Nylophone – It’s Always Hallowe’en

Scary times.

Dreampop acolyte Niall Woods (top) aka Nylophone serves up a tongue-in-cheek horror anthem for the season.

The press release says:

“What a horrific year it’s been. Killer plagues and masks all year round make it seem like it’s always Halloween, and that’s exactly the theme of this release.

“Typically Niall’s output tends to be in the vein of melancholic dreampop, but for this release Niall has made use of a much grittier and kitsch sound palette. Think glam rock meets the Addams Family. Throbbing heavy guitars and wonky honky-tonk pianos blast out creepy chords while horror music staples like the mellotron, church organs and wolf howls make light-hearted appearances throughout.

“The lyrics are full of double-edged phrases that could either describe universal horror themes or be specifically applied to the past year.

“Drums were supplied by Chris Con, (formerly of Leo Drezden) and the song was mixed by Rian Trench (Panic Attacks/ Solar Bears).”

The video comes courtesy of Ignore The Spots.

Nick says: The deep dark Woods.

Nylophone

Rachel Mae Hannon – Closer

Neo-soul asylum.

It’s a vintage ’70s feast for Monaghan-born, Dublin-based pop/soul newcomer Rachel Mae Hannon (top) in the video for this single from her new EP Like It Is.

The press blurb says:

“‘Closer’ is about not being able to have physical contact with people in your life during the pandemic. It is about the longing of getting closer to people, yet the uncertainty of where people’s boundaries now lie.”

The video was directed by Rachel, Barry Kavanagh and Tim Shearwood.

Rachel has also just released another single – Tell Me – from the EP.

Nick says: Neo-soul sister.

Rachel Mae Hannon

Partland – After The Movie

Paradise in the picture house.

Galway-based singer/songwriter Partland aka Thomas McPartland (top) delivers an intense and emotional rock ballad that comes with his own stop-motion animation video.

The press blurb states:

“Borne out of Partland’s musings on the fairy-tale story arc of romantic films, ‘After The Movie’ considers what happens after the couple overcome their struggles and get their happy ending. Once the credits stop rolling, do they stay together?”

Look out for his forthcoming album The Empty Atlantic, which will feature a stop-motion animation film for each song, created by Partland himself.

Nick says: The battle of the sexes in the cineplex.

Partland

Michael Kerr – Life Goes On

Because I could not stop for death…

Belfast tunesmith Michael Kerr (top) goes deep on his new single which comes with a powerful video from Danny Mills of Dan Dan Media and starring Richard McFerran as a boxer struggling with grief.

Michael says:

“When I wrote the song I was thinking about a story my uncle told me when he visited my Grandfather in hospital just before he died. My Grandfather was unwell for a while and I think he knew he was ‘goosed’, as he used to say. My uncle said the night before he died he was with him and he determinedly took the oxygen mask off his face and said “its not working, take it away”.

“Despite my uncle’s attempts to force the mask back on him, he realised it was his way of saying I’m ready to go. It was a tough one to hear but that was my Granda, he knew when his time was up.”

Speaking of the video, Michael says:

“I wanted to present the song as an emotive piece of storytelling as opposed to the usual me sitting on a bar stool playing the song. I was not only delighted with it but I was also delighted that I didn’t have to be in it.”

Nick says: …he kindly stopped for me.

Michael Kerr

Zach James Douglas – Anyone Else

Zach to the future.

Breaking up is hard to do for Dublin songwriter and producer Zach James Douglas (top) on this single from his new EP ‘6×3‘, out now on Faction Records.

Zach has drafted in Manamon – his childhood friend and singer with his old band Little One – to deliver the lead vocal.

Zach explains:

“In “Anyone Else” I consider the unexpected feeling of self shame that ensues once you have been broken up with. It is a retrospective comparison of the sentiment felt by both parties in the aftermath, with a focus on the bitterness and resentment that I had to deal with.

“This resentment is not, as some may presume, towards her new partner, but instead is directed towards how seamless the transition was for her. It describes my struggle to come to terms with how quickly she was capable of moving on and meeting someone new, while to this day, I still struggle to engage in a conversation with a woman without feeling an insurmountable sense of guilt, shame and sadness.”

Nick says: How do you mend a broken heart?

Zach James Douglas

Lauren Ann – Lucy

Grunge lives!

Our friend in the North, Lauren Ann Higgins (top) is a teenage indie rock prodigy with a knack for a knockout lyric and a killer hook.

Having just signed to Faction Records, Lauren Ann says about ‘Lucy’:

“It’s about being in a relationship and then one of your friends is getting involved. You’re not angry at them but you’re also not happy about it and don’t know what to do. There’s also a bit of envy in there too, because they’re cooler than you and you’re scared that they might take this person that you like.”

Nick says: Bizarre love triangle.

Lauren Ann

Marcus – Redemption

Animation once again.

Promising Dublin songsmith Marcus (top) offers a visual feast in the video for his single Redemption, directed by Ewan Creed.

Check out his latest single too – April – which can be found on his new EP Not Real. Both songs were produced by Alex Borwick.

Nick says: Dial M for Marcus.

Marcus

Abbacaxi – More Than I Need

And the beat goes on.

Irish multi-instrumentalist Abbacaxi (top) combines his love of disco, funk and classic house on his new single.

Abbacaxi says:

“I wrote this track because I was getting tired of the unpredictability of certain things in my life, which had great value. Over time I started to feel that perhaps less is more. Maybe these things weren’t as important as I initially thought, and life could be just as good without them.”

Nick says: Flaming groovy.

Abbacaxi

Lisa Gorry – It Was You (And Me)

Confessional Kildare singer/songwriter Lisa Gorry (top) opens up about her new single – the title track of her new EP out on October 28.

Lisa says:

“‘It Was You (and Me)’ was the last song to be written for the EP and it was written for the purpose of having a single with the EP’s name as I thought the message was important.

“This single, and the EP as a whole I suppose, is answering the title of the first EP, ‘Is It Me?’, and was a reminder to myself of the work that I had done in the wake of past relationships to become stronger and more self-reliant, and how, while it was helped along by a loving partner who sought to understand, it was me who had to put in the foundational work first to then be able to express myself and set boundaries within a new relationship.”

Nick says: Love’s rich pageant.

Lisa Gorry

Pop Wallace – Wet Whistle

Pop art.

Born in Carlow but now based in Phoenix, Arizona, electronica pioneer Pop Wallace (top) has followed his Good Boy album with a new 6-track instrumental EP Noises Made Figuring Things Out.

Pop explains:

“This song was actually the catalyst for the entire EP. I had essentially gone out to try to make a drum and bass track when starting it. Happy with how it turned out but not necessarily seeing where I could fit in vocals that would accompany it with the style of what my previous songs had sounded like, I realised I didn’t want to have to put something out only if I could sing on it. This inspired me to work on more songs outside of what I had made before and was the inspiration for why I wanted to make this EP in the first place.”

Nick says: Pop in the name of love.

Pop Wallace