John Blek
JOHN BLEK
Releases ‘Long Strand’ single
Taken from his forthcoming album ‘On Ether & Air’ releasing in early Autumn.
Forthcoming on June 11th, ‘Long Strand’ is the first single to be taken from John Blek’s upcoming album On Ether & Air. Emblematic of Blek’s distinctive sound, the single is a wistful ballad featuring delicate guitar work and ethereal vocals, supplemented by a gorgeous piano accompaniment from BBC Jazz Award winner and Mercury Prize nominated musician Kit Downes. The song title namechecks a scenic beach in West Cork, and the lyrics reflect finding beauty in the simpler slower things in life.
The stunning video for ‘Long Strand’ was directed by Barra Vernon and stars dancer Foxy P. Cox. It plays with the industrial setting of the video versus the natural setting of the song, juxtaposing the two to great effect. The natural flowing movements of the dancer interpret the curling flames and rolling waves in the lyrics.
John lives and was raised in Cork City, but in listening to his music one can hear the impact of travel and experience on his work. Influenced by Bert Jansch, Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Blek is a storyteller first and foremost. He began his solo career in 2014 and since then has created at a prolific rate, releasing an album a year. On Ether & Air will be the final part of his ‘Catharsis’ project, a four-album exploration of themes of the sea, the earth, the embers and the air. Written over a period of six weeks and recorded throughout the second half of 2019, collaboration was key to the creation of On Ether & Air.
John explains, ‘Chance encounters and some fortunate timing lead to me being able to work with some of my favourite musicians. Getting people with such unique playing styles involved went a long way in defining the sound of On Ether & Air and creating an album of which I am immensely proud.’
Blek has a dedicated fan base, and he has trodden a well-worn path returning to play at venues across Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and the UK, as well playing to sold out venues in Ireland like Triskel Arts Centre, Whelan’s and The Black Gate Cultural Centre. It won’t be long before he takes to the road again this Autumn to delight audiences with the music from his upcoming album.
10th Sept – The American Bar, Belfast. Tickets
16th Oct – Triskel, Cork. Tickets
17th Oct – Workman’s Club, Dublin. Tickets
Eoin Glackin
Eoin Glackin
is sending a postcard to the world this summer with his new single ‘Dublin in the Sun’
Dublin-born singer-songwriter, Eoin Glackin, releases his new single Dublin in the Sun, an uplifting, nostalgic anthem that calls to mind those blue-skied Irish summer days, as beautiful as they are rare.
A relentless tourer, Glackin has shared the road with legendary acts like The Darkness, Joan Armatrading and, most recently, Irish icons, Aslan.
The new single was written, unsurprisingly, after a long afternoon of lounging in the sunshine. Glackin recalls how inspiration sparked, unbidden, during lockdown; ”We were in a heavy lockdown and I was sitting out the back of the house having a few beers. I was yearning to head into the city centre and just ramble, stop into a few favourite bars and soak up the atmosphere. I felt nostalgic for those kinds of days and started writing this song as I sat there. Hopefully we can start making up for lost time soon!”
The song was produced by Justin Adams, an acclaimed blues and world-music producer, musician and long-time collaborator of music legend Robert Plant. Dublin in the Sun is the second record that Glackin has collaborated with Adams on, a partnership that was borne out of a love of the blues: “Myself and Justin hit it off talking about Mississippi John Hurt, the great folk and blues musician whose work I’ve come to admire more and more over the past few years. This is the second track we’ve worked on together now and it’s been great going back and forth with ideas and picking his brain. He has a great wealth of knowledge on all things blues and folk music”.
The new song builds on the momentum of Glackin’s recent string of acclaimed single releases including How Quick the World Can Change, Before the Rain and El Dorado, all of which featured in heavy rotation on Irish and UK radio stations.
‘Dublin in the Sun’ is available to stream and download everywhere now
Moxie
MOXIE
Release single ‘Is Ainm Dom’
Alt folk band Moxie release single ‘Is Ainm Dom’ on 21st May, the first single to be taken from their upcoming album The Dawn of Motion, on the way later this summer. Moxie’s sound is a charismatic fusion of varied influences, emblematic of the multicultural society we live in. ‘Is Ainm Dom’ innovatively combines both Irish and Arabic in the lyrics, and the music reflects a traditional Irish roar with a driving African percussive sound.‘Is Ainm Dom’ was born in an unexpected way: Julia Spanu and Darren Roche wanted to pay homage to each other’s cultures by combining intricate African rhythms with the Irish jig. The weaving of Irish and Arabic felt natural and almost inevitable due to some of the phonetic similarities. The song relates to the meaning of home and the importance of the journey that guides us through sunshine and storms. ‘Esmi Hayat’ – ‘Saol Is Ainm Dom’ meaning ‘Life is my name’.
Moxie began its journey in 2011, when founding members Darren Roche, Jos Kelly, Cillian Doheny and Ted Kelly decided to join forces to create an innovative style of Irish music. They released their debut album Planted in 2014 which Trad Connect reviewed as ‘a thought provoking and modern album that is high on creativity’. Josh Sampson (drums) joined the band in 2017, with the last and most recent member being Julia Spanu, a vocalist and songwriter with French, Vietnamese and Italian roots.
Julia grew up in the historical city of Carthage, Tunisia, where she learned the Arabic language and immersed herself in Tunisian culture. She found her passion in music, song and dance, which led her to join Moxie when she moved to Ireland in 2016. Julia’s varied background and curiosity in folklore have opened up a new chapter in Moxie’s story.
Moxie has travelled the world, including a state visit to Vietnam, folk festivals in Scotland, the US, and Australia, and tours in Europe and Canada. At home, they have played festivals including Body and Soul, and Electric Picnic, and were invited by President Michael D. Higgins to entertain German president Joachim Gauck in Áras an Uachtaráin in 2015. The Irish Times has described the band as having ‘irresistible revolutionary energy’, and The Irish Examiner said that ‘Moxie is the music of a new era, where fluidity, cross-pollination, and innovation are the future and salvation of Irish music.’
Moxie’s sound is traditional Irish music reinvented for a new era: they take their inspiration from rural music and urbanise it, using traditional instruments and technology to create new sounds. Their passion lies in exploring how far the boundaries of traditional Irish music can be pushed, in creative and imaginative ways. The writing process within the band is a cohesive marriage of styles and influences, with colourful arrangements and subtle melodies, and the result may be unorthodox, even unprecedented, but it works.
‘Is Ainm Dom’ is taken from album, The Dawn of Motion, recorded at Camden Studios, Dublin in January 2020. Moxie chose Jake Birch to produce the record who is based in Montana, USA, (Carly Rae Jepsen, Theo Katzman). Alex Borwick (Ellie Goulding, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Jack L) was the invaluable studio engineer during the recording process, and Jean-Christophe Morel, who lives in Bordeaux, layered it with radiant string lines.
Moxie can’t wait to introduce this album to the world, and it starts with ‘Is Ainm Dom’.
NOEL GALLAGHER’s HIGH FLYING BIRDS
Announce ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ Out 11th June on Sour Mash Records
Greatest Hits Album Celebrating Ten Years of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Featuring Two Brand New Songs – View Album Trailer Here
New Single ‘We’re On Our Way Now’ Unveiled – Listen Here
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds today announce details of ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’. Released on 11th June via Sour Mash Records, ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ is a definitive 18 track greatest hits package, and a timely reminder of the breadth and depth of classic songs from the first decade of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The album is also available on limited edition deluxe formats with a bonus disc including previously unreleased acoustic versions, remixes, instrumentals and a demo.
There will also be a limited edition numbered, hand pressed, coloured double LP with exclusive art print released for Record Store Day on the 12th June.
Curated and compiled entirely by Noel, the tracklisting of ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ encompasses songs from High Flying Birds’ three UK Number One albums (‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’, ‘Chasing Yesterday’ and ‘Who Built The Moon?’) and the three acclaimed EPs (‘Black Star Dancing’, ‘This Is The Place’ and ‘Blue Moon Rising’). ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ also features two brand new songs produced by Noel Gallagher & Paul ‘Strangeboy’ Stacey, ‘We’re On Our Way Now’ and ‘Flying On The Ground’. A songwriting masterclass that sits effortlessly in one of the great songbooks, ‘We’re On Our Way Now’ is unveiled today, a taste of the future-fan-favourites to come. Listen here.
Since establishing Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds post the legendary success of Oasis, Gallagher has never sat still creatively. He’s mastered the art of embracing an instinctive sonic evolution and creative freedom whilst never neglecting the songcraft. From the New Orleans brass powered blast of debut single ‘The Death Of You And Me’ to the self produced psych-pop and space bound experimentation of ‘Chasing Yesterday’ and the disco saturated, sonic veer of ‘Who Built The Moon?’ at the hands of renowned producer David Holmes and the subsequent EP releases, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have proven time and time again to be unshackled by genre and expectation. That Gallagher has so successfully married this bold and blistering approach with huge commercial success (over 2.4 million albums sold internationally with three UK Number One albums – marking a record breaking ten UK consecutive Number One studio albums across his career), coupled with relentless touring globally, is testament to Gallagher’s unerring ability to marry lazer guided melodies and fearless creativity.
Speaking of the timings of High Flying Birds’ greatest hits, Noel says: “10 years of The High Flying Birds?? Blimey! … just think of all the things I COULD have done in that time!!”
“The title just came to me one afternoon, at the kitchen table.” He continues ”It’s a saying isn’t it: ‘back the way we came’. I actually thought it was a great title. Which is why it’s got vol 1. Because if there’s another one, I’m not coming up with another title!”
Now with the best part of thirty years as one of the country’s most respected and prolific songwriters under his belt, ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ celebrates another landmark in Noel Gallagher’s unparalleled career.
‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 [2011-2021]’ is available to pre order now digitally or physical formats from www.goldendiscs.ie
BEOGA
Release ‘Breathe’ EP & video on 9th April
Online concert from The Limelight, Belfast on Sat 17th April
Beoga are back with a five-track instrumental EP entitled Breathe, released on 9 April. From the earthy vibes of ‘Origins’ to the invigorating joy of ‘Up’, each track in some way reflects the global upheaval over the last twelve months and the personal experiences of the band members. Produced by the band’s own Seán Óg Graham, Breathe is an EP that reflects a melting pot of emotions and influences held together by that unmistakeable Beoga sound.
The EP opens with ‘Origins’, a reflective air symbolising the hopes of a new year and new beginnings, featuring delicate piano and lush string lines amidst a pensive melody on accordion. ‘Disarray’ has darker, grungier textures with distorted electric guitars, drums and synths. ‘Up’ features a sample from the incomparable Maya Angelou, the iconic American poet – ‘Just like hopes springing high, still I’ll rise.’ This is followed by ‘Fired’ a meditation on climate change and the human role within it. ‘Breathe’ closes out the EP; vocal samples project a sense of meditative calm whilst fiddle and accordion provide a trad undertone throughout.
Beoga thrive on approaching Irish traditional music differently, whether that’s on production or by mixing genres. Breathe continues with that same adventurous spirit and along a path Beoga embarked upon with their May 2020 mini-album Carousel which introduced new audiences to Irish music.
Singer Niamh Dunne opines, ‘The record started out with fragments of ideas. In the last few years as a band musically we’ve taken a lot of twists and turns; we figured an instrumental EP would give us the opportunity to bring everything together in terms of a sound that captures where we’ve come from, as well as where we are now.’
Beoga was formed in County Kerry in 2002 at the All-Ireland Fleadh and the line-up features Damian McKee on accordion, multi-instrumentalist Seán Óg Graham, pianist Liam Bradley and Eamon Murray on bodhrán, with Niamh Dunne joining in 2005, on vocals and fiddle. After five albums, a shortlist for a Grammy and numerous international tours, Beoga reached a wider international audience as a result of a chance encounter with Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance and Johnny McDaid. This led to the band co-writing Ed’s massive hit ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Nancy Mulligan’ from his album Divide. They also performed as Ed Sheeran’s only special guest on his headlining Glastonbury performance and supported him on his Irish stadium tour in 2018.
Gigging opportunities have been thin on the ground in recent months, but Beoga are proud to present an exclusive online concert broadcast live from The Limelight in Belfast on Sat. 17 April. This show should have been a live show and we all know why it now isn’t, but the band didn’t want to let their fans down so it has been reimagined as an online concert. The show will feature music taken from their extensive catalogue including Carousel, as well as some brand-new music from Breathe. This concert provides a unique chance to see Beoga perform live in their hometown from anywhere in the world, along with a live aftershow hangout, the one-time opportunity to buy exclusive new merch, and the option to create private ‘houses’ to watch from with your friends. For more information go to https://www.momenthouse.com/beoga
In addition, both of Beoga’s planned April shows in Belfast & Dublin are being rescheduled till November so any ticketholders for these gigs can hang onto their tickets as they will remain valid for the November shows.
Saturday 17 April, 8pm Online show Live from The Limelight, Belfast. Tickets
Thursday 25th November The Academy, Dublin Tickets
Friday 26th November The Limelight, Belfast Tickets
Spotify / Apple Music / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
SYML
Releases his ‘DIM EP’ on 16 April
Plays a global stream from St. Mark’s Cathedral at 7pm on Sun. 25 April
Grief can be messy, painful, and dark, a brutal process that rarely offers straight through its shadows for those mourning the death of a loved one. But for Brian Fennell, the writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist behind SYML, he found comfort not only by leaning into his grief, but writing through it.
DIM, his latest EP out April 16, is a “loss exploration” for him, a potent meditation that manages to make even the most personal tragedies feel intimate and universally understood. Fennell — who released SYML’s self-titled album in 2019, with his breakthrough single, “Where’s My Love” — was on the road with Dermot Kennedy in the spring of 2020 and had plans to spend most of the year on tour, but those were abruptly halted due to the merciless spread of the coronavirus pandemic. At his home in Seattle, he revisited some of the lyrical sketches and compositions he had been working through in the preceding months, all interpreting loss in different manifestations. “True,” a captivating R&B groove, ruminates on a disintegrating relationship, while the haunting title track was inspired by survivor’s guilt. His father’s health was declining after a long battle with cancer at that point, and “Stay Close,” the first track on DIM, brims with raw, desperate emotion as he literally pleads for more time while examining his own bond with his children (“One lifetime is never enough / You’re more than my heart, you’re my blood”).
“This EP is largely about losing those close to us,” he says. “Calling it DIM really applies to the light we carry during our time here. When those lights go out, it’s this sort of dimming process, but rather than living in that sadness — even though I think that’s a really healthy thing to do, to stay in that cozy, warm blanket sadness sometimes — it’s about honoring what that light was, and realizing that there’s still that same light in all of us that are still here.”
In the following conversation about DIM, Fennell digs deeper into the inspirations that shaped these songs, the growth this EP represents and why he considers it to be one of most fulfilling projects of his career to date.
John Spillane
New album 100 Snow White Horses out now!
“well-structured, melodious folk songs that resonate with specific, acutely observed Irish storylines.” Tony Clayton Lea, Sunday Business Post
“Inspired by the bardic tradition, Spillane penned his 12th album in gratitude to patronage found on the road…this is perhaps Spillane’s best set of songs since Will We Be brilliant or What? In 2001.” Steve Cummins, Sunday Times
“John Spillane, startlingly alive to the breath of nature, is among the last of the great bards. 100 Snow White Horses is a balm to soothe sore souls…” 9/10 Will Russell, Hot Press.
Renowned songwriter and musician John Spillane released his album 100 Snow White Horses on 2 April. The eleven songs on the album are full of melody, poetry and mythology, featuring Pauline Scanlon’s gossamer-like backing vocals and produced in London by the legendary John Reynolds. It is a shining record with a fairy-tale feel and an atmosphere of fantasy and enchantment, allowing the listener to escape from the daily grind and into another world full of wonder.
John wrote the songs on 100 Snow White Horses in the Irish bardic tradition, in gratitude for patronage by various communities, festivals, and artistic events that he has been privileged to be part of in the last four years as a travelling songwriter and composer. A strong theme of Irish mythology runs through the album. The title track is a visualisation of a mythical event suggested by the name of a classic traditional air called ‘The March of the Kings of Laois’. ‘We Come in the Wind’ is based on the 3 Imramma or Wonder Voyages of Irish Literature; The Voyage of Bran, The Voyage of Maeldun, and The Voyage of St. Brendan. In exploring the rich world of Irish mythology John feels part of a centuries-old Irish tradition that continues to this day.
John explains, ‘These songs are my love songs to the island of Ireland. I have been inspired by her poetry and melody, history and mythology. Travelling as a bard from town to town, singing songs and talking, I have discovered an Ireland of deeper and deeper levels. These lead down underground, through ruined castles and fairy forts, through Irish music, slow airs and ancient ornaments, through Bardic schools, through the Irish language, beyond Christianity to a place where history turns into mythology, and where poetry and melody turn into truth. This is the island of my imagination.’
John Spillane is a native of Cork, a place he lovingly describes as ‘the centre of the universe’, and started his career playing with celebrated Irish trad band, Nomos. He left the band to pursue a solo career and is a two-time Meteor award winner for Best Folk/Trad act. With an extensive back catalogue, beginning with the 1997 album The Wells of the World, his songs have been covered by Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Sean Keane and many others. Twelve albums later, John is set to release his first independent album in 20 years, 100 Snow White Horses.
100 Snow White Horses marks the fourth collaboration between Spillane, Scanlon and Reynolds, following on from John’s albums Hey Dreamer (2005), The Gaelic Hit Factory (2006) and My Dark Rosaleen and the Island of Dreams (2008).
100 Snow White Horses is the culmination of years of adventures, research, conversations, laughter, experience and inspiration and John couldn’t be more proud to introduce the album to the world.
100 Snow White Horses is available now to pre-order on CD & Vinyl from Music Zone in Cork and Golden Discs nationwide.
The Paper Kites
THE PAPER KITES: ROSES
“If you were to walk along a busy street, and something caught your eye – something small that had no business being there – but you picked it up and put it in your pocket. You couldn’t say why, but for some reason, you kept it with you. To me, that’s our music” – Sam Bentley
Ever the quiet achievers, The Paper Kites (frontman Sam Bentley, vocalist Christina Lacy, guitarist Dave Powys, drummer Josh Bentley and bassist Sam Rasmussen) return with their 5th studio album, Roses (out March 12, 2021 via Nettwerk Records). With their brand of weather-beaten ballads and rain-drenched pop, the ten album tracks bleeds with gentle significance, full of power and sentimentality.
Featuring a powerhouse of female accompanists in Lucy Rose (UK), Julia Stone (AU), Nadia Reid (NZ), MARO (PT), Aoife O’Donovan (US), Rosie Carney (IE), Ainslie Wills (AU), Amanda Bergman (SE), Lydia Cole (NZ) and Gena Rose Bruce (AU), Roses is the first collaborative release from the band. “I had written these songs and had always wanted to do an album like this, but I remember almost scrapping the whole project because it felt too hard. It was about finding the right voices for the songs – artists that couldn’t just sing but had something deep and moving in the way they sang – and that’s not every singer – it’s rare,” Sam explains.
The opening track “Walk Above The City” features prolific Portuguese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist MARO – who in 2018 alone released six albums, toured internationally as a part of Jacob Collier’s live band, and has been under the management wing of legendary producer Quincy Jones. “I remember Maro was the first artist that agreed to be on the album, which was perfect because she was the first artist in a long time who stopped me in my tracks when I heard her sing. We saw her play in Munich with Jacob Collier and I’d never heard anything like her voice. I didn’t find out until we connected a few months later that she was a fan of our band. It was really special to do that song with her.”
“Climb On Your Tears” features Grammy award-winning US bluegrass artist Aoife O’Donovan, who is well known for her solo albums, as the lead singer of bluegrass/string band Crooked Still, and features on records with Chris Thile& Yo-Yo Ma. “We were really lucky to have Aoife, she’s an American treasure and such a beautiful voice, for some reason I felt we needed a bluegrass singer on that song even though it wasn’t indicative of the genre – but she loved the song and was excited to be involved, her voice is amazing – you can hear that bluegrass soul in her singing,” says Sam.
New Zealand folk queen Nadia Reid features on “Take Me Home.” Sam recalls the challenges of trying to record an album as the world shut down. “We managed to fly Nadiaover to Melbourne to record that song just before both of our countries closed their borders – we didn’t know it was coming, she had just released her third album and had a huge tour lined up that she had to cancel. I don’t think she knew that was the last time she’d get to travel internationally or record in a studio that year, but I’m certainly glad we could get her here to do that song. There’s something moving in that song.” Similarly, much loved Melbourne artists Ainslie Wills & Gena Rose Bruce were both able to record in the studio with the band before the city was locked down.
The band reached out to all corners of the globe to their collaborators, some long-time friends like New Zealand’s Lydia Cole on their song “Dearest.” “Lydiais truly one of my favorite songwriters, I’d been looking for a reason to have her involved on one of our records for a while, but this was the first time we were able to. For her and all of these artists, I hope this album can also be a gateway into discovering their music,” notes Sam.
Australian legend Julia Stone, better known as one half of brother/sister duo Angus & Julia Stone features on the conversational duet “Without Your Love.” “I grew up listening to Julia’s music and some of her work was pivotal in turning me down the road I went – so to approach her and have her love that song and want to sing on it was an amazing full-circle moment – she’s such an important figure of the folk revival in Australia and I don’t think we would be a band without them leading the way. It was a real honor to work with her.”
“For All You Give” was recorded with UK songstress Lucy Rose in a small upstairs room while the band was on tour in Brighton last year, a tour that would inevitably be the last they would be able to do for some time. Despite the limitations on travel, the band pushed on with finishing the album by asking artists to record from home in whatever way they could.
“I remember Rosie Carney recording “By My Side” on the floor of her London flat she was so concerned that she had no idea what she was doing – she wasn’t used to having to record without an engineer present and I think felt it wouldn’t sound good enough – but it’s remarkable what we can achieve these days in terms of collaborations and home recording technology from the other side of the world – she sent her vocals over and they were so beautiful.”
As well as approaching artists that they knew and loved for the album, certain songs gave way to discovering new artists. Such was the case with Sweden’s Amanda Bergman. “‘Crossfire‘ was a song we got stuck on, I couldn’t find a vocalist that I felt was right for the song, and I was just scouring the depths of Spotify but couldn’t find anything until one day I somehow came across Amanda Bergman. Her music is so good, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of her before. I managed to get in contact with her, she lives out on a farm in remote Sweden and luckily had a studio on site. She recorded it and sent it to us – her voice is incredible – so much depth and soul, we were so glad to have her on that song.”
Produced by Sam Bentley & Tom Iansek (#1 Dads, Big Scary) – Roses is a testament to sincere, patient, and understated songwriting. A deeply moving collection of songs, helmed by a cherished selection of artists.
The Paper Kites deliver one of their most earnest and thoughtful albums, a treasured record to pick up off the busy street and keep with you.
THE CORONAS
THE CORONAS
Announce ‘Nowhere We’d Rather Stream – Live From the Olympia’
at 8pm on 12 December
The Coronas have felt the rollercoaster of emotions that 2020 has brought; from the disappointment of cancelling their world tour, to the thrill of their album reaching a No. 1. One constant that has always been present in the bands lifespan, however, is their special Christmas shows at the Olympia Theatre, and this year they don’t plan on letting a unfortunately named virus ruin the party.
For many people, these shows have become an integral part of the annual festivities. Whether you attended one of the record breaking ‘six night stand’ gigs, or the Heroes Or Ghosts anniversary show, or the one where the power went out (but the singing continued!); most people have a Coronas Christmas Olympia memory etched in their minds. This year the band are set to create another by bringing the concert direct to your very own living room via a live stream from the venue on the 12th of December.
“Doing this from the Olympia was a deal breaker for us” explains singer Danny O’Reilly. “We’ve veered away from doing any streamed gigs so far this year, and if we didn’t get the go ahead to get back in to the Olympia, we wouldn’t be doing this. The venue is such a big part of the Coronas story; doing the stream from anywhere else wouldn’t have felt right, especially at Christmas”.
The band understand that it’s a tough time financially for many people out there, so have taken the decision to make the gig available for all to stream on a pay-what-you-like basis. “Pay what you can afford, whatever the gig is worth to you.” says bass player Knoxy. “We won’t be making much, if any, money off this show, but we wanted to put on a full production, to get all our amazing crew back involved and put on the best show we can for this one off”. “It will give us an excuse to see each other and our crew at Christmas as well.” says drummer Conor. “And do the only thing we’re any good at, play some music”.
If you want to see The Coronas live in your living room in The Olympia this December click here: https://guts.events/wxooyu/r1bmf8
‘Nowhere We’d Rather Stream – Live From The Olympia’ is produced by Ten Feet Tall, this project has been part-funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media from the Live Performance Support Scheme.
Peter Broderick
Releases new album Blackberry digitally via Erased Tapes
Acclaimed American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick released his new solo album Blackberry digitally on 28th August via Erased Tapes, the physical release is following on October 30. Blackberry is Peter’s first vocal album in five years, since 2015’s Colours of the Night. The entire album was recorded in Peter’s bedroom in London during the summer of 2019, hence Peter’s description of it as “Experimental-Bedroom-Folk-Pop”. All instrumentation is by Peter with additional vocals on the last track by his wife, singer Brigid Mae Power, and his stepson, Seán Power.
The subject matter of Blackberry is wide-ranging. He touches on family and on the connection we all need as social animals. He writes about technology and whether it will save or doom us. And of course, he writes about nature, about foraging, about the importance of engaging with the outside world in cities and in the country. Peter and his family recently returned to Co. Galway as they have a great love for the Irish countryside, having lived there before their move to London in 2019.
Peter explains the idea behind the album and its name, saying: “It is with all seriousness and great reverence that this album is named Blackberry. In a time when us humans are coming face to face with the impact of our actions on the environment at large, I strongly advocate for engaging with our local landscapes. When I first became obsessed with foraging edible wild plants a few years back, I wasn’t particularly excited about the humble blackberry, but I would soon return with great passion to this familiar fruit of my youth. Even in our most urban environments, the gnarled and resilient blackberry vines continue to weave themselves throughout, as if to keep reminding us where we come from.”
Peter Broderick is perhaps most well known as a live member of Efterklang, the Danish indie-rock group with whom he played from 2007-2013. In recent years he’s been kept busy working on the archives of Arthur Russell, being hired to perform audio restoration, editing and mixing for the latest posthumous release by the cult icon. Peter has also released over twenty solo recordings in the last thirteen years, as well as composed music for film and dance, most recently the multi-award winning animated film Two Balloons. Not wanting his creativity to be reined in by any one genre, Peter has explored gospel and soul, spoken word and beat boxing, through to folk and rock and classical. He thrives on constant experimentation and collaboration with like-minded creators. Early 2020 saw him performing in the band of Tim Burgess (Charlatans), whose latest chart topping solo album features Broderick on violin.
The first vocal line on Blackberry is “You can only be as happy as the world that you live in…” — a sentiment that all of us can relate to as we struggle with climate change, with a global pandemic and resulting lockdown, with an uncertainty about the future that the modern world generates in us all. But as musicians like Peter soundtrack these turbulent times, they provide us with a lifeline, a way of looking at the world that is hopeful and full of wonder.
Tracklist:
1. Stop And Listen
2. But
3. What Happened To Your Heart
4. The Niece
5. Ode To Blackberry
6. Let It Go
7. What’s Wrong With A Straight Up Love Song 8. Wild FoodPeter is on Twitter @BroPeterick www.peterbroderick.net www.erasedtapes.com
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