Rachel Mae Hannon – Alright
These green boots were made for walking.
Monaghan-born, Dublin-based neo-soul singer and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Mae Hannon (top) presents a fresh new twist on an old genre with this single from her forthcoming debut EP Like It Is.
Chris Walsh plays bass, David Joyce plays guitar and the slick promo was directed, edited and shot by Rachel, Aisling Grennan and Barry Kavanagh.
Nick says: Mae day.
Jenny Hallahan Quartet – This Life
What better way to soundtrack a swelteringly hot summer afternoon than with some slinky jazz?
Kildare composer and bassist Jenny Hallahan (top) lays down a smooth groove with her band on the title track of her new EP.
Jenny is joined by: Owen O’Neill (baritone sax), Luke Dunford (piano) and Dylan Lynch (drums).
Nick says: Nice.
Pop Wallace – Synthetic Dancing Shoes
Do you wanna trance?
Born in Carlow but now living in Phoenix, Arizona, singer/producer Pop Wallace (top) goes all in with this instrumental deep house groove that might take some listeners back to the halcyon days of The Kitchen.
Pop writes:
“For anyone who’s ever done yolks while watching the cyberpunk collection ads on manga entertainment videos…”
Nick says: Pop art.
Chris Short featuring SJ Talbot – Flint And Steel
Come on, baby, light my fire.
Dublin singer/songwriter Chris Short (top) teams up with SJ Talbot for a duet crackling with tension and emotion.
The song can be found on his debut 4-song EP Somewhere.
The video was directed by Robert Montgomery and stars dancers Andrea Williams and Kevin Hayes.
Nick says: Get Short.
EMR – Stuck On The Puzzle
“I’m not the kind of fool who’s gonna sit and sing to you about stars, girl.”
Skerries, County Dublin singer/songwriter/ sound engineer/multi-instrumentalist and podcaster Eimear O’Sullivan (top) pays tribute to one of her inspirations with this gorgeous cover of Stuck On The Puzzle by Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner.
It’s great to see an artist blossoming like this, and singing with such poise and confidence.
EMR writes:
“I made a cover and a little music video to say thanks to one of my all time favourite songs. It’s Stuck on the Puzzle by Alex Turner. I hope you’ll have a listen, and if you enjoy it, give it a like! I really appreciate all the support you guys have given me in the last two years, it’s all starting to pay off.”
Nick says: A shoo-in for the Turner Prize.
Rushes – Funds
Lost in the supermarket.
Alt.pop newcomer Rushes (top) returns to the scene of the old late night job he held as a teenager in Fields, Skibbereen, West Cork.
The creative director of the promo is Stephanie Naughter.
Rushes writes:
“I was spending all the money I had on travelling to London, Berlin, anywhere that I could work on my music and I was in sessions all day, forgetting to eat, then going somewhere starving and my card gets declined, so I was saying to myself, fuck it, you’re going to be experiencing this now, but hopefully that won’t be the case once things start going right.”
Nick says: Amen.
Orla Gartland – Zombie!
The zombie apocalypse is here. And Orla’s new video is great too.
The 26-year-old Dublin-born, London-based alt.pop singer (top) is a YouTube sensation with 21 million views on her channel.
This single – NOT a cover of the Cranberries hit – is from her debut album Woman On The Internet, due next month, and the bug-eyed promo was directed by Orla and Greta Isaac.
Nick says: Undeadly.
The Next New Low – How To Let Go At The Right Time
Space oddity.
Former Idiots singer Brian Mooney is releasing a new song every month on bandcamp under his new moniker The Next New Low.
Last year’s EP ‘And as for Loss…‘ was one of the best records of 2020 and these new tunes are just as compelling in their exploration of love and grief.
Brian writes:
“Recorded at home March 2021. Flugelhorn and trumpet added by Conor O’Brien. Mastered and tinkled by Sean Coleman. Video made on iPhone with additions by Delphine Velut.”
Nick says: The final frontier.
HAVVK – Automatic
Calling fans of ’90s grunge – alt.rock ensemble HAVVK evoke happy memories of Nirvana and Hole with their new single, taken from their album Levelling, due September 17.
Props to Adam Cleaver and James Byrne too for the expertly shot cinematic video starring Hannah Collins.
Singer and bassist Julie Hough (top) 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.”
Nick says: Automatic: for the people.
Brí – If I Wasn’t Scared
Love in a cold climate.
Offaly singer/songwriter Brí (top) enchants with the latest single from her album Hide, due in October.
The dramatic video is directed by Gerard Walsh and stars Patrick Loftus and Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz.
Brí says:
“‘If I Wasn’t Scared’ assumes a man’s perspective of a relationship as he struggles to balance his feelings with a ‘tough guy’ image, particularly among ‘the boys’. It is a toxic masculinity tale that strips back cold layers of indifference and questions the fear that it uncovers.
“The vocals on this track were recorded remotely from my home while my bandmate Aidan Mulloy’s electric guitar melodies carry the song and my producer Asta Kalapa surrounds it with his magic. The gifted Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz who is also in my band, plays cello on this track and elevates it to another level. Every song that Kaitlin (of alt folk duo KC VIK) and Aidan play on, is a song I fall deeply in love with.”
Nick says:A man’s world?
