drums, it hooked me instantly.I wondered if Oli has a particular track he loves on the album.
“Ah, changes all the time. I really like ‘Transplant’ which is the first song. I think as soon as we did our first play through in the studio we were like okay this is something really special for us. I feel like it showcases all of us at our best, but there’s a song called ‘Weight In Gold’ which I also really like. I think that was one when we weren’t really sure what people were going to think of it but so far that seems to be one that stands out to the fans so far, so that makes me like it even more even though maybe it shouldn’t ”
Sea Girls are renowned for their frenetic, sweat-drenched sold-out live shows and they have planned to kick off their rescheduled April UK dates by upgrading the venues to play their biggest headline shows to date in November 2020 – which sold out in minutes. It will also see the guys play a career defining night at London’s legendary O2 Brixton Academy on 6th November. Oli is grateful and surprised that people still are supporting them even though their is so much uncertainty with live shows at the moment. It shows just how dedicated and loyal their fans are.
“Yeah, definitely because it’s been months of doing no shows. There has been moments where you think ‘oh is this falling apart or like are people going to lose interest’ but yeah having the fact that when we get back, Brixton Academy in London, is gonna be one of our first shows back, and it’s gonna be the biggest show we’ve ever played by far, that’s really exciting and then like you said, even though people don’t necessarily know or are sure its going to come back it’s amazing that they’re still buying tickets because they know eventually they’re going to be able to see us.”
Brixton Academy in London is a big first show back and it is a little nerve racking but Oli is excited to get back on stage
“Yeah, definitely. I mean we did our first practice a couple weeks ago and we didn’t sound very good, there’s gonna be a lot of re-remembering the songs. I think everyone’s so up for a gig like us and fans and stuff it’s just gonna be so cathartic when it finally happens, it’s gonna be such a release of energy and, you know, coming out playing that first song I think it’s gonna feel crazy, something I’ve never felt before I reckon, just amazing.”
Touring and gigging all the time sets the band up for some bizarre experiences and as we sat chatting about shows Oli chuckles as he reminisces on one particular odd experience the band had early on.
“We played a venue in London, one of our earliest London shows but then, because when you go off the stage you have to go onto the street before we go into the dressing room and there was just some random lady walking past, she was like ‘oh what’s going on in there’ and we said ‘there’s a gig’ and she was like, ‘oh ok who’s gig’ and we were like ‘oh ours’. We just come off the stage, and we opened the door and you can hear everyone screaming one more song and she goes ‘oh Ok’. And then we went back on stage and as we’re playing the last song I turned around and she had let herself in the back and was just standing on the side of the stage watching us.”
The band are keeping busy during this crazy time, creating songs and they might even have their next album underway already. I wondered what the next album would sound like and if these new songs were in keeping with the bands dynamic style.
“ I guess we’ve already just started writing the next one. Naturally when we have all this free time you just end up gravitating back towards writing so hopefully we can get a load of songs written while we’ve got this downtime. But yeah, ultimately, we’ve got some shows for November so fingers crossed they can go ahead. But, you know, it might be, unfortunately a bit of waiting around.
“I mean at the moment we’re just kind of filling out new songs and just trying everything but you can kind of hear from the last few songs that we recorded for this album which was, I think ‘Lie To Me’ and ‘Moving On’, they’re already quite different, and I think we definitely want to try. It’s like we’ve established what we do and now it’s time to kind of mess with that a bit and try and do some more interesting stuff. So definitely, I think there’s gonna be some kind of progression there, although too early to say exactly what. Probably not gonna be, you know, jazz or any surprises like that but you know definitely some more influences.”
There are talks of socially distance gigs and I wondered if this was something that Sea Girls could do especially with the frenetic energy they bring with their shows or if shows could even go back to the way they were
“I hope so I mean, eventually, I think. Like I saw Sam Fender did his socially distanced show but I don’t know if that’s the kind of vibe for us because for our shows and such [we are] like a community, the crowd is all part of the show. Having everyone in little pods, or spread apart I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel about that. It definitely strips away some of what our shows are known for. I think if we can’t give the fans the real experience I don’t want them to feel like they have missed out on that but hopefully smaller shows can come back as normal sooner, that will be really great. I think some places in Europe are already starting to have, a few hundred capacity shows so that would be nice.
For us playing Brixton, that’s like 5000 people who would have to distance. We’d have to do like 10 nights or something. Obviously that sounds cool but it’s not ideal really. “
The song I have been recommending to people who ask me about Sea Girls is ‘All I Want To Hear You Say’. The track is incredibly catchy, hook-filled and well written but Oli has a different song he would suggest.
“ Yeah ‘All I Want To Hear You Say’ is a good one. I’d say start with ‘Call Me Out’, it’s like our first single, and it’s just kind of everything that we do. It’s like big guitars, bittersweet lyrics but with a catchy chorus for everyone to kind of sing along to, and you know just release those emotions. That was the first one we’d written, we’re like okay this is what we want to sound like this is definitely the start of something.So people should start with that.”
There is something extremely absorbing about Sea Girls’ songs. Their ability to capture and harness raw emotion and express feelings in catchy and relatable earworms is impressive. Through clever lyrical content ‘Open Up Your Head’ deals with difficult emotions through heartwarming and explosive musicianship. Sea Girls are expanding their music with each release.This debut album marks an important point in this fantastic bands musical journey. Check it out and enjoy.
Fluttertone and Dublin Concerts have come together to present LIVE. A special interactive intimate show on the zoom platform. Dublin singer-songwriter and busker Saibh Skelly headlined last night’s show. Blending sensitive acoustic vibes and irresistible melodies with sweet passionate songwriting along with a healthy sprinkling of covers, it was a tight and enjoyable set. She performs pristine covers of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Best Part of Me’, ‘Tenerife Sea’ and a hair-raising rendition of Miley Cyrus’ ‘The Climb’, however, it’s the mesmerising effect of Skelly’s warm emotive vocals and calm persona which catches the audiences attention.
Last night we witnessed a budding artist’s growth as Skelly performed her original songs and even some she has not fully finished or named yet. Her own songs are of course the highlight of the show. Skelly displays maturity and tenderness with ease through her charming lyrics and wispy ballads, ‘Be Mine’ a new “mom approved” song and ‘What If’ all flow with grace and subtle pop sensibilities.
At such a young age she is quite the impressive artist. Displaying such confidence, charm and knack with ear worm melodies, it’s easy to imagine Skelly’s songs bellowed back by a swaying arena crowd as she holds the same melodic prowess and emotion as one of her influences, Ed Sheeran. Her tunes are a hit among the viewers, they comment with praise and adoration for her and her songs. Some said they could listen to her all night and that “someday when she is playing stadiums we will be able to say we were fans when she was performing on zoom” and “ we were fans even when she had a pink guitar”.
Skelly has established herself as a intelligent storyteller. ‘Do You Love Me’ in particular broods with a wistful melody while the raw emotion in Skelly’s vocals hits the listener to their core. There is innocence and maturity within this simple acoustic performance as Skelly holds herself without fuss or fanfare, allowing her songs and voice to speak for her. Skelly planned to close her set with ’Mistakes We Make’ however the viewers had other plans, they surge the comment section with requests for “one more tune!” so she sweetly obliges with another not yet finished, un-named and heartbreaking original track. This un-named and not yet finished gem is a wonderful example of Skelly evolving her craft and songwriting into something very special. Last night Saibh Skelly proved she is an artist to keep an eye on.
An exclusive Q&A followed the performance where viewers could purchase VIP tickets to enter another zoom session after the show to ask questions and have a chat with Saibh Skelly. She answers the questions with ease, from when did she start playing music to how she subtly encrypts her songs so it’s not obvious who they are written about. She explains how helpful and valuable her parents are to her as well as how often she practices for busking. It is through this special Q&A we get a glimpse of her bubbly character and persona. In my opinion this part of the show is a great way to get to know the artist performing on the platform. Topics such as overcoming writer’s block, dealing with nerves as well as the honest details about getting songs on Spotify all come up on the Q&A making it an invaluable platform and community for both fans and artists alike.
To get an idea of how talented Saibh Skelly is check out her track ‘Do You Love Her’ below
Three piece Nerves have released their new single, ‘Time Trial’. The song was recorded at Windmill Lane by David Michael Smith, Daniel De Burca and Fionn Corrigan, and produced mainly at home during lockdown by David Michael Smith.
‘Time Trial’ is a fantastic display of instrumental prowess from Nerves as they present a heavy aggressive sound filled with bruising post punk elements mangled between distortion and fuzz. The track bulldozes through with menacing drums as screeching and wailing guitars combust in a blaze of barbaric riffs which relentlessly crash and ricochet off the fierce rumble on drums evoking that hair-raising sensation within the listener.
The song builds superbly as Nerves slowly increase the instrumental tension and ferocity – it feels like they are removing the air pressure in an experiment to see how long it will take for the listeners head to explode. With a dizzying savage crescendo laced in acid-soaked dance elements ‘Time Trial’ shows strong growth from the Dublin based trio. The drums in this track are particularly impressive; they effortlessly flip between leading the ground shaking charge and subtly hiding behind the complex interplay of the guitars to create a rich intricate sound. ‘Time Trial’ is a thrilling listen.
Irish brothers Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor keep up the momentum with the release of new track ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’ taken from their number one album ‘Loving Everywhere I Go’. The release was triggered by some intense listening surges on streaming services, which has seen the song rise into their second most popular tune online. (‘Old Soul’ is currently their most-popular track in case you were wondering.) Their singles ‘Back To You’ and ‘What Do You Mean?’ (both included on the Number One album “Loving Everywhere I Go”) are in the Top 40 most-played Irish tracks of 2020 thus far.
With cinematic strings, disco hues and a lonely western – esque coating ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’ is quite the catchy ditty. Charming guitar innocently twinkles through lamenting strings as the track blends icy isolated undertones with a buoyant pop beat to create quite the dramatic musical expression. With a catchy chorus, intense crescendo and swagger-filled rhythm, ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’ is beautifully sculpted to provide a mirage of emotions and soundscapes.The duo once again display their proficient and passionate song writing with this infectious number as the lyrics question personal experiences and relationships. ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’ is another thought provoking, emotive and radio ready gem from Hudson-Taylor.
Following the success of his recent single ‘Platinum’, Irish singer/songwriter Fintan McKahey returns with his new single ‘Goodbye’. The song was written and recorded in McKahey’s home studio in West Cork, where he is continuing the family legacy as the son of Stump drummer, Rob McKahey and the nephew of Cousteau singer, Liam McKahey. Fintan started playing and writing music at a young age, and has been releasing music since 2016. An artist and producer, he is proficient across several instruments. His EP “God Games” received critical acclaim from national radio and press, as did his 2020 single “Platinum.” He has performed in major venues across the country, including support slots for the likes of The Scratch, Junior Brother, and Roisin O.
‘Goodbye’ is a vaporous lo-fi pop number which smoulders and broods through rich acoustic guitar, laid back beats and hazy mellow elements. McKahey has created a groove-filled number set for candlelit evenings. The track simmers through sultry tones and melancholic moods as the lyrics observe the struggle at the end of a relationship, when both sides are clinging on, in hope of salvation. Light guitars weave a zesty sting between the rich smooth tones while the sticky beat and R&B elements create a humid atmosphere within the track. ‘Goodbye’ douses intoxicating bedroom pop and soft twinkling keys in night-time tones to create a chilled and absorbing gem to listen to. Irish singer Ava Archbold provides a sweet and lush contrast to McKahey’s smoky tone as precise guitar lines ooze heartfelt passion between the tracks rooted groove. ‘Goodbye’ is a wonderful, intimate, ambient track and another sublime example of Fintan McKahey’s deft songwriting ability.
I spoke to Chris Breheny aka Moncrieff last week about his new single ‘PLAYLOUD’. Breheny’s cheery persona and charm set the conversation alight as we banter about the differences since we last spoke a few months earlier – from the craziness in the world at the moment to his new sound. He quizzes me as to my thoughts on the single and we discuss how this budding artist is pushing and removing the boundaries of genre.
“We spoke in the library last year in December didn’t we? Back in much different times.
The song is out so I’m very happy about that. I’m glad that my story is moving forward. During this shit show of a year. What are your thoughts? Be honest. It’s a big move from ‘Early Hurts’. I’m not sure whether I told you at the time but when I was releasing ‘The Early Hurts’ a lot of the songs they’re an early kind of diary for my songwriting but all the while I was kind of writing songs that were like PLAYLOUD and they were down that vein and I was like how the fuck am I going to change it over, it’s just got to be a big switch.”
‘PLAYLOUD’ takes Moncrieff’s sound to a different level boasting deft production and electronic soundscapes blended beneath R&B and pop elements. Even his voice for this track is different. It’s more rebellious with less of that soulful smooth tone that we have come to know him for. I wondered had he been experimenting with his vocals and how he wanted to sing.
“Yeah, I guess it just kind of came out that way. It was one of those days where everything just kind of aligned, the song was written, in like an hour. And then we spent a day just kind of messing around with the production and we knew it sounded different than something we’ve done before, but it was something really exciting and, I think, has to be sung that way in order to get people to wake up to the message of the song. I mean that’s where I want my music to go. I want to be fluent, to kind of talk about and express whatever I’m feeling in whatever way. Obviously I’m not going to go and do some, like Himalayan singing and shit but that’s just the way the song had to be sung. Do you know what I mean?”
He’s fully committed to his new style; he has even dyed his hair blue.
“It is. It all kind of feeds into that, into the kind of.. the ethos. The story of the song is the most important thing for me and so I want everything I do to reflect, where I’m at. So, right now PLAYLOUD is about being frustrated and feeling alienated as a young person in the world that you live. We’re talking Donald Trump is going for re-election and shit and the whole world is going crazy so I kind of want to be a visual. I want my visuals and my own visual persona to line up with what I’m talking about. I don’t want to have blue hair forever, but I think it helps tell the story of the music”
Last time we spoke, Breheny said that his EP ‘The Early Hurts’ is a summary of all the most significant people, places and events that happened to him from moving to London until the age of 22 and PLAYLOUD is the start of a collection of songs telling the next chapter of stories from his life
“I guess so I mean The Early Hurts was a record of how I started, where I came from. This is definitely like the next chapter, It’s definitely not as autobiographical, it’s how I’ve developed and how my voice has developed as to what I want to say. I feel like I obviously want to talk about the stuff I’ve been talking about in PLAYLOUD and I have another track coming out, the track that we’ll be following up on this, is just as loud and it’s quite commentary. But the next chapter also does talk about a lot of personal stuff as well, but it’s just an ongoing story of growing up and coming into adulthood. It never ends.”
Breheny’s debut body of work ‘The Early Hurts’ EP featured lead track ‘Like I Do’, this debut radio single (released in Sept 2019) received extensive airplay across national radio racking up nearly 12 million audience impressions and 5 million streams. The success of the single and EP led to Breheny selling out his first headline show in Dublin in less than 3 hours. However this success didn’t make him feel pressured to create something to match that success
“Obviously you want it to go well, like you want people to like it. At some point, you don’t want everyone to hate it. I knew that releasing this new body of work that I had, I wanted to make a statement that I’m a dynamic artist. I’m not as bound down to genre and stuff. But, yeah, so I was maybe a bit nervous for that but I really like the songs and I’m ready to put out so that kind of superseded that.I think the songs are good. I’m happy to shout about my tunes I got loads of shit songs, like so many. I just trawl through the shit until I find one and I’m like ok this is good, I know this is good.”
A music video for ‘PLAYLOUD’ is something I have been looking forward to and boy it sounds like its going to be wild.
” I think it’s coming out next week.I really like the video. The video is mad, I don’t know how long it’s gonna stay up on YouTube and that’s genuinely a fact. It’s just a series of ridiculous things. I’m not gonna spoil it for you, but I’m really looking forward to getting it out.”
Breheny has been keeping busy during this crazy COVID-19 time. He has turned his energy to creating some amazing limited edition merch which should be available soon
“Bits and bobs. It’s not as easy to just pick up a pen and just start writing when like nothing has happened. I mean I could write about being anxious about the fucking world that I’m in at the minute, I could write so many songs about that but that probably wouldn’t be good for me to constantly feed into that but I’ve written a bit, I’ve been working on other shit.I’ve been working on a clothing line which is coming soon but it takes a lot of time. I’m working on that, I’ve put this video together myself and I’ve been working on new songs as they come. It’s fun. I’m gonna put some pictures up soon. I make them all myself. I’ve been making weird designs from weird things I found on the internet and printing them and stuff. But, yeah, I’m doing it myself. It’s just weird clothes. I’ve just been doing it myself for the last little while. It takes so much time. When you’re doing it yourself there’s a lot of trial and error. A lot of T-shirts get sacrificed, I’ve got two pieces that I think are sick. And then once I’ve like five or six I’ll put them up, and I want every piece to be, super sick and not make a lot of it. I want merch you will wear and that has an interesting story . Every piece will be a once off. Every piece I will probably have made or painted myself. So yeah it’s probably gonna be extremely time consuming, but at least when people buy it, it’s gonna be like, well, there is no other t-shirt like this.“
Breheny is missing live shows and I can imagine with the release of ‘PLAYLOUD’ the live shows he would be doing now would be epic.
“Yeah, big time. A live gig is where I feel I translate best or I can get my message across. And it can make sense to people immediately, live. It’s like I live for playing live.The live version of PLAYLOUD would be such a vibe. Like break it down at the end, everyone’s singing it! .”
So what has Breheny got planned for the coming months.
” More music. I’ve gotta get on a mission to get all these songs out. I’ve got like six songs.
I don’t know whether it’s an EP, but it’s definitely a body of work, PLAYLOUD is the first statement. So I want to try and get at least another three or four out before the years out, and then do some live gigs next year, for the love of God! “
Moncrieff has a tour coming up in September so fingers crossed Breheny can perform ‘PLAYLOUD’ live soon because when he does it’s going to be insane.
Until then check out ‘PLAYLOUD’ on spotify here and keep an eye out for the video which will be released soon!
Bio : Dundalk based band Priorland are Calvin McManus, Tommy Hughes, Davie Boyle and Conor Kavanagh. In 2020, Priorland recorded their debut EP at Orphan Recording Ireland, produced by Gavin Glass (Paul Brady, Lisa Hannigan, David Keenan, Brave Giant, Hot Sprockets).Priorland released the lead single ‘Moving To The Beat’ in April 2020. The track was picked up by several Spotify playlists including ‘Made In Ireland’ and ‘New Music Mondays’. The band have been well received at Liverpool Tall Ships Festival, Sligo Live Festival, Hilden Brewery Festival, Ted Fest and Drogheda Arts Festival.
Track: Seasons
Why We Like It: Exuding a rich percussion and rhythm section teamed with passionate melodies and tight beautiful harmonies, ‘Seasons’ is another polished and delightful tune from Priorland. The track oozes zest stricken guitar lines which inject vibrant scintillation through the buoyant backdrop and mellow sweet melody. These guys have an instant charm and likeability to them. Their mature, well-crafted music makes for a compelling listen and the sheer joy in this track makes ‘Seasons’ the perfect pick me up on a dull day.
Bio : Strangers With Guns are a 3 piece metal band based in Dublin. Although they formed in January 2019, they already have toured all over Ireland and have supported acts as diverse as “Cherym” and “The Soap Girls” to playing on punk bills up North and even playing with stoner and doom metal bands in Limerick and Cork.
Track: Somebody Needs A Hug
Why We Like It: With a slick gritty riff paving the way for the foot tapping beat and grounded bass groove ‘Somebody Needs A Hug’ is a fluid rock banger. Strangers With Guns presents a raw swagger steeped track that is fun, lucid and edgy through nonchalant spoken vocals, witty lyrics and a blazing instrumental backdrop. A steamy guitar solo breaks up the track’s heavy soundscape while the nimble drum beat, taps and prances through the attitude driven guitar and bass adding a fun strut-like quality to this infectious track. What’s not to like? It’s moody, flaunty, gritty and groovy as hell, all at once.
Bio : props’ debut tracks have been making their way into the world since the start of lockdown, with radio play from BBC Introducing & Amazing Radio.
Track: Easy
Why We Like It: It is an infectious indie track which travels on a brisk soundscape of zealous guitars and dazzling electronics. The sticky beats and techno elements rush through the tracks undercurrent providing adrenaline-inducing energy while infectious melodic pop hooks make this earworm utterly contagious. With intricately layered electronics weaving intensity and rich textures through the hyper melody, props has created another outstanding track with ‘Easy’.
Bio : Marilyn Manson has announced the release of his eleventh studio album WE ARE CHAOS out September 11 via Loma Vista Recordings. Co-produced by Manson and GRAMMY® Award winner Shooter Jennings [Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker], the ten-track opus was written, recorded, and finished before a pandemic blanketed us all. Manson heralds the record’s arrival with the title track and lead single “WE ARE CHAOS”. Manson teamed up with director/illustrator Matt Mahurin for the accompanying video.
Track: WE ARE CHAOS
Why We Like It: Shrouded in epic production and almost anthemic energy ‘WE ARE CHAOS’ marks a new era for Manson. The melancholic melody chimes through a jogging rhythm and guitar strum as the track twinkles into fruition. While Manson’s deep gravelled vocals provide the grit to this more pop rock anthem it’s bravado and power lies within the tracks chorus which erupts to the sound of crashing guitars and pounding drums. This gusto-infused soundscape fills the track with darkly hued sorrow and acceptance all at once. It’s well layered with innocent keys, echo-backing vocals and a massive climactic build however the lamenting undertone is a chilling element which is difficult for the listener to shake, providing depth within this brighter new track.
Bio : ‘The Slow Rush’, Kevin Parker’s fourth album as Tame Impala was released in February to wide-spread acclaim. With it, Parker scored his second #1 in Australia, his highest charting album to date in both the U.S. and U.K. and 14 top 10 chart positions around the world. He has released the official music video for the album track, “Is It True.” The vibe-heavy clip conjures up the visuals often seen in Tame Impala’s live sets. This week, Parker’s previous album Currents achieved RIAA-certified Platinum status in the U.S. with more than 2.5 million copies sold worldwide.
Track: Is It True
Why We Like It: It’s an irresistible funk track laced in cool synths, psychedelic hues and a bad-ass infectious bass groove. With sparkling prismatic soundscapes flashing soft 70’s-esque colours of scintillation through a strutting rhythmic backdrop the track is perfectly layered in pristine production and a soft synth/pop coating. The track weaves through majestic waves of electronics and laid back pop to create a flamboyant and rich tapestry of music. ‘Is It True’ is a gem to treasure.
After the release of three preceding singles alternative rock band Turfboy have released their debut album ‘At Tension’. The album was released through Horn & Hoof Records Manchester and was recorded with Michael Richards in Trackmix Studio Dublin late last year. Coming from different parts of Ireland; Longford/Roscommon/Mayo-Galway/Wicklow, to be exact; the band is based in Dublin City, and is most often found playing shows there.
‘At Tension’ is a blazing roar of alternative rock. The album’s moody grunge elements and crashing backdrop boasts a heavy sound that is not for the faint hearted. Turfboy have created a rock-filled album so explosive and powerful it will melt your brain leaving you on the floor twitching and frothing from the mouth.The acute lacerating guitar riffs gash through tracks like ‘Rageahol’ and ‘In Absentia’ with bloodthirsty stamina while being accompanied by an occasional desert-rock squeal and wail. The band use a battering onslaught on drums to pound their tracks forward while shredding guitar solos and scorching licks display the more majestic and refined side to the band’s savage sound.
However it’s not all fury and anarchy, ‘Holly Daye’ reverbs with an infectious punk pop melody over a slick riff while ‘(L)earn’ showcases a grunge Nirvana – esque side to the band. The gem of the album ‘(L)earn’ pivots around a sulky guitar refrain and moody catchy vocal refrain that will revolve in your head for days. The beauty of the angst in this track blended with sulken nonchalance and despair is masterful as the band build a powerful backdrop to encompass the dark emotion and rawness within the track.‘Idiocracy Is Reality’ is another smasher on the album. Doused in gritty jaunty guitar riffs and eerie bass lines this ominous mammoth displays Turfboy’s ability to build and cultivate a track. The soundscapes occasionally jolt into something more sinister and dark as the band allow each verse to raise the tension for the dramatic and crashing chorus release.
Vocally the band venture from all out fury-filled growls and howls to raspy passionate punk/pop bellows allowing the tracks to have their own identity on the album. We see this especially in ‘AttenDANCE’ where the vocals begin soft and almost lulling to start and venture into a howling scream as the song progresses. ‘Not Like You’ is probably as pop punk the band get on the album with a catchy melodic hook and lighter persona while ‘Millie The Jeff and Subh The Snail’ returns the album to a 90’s alternative rock tone for the finale.
‘At Tension’ is a ballsy gritty album brimming with vigor and massive soundscapes. It is a thrill to listen to. The bands ability to blend anarchy-filled tunes with brooding tones, moody textures and a mosh-worthy sound is glorious and displays strong growth in Turfboy.
Stream ‘At Tension’ below
Author ; Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
