‘Hailing from Kilkenny, Leitrim and Cork, Smithereens is the fabrication of a long burning desire to share art with dear friends and to make them dance their little arses off. With their unique blend of jazz, funk and grunge, this is an artistic ambition that regularly comes to fruition. Emotive songwriting paired with some not-too-shabby musicianship proves to work wonders both in the studio and at live shows, where the 4 lads seem to enjoy themselves even more than the audience.
Sold out gigs in the Kino (250 cap), as well as support slots for international big hitters such as High Fade and the success of their first Irish tour show that Smithereens have an innate hunger for gigging and making music. Smithereens have been described as ‘high energy, fun, and one of a kind. Listen to their new single, Ocean Floor, out right now!’
Michael returns with 10 captivating newtracks that mark a clear evolution in his sound and solidify his place as one of the standout songwriting talents of his generation.
Including ‘Evelyn, ’ a breakout track that went viral earlier this year, racking up over 100k streams and inspiring widespread covers online. Thin White Road is rich in storytelling, drawing inspiration from literary voices like Laurie Lee, Hunter S. Thompson, and T.S. Eliot.
While honouring Michael’s classic fingerpicking style and impressive vocal range, this album expands sonically with full band arrangements, lush vocal harmonies, saxophone, and strings.
Think Laura Marling meets Leonard Cohen, a hint of Fleet Foxes, often with the raw energy of Crazy Horse. Michael made a strong debut with
Highfield Suite (2021), a bedroom lockdown project produced by renowned guitarist Bill Shanley that earned critical acclaim.
PRAISE:
“I love it! What an unexpected gem!” – Paul Brady
“I’d place Michael squarely with the likes of Leonard Cohen, John Hiatt and Ron Sexsmith. He’s that good!” – Doug Cox, Vancouver Island Music Festival
“His joy-filled performance was so irresistible, he had everyone singing along with him.” – Lisa Schwartz, Cambridge Folk Festival
“Michael is one of the most accomplished and exciting singer-songwriters that I have worked with in recent years. With the success and reactions he achieved with this album it is obvious that he is an emerging Scottish artist of huge merit.- Bill Shanley (Musician, Ray Davies, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Sinead O’Connor)
Meadhbh Hayes, Limerick’s adopted Cork native, has an enchanting voice and is a skilled guitar and fiddle player.
Hayes’ performances are intimate and soulful, deeply rooted in folk and Irish trad but with a contemporary feel. She grew up listening to and singing a lot of Irish Folk songs as well as American Folk songs. And with Séamus Creagh being her first fiddle teacher, she has a huge grá for Sliabh Luachra tunes.
Meadhbh released her first original single GÁIRE on streaming platforms in October 2024, which was produced by Limerick musician and composer Paddy Mulcahy. The song explores themes of grief and loss, fueled by the passing of Meadhbh’s mother from a terminal illness in 2020. Contrasting these themes are her gratefulness for her life in Limerick City where she currently resides.
Over the past few months, Meadhbh has performed as an opening act for John Blek, John Murry, Rua Rí, Cormac O’Caoimh, The Whistlin’ Donkeys and The Atlanders. She has also performed at festivals like Hidden Hearth and The Cork Folk Fest (“Gals At Play” concert curated by Mary Greene from Greenshine).
Meadhbh recently finished a Master of Arts in Music Composition and Creative Music Practice in the Irish World Academy in UL, in which she received a first class honours result. Meadhbh is in the process of recording her debut EP with Shane Wixted & Paddy Mulcahy (production), Seán O’Meara (guitar, banjo, vocals), Cein Daly (bass), Conor Broderick (keys), Shay Sweeney and Ben Wanders (drums).
“Those Empty Vessels are a traditionally inspired folk band based in Galway City, with a keen interest in finding old forgotten gems from every generation of Irish folk music and resurrecting them with their own distinct style.
They consist of Clonakilty’s own Donal Tupier on guitar and vocals, a Leitrim expat known as Benny Bohan on Bodhrán and vocals, and Liam Donnely from Clare Galway keeping all in check with his mandolin. “
Zoh Amba is a songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist from Tennessee residing in New York. She began her musical journey steeped in the musical traditions of the South and has taken it from coast to coast and is mainly known as a saxophonist who blends avant-garde, noise, and devotional hymns, though has not shied from incorporating folk melodies into that world. Over the past several years Amba has been also been focusing on writing songs on guitar with lyrics that come from the heart and her love of nature and experiences. She has been performing her folk songs primarily in NYC both solo and with her band consisting of Adam Brisben (Buck Meek) also on guitar and Jeremy Gustin (Joan is Police Woman) on drums but also performs solo. Throughout the years Zoh has collaborated with a variety of high profile musicians such Glen Hansard, Tyshawn Sorey, Bill Orcutt, Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Jim White (Dirty Three), etc. Amba has performed at well respected venues and festivals all over the world and has taught workshops and masterclasses at institutions such as New School (NY), Oberlin (OH), and various European festivals.
Nigel Wearne saunters after dark in the music of the night, blending blues, jazz and Americana-noir. Hailing from Gunditjmara country in the deep south of Australia, he’s a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with diverse influences such as Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Rickie Lee Jones. Nigel has played some of the world’s most prestigious music festivals, including Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (USA), MerleFest (USA), Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (USA), Adelaide Guitar Festival (Australia) and the Philadelphia Folk Festival (USA).
His sophomore album, ‘Black Crow’ garnered wide critical acclaim including a 4-STAR review in Rolling Stone, a nomination for Best Country Album at the Music Victoria Awards and it debuted at #1 on Australia’s AMRAP Charts. His 2023 offering ‘The Reckoning’ received back-to-back nominations for Best Blues Work at the 2023 & 2024 Music Victoria Awards and a 4-STAR review in The Australian. Nigel’s new album, ‘The Lone Reckoning’ marks a return to his roots as a folk songwriter. A raw, emotive, stripped back rendition of his full band album ‘The Reckoning’.
A deep thinker and truth seeker with a penchant for all things peculiar, he sings of human frailty, grace and the cosmos; songwriting that cuts to the bone. “Tailor made for fans of Tom Waits… with fire and brimstone lyrics that recall Nick Cave” – Rhythms Magazine. “Poignant and mysterious” – Maverick Magazine UK. “Vocal swagger of Van Morrison and dark spirituality and intelligence of Nick Cave” 4 STARS – The Australian.
“Oh my gosh!!! You are all so rad!!! You sound great!!!” – Sharon Van Etten
Formed to pay homage to trailblazing women in music, exciting five piece The Kates, from West Cork, comprises of Eve Clague, Liz Clark, Mary Beth O’Mahony, Míde Houlihan and Paula K O’Brien. All five members have played, sang and written their own music for years, each releasing albums of original work. The five piece have now written a collection of original songs and the resulting Pictures Here Of Dreams EP is out now. Debut single ‘All That Talk’ was on RTE Radio 1 recommends list for two weeks. Unbalancing also made it onto the rte recommends list, receiving great reviews.
BABYRAT
Bursting out of the heart of Cork City, BABYRAT has the future of music looking Pretty in Punk with their abrasive bitch-pop sound.
Sonically landing somewhere between The Strokes and Olivia Rodrigo, BABYRAT’s sing-along melodies are intertwined with unapologetic lyrics that are thrust forward by the electrifying future-nostalgia sound that the band have created. BABYRAT delivers “an infectious energy with a confidence and chemistry that is unmatched” – Mia Tobin Power, University Express.
Formed in November 2024, BABYRAT have already generated a loyal following since playing iconic Irish venues such as The Grand Social and a sold-out Cyprus Avenue. Circulation of their unreleased music created the excitement which earned them support slots with local heavy-hitters such as The Love Buzz and Ten Hail Marys.
As a band, Ireland six-piece Silverbacks are restless, eager to move onto the next thing: Three albums in four years is evidence of this. That their fizzing, rock-addled songs rarely pass the four-minute mark is further proof. But in their personal lives, they’re not restless. In fact, they’re settling down. Lead singer and guitarist Daniel O’Kelly now lives on the outskirts of Paris with his wife – it’s where he sees his immediate future too. His brother, guitarist Kilian, has moved to Drogheda, an hour north of Dublin, with wife and fellow Silverback Emma Hanlon, where they’ve discovered a newfound interest in plants (red hot pokers are their favourite). They’re content. Their relationships – their friendships – take the pressure off the music and ultimately allows for something that is more enjoyable to make, and perhaps, as a result, sounds more authentically like Silverbacks too. As they sing on the closing track of third album Easy Being a Winner: “You start to figure it out.”
Silverbacks figured some things out on their debut album Fad, released as the Covid pandemic had shut almost everything down in summer 2020. It was recorded sporadically across a number of short studio sessions. It’s an album, but also a collection of songs of their genesis as a band. The follow-up, Archive Material, was recorded and mixed while navigating the lockdowns. As a result, the way they had to record and produce it put the
band under more pressure than they would have liked. So the plan for album number three was simple enough: Record with a much more relaxed schedule in mind. And they did. Silverbacks also welcomed a new member to the band during the recording process of Easy Being a Winner, Paul Leamy. He brought fresh energy, fresh ideas, and, as he played bass, it freed up a lot of room for Emma on vocals. It all allowed for more instrumentation and vocal layering between Daniel and Emma. The results are sumptuous, with gorgeous coos interweaving across ‘Giving Away an Inch Of’ and ‘Hide Away’. The chorus of the latter was lifted from one of their very first demos as a band; Emma always liked it, so they decided to
revisit it. Such is the breezy confidence of a band on their third record together.
But Silverbacks didn’t simply sit back and go through the motions on Easy Being a Winner. The relaxed schedule allowed them to get some friends and family on the record. The spiky ‘Something I Know’ features clarinet parts performed by Daniel and Kilian’s dad, John. “We always wanted to get him on a Silverbacks record,” explains Daniel. “Kilian and I owe so much of our interest in music to him. Initially we had mapped out for him to play the backing melody in the verses, but we had the idea of trying long clarinet notes in the chorus. It ended up sounding so good we scrapped the parts (that my dad had spent hours rehearsing for) so that the big clarinet moments only happen in the choruses. Dad didn’t mind.” “Dad also recites a few words I had prepared for him at the end of the track. It’s a small poem I wrote called the ‘Desert’s Door’. My wife’s father passed away in 2022. He was from Algeria and spent a lot of his time at a place the locals call the door to the Sahara. My father and her father never got to meet unfortunately, so I like that we managed to connect them in some way.”
As with Fad and Archive Material, Silverbacks recorded Easy Being a Winner with Daniel Fox (Gilla Band) in Sonic Studios in Stoneybatter, Dublin. This time, though, they spent almost twice as long in the studio. What did that mean? Well, for example on the swelling, sweltering ‘No Rivers Around Here’, Daniels Fox and O’Kelly decided to go for lunch together, leaving Kilian in the studio alone, playing on a loop for about an hour straight. If it
sounds cruel, it worked – he landed on a series of takes that Fox reversed and spliced together. Daniel O’Kelly is quick to praise his younger brother. “My favourite parts of the studio sessions are when we record Kilian on the guitar or piano. It’s a real joy just watching him play and effortlessly transpose the melodies in his head onto an instrument.”
Peadar Kearney is the other guitarist in Silverbacks and is key to defining the sound of the opening track and lead single off Easy Being a Winner, ‘Selling Shovels’. Getting guitar feedback like that heard in the bridges and outro is an art-form that Peadar has mastered. The band’s twin/triple-threat guitarmony runs through these 11 songs, from the Cory Hanson-influenced noodles of ‘Look At All You’ve Done’ to the swells of ‘Billion Star Night
Light’.
Some seven years into Silverbacks, they say definitively that this is what they sound like. What they want to sound like. “A lot of the songs are new, but the album reminds me of the times Kilian and I spent in the garage as teenagers writing songs together and imagining what our band could achieve,” says Daniel. “It reminds me of the first few gigs we played with Peadar and Emma in Maynooth.
“Fad and Archive Material naturally drew a lot of comparisons to the post-punk scene. But I never saw those albums in that way. But I sometimes felt the people coming to our shows and the press we got came to see us for those comparisons.Now that Easy Being a Winner is coming out, I feel I can more confidently say who we are. We’re indie rock. And this album sounds even more like the indie rock I imagined for our band all those years ago.”
It’s no surprise, then, that the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Guided by Voices are mentioned as influences. They also love Stereolab, a key touchstone for the aforementioned ‘Something I Know’. The drumbeat by Gary Wickham, who Daniel met for the first time at a Wilco gig, is intricate on this one and carries the song beautifully. Cult Irish band Rollerskate Skinny, indie legends Yo La Tengo, and Mercury Rev are all cited, as is an interesting name: Nick Cave. Daniel says he took some lyrical inspiration from his engagement with religion and imagery, while Kilian says of ‘Giving Away an Inch Of’: “This one is a love song and mostly about the balance of relationships. The main idea was that one of the lovers was going to be pleading for a little bit more compromise from their other half. I wanted to have lots of ties to nature too and I think Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ version of ‘Nature Boy’ played a part there.”
Paris is, of course, another big presence in Daniel’s lyrics. ‘No Rivers Around Here’ is about trying to fit into a neighbourhood, and feeling torn about the changes that are likely to happen to the area in the coming years. Elsewhere lie references to what he saw from his window on Gare du Nord, where he lived opposite a sex shop. Though Daniel’s lyrics are often wry, they’re like diary entries too. Take ‘Flex’, for example, a song that starts out on a gentle acoustic guitar riff that quickly escalates. “This song was written shortly after our small US tour, and the three weeks I spent in the States,” he explains. “The pace and size of the US reminded me of the Scalextric tracks and the ad packaging they used to have in the
90s.” Penultimate track ‘Songs About Divide’ is the most mellow of the collection, a bittersweet song about loneliness and lacking a sense of belonging to any one place. It takes confidence to admit such feelings. In Easy Being a Winner, Silverbacks have made their best album yet.
Nick Harper announces new tour and album ‘58 Fordwych Rd.’, release: September 26th 2025.
Those who have witnessed Nick Harper’s spellbinding, one-man shows will tell you his his 20 years plus of crafting songs & touring the land after a childhood growing up surrounded by the musical prowess of some of the 60’s most revered songwriters & musicians, not to mention being son of Roy Harper, has spawned a truly one-off, original guitarist & songwriter who stands an artist to be cherished & revered in his own right.
Following a prolific creative chapter that has seen three studio releases since 2020, Nick returns to the setting of his childhood living room in a small flat in Kilburn, London in the mid 1960s ’58 Fordwych Rd.’. The flat was an after hours hang-out for the legends who played at Les Cousins in Soho at the height of the acoustic explosion in swingin’ sixties London. People like Bert Jansch, Davy Graham, John Renbourn, Paul Simon, Marc Bolan, David Bowie, John Martyn, Sandy Denny & others dropped in, to drop out, jam & try new tunes. But, all along, there was someone else there… a toddler, part of the family, inhaling the music & absorbing the vibe; Roy’s young son, Nick Harper.
Nick invited these acoustic legends back into the room and toured this unique story to ecstatic receptions across the UK and Ireland, picking up a coveted Herald Angel Award for excellence in performance at The Edinburgh Fringe along the way. It was here that 58 Fordwych Rd. was recorded, capturing Nick at the height of performance prowess. The craftsmanship and care with which Nick handled the repertoire coupled with his unique viewpoint meant the shows transcended tribute, Nick applying his own new twists and deft performance swagger to the songs he heard directly from the greats when growing up.
In 2025 Nick finds himself alongside Roy once more, headlining Glastonbury Festival, at de Barras for the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival and providing lead guitar duties at a trilogy of farewell concert hall shows including The London Palladium. The narrative of 58 Fordwych Rd continues to reverberate and so the live album of the same name had to see a release.
“Betjemen with a guitar” — Guitarist Magazine.
“That boy’s too good.” — Bert Jansch
“Harper has so much musicianship in him that it just leaks out all over the place.” — The Times
“If you’ve never seen Harper live, you’re missing out on one of the musical phenomenons of our age.” — Herald (Glasgow)
“Hailing from Dundalk, Co. Louth, Seán McKenna is a ballad singer and founding member of The Mary Wallopers, touring with them for 9 years until his departure earlier this year. Now performing solo, Seán blends thundering guitar melodies and politically charged lyrics to present a gritty mix of traditional folk and modern protest songs.”