Release ‘Burren’ on St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March

PRE-SAVE https://ffm.to/burren

Multi-genre artist East Forest and composer Peter Broderick release their collaborative album Burren on St. Patrick’s Day, 17^th March. Recorded over one week in the magical landscape of the Burren, the album was a truly unique project. The songs on the album ended up being recorded with no pre-planning or pre-rehearsal, and every song appears on the album in the order it was created. The process felt as if the pair had corresponded for years, though they had never met in person — neither of them knew what might come of their collaboration, but as soon as they played the first notes, they felt an immediate musical kinship. 

East Forest (Krishna-Trevor Oswalt) is an American multi-genre artist, producer and psychedelic ceremony guide, currently living in his adopted home in the wilds of Southern Utah. Creating electro-acoustic dreamscapes influenced by classical, electronic and avant-pop backgrounds, his immersive live looping sessions span a range that leads people from deep introspection to sweaty dance floors. To date he has released seventeen full length albums and seven EPs, performing at festivals such as SXSW, Lightning in a Bottle, CMJ, Treefort, Arise, and Mysteryland. Perhaps best known for his Music for Mushrooms and Ram Dass albums, his music has been called ‘blissful’ (NPR) and ‘a new genre’ (Billboard).

Peter Broderick is an American musician and composer who grew up in Oregon and currently resides in Ireland. He has released solo material under his own name, been a member of various groups such as Efterklang and Horse Feathers, and played on recordings by M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel, Laura Gibson and many others. He is perhaps best known for his solo piano piece ‘Eyes Closed and Traveling’ which has 47M streams on Spotify.

And now these two iconoclasts have teamed up for a truly unforgettable collaboration. They explain, ‘Having never met in person before, we had only one precondition: no musical plan and to be fully open to the ancient rocky hillside landscape in County Clare known as the Burren.’

The first two singles reveal how much these two artists are impacted by the sublime natural world and their immediate surroundings. On ‘Resurrect Inside’, the pitter-patter percussion is reminiscent of both rain and animals that may be trotting by, giving it a driving yet melancholic feel. ‘The Barren Burren’ is more contemplative and ethereal, described by Peter as ‘…a patient and drawn out ambient folk song.’

With the full-length album comes the song ‘Landscape.’ East Forest worked meticulously on the timbre and production of all the various acoustic elements in the song, while Broderick wrote a poem based on their conversations the night before. The poem was then read by East Forest’s partner Radha, who was also present during this week of creativity.

It seems appropriate that an album inspired by and created in such an iconic Irish landscape is released on St. Patrick’s Day. With its lush musical soundscapes and magical pastoral feel, Burren is bound to be a collaboration for the ages.

The Coronas rocked ‘one of the best parties in LA’ at the annual Oscar Wilde Awards last night

The Coronas entertained a star-studded audience at Oscar Wilde Awards last night. The annual pre-Oscar event that Stephen Spielberg has called “one of the best parties in LA”, is hosted in Bad Robot Studios, Santa Monica production company of J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath. The ceremony celebrates the Irish contribution to the entertainment industry and last night they honoured Tipperary actress Kerry Condon, Killarney actress Jessie Buckley along with Eve Hewson who received the Wilde Card Award. Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance, noted that “the Wilde Card has been used to bring attention to rising talent who may not yet be a household name, but who we expect will be.” The first such award was presented in 2010 to a young Saoirse Ronan.

The Coronas were delighted to play to such a prestigious and talented audience.  Danny says “We feel so lucky and proud to play at the Oscar Wilde Awards this year. Especially with the excitement and anticipation around the Irish at the Oscars this Sunday. It’s an incredible time for Irish cinema and the arts and we’re just buzzing to tag along for the celebrations! 

The 95^th Academy Awards have particular importance for the Irish this year with 14 Oscar nominations including a first-ever nomination for a movie in the Irish Language for ‘An Cailín Ciúin’. The Banshees of Inisherin is up for nine awards, while Aftersun has earned Kildare-born actor Paul Mescal his first Best Actor nomination.

Gracing the green carpet were Eve Hewson’s parents Bono & Ali, Jamie & Damian Harris, Samantha Mumba, Fionnghuala “Fig” O’Reilly, Rea Seehorn, Charlie Hunnam, Sarah Polley, Frankie Shaw, Sarah Bolger, Colm Bairéad and the cast of An Cailín Ciúin, cast of The Irish Goodbye, Katie McGrath & JJ. Abrams and Minister Catherine Martin.

The Coronas released their 7th album Time Stopped last October which went straight to No.1 on The Irish Album charts.  A hat trick – The Coronas are the first and only self-released Irish band in history to have a third consecutive No. 1. The band have sold in excess of 150K albums which equates to 15 x platinum sales!

Recorded in Camden Studios Dublin and Eastcote Studios in London and produced by George Murphy (Mumford & Sons, The Specials, Ellie Goulding) and mixed by Grammy award-winning Peter Katis (The National), Time Stopped also features many of The Coronas’ long-time collaborators and friends including Lar Kaye, Roisin O, Cian MacSweeney, and John Broe.

After selling out five nights in 3Olymia in December they’re back playing outdoor festivals this summer;

UPCOMING LIVE DATES

17 June                 Fairview Park, Dublin 

18 June                 Sea Sessions, Donegal

8 July                     TRNSMT Festival, Glasgow

4 August               Indiependance, Cork

25 August            CHSQ, Belfast

Joseph Chester isn’t one to stay in a comfort zone. In 2020, his sixth album, Jupiter’s Wife, was heralded as one of the best Irish albums of the decade. We don’t need to dwell upon what happened next. As we retreated into our own little empires, he took on an audacious task: to compose a suite of music for guitar and strings about the secret life of Lucia Joyce.

Lucia Joyce was the misunderstood daughter of James Joyce. She has been shamefully side-lined in literary history, cruelly excluded from wider recognition thanks to a combination of sexism, ignorance, and stigmas over mental health. After recording a double album of love songs, Joseph fancied a fresh challenge.

“I was beginning to feel a little burnt out in terms of song-writing, so I wanted to give that part of my brain a bit of a rest,” he explains. “I thought it would be great to create a story on an instrumental record without words, but I had no idea how.”

While casting around for ideas, Joseph stumbled upon an illuminating Lyric FM documentary entitled Dancing with Lucia by Deirdre Mulrooney. “It really resonated with me,” he recalls. “I listened to it a few times. I knew there was a story to be told, but I wasn’t sure how. It was only after I started digging around that it began to take shape.”

Before researching and composing Lucia, Chester knew little about the author’s daughter. “Lucia was born in 1907 and spent 47 years of her life in mental institutions,” Joseph reveals. “She was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1932 and died in Northampton in 1982. After she died, her nephew, Stephen Joyce, destroyed all her writing and papers, including all her correspondence with Samuel Beckett and three books she had written. He attempted to erase this woman, who had been hidden away and silenced in life. I became convinced that I had to try to tell her story.”

Joseph created a suite of music by composing pieces based around key milestones in Lucia’s life. “I limited myself to eleven verifiable facts and tried to allow her to speak through those events,” he says. “They were important banner moments. For example, in the 1920s she became a dancer. The silent film maker John Renoir cast her to perform as a toy soldier in The Little Match Girl, so I wrote a piece about that.” Coincidentally Lucia’s dancing earned her a glowing endorsement from the Paris Times: “When she reaches her full capacity for rhythmic dancing, James Joyce may yet be known as his daughter’s father.”

Lucia became romantically involved with Samuel Beckett. During his investigations, Chester unearthed all sorts of half-truths, outright lies, and contradictions. “Her story is an exercise in separating fact from fiction.” Joseph says. “When I first started researching, Beckett didn’t come across particularly well in terms of how he treated Lucia. The basic story goes that they had a love affair, which Beckett ended. Some people speculate that this is when she started to have problems and become self-destructive. However, I found out that when James Joyce’s wife, Nora, started to complain about the cost of Lucia’s healthcare, Samuel Beckett donated his share of the royalties of an essay on Finnegan’s Wake to cover the costs of her medical bills. When Beckett died in 1989, a picture of Lucia was found when they cleared out his desk.”

During the centenary year of the publication of Ulysses, Joseph Chester’s Lucia premiered on Bloomsday, June 16h, 2022, at the Axis Art and Community Centre, Ballymun, performed by a group featuring Chester, Trevor Hutchinson, Kenneth Rice, Vyvienne Long, and Steve Wickham. “What I really liked about this year’s Bloomsday is that there was much more conversation and celebration of different aspects of James Joyce’s family, which is great,” Chester adds. “It can’t be all about him.”

In 2021, Chester’s Carolan/Cage EP scored an international number one on the Bandcamp Contemporary Classical chart, which comprised of guitar transcriptions of music by the Irish composer Turlough O’Carolan and the American composer John Cage. “I’ve never played classical guitar in my life, so just from that point of view it was a huge education,” Joe says. “I wrote Lucia but I’m still figuring out how to play it.”. I never had a guitar teacher, so how I played the guitar in some ways was quite simply wrong. I ended up with a lot of physical pain from bad technique that I had to correct. There are physical, mental and emotional challenges in confronting mental illness. Everybody has some form or aspect of mental illness in their lives, but we don’t like talking about it.”

Joseph considers Lucia to be one of the most fulfilling projects he has ever done. “This was a wonderfully rewarding experience and I’ve loved every minute of it,” he enthuses. “Lucia continues to challenge and reward me. Doing all the research and reading, discovering all about this amazing person, making music that is completely new to me. It has been a real voyage of discovery.”

He hopes Lucia will help preserve and perpetuate her memory. “I think that it can sometimes be easier to tell a story when there aren’t any words and you’re not being prescriptive,” he says. “Obviously, everyone’s reaction will differ, but my hope is that it could in some fantastical way give back her voice and allow Lucia to breathe again.”

Pre-order album Lucia https://lnk.fu.ga/josephchester_lucia

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

New Album Details Announced

‘Council Skies’ Out 2nd June on Sour Mash Records

Available to Pre-Order Now Here

Available on CD, Heavyweight Vinyl with Bonus 7”, Digital and Deluxe Limited Edition 3LP and 2CD Formats Featuring Remixes by The Cure’s Robert Smith, Pet Shop Boys and a Radio 2 Session Version of ‘Live Forever’

New Single ‘Easy Now’ Out Now –  Listen Here & Watch The Video Here

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds today reveal details of forthcoming album ‘Council Skies’, released on 2nd June via Sour Mash Records and available to pre-order now. Available on CD, LP, HD Digital, 3LP and 2CD Deluxe limited-edition formats featuring remixes by The Cure’s Robert Smith, and Pet Shop Boys. Full format details below.

From the evocative album title to the cover art, to the lyrics themselves, ‘Council Skies’ sees Noel Gallagher reclaiming his past and paying homage to his Mancunian roots. His most varied and accomplished solo record to date, Noel’s fourth solo studio album is a record framed by confidence, risk-taking, surefooted creative freedom, and great emotional depth.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds today also release a brand new single and music video ‘Easy Now’, taken from the forthcoming album. Infused with psychedelia, the track gently swells and is beautifully framed by backing vocals and waves of organ chords.

Featuring one of the world’s breakthrough new talents and Critics Choice Award nominated Milly Alcock, who recently starred as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HBO smash hit series and Golden Globe winning House of the Dragon plus a cameo from Noel himself, the new music video sees the protagonist bursting with emotion as ‘Easy Now’s transcendent power takes over. ‘Easy Now’ was directed by multiple UK Music Video Awards winner, Colin Solal Cardo. Watch here.

‘Council Skies’ was recorded at Noel’s own Lone Star Sound Recording Studios in London, with the album’s lusciously orchestrated strings recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Produced by Noel with long-time collaborator Paul ‘Strangeboy’ Stacey, the album also features performances from Johnny Marr on three tracks, including recent single ‘Pretty Boy’. ‘Council Skies’ takes its title from a book by revered northern illustrator and friend of Noel, artist Pete McKee. It covers themes of youthful yearning, and unbridled ambition.

Speaking of the album, Noel says: “It’s going back to the beginning. Daydreaming, looking up at the sky and wondering about what life could be … that’s as true to me now as it was in the early ‘90s. When I was growing up in poverty and unemployment, music took me out of that,” he says. “Top of the Pops on TV transformed your Thursday night into this fantasy world, and that’s what I think music should be. I want my music to be elevating and transforming in some way.”

The artwork, shot by renowned Manchester photographer Kevin Cummins, sees Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ live equipment setup placed on the original centre spot of what was Maine Road Football Stadium, with this year marking 100 years since the ground was opened as the former home of Noel’s beloved Manchester City FC.

Throughout the accompanying album artwork, Cummins captures locations poignant to Noel’s formative years – culminating with a striking image of Manchester’s Piccadilly train station, marking the moment Noel left his home city for London. This visual representation perfectly encapsulates the themes, journey and emotional heart of ‘Council Skies’.

New single ‘Easy Now’ follows the recent release of ‘Pretty Boy’ – the first track to be taken from the new album which was acclaimed by fans and critics alike and received widespread national radio support, added to the A list across all key networks.

June 2021 saw the release of ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ – a diverse Best Of album marking a decade of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. This Gold certified album was the bands’ 4th consecutive UK Number 1 and the 12th UK Number 1 album across Noel’s career. 2021 also saw Noel named as Record Store Day’s official ambassador.

Last summer Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds headlined a host of outdoor live shows culminating in a career-spanning performance at Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage to one of the weekend’s biggest crowds. UK live dates for this summer have recently been announced – details below – with more headline shows to follow before the end of the year.

‘Council Skies’ is available to pre-order now on CD, heavyweight vinyl with bonus 7” featuring an exclusive acoustic version of ‘Pretty Boy’, LP picture disc plus various HD digital formats including a Dolby Atmos spatial audio version. Deluxe limited-edition formats will also be released including a 3LP and 2CD featuring remixes by The Cure’s Robert Smith, Pet Shop Boys and a stunning Radio 2 session version of ‘Live Forever’. A lyric sheet of title track ‘Council Skies’ is included with all album pre-orders via the official store.

 ‘Council Skies’ Tracklist:

1. I’m Not Giving Up Tonight
2. Pretty Boy
3. Dead To The World
4. Open The Door, See What You Find
5. Trying To Find A World That’s Been And Gone
6. Easy Now
7. Council Skies
8. There She Blows!
9. Love Is A Rich Man
10. Think Of A Number
11. Bonus Track – We’re Gonna Get There In The End

Deluxe Album Tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. I’m Not Giving Up Tonight
2. Pretty Boy
3. Dead To The World
4. Open The Door, See What You Find
5. Trying To Find A World That’s Been And Gone
6. Easy Now
7. Council Skies
8. There She Blows!
9. Love Is A Rich Man
10. Think Of A Number

Disc 2:

1. Don’t Stop…
2. We’re Gonna Get There In The End
3. Mind Games
4. Pretty Boy (Instrumental)
5. Dead To The World (Instrumental)
6. Council Skies (Instrumental)
7. Think Of A Number (Instrumental)
8. I’m Not Giving Up Tonight (David Holmes Remix)
9. Think Of A Number (Pet Shop Boys Magic Eye 12” Remix)
10. Pretty Boy (Robert Smith Remix)
11. Council Skies (The Reflex Revision)
12. Flying On The Ground (Radio 2 Session, 08.09.21)
13. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Radio 2 Session, 08.09.21)
14. Live Forever (Radio 2 Session, 08.09.21)

2023 UK Headline Shows

21 July, Buckinghamshire, PennFest

28 July, London, Crystal Palace Bowl

05 August, Saffron Waldon, Essex, Audley End

19 August, Monmouthshire, Caldicot Castle

20 August, Sedgefield, County Durham, Hardwick Festival

26 August, Manchester, Wythenshawe Park

Tickets available now here

SOMEBODY’S CHILD

Returns with new single ‘Broken Record’

Signs to Frenchkiss Records

Announces huge 2023 EU Tour

UK/IRL/EU Tour Dates

On sale this Friday, 9th September at 10am – buy tickets HERE

8th Feb 2023 – Night & Day Cafe, Manchester

9th Feb 2023 – Foundry Studio, Sheffield

11th Feb 2023 – Joiners, Southampton

12th Feb 2023 – Exchange, Bristol

14th Feb 2023 – Omeara, London

17th Feb 2023 – Jimmy’s, Liverpool

18th Feb 2023 – Think Thank, Newcastle

19th Feb 2023 – King Tut’s, Glasgow

21st Feb 2023 – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

24th Feb 2023 – Róisín Dubh, Galway

25th Feb 2023 – Dolan’s, Limerick

1st March 2023 – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast

2nd March 2023 – Cyprus Avenue, Cork

3rd March 2023 – The Academy, Dublin

4th March 2023 – Spirit Store, Dundalk

8th March 2023 – Le POPUP du Label, Paris

9th March 2023 – Trix Bar, Antwerp

10th March 2023 – Paradiso (Upstairs), Amsterdam

11th March 2023 – Privatclub, Berlin

Follow Somebody’s Child

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY

LUKE SITAL-SINGH “CAN’T GET HIGH” ON NEW SINGLE

CO-WRITTEN WITH OLD SEA BRIGADE

FROM THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM DRESSING LIKE A STRANGER

OUT SEPTEMBER 2 ON NETTWERK

PASSENGER SUPPORT DATES;

Vicar Street, Dublin on 24 August

Ulster Hall Belfast on 25 August

UK-born, Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and producer Luke Sital-Singh has released the new single “Can’t Get High” from his forthcoming Nettwerk debut album Dressing Like A Stranger, available September 2^nd. Sital-Singh will support Passenger on his European Tour in August & September before embarking on a headline UK tour, which starts in Bristol at The Fleece on September 25 and culminates at London’s Lafayette on October 9.

“Can’t Get High” was co-written by Ben Cramer, a.k.a. Old Sea Brigade, who previously collaborated with Luke on the acclaimed 2020 EP All The Ways You Sing In The Dark. The upbeat track pairs a high register chant with a luminous harmony as Luke assures “Can’t get high ‘till you come down.” He explains the song is about, “Looking for meaning in the rubble of a failed relationship. Going over memories, trying to find the positives when things go wrong.”

The visually sumptuous video for “Can’t Get High”, directed by Glashier, was shot at Berlin’s iconic Tempelhof Airport. Closed to aircraft since 2008, the runway is now used for recreational purposes by cyclists, runners, families, dog-walkers, dancers, and – as seen in the video – roller skaters.

It’s a decade since Luke Sital-Singh released his debut single, “Fail For You,” introducing the world to his rare ability to craft songs rich in empathy and emotional resonance. Over three acclaimed albums – The Fire Inside (2014), Time Is A Riddle (2017), and A Golden State (2019) – these qualities have garnered him an impressive worldwide fanbase and seen his songs rack up 150 million Spotify streams. Luke’s music is frequently used in TV shows, ranging from US drama series like Suits, Grey’s Anatomy and New Amsterdam to popular UK shows like Made In Chelsea and Love Island. He has toured with Angus and Julia Stone, Martha Wainwright, and The Staves and even led his own TED Talk at the official TED Conference in Vancouver.

The follow-up to 2019’s A Golden State, which preceded his move to Los Angeles, Dressing Like A Stranger was written and recorded in California, with Luke initially working alone at home in Los Feliz as COVID-19 descended upon the world. He later rented a studio and cut a few songs by himself before enlisting fellow Brit and singer-songwriter Dan Croll as co-producer and Tchad Blake (Fiona Apple, The Black Keys, Elvis Costello) for mixing.

“I love collaboration,” Luke explains. “When I started this album, I missed that part of the process. Dan enjoys the puzzle of music. He’ll have so many different versions of songs, whereas I’m more instinctual. It was nice to have Dan say, ‘We don’t need this!’ Dan saw the music from a bird’s eye view, maintained the momentum, figured out the puzzle, and pushed me to do more takes than I would’ve alone.”

At the same time, he found inspiration in a new instrument. A rubber-bridge guitar opened up the floodgates for Luke. He penned the title track “Dressing Like A Stranger” with the guitar and embraced it as a creative north star.

“‘Dressing Like A Stranger’ was the first song I wrote, and it unlocked the whole album,” he recalls. “The guitar has a very specific sound. I didn’t want just to do another ‘singer-songwriter acoustic’ thing. My first album was a shiny pop record, the second album was rawer, and my third album was more lyrical. The sound of the guitar was how I felt now.”

Also available now from the album are the tracks “Summer Somewhere”, “California,”, “Me And God” and “Blind Missiles” (“…a lilting lament for elusive empathy, textured with a master craftsman’s eye for detail,” The Sunday Times).

Album Art | Download HERE

Luke Sital-Singh Dressing Like A Stranger

01 Dressing Like A Stranger

02 Blind Missiles

03 California

04 Rather Be

05 Can’t Get High

06 Me & God

07 All Night Stand

08 Summer Somewhere

09 Forever Endeavour

10 Wiser Too

11 The Walk

LUKE SITAL-SINGH LIVE

Supporting Passenger:

August 24         Dublin, Vicar Street

August 25         Belfast, Ulster Hall

www.lukesitalsingh.com

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D. Cullen releases ‘I’m Not Leaving’ on 16 September

Taken from his forthcoming album

Sing My Story, Tell My Song

Due out on 23 September Pre-order now

Singer and songwriter D. Cullen releases his new single ‘I’m Not Leaving’ on 16 September, the latest single taken from his forthcoming album Sing My Story, Tell My Song. With a haunting chord structure and a dynamic piano track, the song tells the story of someone who is fully committed to their relationship, despite mistakes or doubts: ‘I’m not leaving, I’m right here where I belong.’ Produced by Ivan Jackman, D. Cullen played all instruments and backing vocals were provided by Sinead McConville, a close collaborator.

Cullen explains, ‘Musically, I’m obsessed with the chords in this song; it’s all major 7ths and add 2s. I just love the sound of them. Lyrically, it’s just about committing to someone, which is the most beautiful and terrifying thing you can do.’

D. Cullen is otherwise known as Darragh Cullen, a twenty-seven-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Dublin. Despite his young age, D. Cullen has already had significant success in the music business, releasing his first album when he was just fifteen, which lead to him being named Male Solo Artist of the Year 2011 by Jackie Hayden of Hot Press. In 2019 D. Cullen released ‘Alright’ which debuted with a performance on The Late Late Show, and quickly became one of the most played songs on RTÉ Radio One. It was followed by The Rising Tide EP.

After a slew of single releases in 2020 and 2021, D. Cullen is set to release his album Sing My Story, Tell My Song on 23^rd September. The twelve-track album has been a long time in the making: writing started in 2018, with recording sessions with Boo Hewerdine and Chris Pepper in 2019, and the album was set for release in 2020 when it was derailed by Covid lockdowns.

During lockdown D. Cullen hit upon a wellspring of creativity and couldn’t stop writing. He taught himself how to produce and record and thus began a two-year process of recording demos, drafting in musicians for remote sessions, sending files to Roger Bechirian, Conor McLoughlin and Chris Pepper, and essentially making a whole new album’s worth of songs. When the time came to finally release the album, he had over forty songs to pick from and the cream of the crop made it onto Sing My Story, Tell My Song. D Cullen is incredibly proud of the album and can’t wait to debut it at the live shows he has already scheduled.

D. Cullen tours Ireland;

Sept 6^th            Sunflower Pub, Belfast (co-headline w. Javier Martinez)     NI

Nov 5^th            Monroe’s, Galway                                                                  IRE

Nov 10^th          Crane Lane, Cork                                                                   IRE

Nov 13^th          Whelan’s, Dublin                                                                    IRE

Nov 18^th          50RPM Club (The Georgian Hotel), Coatbridge                   SCOT

Nov 20^th          Doublet Bar, Glasgow                                                            SCOT

Nov 21^st          The Captain’s Bar, Edinburgh                                                SCOT

Pre-Order ‘Sing My Story, Tell My Song’ now  https://www.dcullenmusic.com/shop

Moxie, Dervish, Pauline Scanlon, Honas & Seba Safe
The Model, Sligo at 8pm on Fri. 17^th June

The Sunday Independent’s Artists Against Homelessness in aid of Focus Ireland will take place at The Model, Sligo on June 17. 

The show promises to be a great night with exceptional music from some of the best acts in the country, Moxie, Dervish, Pauline Scanlon, Honas and Seba Safe coming out to play a very special live performance for a very worthy cause.

The night is curated by Moxie and is a truly stellar line up in aid of an issue that is more depressing and relevant than ever. “I came back home to live in Sligo in 2019,” said Ted Kelly of MOXIE. “Walking through town regularly I have noticed how the homeless situation has become progressively worse. More and more vacant shop doors have become filled with sleeping bags, O’Connell Street is more dense than ever with people having to beg for their basic human rights. It is a dreadful situation. I feel compelled to help do something to improve this situation. Moxie Dervish, Pauline Scanlon, Seba Safe and Sligo Native Honas have offered their artistry to raise money for Focus Ireland to help improve the homeless situation in Sligo. Please come and buy a ticket to help support a good cause on June 17th at the Model, Sligo.” 

Speaking on behalf of Dervish, Shane Mitchel said “The Homeless situation in Sligo is not as bad as the bigger cities but that being said, we have our problems. Despite the recent very sad events, Sligo is a very kind city with a very strong community spirit. The Shalomar Homeless Hostel in Finisklin is a fantastic facility (this ironically is the house I grew up in before all the houses in this area were sold to the council in the early 80’s) The great people here deserve so much credit for their fantastic work. It is remarkable to see the sudden and creative work by the authorities in Ireland and rightly so, to accommodate the Ukrainian refugees. A bit of creative thinking is for our own Irish Homeless crisis is needed urgently. We should stop at nothing to keep people off the streets, Dervish are delighted to be part of this great concert “Artists Against Homelessness”.

“The Model is thrilled to collaborate on this wonderful event curated by Moxie to raise awareness of this critically important cause,” said Patrick Curley, Music & Performance Coordinator of The Model. 

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said: “As a proud Sligo man it fills me great pride to see how much our services have developed locally over the last 16 years. Services provided include tenancy support and sustainment, advice and information service, long-term supported accommodation, and short-term supported accommodation. I am proud that Focus Ireland staff nationwide and in Sligo have been working harder than ever to help our service users since the pandemic. We have been collaborating successfully with the state, local authorities and the HSE to help people find a home. The current situation would be even worse without the vital services and housing Focus Ireland provide.” 

Looking forward to ‘Artists Against Homelessness’ in Sligo Mr Dennigan added: “Ticket sales from this gig will provide crucial funds for our services as Focus Ireland always needs continuous fundraising as homeless figures increase nationwide. As well as promising to be a great night of music, the concert also provides a chance to spread awareness about our work locally in Sligo.

This Sligo show follows three successful fundraising gigs in Dublin, Dundalk and Gorey recently. So huge thanks must go to Wallis Bird who played Rock Against Homelessness at the Little Theatre in Gorey on April 16; Kojaque, Damien Dempsey, Shiv, EFE and Curtisty who played Artists Against Homelessness at the Olympia in Dublin on April 17 and Toshin, and Odhran Murphy who played Rock Against Homelessness at Dolan’s in Dundalk on May 2.”

“The upcoming gig in Sligo also promises to be a special night and Focus Ireland must express our gratitude towards Moxie who is curating the night as well as performing, along with the supremely gifted likes of Dervish, Pauline Scanlon, Honas and Seba Safe. Huge thanks must also go to Cadbury and Arachas who are sponsoring this event and of course The Sunday Independent who have put on Rock Against Homelessness at the Olympia Theatre, and now these series of nationwide shows, in aid of Focus since 2016 and has raised almost €160K for Focus Ireland. In that time everyone from Fontaines DC, Murder Capital, Glen Hansard, to Imelda May, Pillow Queens, Camille O’Sullivan,  to Dermot Kennedy,  Kneecap, Loah, and The Boomtown Rats and Finbar Furey and Hamsandwich,  to The Stunning, Mundy, Something Happens, The Blizzards, The Mary Wallopers and many others have played at the Olympia in Dublin aid of Focus.”

“So I am over the moon as a Sligo man that the great Moxie along with the equally great Dervish, Pauline, Honas and Seba Safe are playing The Model for the most vulnerable in our society, the homeless.”

Doors 7pm, show 8pm, Tickets €20 available from www.themodel.ie now

www.focusireland.ie

moxiemuso.com

https://www.dervish.ie/

http://www.paulinescanlon.net/

https://www.facebook.com/honasmusic/

https://www.facebook.com/SebaSafeMusic/

THE WHILEAWAYS

Release ‘Toss The Bobbin’ taken from their new album ‘In All Honesty’ due out 3^rd June

The Whileaways release their latest single ‘Toss the Bobbin’ on April 29^th, taken from their forthcoming album which will be released in June. This evocative song tells the story of the eighteenth century lacemaking women of Headford in County Galway, where The Whileaways are based and where Nicola grew up.

‘Toss the Bobbin’ imagines the story of four of these women, who survived poverty and famine through bobbin lacemaking, and pieces together the little detail that exists of their lives. It tells of their resilience and the sisterhood that existed between them in the toughest of times as they turned their hands to this intricate work: lace made by the poor and worn only by the rich.

The Whileaways performed ‘Toss the Bobbin’ with the RTE Concert Orchestra for the Strings Attached series, but have since recorded this beautifully poignant version for their new album.

The Whileaways are Noelie McDonnell, Noriana Kennedy and Nicola Joyce, three accomplished singers who came to know each other while on the session circuit in Galway in 2012. Since then they have released three critically acclaimed albums, toured all over the world, and been nominated for Best Group and Best Album in the RTÉ Folk Awards. Praise from international press has been heaped upon the band with The Irish Echo calling their sound ‘perfected simplicity’, and Hot Press saying that the trio ‘stake their claim to being among the finest singers in the country’.

The band are renowned for their live performances, whether that’s touring their own material, or their much-lauded show Bird On The Wire, a collaboration with Pauline Scanlon which featured a ten-piece band including strings, and explored the songs of songwriting icon Leonard Cohen. It was performed to sold-out audiences in Ireland in 2019 and 2021.

The Whileaways can’t wait to get out on the road in support of their forthcoming album In All Honesty. The band trialled many of the songs at their ‘Live from Home’ online gigs during lockdown. Now they get to do it in person!

See The Whileaways live;

Saturday 4 June                      Ballyglunin Railway Station, Tuam Galway

Friday 17 June                         Campbell’s Tavern, Headford, Galway

Wednesday 22 June                The Green Room, Dingle, Kerry

Saturday 25 June                    Town Hall Theatre, Westport, Co. Mayo

Friday 1 July                           The Workman’s Club, Dublin

Saturday 2 July                        Duncairn Arts Centre, Belfast

Thursday 21 July                     Murray’s Hotel, Inishbofin, Co. Galway

Thursday 8 September           Raheen Woods Hotel, Clonmel World Music Series

Saturday 17 September          Clifden Arts Festival, Co. Galway