Dave Thomas O’Gorman – With No Control
A peaceful easy feeling.
The smoothest songsmith in the room, Dave Thomas O’Gorman (top) returns with a new single that glistens with a spacious and warm production.
A graduate of Trinity College’s Music and Media Technologies course, Dave is making waves with his classic songwriting chops.
Nick says: All the right chords.
DAY_S – Dangerous
Postcard from the edge.
Dublin-based punk-rapper DAY_S (top) tells it as it is on his new single which comes with a visceral and arresting promo by Lost Films.
Nick says: Mean street life.
Owen Denvir – My World
Breaking up is hard to do.
Belfast-born crooner Owen Denvir (top) delivers a stoic and deeply soulful meditation on love, life and loss on his new single, lifted from his forthcoming EP Bones, due next month.
The EP is the third in a trilogy which will then make up an album.
Owen says:
“The album and EP trilogy idea is based on Sigmund Freud’s theory that personality is a sum of 3 parts: the Id (acting on raw impulse), the Ego (being terrified of consequences) and the Superego (the balance between the two). The first EP (“Sticks”) deals with loss and delusion and the impulsive decisions we make while in the spell of ‘love’. The second (“Stones”) being a more confident but brash take on love, and finally the last EP (“Bones”) is when you have the balance between the two, which mostly leads to more healthy relationships.”
Owen has also created a “web app as a visual listening platform” for fans to gain a deeper insight into the creative process behind the EP.
Nick says: A lover sings.
Fears – Fabric
Cheers for Fears.
The breakout indietronica artist of the year is undoubtedly Fears aka Constance Keane (top) who has just released a lyric video for the third single from her debut album Oiche, due on May 7.
Fears (top) writes:
“‘Fabric’ is about trying to escape someone or something that will not give you room to breathe. I tried to capture the feeling of desperately trying to rebuild yourself and your life, while something will not let you go. It’s a song about feeling exhausted and trapped, but still determined to succeed.”
Fears recently performed a virtual concert as part of the estimable Music Town festival which can be viewed on the festival’s YouTube channel.
Nick says: The best Fears of our lives.
NEOMADiC featuring Shiv – Waves
Flow, river, flow.
A slinky little number for night owls, the new single by NEOMADiC (top) and guest vocalist Shiv is all mellowed out.
A new EP After Dark follows in the summer.
The press blurb writes:
“NEOMADiC are representative of a new Irish generation, kids of multicultural heritage drawing inspiration from their experiences and beyond. Dyramid is Irish and South Sudanese, and Yake Loga is Irish and Zimbabwean.”
Shiv, meanwhile, was born in Zimbabwe and raised in County Kildare.
Nick says: NEOMADiC for the people.
ReHumanise – We Are Strong!
Fancy a rousing synth-pop anthem?
Then check out the new video by composer/producer Damian Brady (top) aka ReHumanise who makes his Roland sing.
Nick says: It’s a synth.
Smoothboi Ezra – Stuck
Let’s hear it for the ‘boi.
Introducing Greystones, County Wicklow’s new star of indie bedroom pop, Smoothboi Ezra (top), who charms the pants off us with the title track off their forthcoming EP.
The press blurb describes a true pioneer, who prefers to use the pronoun ‘they’.
“They offer an often overlooked take on emotional relationships, as Ezra is writing as a person who is gender non-binary and on the autism spectrum. They are helping people who don’t often see themselves represented in the media to hear themselves in music and to know that there are songs which speak to their experience.”
Smoothboi Ezra writes:
“‘Stuck’ is a song about being in a relationship with someone you care a lot about but you know it’s not going to work out. It’s an unsaid mutual agreement that you can feel the relationship ending but you’re both waiting on the other person to end it.”
The compelling video stars non-binary couple El and Lauren.
Nick says: This ‘Boi’s life.
Post-Party – Wasting Time
Their time has come.
Insert hand-clap emojis for the new single by Dublin guitar enthusiasts Post-Party who entertain us with a high energy, hi-octane blast of pure adrenalin and six-string riffery.
The band’s Colin Peppard directed and edited the promo.
The band write:
“The last year has given us the opportunity to really build up on our skills in other areas such as filmmaking. We shot the music video for ‘Wasting Time’ with each of the band members shot individually, in separate locations. The editing process was tedious but we got there in the end and I don’t we don’t think we could be happier with the result.
“There’s a strong parallel between the nostalgic feeling in the song and the VHS footage, which is why we decided to shoot with one of our parent’s old Sony hand-cams. There was a bittersweet contrast between the VHS and Digitally-shot footage, creating a stage of colours on which we performed the single.”
Nick says: Get the Party started.
Tracy Bruen – Better Than This
Bruen up a storm.
Galwegian singer/songwriter Tracy Bruen (top) has given us a profound and affecting song with a joyful video to boot.
The promo was shot by AMW Visual and features the portrait photography of Galway’s EMJ Camera.
EMJ writes:
“All of the photos for this independent ‘Self Isolation Portrait’ project were taken during the first lockdown in 2020, the time when people couldn’t see many other faces or leave their houses. People posed at their safe place – at their doorstep, introducing one of the new hobbies they took up since the world went into a shutdown.
“The agenda was very simple – to show some positive and uplifting news, as well as to link and support each other during the doom and gloom times.
“As a photographer, I wanted to document that current situation through my own angle that had no negativity and give a bit of a bright spark to the community. The whole process ended up being incredibly fulfilling and heartwarming, revisiting some old friends and even making new ones.
“This project taught me that every bad situation can be turned into something positive.”
Nick says: Say cheese.
Lisa Gerrard & Jules Maxwell – Deshta (Forever)
A son of the soil.
Michael Sosna‘s visceral and tactile video for the new single by Dead Can Dance‘s Lisa Gerrard (top) and Jules Maxwell is a sight to behold.
The Irish-Australian chanteuse has collaborated with the Bangor-born DCD keyboard player on a new album, Burn, due next month.
Nick says: The Jules in the crown.
