It’s that time of the year again; you’re curating your Sad Girl Summer Playlist. What’s the atmosphere we’re going for? How about synth-y, haunting and summery? Starting with banríon’s “end times,”followed by Patricia Lalor’s “Felt Something Finally” and Sorcha Richardson’s Red Lion—and what else? Sarah Crean’s “Show Me Nuance.”
Noted as “one of Ireland’s most exciting upcoming artists and producers” by Hot Press, Crean is coming to us with her new single, “Show Me Nuance,” swiftly after the release of her debut album Call for Refinement in the summer of 2021.
Influenced by artists such as Men I Trust, Japanese Breakfast,and Mac DeMarco, Crean is hoping to use this single, co-produced by Adam O’Leary, as a launching pad to propel herself further into the indie-pop genre. This is a brisk pivot from her album’s influences, which included Joni Mitchell and Lykke Li.
Call For Refinement is a seven-track album, all of which were released independently through self-funding and recorded from the comfort of her home. Crean says that writing, producing, and releasing Call For Refinement cemented her confidence as an artist, and believes that confidence shows in her new single’s sound. Living somewhere between Lalor and Richardson, “Show Me Nuance” perfectly encapsulates summer sadness: a lightness in the melancholy and a self-perpetuating motion.
The track itself is an almost playful focus on the difficulties of losing all sense when having romantic feelings for someone. The track begins by stating how you would go to ridiculous bounds for them, seeing your love interest through a heavenly but unrealistic lens: “If I saw you blacked out at a crossing / I’d join in any way I could / Is there something in my water / Have I lost my train of thought / I’m sober but your smile it evokes.”
However, as the track progresses and the chorus interjects, the focus shifts to coming to your senses and allowing self control to return.
“I think there are similarities between what I’ve written about in this song and what I’ve written previously, but there’s a much louder and much more refined confidence to this portrayal and I’m really quite fond of it. Even though there’s a level of uncertainty to how one should cope with the back-and-forth discussed in the song, there’s an allowance for patience alongside it. In my previous works, I think there was more of a rush inflicted upon myself to figure things out immediately. With this song, I’m still figuring those aspects out and looking at that process in a much more light-hearted way rather than berating myself for it,” Crean says in a press release.
“I’m genuinely most excited about getting to perform these songs live. Between the album and the new single, I’m beaming everyday at the thought of playing them with a full band,” she adds.
Crean’s debut headline gig takes place on March 30th at The Workman’s Club Cellar, with support from Robbie Stickland. Get your tickets here, and listen to “Show Me Nuance” below.
SOAK announced a new album and lead single for their record If I Never Know You Like This Again, out May 20 via Rough Trade.
The queer Northern Irish musician released their sophomore album Grim Town in 2019. With their initial sound adhering to Japanese Breakfast and Lana Del Rey in order to capture the angst that comes with youth’s departure, it has transformed to live somewhere between The Cranberries and Pillow Queens, as SOAK leans into a nineties-nostalgic-rock sound in their latest single release, “last july.”
“I hate the idea of getting older and forgetting, or having a family and not being able to perfectly explain a memory or feeling. I always want to remember exactly how I felt at a certain moment,” they state in a press release. “This record is the most accurate picture of me. I felt no pressure at all, it was almost like I was ranting as I was writing. When I was looking to the past, it was as though I had a big lottery ball of all my recent memories and I would just randomly select which one I wanted to unpack. It helped me to process that.”
A “last july” music video was also released. Directed by Ellius Grace, it presents a dreamscape montage of nostalgia; Watson and their partner running through a house, holding hands and dancing.
Watch the music video below and pre-order If I Never Know You Like This Againhere.
Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra have released the music video for “Empty Envelope,” one of the most haunting and underrated Irish tracks of 2021. The video, which was filmed and edited by Irish artist Hollie Gilson, stars the band’s songwriter and guitarist Sarah Deegan, who strides through the scenes in a black duster straight out of the Matrix.
Don’t expect any slick Y2K aesthetics here, though. Gilson bathes the shots in warm golden light, punctuated by violent pops of red, whether in Deegan’s beret or the titular empty envelope.
As for the song itself, Deegan quite literally dreamed it up. She dreamt of receiving an empty letter, and thus the hazy, shoegaze-y single was born.
“It’s about the cyclical nature of bad decisions. ‘Empty Envelope’ examines the process of burning everything down to rebuild from the ashes,” she says.
Thankfully, there’s more to come from Deegan and drummer Danni Nolan, as the pair are finishing off their debut album.
Watch the music video for “Empty Envelope” below, and maybe treat yourself to the accompanying Unsent Letter Kit here.
Sprints are back with another noisy banger. Taken from their upcoming EP AModern Job, their latest single “Little Fix” is a thumping rant, taking aim at a world that continues to look the other way.
Like on previous singles “Swimming” and “The Cheek,” lead singer Karla Chubb doesn’t hold back, delivering blunt truths about misogyny in the music industry with biting, rapid ferocity: “So tell me doctor / how do you fix / a problem they don’t seem to think really exists.”
Chubb notes that the track is inspired by her experience of “insecurities, imposter syndrome and gender stereotypes….the, sometimes, self applied pressure that as a woman in music I can’t just be good, I have to be great.”
Sprints have an exciting 2022 ahead. They’re playing the prestigious SXSW in March, while their new EP A Modern Job is out via Nice Swan Records on March 22.
Listen to “Little Fix” below and pre-order A Modern Jobhere.
Likened to the moodiness of The Cure, Pixies, and Lush-era Snail Mail, indie rock band NewDad bring us the new single “Say It” and announce the release date for their second EP Banshee, coming February 9 via Fair Youth Records.
Evoking opposing emotions to the melancholic “I Don’t Recognise You,” “Say It” conjures a sense of urgency, highlighting the development of NewDad’s style. Lead singer Julie Dawson’s vocals are ever the lynchpin of the song, capturing a bitterness and aggression not felt in previous tracks: “No, you don’t like me at all / You just want to see me fall for you.” The blunt lyricism precedes a breakdown of gunshot snares, with NewDad sounding as ambitious and experimental as ever.
On the single’s release, the band say:
“It’s about unrequited love, about when someone is with you but not really, it’s supposed to capture that frustration you feel when you’re giving someone your all and they’re giving you nothing in return. The fast pace of the song makes it feel like I’m venting which works considering the feelings of irritation and bitterness I’m talking about when you don’t want to like someone but you can’t help it.”
Banshee is the band’s sophomore EP, after they made a splash with their debut Wavesin March 2021. The band recorded and co-produced the EP in Belfast with Chris W Ryan (who they previously teamed up with on Waves), while John Congleton (Lana Del Rey, Phoebe Bridgers) took up mixing duties.
“This EP is definitely bigger, having more time in the studio definitely meant we got to experiment more and layer more into each track so there’s an overall bigger sound! The main themes of this EP are restlessness and anxiety, during lockdown that’s how myself and most people were feeling so that’s what inspired a lot of the writing.” says NewDad on the EP.
Listen to “Say It” below:
The band have confirmed more live dates for spring and summer 2022. This March, the band will play SXSW, and they’ll be appearing at All Points East this upcoming August. NewDad will return to Ireland and the UK for their biggest tour to date.
Anyone else feel lately like they’ve arrived at the end of things? Like the fire has already gone out, and we’re just gathering around the embers hoping for some lingering warmth?
At the very least, banríon (Róisín Ní Haicéid) understands this emotion, capturing a sense of sad wistfulness on her new track “end times.” She swaps out the listless indie rock of her full band EP airport dads for just as languorous, but slightly gentler, folk on her latest release. The Dublin artist self-recorded the song, which was produced by passerby (aka Diarmuid O’Connor).
“This city is gonna die soon / We’ll all move away,” Ní Haicéid sings, reminding us of every friend who’s emigrated, and how we can hardly blame them considering the state of things.
The song radiates a certain warmth, though, that brings to mind the lovely, hopeful moments keeping us here. “Light to be found in the end times / Didn’t think it’d be so beautiful / Or we’d still have stuff to say,” she murmurs at the end, staving off impending darkness.
A Derry native, Emét’s soft folk is definitely worth adding to your chill-out playlists. His covers of indie favourites Phoebe Bridgers and Father John Misty show his penchant for emotively charged tracks, something he has brought to his own music. Returning to the scene this year with his ‘Cheers & All The Best’ EP, Emmét McGonagle is back after a two year hiatus during which he earned his MA in Magazine Journalism. His new moniker, Emét is a product of the pandemic, when new music was written and recorded in Belfast’s Half Bap studios. Having been featured on KEXP in Seattle as well as at home on Irish radio stations, Emét’s tranquility is a well needed balm to your everyday woes.
Contemplating the ups and downs of life, his music is a comfort to listen to, stirring emotions of reflection, nostalgia and melancholy. Acoustic guitar melodies and harmonies benefit from Emét’s elegant pacing. Flowing along winding narratives, his use of place names and expansive crescendos will bring a tear to many an eye. Veering into Damien Rice territory and hinting at a reserved Leonard Cohen, Emét is ingenious in his use of guitar, brass and drums and pairs them wonderfully with his trusty acoustic tunes.
Everyone’s favourite queer sweethearts Pillow Queens will be joined by even more queer greatness in the form of Smoothboi Ezra and Banríon on their upcoming Irish tour. Starting in Belfast on December 2nd, singer-songwriter Ezra will join the Queens in Dundalk, Derry and Galway, before closing the tour at the second of two sold out gigs in the Button Factory. Indie-alternative quartet Banríon will support the other half of the tour, playing in Cork, Listowel, Kilkenny, Limerick and night one at the Button Factory on December 17th. While the majority of the tour is sold out, you can still grab tickets for the Cork gig at Cyprus Avenue here.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Hannah Quearney
Listen If You Like:
Sidney Gish, Clairo, Declan McKenna
Who They Are:
Meticulously balancing hope and melancholy, Smoothboi Ezra has established themselves as a songwriter wise beyond their years outside of the Dublin or greater Irish alternative scene. After harnessing their own brand of stripped-back-to-the-bones indie rock, standing in the shadows of the likes of Snail Mail or Soccer Mommy, the producer has masterfully springboarded themselves from ‘fledgling’ to ‘fledged’.
Bringing together the best elements of alternative subgenres: the steady beats and thriftiness of modern lo-fi, the sparse instrumentals of indie folk, to the confessional lyricism of recent indie rock release — Ezra has managed to transcend genre and remain entirely true to themselves in the process, the way they’ve always have done.
Their most recent EP Stuck waxes lyrical on the intensity experienced in adolescent relationships — although, they insist that you make of it as you will. While boasting a fuller sound in comparison to their earlier releases, both eras of the songwriter’s discography are united by the thread of sonic vulnerability.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Ellen Pentony
Listen If You Like:
SOPHIE, Four Tet, Daft Punk
Who He Is:
Limerick producer Jack Ward is creating genre-traversing electronic music, blending elements of traditional house and techno with pop melodies and structures. On his latest release “My Angel Rocks 4th and Back,” he uses an old-school 90s beat as its driving force before bedding in 80s inspired synths and a funky bassline, the combination of which is reminiscent of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love). This fun twist on a classic house sound embodies the producer’s style, which he says is most influenced by Vengaboys, Omar-S, and the late SOPHIE. Aside from producing his own tracks, Ward is collaborating with some of his fellow artists, so you can expect to hear more of his signature style popping up in the near future.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Fatima Al Qadiri, SOPHIE, Danny L Harle
Who She Is
Roo Honeychild does it all: DJing, club promotion, A&R, the list goes on. She’s long been working to reinvigorate Dublin’s nightlife, primarily as one of the founders of Club Comfort alongside Jack Colley and Cian Murphy.
Before the pandemic, Club Comfort was one of the few nights out in the capital where you could expect music that would dazzle you — a far cry from the tired mixes bleeding out onto Harcourt Street — and attendees who were there for fearless self-expression and a genuine sense of community. As Honeychild told District Magazine, “It was like we were speaking the same language to a lot of people we didn’t know existed.” While we can’t experience the throbbing beats in person, Honeychild and her fellow Club Comfort DJs continue playing on Dublin Digital Radio as Café Comfort.
As for her musical releases, Honeychild’s digitally accessible discography is slim but delightfully eclectic. She produced “#AonDóTrí Challenge” on Chancers Volume 001, the first release from City Imp Records (which she does A&R for). The dance track feels like a shit-post that became a stroke of genius, sampling the likes of ATC’s “Around the World (La La La La La)” and “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani. Her production choices surprise you at every turn. Meanwhile, her October 2020 release “Portrait of A Lady on Fire” is an apocalyptic banger. The song combines an ominous chorus and elements of trap before dying down to a few creepy whispers. You’ll never be bored listening to Honeychild.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Hannah Quearney
Listen If You Like:
Caroline Polachek, Julia Holter, U.S. Girls
Who She Is:
The lustrous sophistication of HALLI’s art-pop persuasions have been celebrated on a global scale — from its sleek production or emotionally taut themes, to the likes of FKA Twigs and Angel Olsen being lauded as Sad Girl denizens and confessional lyricists in the same breath. With much excitement, it’s looking like the Dublin musician is next in the ranks to uphold the gilded torch.
HALLI’s music makes us nostalgic for encounters that we’ve never experienced before. Her short discography serves as a synth-soaked ephemera from a time settled neither in the distant past or looming future. Glimpses of vulnerability are received through star-studded vignettes, screenshots from a coming-of-age film, and old film photographs all at once. The musical smokescreen HALLI has constructed is minimalist but prioritises sensibility, neatly wrapped together with transient reverb and a lit cigarette.
Earlier this year, she released her second single “Body Never Lies.” Prioritising restoration and intimacy, HALLI muses on the fragility of our physical selves and how that will always parallel how it’s being treated. To say that it lacks the danceability of her later releases would be slightly misguided, with the single ebbing and flowing the same way that our bodies do. It serves as a reminder of how everything we do is attuned to a rhythm of some kind, from the pulse of our heartbeat to the staggering mechanics of a drum machine.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Ellen Pentony
Listen If You Like:
Ailbhe Reddy, NewDad, Pillow Queens
Who They Are
Banríon are an indie-rock band led by frontperson Róisín Ní Haicéid. Their debut EP airport dads is a sad, summery collection of songs – the kind of music you listen to as you’re walking down the street in the hazy sun, thinking back on memories, unsure if you feel good or bad.
Opener “yesterday’s paper” is bright and nostalgic as Ní Haicéid avoids the present moment in favour of reliving the past. On “bunkbeds,” the singer/songwriter channels her inner Robert Smith, voice straining with emotion as she sings, “We don’t know whether we’ll see each other again / It’s hard to leave your friends.”
While airport dads is focused on intimate moments, banríon’s latest track “do you miss her” – released in aid of BeLong To Youth Services – explores the voyeuristic attitude of those in the media towards queer people, particularly those who identify as women.
Despite only a few releases thus far, banríon have demonstrated an ability and desire to discuss personal and social issues. Ní Haicéid’s tender, unguarded approach gives her songwriting an honest and unique perspective, one that places her alongside a number of strong queer voices in Irish music today.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Sam Smith, Dermot Kennedy, LAOISE
Who He Is
Ste Bishop—better known by his moniker St. Bishop—may only have one EP out, but his glossy pop sound already has incredible mainstream potential. Layered harmonies and shimmery synths wend their way into your ears, urging you to move your hips and make your way to the dancefloor. The self-dubbed “patron saint of gays” has arrived.
Bishop says that his latest song “Close,” off the EP of the same title, is all about “one of those whirlwind romances that immediately sweeps you off of your feet and plunges you into a world where nothing else matters… think the Cinderella Story starring Hillary Duff and Chad Michael Murray but with a lot more vodka.” The accompanying music video came out today and is partly visually inspired by Stranger Things. Starkly lit scenes of Bishop waiting for his toast to be done and pushing through the mundanity of life are bookended by moments where he dances with abandon, bathed in neon light.
Watch the music video for “Close” (dir. Ben Kavanagh) below.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Hannah Quearney
Listen If You Like
Fenne Lily, Marika Hackman, Aldous Harding
Who They Are
It’s difficult to believe at this point that SOAK — known outside of their portmanteau moniker as Bridie Monds-Watson — hasn’t been awarded some kind of veteran status for the work they’ve been putting out for almost a decade. Ever since they emerged from the Derry music scene at age 16, the songwriter’s coming of age can be tracked tangentially to their musical output quite easily. Just as we’ve watched Monds-Watson grow from a punkish rag-tag teenager into a refined (yet incredibly cool) adult, we have watched their graduation from gloomy indie-folk aesthetics into lush art-pop stylings. A cloud has lifted between the releases of their prodigal debut album BeforeWe Forgot How To Dream and their sophomore effort Grim Town, their sound becoming more full-bodied as their identity becomes more sharper in their mind. They don’t anticipate change, but they warmly invite it instead.
Their latest single is most indicative of this change. Featuring Saint Sister’s Gemma Doherty, ‘I’m Alive’ is a solemn spoken word piece birthed out of lockdown ennui. Exploring the idea of how it feels to “wake up” after a long depressive episode, Monds-Watson abandons #BeKind sentiments in favour of steady catharsis. With self-discovery as the aim of their game, it’s looking like a third album is in the works and we couldn’t be more excited.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen, Perfume Genius
Who He Is
Jack Rua is a beam of light for the Irish pop scene, meshing the various facets of the genre into a brilliant, unmissable gem. His 2020 album Narcissus is lean time-wise, clocking in at just under a half hour, but nourishing for the soul with its throbbing beats, infectious choruses, and slick production. Stabs of piano, slaps of synth, and clanging drum machine all feel made for a boogie in Street 66. His lyrics are honest and evocative, late-night talk clouded by cigarette smoke and one too many cocktails, but the precision of his music should not be underestimated.
More recently, Rua put out the EP I Don’t Party Enough Anymorewith American producer Saint Taint. The project is a hyperpop dream, exploring the darker sides of lockdown while also feeding our collective need for a good dance after a year of separation. Most excitingly, Rua is playing a socially distanced gig in the Button Factory on 13 July. You can get your tickets for the gig here and listen to his new EP below.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Ellen Pentony
Listen If You Like
Princess Nokia, M.I.A, SZA
Who She Is
Celaviedmai (Maimouna Salif) is one of the most exciting voices in Irish hip-hop right now. A talented singer and rapper, Mai’s talent is seen across a range of singles thus far. While “Reckless” is packed with sharp, tongue-in-cheek bravado, “Questions” is full of self-doubt. Her latest release “HEAL” blends this bravado and insecurity together as she recounts a past relationship, hyping herself up but admitting that she’s not really over that time in her life. The smooth production of her tracks elevates her vocal talents even further. You may recognise the Dolby Digital noise – or the sound before a film in the cinema that blows your bloody ears off – on “Reckless.”
Mai’s music is raw and vulnerable, moving from intense self-confidence to uncertainty often within the same breath. This honest approach makes her one of Irish hip-hop’s most authentic and exciting artists and we look forward to hearing much more from the Galway rapper.
Dublin-born musician Tomike has teamed up with Louth native Omo Aston on her latest single “Wildflower,” a soulful love ballad about loss. The pair assume the role of a couple in the midst of uncertainty singing back and forth to one another in traditional duet style. The track’s minimalist, hushed production allows the emotional lyrics to take centre stage as Tomike sings: “I don’t want to hold on to you / if you’re not holding on.”
Since her debut EP Stages of Love, Tomike has gained recognition as one of Ireland’s most talented up-and-coming vocalists and was featured in Hot Press’ Young and Emerging series. Having taken some time to focus on songwriting and production, “Wildflower” marks the start of an exciting period of new music from the alternative-soul singer.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Hannah Quearney
Listen If You Like
L7, Amyl and the Sniffers, G.L.O.S.S
Who They Are
The social media description of Problem Patterns as “a group of women screaming in a room” is lovingly tongue-in-cheek, but their rip-roaring live shows and rotating cast of vocalists are deserving of a closer look. Composed of musicians Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks, Ciara King, and Alanah Smith, the four-piece queercore noiseniks ensures that each member has a voice, quite literally. As they raucously dismantle systematic oppression and restore order through the power of pummelling noise and frenetic riffs, they play a game of divide and conquer with each scathing critique.
Their 2020 single “Big Shouty” embodies what the group is about, a blisteringly good demolition of how female musicians are expected to behave in the music industry. As they reject passivity and male judgement, the band takes up as much space as they possibly can; their grudging caterwauls and growls are innate and begin to occupy a physicality of their own. Not only are they shattering the glass ceiling, but they’re taking it over entirely — they’re cackling at it, repurposing its remnants into something larger and more subversive, sticking things together to form their own shape.
Gone are the days of corporate Riot Grrrl offshoots or — even worse — the Girl Boss herself. Problem Patterns are eternal. Listen to “Big Shouty” below.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Laura Marling, Lankum, Saint Sister
Who She Is
Dani Larkin’s music is indelibly tied to her relationship with the Irish land, whether you’re listening to “The Red (Maca’s Return),” an examination of humanity’s treatment of the environment through local legend, or her trio of singles ruminating on love that use evocative natural imagery. Her most recent release from the series, “Love Part One,” is spare but triumphant, led by warm acoustic guitar and the rich timbre of Larkin’s voice. The track is all about falling back in love with oneself, and is grounded by how well the Armagh-Monaghan artist sets the scene: tree roots, the moon, the shore, all reminders that we are part of the natural world and worthy of love.
The folk musician is set to release her debut album Notes For A Maiden Warrior on 18th June, but just ahead of that she’s performing the entire record live at the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast as part of the Women’s Work festival. You can get tickets for the virtual event—airing on the 17th of June and free unless you want to donate—here.
Listen to “Love Part One” below and check out her November and December tour dates here.
Since the drop of their ever-suave single “Thinking of You” in 2018, Smoothboi Ezra has established themselves as not only a transient producer and thoughtful songwriter, but as the renaissance songster to watch. Known outside of their moniker as Ezra Williams, the Greystones-based muso excels at a sonic balancing act that few musicians are able to accomplish. Their instrumentals are sparse but harness their own lo-fi splendor as their confessional lyrics lift everything into equilibrium. One aspect isn’t underpinned in favour of the other; both are attuned to the forgiving musical imagination that they have created.
This sentiment lingers three years later, even as Ezra makes their musical transition from acoustics to electronics on their new EP Stuck. Exploring the intricacies of adolescent relationships, Stuck follows a formative relationship with a self-awareness and maturity that scarcely falls in the realm of grovelling or melodrama.
Nameless Faceless caught up with Ezra to discuss their creative process for their latest release, their musical growth, and the people that inspire them most.
Nameless Faceless: Congrats on the new EP! We’re really looking forward to hearing it. I know that you’ve said previously that your music is about whatever your listeners want to take from it. I find this perspective really interesting, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Smoothboi Ezra: I think for me a lot of the time a sad song could actually be a happy song for me and vice a versa, people tend to associate certain songs with different time periods one person could listen to my song during a terrible time in their life and have it mean something really important, and another could listen during the best time in their life and have it mean something completely different. When I go to listen to a song I purposefully don’t listen to Genius interviews or look up what it means because it feels more personal when I come up with my own meaning.
NF: In light of this release, can you tell us a little bit about your creative process?
SE: I write in the middle of the night, it’s a brain dump of my thoughts about the day or an event. There isn’t a plan, it just happens. Songs are sometimes whole when I write them, other times they take years to come together as amalgamation of lines from other unfinished songs.
NF: Did you take any new approaches with the EP? Were there any new sounds or ideas that you really liked and wanted to take inspiration from or experiment with?
SE: I never set out to do anything I usually just go with the flow, my songs usually end up sounding nothing like I intend them to.
NF: A lot of growth and maturity can spark in three years – both personally and musically. What do you think are some of the ways in which you’ve matured and progressed as an artist?
SE: I feel I’ve grown as a writer and producer. I’ve learned more about production. I suppose I’m older and so my writing is naturally evolving with me.
NF: I know you’ve cited Elliott Smith as a big influence (I’m a huge fan!) and I’m just wondering what qualities of his music inspire you most?
SE: His melodies just hit with me. I like the honesty of his lyrics, he was an amazing artist.
NF: What artists would you love to work with in your dream collab?
SE: I would love to collab with Phoebe Bridgers, Haley Heynderickx, Soccer Mommy, Kate Bush and Snail Mail.
NF: Do you have any thoughts on the Dublin music scene? I feel that artists who aren’t super central in the city rarely get the look-in that they deserve.
SE: I don’t know much about the music scene in Dublin as I was just starting out in October 2019 and I did four live performances and then COVID and lockdown hit. I was 17 when I started and wasn’t going out much so I’ve yet to learn about the scene but I’m looking forward to it.
NF: In your opinion, what Irish artists should we be listening to?
SE: Patricia Lalor, Sammy Copley, Soapy Rain, Pillow Queens and Anna Mieke.
NF: I love your cat Frog! He’s a very cute boy, could you tell us more about him?
SE: He’s great. He’s a big brother now cause I’ve just got another kitten called Pixie. They’re great friends and keep each other company, which I am pleased about because I wasn’t sure if Frog would accept Pixie, but it has just worked out perfectly.
NF: What are you anticipating most from 2021?
SE: Getting to do live shows with my friends and to travel and see exciting places. I can’t wait to go to Iceland in November.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Ellen Pentony
Listen If You Like
Girl Band, LCD Soundsystem, PUP, Porridge Radio
Who They Are
Sprints are a four piece indie-noise band from Dublin. Using a vocal style reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, frontwoman Karla Chubb talk-sings her way through issues affecting contemporary Ireland.
“Manifesto” and “Swimming” pulsate with satirical energy as layers of guitar, bass, and thumping drums combine to capture the frustrated, angry spirit of Irish millennials faced with economic and social uncertainty. On “The Cheek” and “Ashley,” though, Chubb brings her queer identity to the fore, exploring turbulent relationships and the bisexual experience. Direct and deliberate, Sprints speak keenly to life as a young person in Ireland.
Indie-grunge trio HAVVK have released a new single from their upcoming sophomore album Levelling, out September 17th. Like their preceding singles “Home” and “No Patience,” the latest release from HAVVK is charged with the competing energies of calm and chaos.
On “Automatic,” lead singer Julie Hough’s shoegaze vocals lull you into a false sense of security, creating a comforting air of nostalgia before screeching guitars rip you from the safety of the verse and into a chorus filled with the panicked loss of cherished memories.
Speaking on the inspiration for the track, Hough says: “Automatic is about cherishing childhood friendships and the way that they evolve. It’s about snapshots that will always be imprinted in our minds – for me it’s hours talking on the landline, swapping clothes, burning CDs, mitching school or going to gigs for the first time. It’s about the fuzzy feeling of nostalgia when you slip back into a conversation with an old friend as if you saw each other yesterday. But it’s also about being afraid to lose that feeling; being anxious that those memories might burn away and having to be open to growing together even as your paths change.”
Levelling will be released on September 17th on VETA records. You can find the tracklist below.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Hannah Quearney
Listen If You Like
Car Seat Headrest, Kero Kero Bonito, Hobo Johnson
Who They Are
A darling of both Irish Twitter and the fledgling live music scene in Dublin City, it goes without saying that Rebecca Locke’s brand of frenzied confessional pop deserves equal credence to their online shitposts. Best known as the curator of Indigo Sessions at The Workman’s Club, their music rapidly oscillates between moody atmospherics and infectious danceability. Their brand of organised chaos is consolidated through gang vocals about going to Aldi and wanting to die, reclaiming the ukulele as a symbol of Gen Z ingenuity and detaching it from any of its millennial twee connotations while they’re at it.
The second best thing they’ve done this year (first of which is becoming Lidl’s Next Top Model and subsequently ending up on First Dates) is releasing their third single “manic energy.” An unfiltered stream-of-consciousness capturing the experience of being mentally ill in your early twenties, the erratic track quickly became a fan favourite at shows, evolving each time it’s played live with increasingly more ridiculous ad libs from their backing band. A detour from their previous lo-fi indie pop releases, the mangled glitchcore aesthetics look like they mark a new era for Locke and we cannot wait to see what comes next.
While Indigo Sessions is currently on pause, “manic energy” transports the catharsis of a crowded venue to your home speakers. Listen to it below.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Jon Hopkins, Four Tet, Brian Eno
Who She Is
The first time I listened to Gadget and the Cloud’s latest EP Things I’ll Never Say, I was immediately reminded of Little Big Planet, a whimsical video game that transports you to an ethereal world fastened together with jewel-bright colours and rich textures. Gadget and the Cloud, aka Kelly Doherty, likewise whisks you away with her brilliantly layered electronic music.
The Cork artist crafts a magnificent sonic tapestry, binding together glimmering synths, ambient nature sounds, and deeply distorted voices. The end result is transcendental, wrapping itself around you until you forget quite where you are. “It Never Felt Right” promises to make your heart swell as the track crescendos, lifting you up to some dreamy, unimaginable landscape. Her 2018 album Songs for Sad People to Dance To does exactly what it says on the tin, in the best way possible. The record captures a sense of isolation, but in the process forges a connection, like a lone lamp shining in a window. At the end of the day, though, words fail when it comes to Gadget and the Cloud’s atmospheric art; it simply must be experienced.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Sophie McDonald
Listen If You Like
Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, Kim Petras
Who They Are
A quintessentially queer quartet, Babylamb having been hitting all the high notes since their first single “Bodyright.” Their debut explored body image and positivity, avoiding any sickly sweet message and achieving well-thought-out awareness. Upbeat and fantastically dance-y, Tobias, Laoise, Cian, and Rían produce lively tracks perfect for the dancefloor. Their latest single “Mister Magic” thrives on its opulent production. Filled with layered synths and electronic soundbites, Tobi and Laoise’s harmonies add a touch of dreaminess to the pop anthem.
Part of Hot Press‘ Hot for 2021 list, they’re building themselves up for the year ahead. Having already graced the stages of Whelan’s and Workman’s, Babylamb have made a name for themselves as an unmissable live act. Energetic, they pulsate with a love for each other and for the magical hyper-pop they’ve created. Whether you’re looking to add a touch of zest to your day or pumping yourself up for the night ahead, Babylamb will provide a tantalising, terrific soundtrack.
Plenty of rap focuses on the performer’s wins: their money, their status, their romances. Despite this being baked into the genre, some of the most enduring rap instead zeroes in on hardship and emotional pain. Case in point: Galway rapper Celaviedmai’s new single “HEAL.”
Starting off with humming and distorted, lo-fi vocals, the track tells the story of the first woman Mai loved and subsequently lost. That heartbreak is palpable from the opening line: “Loving you was a choice / And I chose you / You didn’t even pick me.”
In a moment of courageous vulnerability, the rapper and songwriter cycles through the self-critical thoughts that plague a person after rejection. “HEAL” proves both contemplative and sultry, a chance for Mai to show off her incredible vocal chops as well as her lyrical prowess.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Ellen Pentony
Listen If You Like
Lucy Dacus, Father John Misty, CMAT
Who He Is
Antrim singer/songwriter Niall McDowell is the latest artist making country music cool again. Like CMAT, McDowell uses the structure and sound of the genre to sing about modern themes. His latest release “Do You Think I’m Pretty” is a tongue-in-cheek exploration of insecurity and narcissism. Placed within a queer context, the track takes on a satirical meaning as McDowell plays with pronouns and gender. Writing about another man, they sing: “There’s only so much waiting around a girl can do / until it all falls through.”
Personable and unpretentious, his stream-of-consciousness lyricism is akin to the boygenius crew, subtly and humorously evoking the trials and tribulations of modern queer dating. “Do You Think I’m Pretty” is the first of a series of singles McDowell is releasing this year, each one exploring a different musical genre. We can expect more of their insightful and skilled songwriting in the near future.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Girl Band, Suburban Lawns, Pixies
Who They Are
Art-punk trio Pretty Happy are gloriously gritty and unconventional — they have a song called “Mr Crabs,” for fuck’s sake! Made up of siblings Abbey Blake (guitar) and Arann Blake (vocals, bass guitar) as well as drummer Andy Killian, the Cork three-piece have drawn praise for their eccentric vocal performances and frenetic, guitar-driven tunes. Listening to them feels like someone left the tap on at full blast, washing you away with noise and raw energy.
“Salami” is their most-played song on Spotify, charging you head-on with outlandish lyrics and off-kilter guitar. Their latest release, “Sea Sea Sea,” specifically delves into queer identity and the limitations of gender roles. Abbey’s delivery is steeped in sarcasm as she sings, “Your daughter wants to ride a motorcycle / You can’t handle it / She’s your only son.” Her activism also extends to life outside the band: Abbey founded the Angry Mom Collective, a Cork-based group dedicated to supporting women and queer people in the Irish music scene. With an EP due out later this year, we’ve plenty to look forward to from Pretty Happy.
qwasi (left) photo by Donal Talbot, banríon (right) photo by Anna Heisterkamp
By Clare Martin
As queer people, our rights have literally been put on the ballot. Even though Marriage Equality passed in 2015, having your personhood up for debate is a fundamentally dehumanising process. Your private life becomes a spectacle for others to gawk at, like some curio they’ve found in a charity shop.
This sense of exploitation, of a person’s existence becoming a form of entertainment for others, inspired the new single “do you miss her” by indie rock artist banríon (Róisín Ní Haicéid) and experimental electronic producer qwasi, aka Eric Fitzgerald.
“It’s about this voyeuristic radio interview I heard last year with Nell McCafferty where [the] interviewer was prodding into her heartbreak and sexuality, I hope I did it justice,” banríon tweeted about the song, out via Bad Soup Records. McCafferty is a legendary journalist and queer activist, who was in a 15 year relationship with fellow journalist Nuala O’Faolain.
Single artwork by Peggie McKeon
qwasi’s expert production purls through the song, marrying lo-fi fuzz with rich, fluid textures. Segments of the aforementioned interview flit in and out, McCafferty’s melodious Derry accent grounding the track. “Would you be asking me if I was a man to wear my heart on my sleeve?” Ní Haicéid asks pointedly, critiquing the media’s treatment of McCafferty. It’s an important message to remember during Pride Month, when plenty of queer people’s stories are exploited by companies looking for a bit of good press.
Later on, Ní Haicéid’s lovelorn, listless voice repeats the track’s title over and over again: “Do you miss her?” A clip of McCafferty answers assuredly, “Oh, yes.”
Listen to “do you miss her” below. The song is in aid of BeLonG To Youth Services, which helps young queer Irish people.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Hannah Quearney
Listen If You Like
Skinny Puppy, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Black Dresses
Who She Is
Imagine if The Matrix (1999) was acknowledged as the trans allegory that the Wachowski sisters lauded it to be — in an ideal world Molly Noise would (and could!) travel back in time and give that soundtrack the queer industrial justice that it deserves.
The sadgirl noisemaker’s penchant for pulsing drum machines and bone-grinding drones reigns supreme over her discography, yet she never does the same thing twice. Wildly oscillating between darkwave and industrial and sound collage, her sound is difficult to pin down but it’s much better that way. To imply that the listening experience is akin to any other digitally-immersive electronic release would put the solemn few techno-enjoyers who didn’t get the memo into anaphylactic shock.
Listeners are simultaneously thwarted back and forth by walls of distortion, rattled by the rush, and comforted by Molly’s emotional candour. Steering from her trans identity to explore her experiences with mental illness and emotional volatility, each release serves as a patterned scrap of fabric neatly sewn into the patchwork quilt of experience. For now, she’s living in your computer and she’s here to stay.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Ellen Pentony
Listen If You Like
Syd, SZA, Leikeli47, Kaytranada
Who She Is
Since the release of “Berries” in 2019, Bobbi Arlo has emerged as one of Ireland’s most exciting young talents. The 23-year-old’s style is unabashed and playful, blending bright pop and rich, soulful vocals with energetic hip-hop as well as lo-fi beats. Despite releasing only a handful of singles thus far, Arlo’s range already apparent. Her most recent single “Feel It” is an upbeat heartbreak track reminiscent of Carly Rae Jepsen, while “Signs” is a slower, more intense electro-ballad.
Relationships are a prominent theme for the young musician who, as an openly gay artist, is the latest Gen Z-er unphased by her sexual identity. Normalising woman-loving-woman relationships, Arlo is a shining light for the younger queer community. She is an absolute must for your Pride party playlist.
What’s this we’re feeling? Sunshine on our skin? Some semblance of hope? Either way, May brought with it brighter days and a whole host of enjoyable tunes.
Check out our favourite music from last month below, as well as the Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page.
BABA — “Keep You Safe”
A white feather, a lit candle, burnt sage — BABA concocts a witches brew for autonomy and radical acceptance, the ultimate act of self-care. The second single from Dublin neo-soul trendsetter BABA is reminiscent of a simpler time. Her saccharine doo-wop vocals lift and grace down over the chillest of old-school instrumentals, offering the advice that her inner child craves. — Hannah Quearney
Carrie Baxter ft. Jack Tyson Charles — “I Wasn’t Looking for You”
You’ll be grooving along to Carrie Baxter’s latest single within the first few bars. Her smooth vocals are paired nicely with Jack Tyson Charles’ feature and the soulful sound emits pure happiness, elevating the track. Floating on dreamy piano and guitar licks, “I Wasn’t Looking for You” draws you into a story of finding something good when you weren’t even searching for it. — Sophia McDonald
Biig Piig — The Sky Is Bleeding EP
Known outside of her moniker as Jessica Smith, Biig Piig strays from conventional provocation or sing-song hooks as she curates what intimacy means to her. The Sky is Bleeding is a celebration of these discoveries, a dedication to what Smith describes as her “sxc dom phase,” and an expertly-crafted piece of indie-pop. The thematics of the album are reflected in its lush instrumentation — equal parts hushed, brazen, and tantilising. — Hannah Quearney
Cherym — “Listening to My Head”
Derry trio Cherym return with their new single “Listening to My Head,” their first release since signing with British label Alcopop! Records. It’s incredibly catchy, blending the melodic elements of pop music with the heaviness of punk and garage to create a sound that is pretty unique on the island of Ireland right now. — Ellen Pentony
Cosha — “Run the Track”
Cassia O’Reilly, aka Cosha, announced her debut album Mt. Pleasant today with the release of her single “Run The Track,” which feels like an early bid for song of the summer. Fuzzy radio static hums in your ears before a bright beat hops in, immediately getting you ready to groove. Her autotuned voice is quicksilver—shiny, slick, and exquisite. — Clare Martin
Documenta — “Silverwood”
Released as part of the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival, Documenta’s newest single “Silverwood” will leave you reeling in the wake of its heady atmosphere. The drone-pop seven-piece seem to conjure rather than play music. The song, laced with whispery vocals, oscillates between psychedelia, shoegaze, and jazz, all the while hypnotising the listener. We’ve more to look forward to from the Belfast group, as “Silverwood” is off their forthcoming double LP Drone Pop # 3. — Clare Martin
ELKAE — “Distraction”
“Distraction,” the irresistible new single from ELKAE (Laura Keane) premiered here at Nameless Faceless. The disco- and funk-infused dance track is the second single from ELKAE’s upcoming EP Girls Like You Like Me, set to be released on July 9th. She wants her music to be universal but also specific to a queer audience, so that those who know, know and those who don’t still enjoy it for what it is. — Ellen Pentony
Elkin — “Clothes”
Taking power back from those who take advantage, Elkin’s “Clothes” is a poppy push back against the “sure look what she was wearing” excuse. Driven by rapturous beat, they bring clothes back to what they are, pieces of fabric that don’t imply anything flirtatious. Elkin have produced yet another catchy track and this time capture just what it means to be under the male gaze. — Sophia McDonald
Fears — Oíche LP
Fears’ debut album Oíche (Irish for “night”) is the culmination not just of over five years’ work, but also several chapters of the artist’s life experiences. All musicians are vulnerable to a certain extent; the act of sharing art is braver than we often acknowledge. Constance Keane, who performs as Fears, takes this vulnerability to a whole new level, though, processing her own trauma over the course of the record and tacitly inviting us to do the same. — Clare Martin
Maria Kelly — “eight hours”
Maria Kelly’s latest single, out via VETA Music, floats on plucky, playful guitar. Her honeyed voice is warm as a fresh cup of tea as she gently insists: “I swear I try, I do / I do, I do, I do.” “eight hours” is another thoughtful instalment ahead of the alt-folk artist’s debut album, which is due out in autumn of this year. — Clare Martin
Pat Lagoon — “DETOX”
Pat Lagoon’s latest single, “DETOX,” will either have you begging for a pint or ruefully remembering your last drunken mistake. Despite its sobering name, it’s the type of song meant to play in the background as a party careens out of control. Every line drips with debauchery. — Clare Martin
Kid Kuba — “Push to Start”
Kid Kuba’s collaboration with Emilio is propelled by a solemn melody and a deep, potent bassline. Heartbreak haunts dark late-night thoughts as the rapper’s flow complements Kid Kuba’s compelling vocals. The duo capture the sadness of post break-up loneliness on a track meant for tear-drenched pillows. — Sophia McDonald
Les SalAmandas — “Now Is The Time”
Emerging from the cultural hotbed of West Cork, Ballydehob native Julie O’Sullivan and French musician Colyne Laverriere’s debut single “Now Is The Time” provides us with several home truths that probe at our inability to forgive ourselves. Its nectared refrain—“Now is the time for forgetting / Now is the time for regrets / Now is the time to forgive them / Now is the time to progress”—is frank and honest, which is immediately softened by the gentlest of acoustic instrumentals. — Hannah Quearney
Tolü Makay — “Aye”
Tolü Makay’s latest single, “Aye,” bursts with unadulterated joy. Makay, who hails from Nigeria and grew up in the Irish midlands, beautifully blends African pop and dance music with collaborator and producer Enda Gallery. “Aye” is the second song off her debut album, due out in early 2022. Makay draws upon traditional Nigerian percussion such as the conga and talking drum for the track’s stirring sound. — Clare Martin
Jack Rua and Saint Taint — I Don’t Party Enough Anymore EP
Over the course of their collaborative EP I Don’t Party Enough Anymore, Jack Rua and Saint Taint find a sense of much-needed catharsis. Sure, Rua may be singing, “Yeah I just want some kind of contact,” on the opening track “Contact,” but the drop on the chorus keeps you from becoming completely mired in sadness. It’s the same effect as Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” except instead of crying in the club you’re crying at home, throwing shapes as you’re lit up by the glitter ball you bought during lockdown. — Clare Martin
St. Bishop — Close EP
Playing with an electronic sound and an indie feel, St. Bishop’s tracks emulate recent Sam Smith with hints of Dermot Kennedy and Troye Sivan sprinkled in. With bouncing rhythms and infectious melodies, the Close EP solidifies St. Bishop’s place amongst his Irish peers. Exploring love and positivity around a person’s identity, there are no bittersweet moments of realisation. Instead, St. Bishop documents the loving and longing that goes hand in hand with the struggles of growing up queer. — Sophia McDonald
Saint Sister — “Manchester Air”
In the lead up to the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment, songwriter Morgana MacIntyre and harpist/arranger Gemma Doherty were inspired to write “Manchester Air,” an account of a young couple who, like so many before them, travel to Manchester to have an unwanted pregnancy terminated. “From the back of your bike I told you I was late / You said ‘I can’t go much faster’ / I said ‘No not like that,’” they sing. The lyrics are simple and heart wrenching, made all the more impactful by the duo’s soulful vocals. — Clare Martin
Saint Sister — “Oh My God Oh Canada”
‘’Oh My God Oh Canada’’ is the latest single from Saint Sister from their upcoming album Where I Should End. Delicate and poignant, the track opens with soft atmospheric piano chords before picking up pace with electronic synth, drums, and harp. Written while the duo were on tour in North America in 2018, the song explores a well-worn theme for musicians: maintaining your closest relationships while you’re travelling around the world for work. — Ellen Pentony
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Hannah Quearney
Listen If You Like
Cat Stevens, Rusty Clanton, Orla Gartland
Who He Is
With over 220,000 YouTube subscribers, the virality of Sammy Copley’s music clashes with its humble nature in the absolute best way. In bridging the musical generation gap by adding a particular Gen Z ingenuity to honeyed folk instrumentals, Copley honours the romanticism of the music traditions of yore.
His first album Growing Pains is a decalage of home comforts and adolescent memories, the warmth of a Beatrix Potter illustration come to life or the crunch of autumn leaves. Its title track, with layered harmonies and saccharine melodies that wrap around to embrace you, paints a forgiving picture of the passage of time. The concept of one being wise beyond their years is a cliché once it’s in the wrong hands, but in Copley’s case it feels most appropriate. The album’s oaky production and Copley’s shimmering vocals makes for the most appropriate autumnal listening — even during Pride month.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Paramore, Potty Mouth, Charly Bliss
Who They Are
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Cherym here at Nameless Faceless. The Derry three-piece are riding the exuberant wave of pop punk sweeping the globe right now. Hannah Richardson (vocals, guitar), Nyree Porter (bass), and Alannagh Doherty (drums) tap into that sweet spot where the realms of angst and utter joy overlap.
On their latest single, “Listening to My Head,” they sing from the perspective of murderer Betty Broderick, whose crimes are featured in the Netflix documentary Dirty John. With their enthusiastic delivery and thumping guitar, you’re bowled over by just how lovesick the song feels, a bittersweet combination of pain and infatuation. In our interview with Cherym, Richardson said that the pandemic has provided the trio with “a wee lifeline to just be really productive and write loads of songs,” so hopefully we’ll be hearing more releases from them soon, especially since they’ve signed to British label Alcopop! Records.
Soda Blonde’s debut album Small Talk is one of the records we’re mostly excited for this summer, and each single release only further whets the appetite. Their latest song, “Holy Roses,” is a “moment of reckoning” for frontwoman Faye O’Rourke, as well as a deeply personal and cathartic listen.
“So many of us use rejection as fuel to justify stagnancy or living in the past. ‘Holy Roses’ provides me with some closure and I feel it’s one of the most important tracks on the album,” O’Rourke explains. “I am directly addressing the people in my past who have hurt me in this song.
“The Rose is symbolic of war and the fleetingness of life and death. It also represents the fall of Christianity, which I compare not only to our country’s dying Catholic status but to the oppression I felt throughout my own personal and work life. ‘Holy Roses’ is the moment of reckoning for me, in all respects. I’m letting go of the people who have hurt me and my old way of living”
Her voice begins gentle and slightly smoky on “Holy Roses,” before being joined by guitarist Adam O’Regan on the pre-chorus. Their vocals intertwine sinuously—“So many fights / So much nothing in the bed”—in hushed tones, like swiftly running water, until a dam bursts for the chorus. O’Rourke is reminiscent of Kate Bush here, with incredible vocal range and emotional resonance. The song pulsates with the tension of unresolved fights and regretted words, but O’Rourke pushes past that to find freedom on the other side.
Listen to “Holy Roses” below and check out Soda Blonde’s Irish and U.K. tour dates further down. You can pre-order their self-produced album Small Talk, out 9th July via Velveteen Records, here.
A white feather, a lit candle, burnt sage — BABA concocts a witches brew for autonomy and radical acceptance, the ultimate act of self-care. The second single from Dublin neo-soul trendsetter BABA is reminiscent of a simpler time. Her saccharine doo-wop vocals lift and grace down over the chillest of old-school instrumentals, offering the advice that her inner child craves.
Brimming with forgiveness, “Keep You Safe” honours the “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell can you love anybody else?” mantra while being conscious of the needs of the songwriter’s younger self. She steers away from girlboss-isms in favour of a practice that is inclusive and restorative.
She says, “Growing up, I was always at war with myself and that’s a dangerous place to be. As a woman, there were always conditions to my existence. We are always too fat, too skinny, too loud, too quiet.” The songwriter notes a sobering reality for many young women: “If you are female in a minority group, that scrutiny intensifies tenfold.”
These universal truths prefaced with the track’s hushed slickness makes for delicious listening — its crisp snares and retro keyboards to BABA’s own coven of backing vocalists that bring everything to fruition. The sentiment is clear: your body is your home, so why break those walls down?
Tolü Makay’s latest single, “Aye,” bursts with unadulterated joy. Makay, who hails from Nigeria and grew up in the Irish midlands, beautifully blends African pop and dance music with collaborator and producer Enda Gallery.
“Aye” is the second song off her debut album, due out in early 2022. Makay draws upon traditional Nigerian percussion such as the conga and talking drum for the track’s stirring sound.
“Aye means life in Yoruba,” she explains. “A lot of what makes us who we are comes from our childhood. I want this song to celebrate life and the child we forget we were. We are who we are because of that child. I added my oriki which my grandmother blessed me with, she sings it in this song. Oriki is a Yoruba ‘attributive epithets’ you’re given. Who you are called forth to be. I hope this song brings joy and awakens your inner child.”
Makay had hoped to travel back to Nigeria to record the song, but when those plans fell through she instead worked with producer friends from Nigeria, who assembled a choir of kids for the chorus. Their enthusiastic cries of “Aye” are like sonic rays of sunshine, bound to brighten your day.
“I was literally on the phone for 6 hours working remotely with the kids as well as the Nigerian percussionist we hired for the day (an absolute legend), he played the shakers, conga, talking drum. It was intense and I really wish I was there in person, yet despite the current travel bans, we still managed to create this magical track,” Makay recalls.
As for the artist herself, her vocals are as breath-taking as ever, climbing gracefully into the stratosphere. Every aspect of the song evokes a sense of euphoria.
Embrace your inner child and listen to “Aye” below.
“Distraction,” the irresistible new single from ELKAE (Laura Keane) is premiering right now, here on Nameless Faceless! The disco- and funk-infused dance track is the second single from ELKAE’s upcoming EP Girls Like You Like Me, set to be released on July 9th.
Listen to the track below — a necessary addition to your outdoor party playlist — and read our interview with Keane to hear more about the inspiration for the EP, teenage talent shows, and nostalgia for queer nights out.
Nostalgia is the dominant theme of ELKAE’s upcoming EP Girls Like You Like Me.
“Thematically it was definitely inspired by my life before the pandemic. It’s very much meeting different people and being in different relationships and going out and the whole gay scene – which I think doesn’t really feel like it exists in at the minute,” Keane explains over a Zoom call.
Exploring the subtleties and everydayness of the queer experience was a priority for Keane, who says that “as queer people we’re kind of sick of seeing the whole ‘this person’s gay and let’s make it all about them being gay and coming out.’ ” She wants her music to be universal but also specific to a queer audience, so that those who know, know and those who don’t still enjoy it for what it is. For Keane, there’s a “subtle difference to queer music. I’m not sure if it’s the tone, or if it’s the kind of manner in which we speak about the person were writing about or what it is, but I’ve definitely heard songs where I think, That’s about a girl and it’s a girl singing it.”
She reflects on how her song writing has been a journey, recounting a particularly cringe-inducing moment at a talent show as a teenager: “I did a song that I wrote called “Just Leave It.” I wrote it when I was 12 or 13. And the judges were like ‘Oh it’s good,’ but they called me cynical.” She laughs and says matter-of-factly that “you haven’t been offended until you’ve been called cynical as Gaeilge – at the age of 13.”
Since that humbling moment, Keane’s musical style has developed into a sophisticated yet free-spirited sound, blending elements of funk, disco, and contemporary pop to create tracks very much suited to the dance floor of the George or Street 66. For Girls Like You Like Me, there was a definite effort to create a “throwback EP” where “in each song, there’s a touch of influence from like the ’70s or the ’80s – whether that’s funk or disco.
Things get nostalgic again when we talk about the inspiration for the title track “Girls Like You Like Me.” The song features a rich chorus of voices from the Irish music scene, including Lydia Ford, Chloe Agnew, ZaPho, Toshín, Karla Chubb (Sprints), Sinead McConville and Taylor Mas. When asked if all of the featured artists are also queer, she says “some but not all” and that she doesn’t intentionally choose queer people to collaborate with, but that it just happens.
“Nearly everyone I’ve worked with is gay, or female,” Keane says. “It’s not planned but nearly everyone that’s done my photoshoots or artwork, or directed my music videos is gay.“
This sense of community is central to her upcoming EP. While these tracks are dancefloor-ready bops, the last 18 months of forced separation from our favourite queer venues and people gives the title track a heavier emotional weight than Keane initially intended.
“I hadn’t thought about it in an emotional way until I heard it happen,” she reflects. “But I thought that was just for me because I missed my mates.”
It’s hard not to feel a wave of nostalgia when listening to a song that celebrates the essence of the Irish queer experience – bumping into your ex, or ex’s ex in the toilets of Street 66 while you’re on a date with another one of their exes. Too specific? I think not.
Pat Lagoon’s latest single, “DETOX,” will either have you begging for a pint or ruefully remembering your last drunken mistake. Despite its sobering name, it’s the type of song meant to play in the background as a party careens out of control. Every line drips with debauchery.
Synths twinkle mischievously in the background before the Waterford rapper sets the scene: “I was on the beer / You were drinking on the voddy.” The beat taps into something instinctive, making it impossible not to dance along. It’s the type of heady groove you can expect at an especially entertaining afters, keeping you going until the wee hours of the morning.
Listen to “DETOX,” produced by TunesOnTick and mixed by MyFault, aka Adam Shanahan, below.
Floating on the cosmic dream that is queer pop, the modern music landscape is being influenced by the best in the LGBTQ+ community. The Irish scene is hot on the heels of the best trend to happen to music in years, with the likes of Babylamb, Jack Rua, and PureGrand producing lush pop.
St. Bishop is no different. Playing with an electronic sound and an indie feel, his tracks emulate recent Sam Smith with hints of Dermot Kennedy and Troye Sivan sprinkled in. With bouncing rhythms and infectious melodies, the Close EP solidifies St. Bishop’s place amongst his Irish peers. Exploring love and positivity around a person’s identity, there are no bittersweet moments of realisation. Instead, St. Bishop documents the loving and longing that goes hand in hand with the struggles of growing up queer.
Opener “Close” speaks to the push and pull of having mixed emotions. It acts as a poppy aperitif to the EP. The production is layered, being stripped back to the piano base during the bridge. The transitions back to the fuller sound, complete with electronic effects, do feel rushed. These minor faults are outweighed by St Bishop’s success at crafting his unique sound, but less is sometimes better.
This is true in the instance of the stripped back version of “Dreaming,” which finishes out the EP. Rather than a completely acoustic rework of the track, St. Bishop pairs a gorgeously simple piano with guitar. Slipping in muted violins and bass, “Dreaming” is transformed into a wonderfully tender track.
Piano and synth-infused “Sleep It Off” showcases St Bishop’s vocal range, a highlight being the harmonised bridge. The annoyance of an overactive brain is put to an upbeat melody, capturing the doubt of yesterday’s failed attempts and the anticipation of a fresh start in the morning.
“Porcelain” is a slow dance track, perfect for getting closer to that crush of yours. A more contained track compared to the EP’s pop-fuelled first half, time slips away like sand between St. Bishop’s fingers and the song bursts with yearning. Whistling synths end the track on a sensuous note and strengthen the EP’s themes of queer youth and love as a whole.
Moving from “Porcelain” to “Good Intentions’” the teething problem of transitioning and pacing crops up again, but once ”Good Intentions” begins to flow, it is easily forgivable. It builds from gentle vocals to a chorus pulsating with lovelorn emotion. Underscored with explosive bass and sharper synths, all the frustration that comes with explaining to others your journey -– one that you know is right – comes to the surface. St. Bishop’s ability to build from soft to intense is also seen in “Dreaming” and serves as a defining feature of the Close EP, definitely adding to the peaks and troughs of this introduction.
Although a little rough around the edges, the six track Close EP acts as a terrific introduction to a star in the making. St. Bishop shows off his talents through songs that highlight his impressive vocal range and ability to balance features of rhythmic electronic and powerful indie pop. The EP is a perfect match for Gen Z’s affinity to love, yearn, and dance about all the sweethearts of our lives.
Like many people in Ireland, I always had a plan should the worst happen, should I become unexpectedly pregnant. My friends and I would go to the UK — London or some other big city — and have a girls’ weekend so I could just tell my Catholic parents I was travelling instead of getting an abortion.
Thankfully I never had to put the plan in action, but so, so many on our island have over the years. They’ve had to deal with stigma, trauma, and so many other shitty side effects of the puritanical, patriarchal agenda pushed by the Catholic Church and politicians.
Three years ago today, the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment passed in a landslide victory, finally giving people with uteri in Ireland access to abortion. It was an emotional time for so many, including songwriter Morgana MacIntyre and harpist/arranger Gemma Doherty, who make up Saint Sister. In the lead up to the referendum, the pair were inspired to write “Manchester Air,” an account of a young couple who, like so many before them, travel to Manchester to have an unwanted pregnancy terminated. “From the back of your bike I told you I was late / You said ‘I can’t go much faster’ / I said ‘No not like that,’” they sing. The lyrics are simple and heart wrenching, made all the more impactful by the duo’s soulful vocals.
The track is by far the most trad-inspired of the singles released from their forthcoming album Where Should I End, out on 25 June. MacIntyre says it “harks back to the old Irish ballads of leaving home, the constant tramp of the Irish across the water.”
A low drone builds in the background, growing more uplifting as the song continues — much like how slowly over time, things have begun to look brighter for people across Ireland. Boot stomps and claps make you feel like you’re in a pub, emphasising the communal pain experienced by Irish people over the years thanks to draconian laws. “Manchester Air” invites us to gather and share our stories, because only that way can we begin the long, continuous process of healing.
“Writing this song felt like a cry for help,” the band says of the song. “The weekend the results came through we celebrated by screaming into the sea, feeling the weight of it all wash off us. We performed the song for the first time on Inis Oírr island that weekend and it no longer felt like a cry for help, but rather a cry for every woman who was betrayed by the state and simultaneously a cry of relief, a nod to the future.”
Watch Saint Sister sing “Manchester Air” against the backdrop of Dublin Bay — a point of departure for so many who went to the UK for basic healthcare — below.
The last year has seen a boom in the pop market for unapologetically sleek sex anthems that comfortably detach themselves from the bizarre demands of the male gaze. In joining the upper echelons of sonic sensuality alongside the likes of Megan Thee Stallion or Ashnikko, the Irish-born and London-based Biig Piig distinguishes herself instantly.
Known outside of her moniker as Jessica Smith, the artist strays from conventional provocation or sing-song hooks as she curates what intimacy means to her. The Sky is Bleeding is a celebration of these discoveries, a dedication to what Smith describes as her “sxc dom phase,” and an expertly-crafted piece of indie-pop.
The thematics of the album are reflected in its lush instrumentation — equal parts hushed, brazen, and tantilising. The jazziness of the moody “Tarzan” with its tidy drum fills and pulsing bass pairs with Smith’s slinking vocals in a way where her clandestine sweet nothings are given the clarity that they deserve.
Once we catch a glimpse of the song’s unknown pleasures — the bodies of lovers conjured by the luminescence of candlelight — it lingers into the following track “Baby Zombies” as Smith’s muted coos fall into murmur. Much like an extinguished flame, her vocals are indistinct and hazy — but they harness a kind of swagger that only feels appropriate for both the musical and emotional space she’s carved out.
The leading single for The Sky Is Bleeding is the domineering yet ever-suave “Lavender.” From the hypnotic lull of its reed organ to her taut whispered demands — as embodied by her refrain of “you want it” — we are steeped into the hot seat, budding front-row spectators waiting for Smith to play out her vixenish persona.
The mood is escalated with closing track “American Beauty.” While it certainly pays homage to the infamously lusty film of the same name, something is distinctly different: Smith is not humouring a male fantasy of what female desire should look or feel like. In exploring the realm of lesbian desire — “Maybe I wanna show you what it’s like / And baby, you’re so pretty, we should keep the lights on” — a tentative giddy excitement breaks up the EP’s moodiness.
A brooding quality remains in the track’s instrumental, something repetitive but alluring. As the EP’s closest thing to a single on a soundtrack for a coming-of-age movie, “American Beauty” feels like the most appropriate closing act for Smith’s own journey of self-discovery and sexual autonomy.
Ruminations play a game of divide and conquer. While it’s often irrational to pore over a future that doesn’t exist yet, that unforgiving pull is often irresistible and we simply cannot help it. I’m not going to tell you to not think bad thoughts or to drink water or something; the future is boundless, something far too difficult to conceptualise, and that is both liberating and fucking terrifying.
It’s inescapable, but what for?
At what cost?
I’m not too sure how you feel, but I think Les SalAmandas have the solution.
Emerging from the cultural hotbed of West Cork, Ballydehob native Julie O’Sullivan and French musician Colyne Laverriere’s debut single “Now Is The Time” provides us with several home truths that probe at our inability to forgive ourselves.
Commenting on this sentiment, O’Sullivan notes that, “The world throws some horrible things at us from time to time. Life can be hard and unfair, but it can also be beautiful. To see the beauty, you have to forgive the world. And to forgive the world you have to forgive yourself.”
Laverriere adds, “I think the message we tried to share through the lyrics is that we never know what will happen in the future and we should enjoy life as much as we can, seize the moment, no matter what happened in the past, and make the most out of it.”
Its nectared refrain—“Now is the time for forgetting / Now is the time for regrets / Now is the time to forgive them / Now is the time to progress”—is frank and honest, which is immediately softened by the gentlest of acoustic instrumentals. It floats and lulls under the buoyancy of O’Sullivan and Laverriere’s endearing vocals. As their first single tucks you in and sings you to sleep, the pair are currently recording their debut album with award-winning producer Daniel Ledwell.
We’re often our own worst enemies. Even when we try to reach out for help, something holds us back, telling us that whatever trouble we’re experiencing isn’t that difficult and that, in some fucked up way, we’re not worthy of the pain we’re feeling.
Maria Kelly’s latest single, “eight hours,” touches on this strangled, stymied feeling with her signature humour and grace.
Speaking on the song’s subject, Kelly says, “You convince yourself that it’s just one single thing, and that if you could just find it, fix it, get over it – everything would be ok again. Ironically, through that process of invalidating, there’s so much pressure, guilt and shame, which just sends us further into that spiral.
“eight hours” single art
“It’s a cycle I think a lot of us fall into, because it’s really hard to give yourself permission to struggle. I spent a really long time fighting against my own experience. Feeling down or lost always equated to ‘not trying hard enough’. I was always on the hunt for something to fix, but I’m constantly reminding myself that nothing is inherently ‘broken’ – so there is nothing to fix in the first place.”
The track, out today via VETA Music, floats on plucky, playful guitar. Kelly’s honeyed voice is warm as a fresh cup of tea as she gently insists: “I swear I try, I do / I do, I do, I do.” “eight hours” is another thoughtful instalment ahead of the alt-folk artist’s debut album, which is due out in autumn of this year. She crafted the record while holed up in a cottage on our island’s southern coast.
Grunge five-piece Just Mustard have collaborated with creative agency Collective Films (CLTV) to produce a concert film called Live In Dreams. The performance was recorded at An Táin – an independent arts centre in their native Dundalk – and will premiere on YouTube tonight at 9 p.m. Fast becoming one of Ireland’s most touted acts, Just Mustard rose to acclaim with their debut album Wednesday in 2018. You can watch them performing songs from the Choice Music Prize nominated albumvia the link below.
Tickets for their Ireland and UK tour go on sale this Friday.
Derry trio Cherym return with their new single “Listening to My Head,” their first release since signing with British label Alcopop! Records. It’s incredibly catchy, blending the melodic elements of pop music with the heaviness of punk and garage to create a sound that is pretty unique on the island of Ireland right now. In our recent interview with Cherym, vocalist and guitarist Hannah Richardson explained that the show inspired her because of the way “the storytelling influences the audience to feel for a kind of messed up person.”
In a recent press release, the band say that the track is written “ from the point of view of Betty Broderick, wife of Dan Broderick, a successful business man who used Betty to gain his success, tormented her life, left her penniless in the divorce settlement, took full custody of their children, and abused her throughout their relationship. In the end she ended up killing him…and his lover, but that’s beside the point. This is Betty’s song.“ Betty may be a killer, but Richardson sings from her perspective, with her emotions in mind: “I sit alone almost every night / Waiting for you to call home.”
The band are set to embark on a UK tour this coming autumn and will be supported by labelmates CHEERBLEEDERZ. You can buy tickets here.
Cork band The Altered Hours’ recent single “All Amnesia” was one of our favourite releases of April: part psychedelia, part dream pop, and completely captivating. Now the group, who were recently signed to Dundalk label Pizza Pizza Records, have shared the accompanying music video, which was filmed and edited by their own Cathal MacGabhann.
The Super 8 camera MacGabhann wields gives everything a slightly retro look. The lo-fi video could be a long-lost reel of film, the fuzzy images of a band from decades ago. Clips are layered over each other and the handheld camerawork adds an extra element of dynamism. Lead singer Elaine Howley and the rest of The Altered Hours wander between lush trees and flowering plants, the beautiful setting contrasting starkly with the dark, reverb-soaked song.
Folk artist Dani Larkin has just released the music video for her latest single, “The Red (Maca’s Return),” off her debut album Notes For A Maiden Warrior. The song is inspired by Irish myth; specifically, the goddess of war and transformation, Maca, and what it would be like if she returned to walk among us.
The accompanying music video is deceptively simple, following Larkin around a forest where she alternates between singing, laying on the ground, and playing guitar. However, the seemingly idyllic scenes of nature are disturbed by Larkin’s ferocious delivery and the little clouds of steam billowing from her mouth, mirroring the disruptive men in the story who battle the island’s fauna with “guns and arrows galore.”
The music video for “The Red (Maca’s Return)” was directed, filmed, and edited by The Wonder Brothers, Greg Holz and Joey Wonder. You can watch the video below and pre-order Notes For A Maiden Warrior, out 18 June, here. Check out her tour dates in November and December here.
Even with the end of restrictions imminent here in Ireland, the daily drudgery of staying at home and combing streaming sites for something new to watch can take it out of you. Despite these depressing circumstances, wallowing tends to be the exact opposite of what I need, especially when it comes to a seemingly inescapable global disaster. I might be crying, but I want to dance it out and get lost in music that makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.
Irish glam pop artist Jack Rua and American hyperpop producer Saint Taint innately understand this desire. Over the course of their collaborative EP I Don’t Party Enough Anymore, the duo find a sense of much-needed catharsis.
Sure, Jack Rua may be singing, “Yeah I just want some kind of contact,” on the opening track “Contact,” but the drop on the chorus keeps you from becoming completely mired in sadness. It’s the same effect as Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” except instead of crying in the club you’re crying at home, throwing shapes as you’re lit up by the glitter ball you bought during lockdown.
The lyrics, which swing from touching to tongue-in-cheek, are complemented by Saint Taint’s hyperpop sensibilities. After a year of social deprivation, the overwhelming surge of beats and synths provide a much-needed rush of euphoria. “I Don’t Party Enough Anymore” pulsates with zippy, neon synth and thwacks of drum machine before Jack Rua channels some Carly Rae Jepsen-esque pop goodness on the chorus. “Now my world is getting smaller and it’s suffocating to be stuck inside my bedroom every night of the week,” he laments later on. Distortion preempts a triumphant drop, a crashing wave of sound that would wash you out to a sweaty dance floor if it could.
“Lovemelikeiloveyou” still gets your hips moving, but it’s comparatively sunny. High, distorted voices and a clanging beat are joined by other elements until the song becomes an oversaturated, bright groove moving within you. Listening to the track is like the aural version of eating an extremely sugary, sour sweet that leaves your mouth tingling for hours afterwards.
Even the most down-tempo song of the EP, “Bike Ride,” has a sense of humour about it. Jack Rua laments his TERF-y roommate and how he “can’t even sit here and enjoy doing nothing,” before inviting listeners to join his Animal Crossing island (“We have apples,” he promises).
On I Don’t Party Enough Anymore, Jack Rua and Saint Tainthit the sweet spot of escapism and emotional release. These four songs are bursting with so much feeling and fun that they’ll be great company even well after you’ve had your second jab.
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