The Point of Everything

Dublin rapper Curtisy released his debut album What Was The Question on May 3, 2024, and releases his new project, a mixtape made with producer Hikii called Beauty in the Beast, on May 30, 2025. We talk about both releases - marking a year of the debut album - and everything in between as Curtisy won a whole host of new fans with his searing and honest lyrics and was nominated for the Choice Prize. We talk about influences from Earl to Kendrick to horror, his crew which includers rapper Ahmed, With Love and producer Rory Sweeney, Curtisy's journey in music and the future Buy What Was The Question: https://curtisy.bandcamp.com/album/what-was-the-question Preorder Beauty in the Beast: https://spindizzyrecords.com/products/curtisy-what-was-the-question-deluxe-edition-cd Intro music: Curtisy - Wok to Blackrock Outro music: Curtisy - Milk & Honey

Dublin-based artist Danny Groenland (fka Danny G and the Major 7ths) released his third studio album Burning Rome on April 25. He says: "The issues I focus on with this album - climate disaster, war, genocide, division, homelessness, inequality, mental health, police brutality, institutional racism - all stem from the same root cause. Our economic system is destroying our planet. We need a complete systems change, with everyone pulling in the same direction. And we need it now. Despite the gravity of the above topics, I wanted this album to be optimistic. These songs come from a variety of feelings. Love, anger, empathy, sorrow, fear and hope. I do have hope, otherwise I wouldn't have recorded it. I have faith in humanity. We've been conditioned to think that things like poverty and war are normal and will always be. It doesn't have to go like this. I hope this music gives you both comfort in solidarity, and the energy to be the change that's needed." Danny chats about all this on the TPOE podcast, as well as growing up in a musical family and initially playing trad music, his journey into the Dublin soul scene on the early 2010s, why and how he started Danny G and the Major 7ths, playing in a wedding band, and how and why he got political on Burning Rome. Buy the album: https://dannygroenland.bandcamp.com/album/burning-rome Danny Groenland launches Burning Rome at the Sugar Club, Dublin, on Friday, May 9: https://thesugarclub.com/tc-events/danny-groenland/

Paddy Hanna released his fifth album Oylegate on April 11 via Strange Brew Records and returns to the podcast for the first time since TPOE 90 in 2018. That was around his second album Frankly, I Mutate. In between, there have been two albums, The Hill in 2020 and Imagine I'm Hoping in 2022, which Paddy himself says flopped. While he's got married and become a dad of two since we last chatted, artistically it's been a tough road. --- From the press release: OYLEGATE, the upcoming album from Paddy Hanna, is a journey through the euphoric highs and crushing lows of parenthood, delivered with his signature blend of melancholic wit and lush, off-kilter charm. Elation and exhaustion. Love and terror. The weight of responsibility and the strange, disorienting beauty of watching life unfold before your eyes. After his fourth album, Imagine I'm Hoping, arrived to critical acclaim but not the mainstream success needed for him to continue on as a full-time musician, Hanna found himself at a personal and artistic low point. However, thanks to support from the Arts Council and the encouragement of his family, Hanna has returned as the intrepid captain of his own ship; he may not know the destination, but he'll see us along the journey with his graceful pop sensibilities. Determined to sidestep the usual sentimental trappings of writing about having a child, Hanna found an unlikely creative companion in grim Soviet-era cinema. As he wrote, films like Solaris flickered in the background—bleak, meditative landscapes that mirrored the depths of sleep deprivation and the existential wonder of bringing a new life into the world. This contrast of warmth and detachment, of intimate revelation and surreal detour, courses through OYLEGATE's DNA. Despite its moments of cold introspection, OYLEGATE is sonically rich and enveloping—an effect captured in a single request to producer Daniel Fox: "sweet, sweet caramel." Hanna wanted the music to feel like satin lining the listener's ears, wrapping them in warmth even when the themes tilt towards darkness. True to form, OYLEGATE marks yet another creative leap for an artist who refuses to be boxed in. "One advantage of being an ‘artist's artist' is that you never have to worry about being creatively different between albums. There's real freedom in doing whatever you want and not being judged for it. And even if you are judged, who gives a shit? That spirit of fearless exploration—of finding joy in the unknown, the absurd, and the deeply personal—defines OYLEGATE. An odyssey of tenderness and turbulence, it's the sound of an artist embracing life's messiest, most beautiful contradictions. Buy Oylegate: https://paddyhanna.bandcamp.com/album/oylegate

French-American musician and composer Zoé Basha released her debut album Gamble on April 17. Blending storytelling traditions, Appalachian mountain songs, Irish traditional music, and American blues and ragtime, the album is a woozy melange. We talk about her life journey, travelling around the US, joining the Occupy San Francisco protests, moving to Dingle, Dublin, France to learn traditional French timber framing, and back to Ireland. Throughout it all, there's music, though she did fall out of love with it for a while before Rufous Nightjar started up with Anna Mieke and Branwen Kavanagh. And now comes her debut solo album Gamble. From the press release: Zoé's debut is an intimate exploration of identity, grief, the deconstructing of societal norms, and the complexities of human connection, all delivered with a mesmerising voice that echoes the vulnerability and depth of her diverse influences. Inspired by the greats of times passed such as Billie Holiday, The Mills Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, Joni Mitchell, Texas Gladden, Edith Piaf and The Steve Miller Band– as well as her peers in the Irish folk music scene, Zoé Basha savours the sounds of golden eras with contemporary nuance and shameless honesty. Zoé Basha tour dates: April 24: De Burgos Club, Galway April 25: The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Leitrim April 26: The Duncairn, Belfast April 27: The Record Room, Limerick May 1: Fennelly's of Callan, Kilkenny May 2: Bray Jazz Fest, Wicklow May 3: The Crane Lane Theatre, Cork May 4: Blennerville, Tralee, Co. Kerry (co-headling with Rachel Sermanni) Buy Gamble: https://zoebasha.net/album/3407338/gamble

Daniel McIntyre aka Lullahush released his second album Ithaca on April 11 via Future Classic. Having collaborated with the likes of AE Mak in the past and attended the Red Bull Music Academy, Lullahush released his debut album A City Made of Water and Small Love in 2022, an ode to his home town Dublin. He's developed a complicated relationship with it, which he explores on Ithaca, having moved to Athens in recent years. From the press release: Ithaca weaves a narrative interrogating ideas of pride, home and belonging. Longing for home in exile has been widespread amongst the Irish diaspora over the years. This includes 19th-century famine refugees, 20th-century exiles fleeing the Catholic Church's oppression, those who left during the economic depression of the 1980s, and more recently, those affected by Ireland's housing crisis and Dublin's embrace of Big Tech. Daniel explores all of this as well as his own odyssey with him now living in Europe as a result of his homeland becoming “economically uninhabitable.” “I miss it, but I have a difficult relationship with it” says McIntyre. “‘Ithaca' is where Odyssus is trying to get back to in the Odyssey - my search for a sense of home since leaving has made me think about what Ithaca means. Maybe it's not a place, maybe it's a series of circumstances, maybe it's something internal, maybe it's something you carry around with you.” Lullahush supports Róis at the Workman's Club on May 1. Buy Ithaca at https://lullahush.bandcamp.com/album/ithaca-2

Alan Duggan Borges, the guitarist in Gilla Band, released his debut self-titled EP as The Null Club on April 4. Comrprising three tracks, 'Frameshift' features the rapper ELUCID (one half of Armand Hammer), '14 Hours' features Faris Badwan (The Horrors), and 'Slip Angles' has vocals by Valentine Caulfield (Mandy, Indiana). We talk about how the Null Club began and what it was like making the tracks with those contributors and what the future holds. We also discuss Alan's previous 'other' band, The Claque, and topics from Fontaines DC to Gilla Band's cover of Blawan's 'Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage', which felt like a turning point for them, techno music, and supporting Iggy Pop at In The Meadows on June 7. Buy The Null Club EP: https://thenullclub.bandcamp.com/album/the-null-club-ep The Null Club live dates: May 2: The Workmans Club - Dublin May 13: Corsica Studios - London May 14: Rough Trade - Bristol May 16: Yes, The Basement - Manchester --- Press release: Spending time over the last few years learning about synthesis, production, and how to record has been an incredibly rewarding experience for Alan. This project has created an opportunity to explore genres and styles of music outside of Gilla Band that he's never done before, as well as being completely in control of the production and instrumentation. It's also been an opportunity to work with incredible artists who Alan truly admires and have had a massive influence. Getting the caliber of talent on the EP happened very naturally and somewhat unremarkably. He reached out to Val from Mandy, Indiana via Instagram and she thankfully agreed. Faris and ELUCID had both reached out to Gilla Band to say hey and he jumped at the opportunity to get them involved in the project. The EP will be released on a limited run of 500 12” white label records, each hand stamped by Alan and released independently on a label ran by his wife and himself. The EP was mixed by Daniel Fox (Gilla Band), and mastered by Jamie Hyland (M(h)aol). with vocals contributed by the artists. All instrumentals were performed and recorded by Alan in his home, and rehearsal studio in Dublin, Ireland. with vocals being recorded in a mix of places – NYC, London, and Manchester (sometimes in studios, sometimes in the artists homes). There will be a number of solo shows across Ireland and England where Alan will be reworking the tracks from the EP live along with a number of unheard pieces of music. There will be numerous synths, noise machines, guitars, and many pedals on stage all being looped into different amps to bring the songs to life in a live setting. Tickets on-sale now.

Matthew Xavier Corrigan, an artist who splits time between Cork and Dublin, released his debut solo album Beast of Changing on March 21. Written in reflection of a tempestuous season of change across Irish coastlines, centred on Ballinskelligs in Co. Kerry, Myrtleville in Co. Cork and Clare Island in Co. Mayo, Beast of Changing follows a story of growth, of love lost and found, of crossing the threshold into dark, cold, saline water - of surrender. Themes of environmentalism and how we shape the coasts, of erosion and rising water, are woven throughout. Matthew Xavier Corrigan's debut album was cut to tape with a single collaborator, Mike Halls, over five days in Liverpool, the product of years of writing rendered in a few day's takes. After pushing to a more intimate and organic sound on the From ten, with love EP, the artist now goes deeper; covered in analog warmth and rich harmonies, delicately performed, taking inspiration from the likes of Andy Shauf, Bill Callahan and Robin Pecknold. This renewed focus on analog warmth even comes out in the imagery; the press photos and album/single artwork were captured on expired film by Ronan Burke on vintage film cameras. Matthew talks about his former project Ghostking is Dead, why that came to an end, the Cork scene and working on festivals such as his own River Runs Round, Quarter Block Party, Quiet Lights and Sounds from a Safe Harbour, the story behind Beast of Changing, and lots more. Buy Beast of Changing: https://matthewxaviercorrigan.bandcamp.com/album/beast-of-changing

Declan McClafferty aka Ramper released his debut solo album Loner on March 7. Formerly a member of the award-winning Donegal band In Their Thousands, along with his brother, Declan is a session musician who plays as part of Ryan McMullan's band. He says of Loner: "It's about lots of things. About my childhood growing up and feeling the wheel go around when I had children of my own and I was on the other side. About the characters I grew up around and the way of life they had that's almost unrecognisable now. It's a reminder to keep things simple. I made it for the love of making music. Starting with nothing but ideas and ending up with 10 things that paint a bigger picture is a great lesson. Anything else that's come along after that is a bonus - and I'm grateful for it all!" Press release: Loner is an apt name for the album; Ramper played every instrument on the LP, which he recorded and self-produced over six months at his own home studio during stolen moments when his sons were napping. The record was mixed by Daniel Ball (Chubby Cat, Ryan McMullan) and mastered by Richard Dowling (David Bowie, Sinead O'Connor). Ramper takes the best of primal rural simplicity and transports it into the future whilst telling the stories of our past and ever-changing present. Based on a childhood lived before the internet and in the Irish language first, Ramper captures those moments in time that are almost so simple you may not notice them at first, but when you let them settle hold a beauty that cuts through the noise. Much of his music ruminates on the slow erosion of our language and culture: “It's not a right-wing approach that things should be conserved and locked down, or that other cultures are not welcome. It's a lament that the culture of a place and skills like weaving, fishing or boat building are lost, while the people who should be carrying that on are in Australia and priced out of returning.” Loner's songs, adorned with woozy pedal steel and deftly fingerpicked guitar, are about the peace of rural living (‘Cold in the Morning', ‘Back to the Start'), the drawn-out death of Irish traditions (‘EYES'), the struggle to accept depression (‘Pale as the Moon'), the satisfaction of a job well done (‘If You Want a Good Dream', ‘Promised'), his culture shock upon moving to Brighton for college (‘I Can't Pretend') and the many lessons McClafferty learned from his neighbours growing up in Donegal. These neighbours populate the songs, bringing rich colour along with them—like the “real quiet character” on ‘Cold in the Morning'. McClafferty remembers her as “humble and kind, but not very confident. This song is remembering her and putting her at the centre of the narrative for maybe the first time.” Or there are the two very different men on the penultimate track ‘Don't Forget to Look Up'. “One worked every hour that was sent his way until he eventually accepted retirement and the other read books, smoked cigarettes and was an alcoholic. I attended both of their funerals in the same week,” McClafferty recalls. “This song is trying to zoom out from what a life is and realise the importance of balance. Both these characters would have changed things I think.”

Maria Kelly released her second album Waiting Room on February 28. The followup to 2021's The Sum of the In-Between, the title is a very real place as Maria found herself stuck in sterile clinics hoping for answers to inscrutable chronic pain, and a dream-like, surreal space representing her own inner world. “This album is an exploration of the roadblocks, both internally and externally, that keep us feeling powerless and taking away our agency,” she says. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we talk about her health issues, the impact of the housing crisis, and channeling those experiences into creating Waiting Room. We also discuss her living room tour, supporting Tom Odell at Live at the Marquee, facilitating her writing night Tangent Dublin, and more. Buy Waiting Room: https://mariakellymusic.bandcamp.com/album/waiting-room Tangent Dublin: https://www.instagram.com/tangentdublin/

Julie Feeney won the inaugural Choice Music for her debut album 13 Songs in 2005. Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Choice on March 6, Julie talks about what it was like to win the award and the impact it had on her career. We also talk about how she made 13 Songs; playing all of the instruments, including a clock, across the record; self-financing the LP; why albums still matter; and lots more.

The Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year 2024 will be announced at Vicar Street on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Ahead of the show, John Barker from new Irish music show Tilt (Dublin City FM) joins to run through the 10 nominated acts and help predict a winner. The 10 nominees: A Lazarus Soul - No Flowers Grow In Cement Gardens Curtisy - What Was The Question Fontaines D.C. - Romance Orla Gartland - Everybody Needs a Hero KNEECAP - Fine Art NewDad - MADRA Niamh Regan - Come As You Are Róis - Mo Léan Silverbacks - Easy Being a Winner SPRINTS - Letter To Self

Mayo harpist Alannah Thornburgh talks about her debut album Shapeshifter, released February 12. She is inspired by the traditions of fairy folklore and mythology from rural Ireland. The project began when Alannah was commissioned to compose a piece for the Linenhall Arts Centre's New Music in Mayo series, curated by traditional musician Emer Mayock. With the support of the Arts Council's Next Generation Award, Alannah conducted interviews with nearly 50 historians, storytellers, and locals, collecting stories and experiences that inform her music. These conversations are woven throughout the album. We talk about all this, as well the Thornburgh family band and the influence of her saxophone-playing dad, the influence of the late Conor Walsh, and her various collaborations with the likes of Lemoncello and Varo. Buy Shapeshifter: alannahthornburgh.bandcamp.com Alannah Thornburgh tour dates: April 4: The Linenhall Arts Centre, Co. Mayo April 11: Levis' Cornerhouse, Ballydehob, West Cork April 12: Maureen's, Cork City April 17: The Cobblestone, Dublin April 27: Prim's Bookshop, Kinsale, Co. Cork May 9: The Duncairn, Belfast May 10: Fennelly's, Kilkenny

Mark Chester aka Ginnels released their first album in a decade, The Picturesque, on February 7. He talks about what he's been up to (becoming a dad of two, mostly), playing with Autre Monde and why they've come to an end, songwriting, nostalgia, Popical Island, and lots more. Buy The Picturesque: https://ginnels.bandcamp.com/album/the-picturesque --- Press release: Ginnels never let up. Though it has been, staggeringly, eight long years since the last irresistible jangle pop transmission under the Ginnels moniker, nothing much has changed in Mark Chester's approach when it comes to the practice of music making, even if much everything else for Chester has seen considerable flux – he's now a father of two, and most shockingly of all for an indie popster of his ilk, gainfully employed. “It definitely started the same way all Ginnels stuff starts,” Chester explains, “which is just me looking through five years of phone demos and going ‘that's a decent song' and ‘that's a decent song', and if you keep that up then you have a full album.” The man himself might be coyly committed to making his process sound as pedestrian as possible, but from the moment the delicate chiming introduction of album opener ‘The Body Was Gone' goes widescreen – revealing an expanded sonic palette richer in timbre and exponentially wider in scope than anything Chester has let out into the world thus far – it is apparent that “The Picturesque” is poised to be less than parochial in its sonic purview. From here, “The Picturesque” plays like a gauzy road trip Super 8 footage cutting between scenes of sunset at Monument Valley and B-roll from around middle-Ireland, entirely soundtracked by some enchanted mixtape of heretofore unheard B sides from REM, XTC and The Go-Betweens, unexpected guest appearances from the surprisingly together-sounding ghost of Johnny Thunders and snippets from your coolest friends' unreleased instrumental experiments. All liberally rippled with Chester's unique ear for melody and appetite for the unexpected when it comes to crafting guitar parts. And this, by design, feels like a Guitar Record, above all else. For all its effortlessly sticky lyrical and melodic twists, “The Picturesque” separates itself within the mighty Ginnels catalogue in both the dexterity in playing and diversity in tone on show across these 12 tracks. And 12, of course as we know, being the optimum number of tracks for any LP to have, so bonus points for that too.

London-based industrial noise pop trio Tayne (Matt Sutton, Tom Hancock, Paul Traveller) released their debut album LOVE on January 31. Frontman Matt talks about moving to London, how the band started, the influence of his dad on the lyrics, Matt's tattooing career, and art. Buy LOVE: https://tayneband.bandcamp.com/album/love

London-born, Donegal-based singer-songwriter Anna B Savage released her third album You & I Are Earth via City Slang on January 24. Calling it a love letter to a man and to Ireland, the record features Irish musicians Anna Mieke, Kate Ellis and Caimin Gilmore (Crash Ensemble), Cormac Mac Diarmada (Lankum), and Lankum producer John 'Spud' Murphy'. On the episode, Anna B Savage talks about books and book clubs, writer's block and feeding creativity, moving to Dublin for music college and then Donegal, working with those Irish musicians and the ideas underpinning the record. Buy You & I Are Earth: https://annabsavage.bandcamp.com/album/you-i-are-earth --- Tour dates: January 31: All We Have Are Days, Limerick February 12: Lantern, Bristol February 13: Night & Day, Manchester February 14: Stereo, Glasgow February 15: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds February 17: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham February 18: Latters, Brighton February 19: Where Else, Margate February 20: Union Chapel, London March 20: Coughlan's, Cork March 21: Roisin Dubh, Galway March 22: Unitarian Church, Dublin April 12: Botanique Rotonde, Brussels

Aaron Corcoran aka Skinner released his debut album New Wave Vaudeville on January 7. He talks about playing open mic nights when he was in his mid-teens, his DIY ethos, his creative process and influences, and discusses making some of the tracks on the album. Buy New Wave Vaudeville: https://skinner97.bandcamp.com/album/new-wave-vaudeville ---- Press release: Skinner is the project of the Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Aaron Corcoran who was inspired by the New York No wave scene in the late '70s/early '80s for this debut record. The record's lead track "Calling In Sick" perfectly exemplifies this influence as he takes cues from the genre, while also carving his own path on the scene as well. Speaking about "Calling In Sick", he said, "The song is about calling in sick to the world. Life is tough for most people right now and there is no down time for most of us. Some days just feel like you're hurtling towards destruction and I just wanted to write a song that captures that feeling of anger and frustration of having to say enough is enough. Fuck everything I'm just going to do me for today. And I think that's fair." 'New Wave Vaudeville', the song and album title, references the New Wave Vaudeville music variety freak show that took place at the 57 Club in New York from 1978 to 1983. The club was known for its free-form art shows, a debaucherous wild riposte to creeping commerciality of modern culture of the time. "The ethos of the album is to celebrate the weird part of who you are and be proud of it," says Aaron. "You might feel strange in society but you don't when you're listening to your favourite music, and this record is a space for the outsiders to feel comfortable." Skinner's debut album takes inspiration from the outsiders in alternative music who populate the greatest hits of no wave, dance-punk, Latin disco and post-punk genres - Liquid Liquid, A Certain Ratio, Kid Creole And The Coconuts and James Chance And The Contortions to name a few. "I like the idea of mixing genres that shouldn't go together," Aaron adds. "That's probably why I like no wave music. It's just total and utter free expression of music without any constraint or rules. And it's not constrained by any societal ideals like a lot of other music can be. It's pure raw human emotion and expression." Throughout the LP, Corcoran makes use of vocal training by Dara Kiely of Dublin noise-rock Gilla Band, who taught Aaron how to scream effectively while singing without losing your voice, as heard on the tracks "Calling In Sick", "Tell My Ma" and "When You Live In A Shoe". Percussion also plays a big part in the record, with Latin American music and disco cited as an influence on the 10 tracks on the LP. New Wave Vaudeville was recorded and produced by Aaron Corcoran at the Meadow and engineered alongside Rian Trench. The album was mixed by Sean Corcoran, and mastered by Tj Lipple.

It's the end of the year - we made it! And that means it's time to look over our favourite music moments of 2024. Nicole Glennon, assistant editor of the Irish Examiner Weekend magazine, and Cíara Byrne, a music writer with bylines in the Examiner, Golden Plec and the Thin Air, join to talk through our favourite live shows, best albums, best tracks - and some disappointments as well. 2.55: Best live 40.45: Best albums 1.12.00: Best tracks

Peter Lawlor aka Polytunnel, a producer and DJ, releases his debut album The Word for World is Forest via Alien Communications on December 13. He says: "The Word for World is Forest is an album influenced by the city of Glasgow, showcasing Polytunnel's love of classic detroit-inspired electro along with nods to the techno and house that has influenced his work over previous records. Recorded in Glasgow, the album is a love letter to the city that continues to inspire and over the course of nine tracks, offers a glimpse into the producer's broad palette of electronic sounds. The title is inspired by Ursula K Le Guin's novella of the same name, which delves into themes of destruction, resistance, and the devastating impact of imperialism.' On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we talk about the journey to Polytunnel's debut album, running his label Moot Tapes, clubbing and nightlife in Ireland vs Glasgow, favourite music of 2024, hardware, and more. Polytunnel: https://polytunnel.bandcamp.com/ Alien Communications: https://aliencommunications.bandcamp.com/ Moot Tapes: https://moottapeslabel.bandcamp.com/ Lebanon Fundraiser: https://moottapeslabel.bandcamp.com/album/lebanon-fundraiser

SIlverbacks (Daniel O'Kelly, Kilian O'Kelly, Peader Kearney, Emma Hanlon, Gary Wickham, Paul Leamy) released their third album Easy Being a Winner on October 18 via Central Tones Records. Scattered around Dublin, Drogheda, Kildare and Paris, Silverbacks have really found their groove on this album. It sounds like an effortless progression. I talked to Dan about making the album, life in Paris, cycling, Other Voices, being a dad, and some of his favourite music of the year. Buy Easy Being a Winner: https://silverbacks.bandcamp.com/album/easy-being-a-winner --- 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.”

His Father's Voice (Ash O'Connor, James Reidy, Laya Meabhdh Kenny and Cian McGuirk) released their debut album Black Poison Morning on September 6. Frontwoman Ash talks about how the band have developed over the years, making the record with Micheál Keating (Bleeding Heart Pigeon), the Limerick scene and Féile na Gréine, and lots more. Buy Black Poison Morning: https://hisfathersvoice.bandcamp.com/album/black-poison-morning --- Press release: ‘Black Poison Morning' is the debut album from Limerick-based outfit His Father's Voice. The album's fabric takes its form through a methodical weaving of avoidance, desire, imperfection and impatience. Parallel to a tug of war between these lyrical vices runs a mix of wide ummeling instrumentals and raw dead space, giving a cinematic quality to each of its eight tracks. Even in the album's more exuberant moments, an anchor of tension brings an unnerving reluctance to the listener. Equally, the album's more claustrophobic moments are underscored by a sense of hope for emotional release. The granting of catharsis is carefully crafted through soaring pop melodies, immersive guitars and muscular rhythms, flipping the postpunk genre's penchant for emotional outburst on its head. As with its ability to blend moods which lie in opposition to each other, the band find balance between its accessible sound and emblems of the experimental music community that it emerges from. It feels as though our debut album grew up alongside us over a number of years, learning to navigate reluctance, longing and impatience. It's fragile alongside bolder and more resistant moments. We wanted an album that could find a home for both our sweeter sound and the murkier gothic cornerstone of our music. This album collates and distills an energy that we've been testing out live for the last year. Sometimes the music can feel like it's heaving along with us, fighting for emotional release.

Dublin singer-songwriter Daniel Anderson aka Anderson released his second album Some Rain Must Fall on November 1. It's nine years since he released debut album Patterns (2015), after going solo following his band The Rags. Named after Karl Ove Knausgaard's book Some Rain Must Fall, Anderson says of the record: “This album was a long time in the making, perhaps these songs offer clues as to why. I'm an electrician by trade. That's what I'm professionally qualified to do and what I worked as before I dedicated my life to music. Being a musician has taken up the majority of my adult life but I'd always had a feeling of imposter syndrome with it. In the back of my head I'd be thinking ‘I'm an electrician – I'm not supposed to be making art. But the dilemma triggered something in me and new songs and ideas started coming. I stopped obsessing on the career that music hadn't given me and instead focused on how it had enriched my life. It wasn't easy but everything I went through was captured in the songs and it's all there on the record: work, worth, fear, pain, ageing, art, love, life and an understanding that into every life some rain must fall.” Buy Some Rain Must Fall: https://andersonsongs.bigcartel.com/product/some-rain-must-fall-12-vinyl

Cork artist Yenkee aka Graham Cooney released his long-awaited debut album Night Golf via Soft Boy Records on October 25. He talks about making the album, being inspired by labelmates Kojaque and Kean Kavanagh, life in London, the dream of owning a house, the housing crisis, songwriting, and lots more on this episode of TPOE. Yenkee tour dates: December 1: Upstairs at Whelan's, Dublin December 10: Old Blue Last, London December 15: Folklore Rooms, Brighton December 21: City Hall, Cork Buy Night Golf: https://yenkee.bandcamp.com/album/night-golf --- Press release: Yenkee is now based in London, but it's where he was raised on the Northside of Cork City in Ireland where he developed his admiration for simplicity and his love for music. “Being Irish, you are always brought up around music and song. It's so ingrained, you can't avoid it”. It's this immersion that bred inspiration from a diverse array of artists. Arthur Russell's versatility, Dolly Parton's timeless songwriting, Manu Chao's eclectic style, Talking Heads' playful spirit and Fionn Regan's graceful depictions of Ireland all play a role in who Yenkee is today. His early projects, marked by an experimental spirit and a penchant for blending genres, laid the groundwork for what would become Yenkee. The transition to a solo career allowed him to fully explore his artistic vision, leading to a widely loved series of singles and EPs that garnered him placements on TV series' Normal People and Conversations With Friends and finding fans in people like Florence Pugh. Throughout these early days of Yenkee, ‘Night Golf' would begin to develop. It all started with a throwaway tweet Yenkee had posted in 2014 that simply said “#NightGolf”. The phrase stuck with him for years, eventually guiding the whole album's creation. “I had songs written but I just thought right, that's the name of the album. How do I fit the music around that title?.” The name inspired a strong visual component and evoked an 80s musical awakening within, guiding Yenkee back to his love for that era's music with Prefab Sprout, in particular, becoming a significant influence. Yenkee recorded most of the album himself in various makeshift setups, but his best days were spent with others. Whether that was with producer Peter Brien in his Belfast studio, working with Adam Kaye in Hackney or knocking out single-session songs with Karma Kid in South London, it was these moments that solidified what the album would become. ‘Night Golf' is a labour of love, a project born out of instinct rather than meticulous planning, designed more for dancing than deep contemplation. As Yenkee puts it, “It's only music at the end of the day.”

HousePlants are Paul Noonan and Daithi. They released their second album Half Known Things on October 18 and talk about its creation on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Buy Half Known Things: https://wearehouseplants.bandcamp.com/album/half-known-thingsh HousePlants tour dates: December 27: Roisin Dubh, Galway December 28: Cyprus Avenue, Cork January 11: Dolan's Warehouse, Limerick January 30, 31: Button Factory, Dublin Intro music: HousePlants - Swimming Pool Outro music: HousePlants - Hope is a Hell of a Drug --- Press release: HousePlants have built a reputation for their electrifying live performances, from festivals like All Together Now and Beyond the Pale, to opening slots for legends such as Chic and Leftfield. Their unique combination of energetic rhythms and heart-on-sleeve storytelling has earned them a loyal following. With Half Known Things, the band promises to deliver more of the vibrant, feel-good energy that has become their hallmark, while venturing deeper into sonic experimentation and live band dynamics. Paul Noonan reflects on the evolution from their debut: "This album was very much informed by playing shows with the first one, feeling what was connecting and creating those euphoric collective moments. With Dry Goods, we were sending each other parts from our respective bunkers. This time, we had the luxury of being in the same room for some of it and making decisions in the moment. Every decision, we asked, ‘Will it make the people move?' The result is an album full of heart, heat, and groove, with distorted textures and vibrant beats driving the music forward. From the album opener “In The Right Light” to the seven-minute opus “No Pushover,” Half Known Things pulses with life, capturing the raw, raucous energy of their live performances. Daithí shares his journey throughout the making of the album: "Half Known Things feels alive in a way I've never experienced before – we've tried to capture the wild energy of our live shows and bottle it into these nine tracks. It's music that's messy, human, and alive, which to me is the heart of what HousePlants is all about." Standout tracks include 'Swimming Pool', an upbeat anthem that captures the messy joy of life, and 'My Love My Umbrella', a haunting ballad that draws inspiration from Irish writer John McGahern's works. From start to finish, Half Known Things offers a sonic experience that is simultaneously introspective and celebratory, inviting listeners to lose themselves in the music, and most importantly, have fun.

Cork singer-songwriter Stephanie Rainey has had an interesting year, appearing on America's Got Talent over the summer. She talks about that experience, why she felt like she wanted and needed to do it to shake things up, and her new EP The Highs and Lows of It All, due out next month. Stephanie Rainey tour dates: November 14: Button Factory, Dublin December 18: Cork City Hall --- Press release: In 2015, Stephanie emerged onto the music scene with 'Please Don't Go,' a song born from the depths of her soul, dedicated to her one-year-old nephew, Fionn, who tragically lost his life to meningitis. At a time before ‘going viral' was even coined, the single reached 5 Million people worldwide on YouTube and Facebook when it was first released. Almost 10 years since its first release ‘Please Don't Go' has found new audiences with over 8 million Spotify plays and a staggering 40 million combined views on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram since September 2023. The recent resurgence of 'Please Don't Go' catapulted Stephanie to the top of the Singer-Songwriter Chart in Canada, claiming the number 1 spot, and reaching number 2 in the United States. Her heartfelt music also charted on the main iTunes Charts in Ireland, Australia (reaching number 16 on the Main Chart), and the UK (reaching number 31). The outpouring of support online underscores the song's profound impact, with countless messages attesting to its ability to guide individuals through grief and healing. The accompanying music video, a poignant tapestry of personal tributes, amplifies the song's universal message of love and loss. As a result of this recent resurgence Stephanie travelled from Ireland to bring this heart stopping anthem to the America's Got Talent stage. This audition will air to an audience of 10 million viewers in America alone this June 25. Her new found TikTok fanbase, with over 27 million views, confirms her anthemic songwriting continues to inspire and resonate with audiences around the world, proving that music can be a force for healing and unity. Often compared to the likes of Adele, Dermot Kennedy and Ed Sheeran, Stephanie Rainey possesses a unique voice that is both authentic and honest. Since her breakthrough, Stephanie has amassed over 70 million streams across all her social media platforms and has become one of Ireland's most played female artists on radio. Stephanie Rainey's success in 2021 and 2022, with hit singles like 'Ross & Rachel,' 'No Cowboy,' '13,' and ‘Remember Who Your Friends Are' also showcased her appeal to a new generation of fans. ‘Remember Who Your Friends Are' climbed to No.2 in the Irish Breakers Radio Chart and the top 20 Irish Homegrown Chart. These singles were playlisted across national radio stations such as 2FM, RTE Radio 1, iRadio, Beat 102-103, Cork's 96FM, Today FM, and Northern Ireland's Cool FM. Stephanie also made her Irish TV debut on Ireland's prestigious Late Late Show and The Heart of A Saturday Night.

Cork producer Ruairi Lynch aka Bantum and Listowel-based rapper as Gaeilge Séamus Ó Súilleabháin aka Súil Amháin are the guests on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Bantum has just released his third solo album, which is self-titled, and he also produced, mixed, and mastered the debut album by Súil Amháin, which is called athPhORT. They talk about how they got together, collaborating, and the ideas behind some of their tracks - 'Aisling Fh​é​ile' off athPhORT, for example, was inspired by the River Feale, but there's so much more underlying that. Bantum also talks about feeling particularly creative and creating his latest solo effort. Buy Súil Amháin - athPhORT: https://suilamhain.bandcamp.com/album/athphort-2 Buy Bantum - Bantum: https://bantum.bandcamp.com/album/bantum Intro music: Bantum - Bamboo, Súil Amháin - Viva Liobarnach Outro music: Bantum - Carousel

Gemma Hayes, from Tipperary and now living in West Cork, released her sixth studio album Blind Faith on September 27. It's her first album in 10 years - Gemma says she has reasons for the break: she simply lost the urge to write and was busy raising two children. We talk about all that - how she literally locked away her guitars and subsequently lost confidence in her ability to make music - in this interview. Produced by Hayes with Karl Odlum, David Odlum and Brian Casey from Wavefield Recording Studio in Clonakilty, Blind Faith features Lisa Hannigan on backing vocals on ‘Eye For An Eye' and ‘Feed The Flames', which she also co-wrote, while Paul Noonan duets with Gemma on ‘Another Love'. --- From the press release: The youngest of eight children raised in the small village of Ballyporeen, Co Tipperary, Gemma Hayes' introduced herself to the world with her 2002 debut Night On My Side. With its deft production, ambitious arrangements and Hayes' dreamy, rock-leaning vocal delivery, the album was a critical and commercial success and was nominated for the Mercury Prize (now known as the Choice Music Prize). Since then, she has released four critically acclaimed studio albums and a limited-edition live album, while her music is constantly in demand for film and TV placements. Her version of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game', recorded for the US TV series Pretty Little Liars, now has over 24 million streams on Spotify alone, while she recently contributed to the soundtrack of the film adaptation of Roddy Doyle's Greyhound of a Girl. Buy Blind Faith: http://gemmahayes.com/

Susan O'Neill released her second album Now in a Minute on September 20. Recorded with brothers Cillian and Lorcan Byrne, it was produced by Christian Best at Monique Studios in Midleton, Co Cork, and follows the 2021 collaborative album In the Game with Mick Flannery. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Susan talks about the past couple of years and touring with Mick, how she came back to focus on and create Now in a Minute, and we talk through some of the songs on the record. Susan O'Neill tour dates: October 10: Dolan's, Limerick October 11: Glór, Ennis October 12: Live at St Luke's, Cork October 17: Whelan's, Dublin October 18: Sandinos, Derry October 19: Oh Yeah, Belfast October 20: Spirit Store, Dundalk October 24: The Sky and Ground, Wexford October 25: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray October 26: Connolly's of Leap, Cork October 27: INEC, Killarney October 31: Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo November 1: Róisín Dubh, Galway November 2: Theatre Royal, Waterford November 3: Set Theatre, Kilkenny Songs played: Sign of the Times, Rewire, Tijuana (outro music)

Landless are Lily Power, Méabh Meir, Ruth Clinton and Sinéad Lynch, a vocal quartet coming out of the same Dublin scene as Lankum, Lisa O'Neill and ØXN. They sing centuries old ballads as well as more recently penned folk songs. Lúireach (out now on Glitterbeat) is their second album and as with their acclaimed debut Bleaching Bones (2018), it was produced by John ‘Spud' Murphy, known for his inspired work with artists such as Lankum and ØXN. Sometimes unaccompanied and at times with subtle instrumentation (including Lankum's Cormac MacDiarmada on various instruments), their vocally rich music is dark and patient; spellbinding and gorgeous. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Méabh and Ruth talk through the 10 tracks that comprise Lúireach, what it was like working with Spud, how they create their harmonies, and lots more. Buy Lúireach on Bandcamp: landless.bandcamp.com/album/l-ireach Buy Ruth's book This Fearless Maid 2: marrowbone.ie/shop/this-fearless-maid Listen to TPOE 105: Landless: open.spotify.com/episode/1oANsP8t…57d8a7b994fb412b

Bill Shanley is a guitarist from Clonakilty, West Cork, who has played and made music with, among others, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Ray Davies, Mary Black, Eleanor McEvoy, and Paul Brady. He got lessons with Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience as a youngster and ever since has had a fascinating career. We talk though as much of that career as we can - spoiler alert: it features the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony - in this interview recorded at Clonakilty International Guitar Festival 2023. Clonakilty International Guitar Festival returns September 19-22, 2024 around the town. For more, see Clonguitarfest.com On Garinish Island, West Cork, on September 20-22, Crosstown Drift is taking place. There will be free-to-attend walking tours as well as seated events with writers, poets, musicians and cultural creatives. Cormac Begley and Lisa Hannigan are playing evening concerts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. I'll be chatting to various writers over the weekend including Toner Quinn from the Journal of Music, about his book, What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music. See https://thegoodroompresents.com/

Eoin French aka Talos passed away on Sunday, August 11. This is a repost of TPOE 56, our interview from 2017, around the release of his debut album Wild Alee. Team Talos announced Eoin's death on social media with the following message: It is with great sadness that we let you know that our friend Eoin French, known to many the world over as Talos, has passed away after a short illness. Eoin passed peacefully in his sleep early on the morning of Sunday August 11 2024 in his native Cork, surrounded by his loved ones. A beautiful soul, a true artist, a son, a husband, a father, and a friend. We are devastated by his passing. As was his wish, there will be new music from Talos to share with you all in the future. Music: Talos - In Time (Wild Alee) Talos - All Ours (Dear Chaos) Outro: Collaboration at Sounds from a Safe Harbour 2023 (https://www.instagram.com/p/C6rQq5ysTXe/) Picture: Bríd O'Donovan

Waterford accordion player Seamas Hyland released his debut solo album Maidin Domhnaigh on May 20. A set dancer and traditional singer, Hyland also plays with Acid Granny and John Francis Flynn and has in the past been part of the Mary Wallopers live band. He talks about all these and more on today's episode, as well as where the ideas for the debut album came from, the influence of Waterford and accordion player Bobby Gardiner, and collaborating with RF Chaney. Seamas says: In this recording, I wanted to stay true to the deep tradition of Irish music, but also to record music that doesn't fall under the title of traditional music. Buy Maidin Domhnaigh at https://seamashyland.bandcamp.com/album/maidin-domhnaigh Outro music: Seamas Hyland - Cooley's Delight

A Lazarus Soul released their latest album No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens on July 5 via Bohemia Records. Frontman and lyricist Brian Brannigan talks though all of the 10 tracks that make up the record on this episode of the TPOE podcast. --- A Lazarus Soul tour dates August 23: Coughlan's, Cork August 24: Cleere's, Kilkenny August 25: National Museum, Collins Barracks, Dublin (supporting The The) October 26: Vicar Street, Dublin --- Press release: No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens, (named after a line from The Fall's 'Psykick Dancehall', aptly, as this line-up of A Lazarus Soul came together specifically for a 2011 tribute to that band) is a meditation on wilderness, nature and spirit. Brannigan's lyrics, written during long walks across the Bog of Allen and along the Royal canal, have never been more masterful, reaching new heights of visceral, unflinching song-writing. Brannigan is at the peak of his powers here, capable of turning from eviscerating fury to unexpected moments of tenderness and heartbreak in a single couplet. Songs of police brutality (Black Maria) sit side by side with loving portraits of Moore Street dealers (The Dealers) and thrilling blow-by-blow accounts of three-day benders, worthy of Flann O'Brien (Wildflowers). There is humanity at the heart of all of these songs, even the vicious teacher, meeting out physical abuse on his pupils finds some kind of understanding in Factory Fada. Musically, No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens, is the sound of a band on fire, unleashed after a long period of separation. It is the sound of a band relishing being together once more. Importantly, for a record about wildness, it is a fiercely honest record, made in an old-fashioned way with as little technological interference as possible. Like many of their favourite records, you can hear the mistakes. The approach pays off, especially on GIM, which blossomed from first hearing to the recorded version in just two hours. From the thrilling garage drums and bass of opener, 'Black Maria', to the sparkling electric guitar lines of 'The Flower I Flung Into Her Grave', 'The Dealers' acoustic guitars and strings, the wild harmonium and bowed guitars of 'Wildflowers', to the dreamy 'Diver Walsh' and the Sonic Youth-meets-Richard Thompson 'Factory Fada', this is surely the band's most musically ambitious record to date. --- Buy No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens: https://alazarussoul.bandcamp.com/album/no-flowers-grow-in-cement-gardens-2

July 20, 2024, marks 10 years since Cork venue the Pavilion, run by Pat Conway, Stevie G and Joe Kelly, closed its doors. It left an indelible mark on me and so many music lovers. Friendships were formed there, ideas were hatched, bands were watched, and DJs filled the floors. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, a whole host of the people who loved the Pav recall the six years when the recession took hold of Ireland and the Pavilion opened its doors. The first gig was Evan Dando and the Lemonheads in April 2008. The following year, Kanye West and the xx both graced its stage and the Pav was up and running. Theo Parrish, King Britt, the Pharcyde, Roy Ayers, Floating Points, Franz Ferdinand Eddie Reader, Lee Fields, Candi Staton, NASA, Theesatisfaction, Shabazz Palaces, Sly and Robbie, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Rakim are just some of the big international acts who played the Pav in that time. It also hosted and supported so many Irish acts, from Altered Hours to Hozier, Saint Yorda to Gilla Band. There were club nights like Go Deep, Sunday Times and Floating Joints which called the Pav home over the years. We hear about all of these and more over the course of this episode charting one of the best venues the country has ever seen. Contributors: Joe Kelly Aoife Conway Stevie G Caoilian Sherlock Fish Go Deep (Shane Johnson and Greg Dowling) Gilbert Steele Aisling O'Riordan Bríd O'Donovan Jack Collins Brendan Canty Cathal MacGabhann (Altered Hours) For more, see https://tpoe.substack.com/

Niall Murphy is Oh Boland, from Tuam, Co Galway, and currently based in Dublin. They've released three albums since the band started over 10 years ago - third LP Western Leisure came out May 31. On this episode of the TPOE podcast, Niall talks through all the songs on the album, touring the US, and their journey as a band. Plus going country! Oh Boland launch Western Leisure at Bello Bar, supported by Stupid Son, on Friday, July 5. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oh-boland-stupid-sonwestern-leisure-lp-launchbello-bar-tickets-922903117067 Buy Oh Boland - Western Leisure: https://ohboland.bandcamp.com/album/western-leisure --- Press release: Oh Boland's sound has been described as having a “rare potency”, one that exists in their live shows and two records, their 2016 debut Spilt Milk which featured in Pitchfork's “Best Underground Garage Punk Albums” of that year and its equally visceral successor, Cheap Things. Over the course of the Tuam-via-Dublin-based band's lifespan, Oh Boland has existed in several guises and their forthcoming third record heralds a compelling new phase as the solo project of founding member, Niall Murphy. The self-produced Western Leisure (mixed and mastered by Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control) signifies an electrifying artistic evolution spurred by Murphy's unwavering musical curiosity which hears him experiment with wistful Country motifs alongside Oh Boland's synonymous noise-rock tendencies. Written over a handful of years, many of which were spent in solitude, away from familiar recording practices and live performances, the making of this record presented Murphy with opportunities to wholeheartedly engage in musical and personal exploration. Following a shift in Oh Boland's line-up in 2018 and a period of touring, Murphy worked alone to create demos that would eventually grow into these ten simultaneously invigorating and introspective compositions. Drawing from a number of influences such as Robert Wyatt's 1974 LP Rock Bottom, Arthur Russell, and Pavement's sprawling and ambitious Wowee Zowee, Murphy describes how Western Leisure was shaped by a renewed approach and process to songwriting. “I felt unencumbered when I was writing these songs. I suppose, there's sometimes an insular nature to making music, to have the necessary headspace to write. During that time, I was alone with a lot of records, listening to some different things and found myself naturally drifting outside of the lines a little bit to what I was used to doing.” Produced by Mark Chester Recorded at Start Together, Belfast, September 2021 Mixed and Mastered by Mikey Young Words and Music by Niall Murphy Niall Murphy- Guitars, Drums, Piano, Organ, Rhodes, Steel Guitar, Vocals Ross Hamer- Bass, Vocals Artwork by Joe Casey Digitised by Aoife Anna Mullan

John Meagher returns to the show to talk about the latest list he's compiled for the Irish Independent: The best Irish songs of all time — ranked: the definitive top 50. He talks about the work involved in putting it together, why there are three songs by Sinéad O'Connor in the top five, but no U2 in the top 10, why the Republic of Ireland team are in there with 'Put 'Em Under Pressure' but not Horslips, and why the Undertones' Teenage Kicks was the obvious polltopper, along with some other talking points about the list. John asked 50 people, including myself, to send in our top 10 and he put it all together - there's a lot of work involved, and no matter your anger or thoughts about the list, fair play to John for the work put into it. Read 'The best Irish songs of all time — ranked: the definitive top 50': https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/the-best-irish-songs-of-all-time-ranked-the-definitive-top-50/a1314511932.html

Dublin singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow released his seventh studio album Wide Open, Horses on June 14 and talks through its 13 songs on this track-by-track interview on the TPOE podcast. -- From the press release: In 2023, he brought Wide Open, Horses to life—on stage. He booked two nights at The National Concert Hall in Dublin, recorded a handful of lo-fi demos, practiced the material for a week, and then hit the stage. Phones weren't allowed, but James recorded it to “see what worked and what didn't work.” “I literally performed the album before it was recorded,” he smiles. “The whole point was to expose the flaws and also highlight the special little moments. It was an odd experiment, but it worked great. The notion is so simple, ‘Write songs and perform them live'. Without cameras, they were the best shows I've ever played—which is interesting because no one knew the music! Everyone was just experiencing it though. I had friends in the lobby talking to strangers. Who talks to strangers anymore? It was lovely. It was a heartening experience for everyone involved.” Galvanized by this energy, he hit the studio and assembled Wide Open, Horses. The opener and single “Never Gone” hinges on finger-picked guitar, soft tambourine, and steady handclaps as he wonders, “Cuz what the fuck are any of us really doing here? Do we even exist at all?” “It's the anchor of the record,” he notes. “It sums up the whole album; you're just trying to fight meaninglessness. I always felt like I've been trying to find meaning so I could be remembered. When you don't find it, it doesn't feel good. I got to a point where I was like, ‘I fucking love this. I don't care. If my friends, family, and people who know me as a musician love it, then I'm happy'. I regretted missing so many beautiful moments, because I'd get off stage like, ‘What's the next opportunity?' I've come to terms with the fact that when I die, I'll be forgotten, and it's okay. We all will. It felt ridiculous to fight it. Embracing it was very freeing. ‘Never Gone' is just about appreciating what's here for you in the moment. Fans got to preview the track earlier this week with a live video of McMorrow performing the track in the wilderness. “To me, the album is about finding relief from the cycle of life's pressure,” McMorrow continues. “I don't think the theory ‘modernity equals better' holds much water these days. The more technology we add, the more unhappy everyone seems to be. I don't want to move backwards, but I felt a sense of nostalgia and happiness in the album. It would be grandiose of me to think I could offer you some profound release through words and lyrics, but maybe I can…The job is to make a record I love and hopefully offer a respite. Maybe we can all get back to a life where we aren't so obsessed with trying to seek out meaning from absolutely everything.” In the end, James Vincent McMorrow simply sounds alive on Wide Open, Horses. “I'm grateful to be here,” he leaves off. “The whole process was rebuilding myself and my connection to music, who I am, and what I wanted to be when I was starting out at 20-years-old. I struggle like everyone else does, but I'm going to appreciate the fuck out of every moment I get now. When I play shows, I want them to be shows you talk about for years. Going through hardship, I'm back to a point where I can see myself very clearly in the music and I know what I can do.”

Galway artist Niamh Regan released her second album Come As You Are on May 31. On this episode we talk through all 10 of its tracks, as well as a not-very-secret hidden track, plus some of the fun things that she's experienced since releasing debut album Hemet in 2020. -- From the press release: Since its release, Niamh has embarked on headline tours from Ireland, to UK, Australia, Spain + more. Pairing this with many festivals and a variety of support opportunities with artist such as CMAT, Villagers, John Grant, SOAK, Patrick Watson, Sam Amidon, Cormac Begley, and Sorcha Richardson. In between her performances, Niamh began to write her second record in Attica Studios with producer Tommy McLaughlin. She says, ‘I arrived in Donegal to meet Tommy for the first time with a bunch of demos, half-baked ideas and feeling not ready, it was scary. But I'm so glad that I did it that way. Trusted the process and came into the studio with the intention of capturing exactly where I was with it all and Tommy helped me build from there.' And here we are, with the release of that second album, titled ‘Come As You Are'. It's an album full of acutely observed vulnerabilities and introspection. Its themes are the issues that many of us find loom large in the small hours: questions of self-doubt, uncertainty about your life's direction, whether relationships are flourishing in the way you'd hoped and determining priorities. “A lot of it is about being in your late twenties and kind of realising we're all running out of time,” she ponders. “I'd have bouts of massive self-belief in the studio, and then in the next breath I would be like, ‘This is the worst piece of music I could have even imagined.' It was a rollercoaster. But through that I found self-acceptance; this is where I'm at and making peace with that. That's what the album essentially is, just making peace with where I'm at and being realistic with myself.” -- Niamh Regan tour dates: June 13: Windmill Live Show w/James Vincent McMorrow, Dublin (solo) June 16: Doolin Folk Festival (full band) July 16: Galway International Arts Festival (full band) July 25: Song Room, Wexford (solo) August 2: All Together Now August 12: Kilkenny Arts Festival (solo) August 17: Electric Picnic (solo) November 14: Cyprus Avenue, Cork (full band) November 15: Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin (full band) -- Buy Niamh Regan - Come As You Are: https://niamhregan.bandcamp.com/album/come-as-you-are

San Francisco-based Irish musician Shane Culloty aka Winter Aid released his second album under the moniker, titled Pull the Sky Inside, on May 17. He talks through all 15 songs on the record on this episode of the TPOE podcast. -- The 15-song collection, produced with Larry Crane (Elliott Smith, The Decemberists) and Chuck Johnson (Daniel Bachman, Claire Rousay), finds Culloty stretching the extremities as to what is sonically expected from a collection of Winter Aid songs, weaving in electronic sonic strands and new percussive elements. Having uprooted from Dublin to San Francisco with his wife, assimilating to life in a new city and country shortly led into the pandemic and lockdown. The songs that came out of this gestation period finds Culloty fully exploring his new surroundings. It's an urban pastoral record, full of flickering images, still lifes from once bustling streets, and a world suddenly torn in different directions. Upheaval, inequality, fear and uncertainty, all captured within the beauty of life, love and a fragile environment in need of nurture. The title track, 'Pull The Sky Inside', was written in the midst of the pandemic, a period of struggle in a new city, far away from family. “I would spend a lot of time watching the sun go down over San Francisco,” notes Culloty. "I was struck by the idea of pulling the sunset sky indoors to preserve it and fall asleep in it. It seemed like a good solution to the darkness I was experiencing and once I finally recorded the line and finished the song, things felt a lot easier.” Ultimately Pull The Sky Inside captures that sense of displacement: feeling a bit unmoored and out of place, but constantly trying to explore new scenery. It's a record with one foot in Culloty's home back in Ireland, while very much a reflection of his new surroundings, attempting to make sense of everything going on around him. -- Buy Pull the Sky Inside on Bandcamp: https://winteraid.bandcamp.com/album/pull-the-sky-inside

Conor O'Brien aka Villagers released their sixth studio album That Golden Time on May 10 via Domino Records and talks through its 10 tracks on this episode of the TPOE podcast. ---- From the press release: After the band-centred sessions of its predecessor Fever Dreams, That Golden Time's solo-centric core was not forced on O'Brien by lockdown. “For me, That Golden Time has an internalised voice, so much so that I almost found it impossible to let anyone else in,” he says. “It's probably the most vulnerable album I've made. I played and recorded everything in my apartment, and finally, towards the end, invited people in.” Aside from Dónal Lunny, the album features American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick on violin, David Tapley of Dublin band Tandem Felix on pedal steel guitar, and a group of players that O'Brien had first seen performing in a tribute to one of his great loves, Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who added soprano vocal, viola and cello. The understated poetry within That Golden Time is effortlessly carried by gorgeous melodies and sublime instrumentation. Inspired by philosophers, poets, playwrights and singer-songwriters that had seeped into O'Brien's consciousness: namechecks this time go to Friedrich Nietzsche (his Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future is quoted in the album's accompanying booklet), Dory Previn, Marcus Aurelius, Fintan O'Toole, Lorraine Hansberry, Chet Baker, Joan Didion, PJ Harvey and post-classical beauties Rachel's. --- Villagers Irish tour dates: June 29: Trinity College Dublin December 3: Cork Opera House December 4: Dolan's Warehouse, Limerick December 5: INEC Club, Killarney December 7: Mandela Hall, Belfast December 11: Set Theatre, Kilkenny December 12: Leisureland, Galway --- Passing a Message Passing a Message contains the lyrics to over 80 songs, with artwork and photographs, along with previously unseen notebook lyric drafts and drawings curated by Conor for his musical project, Villagers. Presented as a full-colour hardback book, with a unique glow-in-the-dark cover, there will also be a limited deluxe edition which comes with a 7" vinyl featuring an exclusive unreleased track 'Pictures of the Floating World' (featuring Rachael Lavelle). Both editions are now available for preorder for release on September 12 on Faber Links and info: https://linktr.ee/passingamessage --- Villagers Substack: https://villagersofficial.substack.com/

Dublin dance duo Robbie G and Bissett aka Belters Only are one of the hottest acts in the country. With tunes like 'Make Me Feel Good' to their name and having co-produced the Ivor Novello-nominated 'Giving Me' with Jazzy, they sold out the 3Arena in Dublin in less than 30 minutes in 2023. Over the June bank holiday weekend, they're putting on their own festival at Punchestown, featuring MK, Dom Dolla, NewEra, Conor Coates, Jen Payne Obskür, Route 94, and of course Jazzy. Belters Only also play Ormeau Park, Belfast, June 14; Virgin Media Park, Cork, June 21; and Galway Airport August 11. On today's show they talk about their journey, making 'Giving Me' with Jazzy, closing hours in Ireland, and what's next.

Pillow Queens (singer Pamela Connolly, bassist Sarah Corcoran, guitarist Cathy McGuinness, and drummer Rachel Lyons) released their third album Name Your Sorrow on April 19 and talk through all 12 songs on it in this interview. --- From the press release: It finds the group at their most vulnerable and self-assured as they explore themes of queerness, insecurity, desire and heartbreak as well as the positivity and strength that can grow from pain. Produced by Collin Pastore (Lucy Dacus, boygenius) at Analogue Catalogue in Northern Ireland, the collection sees the group chart new territory as they give fans an all new, uninhibited look at both their artistry and humanity ---- Pillow Queens play their biggest headline show to date at Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, on Saturday, July 13. Tickets: https://www.pillowqueens.com/live Buy Pillow Queens - Name Your Sorrow: https://pillowqueens.bandcamp.com/album/name-your-sorrow

Dublin-born, London-based Constance Keane aka Fears released her second album affinity on Tulle Records in March 2024. She talks through the 10 tracks on the album on this episode of the TPOE podcast. One part of the post-punk band M(h)aol, she also discusses their past year and latest single 'Pursuit', the first on which Keane takes lead vocals. --- Affinity follows her critically acclaimed 2021 debut album Oíche, that landed in the UK vinyl album charts, was chosen by readers of The Guardian as an album of the year, and received widespread radio support for debut single 'Tonnta''. The 10 tracks that make up affinity draw on human connection, intimacy, and 
moments of peace in a city; combining reflective electronics, acoustic samples, and stirring vocals with organic visuals, blurring the boundaries between music and visual art. Her minimalist yet striking approach centres on emotive subjects which are all-at-once deeply personal yet remarkably universal. Written and recorded between London, New York, and Dublin, affinity is a melancholy and at times playful exploration of the relationship 
between Fears' physical surroundings and the work she creates. --- Fears plays the Sugar Club, Dublin, on June 1. Tickets: https://singularartists.ie/show/fears/ Buy Fears - affinity on Bandcamp: https://fearsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/affinity

Kieran McFeely aka Simple Kid released two acclaimed albums in the noughties before seeming to disappear around 2008. He sold his guitar and packed away his gear. A decade would pass before he went looking for the boxes in his attic. Simple Kid released third album Simple Kid 3: Health & Safety in 2022, and played a show at Whelan's in April 2023. Now, Simple Kid plays the Grand Social in Dublin on Saturday, May 4, and Cyprus Avenue, Cork, on Sunday, May 5, presented by Singular Artists. From Cork, it will be his first hometown show in 17 years. Ahead of the shows, he talks on the TPOE podcast about his journey, how he came back to the Simple Kid project after 10 years not thinking about it. We talk about his old band the V Necks/The Young Offenders, and how that led to his solo project in the early 2000s. Acclaim, charting, and an appearance on 'Later with Jools Holland' all followed. Buy tickets for Simple Kid live at the Grand Social and Cyprus Avenue: https://singularartists.ie/show/simple-kid-2024/ ----- Press release: Once upon a time, back in 2003, a young hopeful by the name of Simple Kid emerged with his first solo album, Simple Kid 1: full of optimism and arrogance, he was sure of his place in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He garnered some awards nominations, some high profile tours, some good times, some bad. Like many before and since, he was ‘the next big thing' with a UK Top 40, appearances on ‘Later With Jools', Glastonbury slots and prestigious touring. In 2008, he followed this up with Simple Kid 2: not so many awards, not so much TV, lots of touring but running out of money, hair receding, girlfriend pregnant. Then along came ‘life'. And life said that Simple Kid needed to change the chapter in his book, to move on. So Simple Kid became Kieran and started to do things like: get a job, get tired, raise children, have financial struggles. Still some good times, some bad. But secretly in 2018, Kieran bought a guitar, a microphone and some speakers and started recording quietly in his loft. He didn't tell anyone, not even his family. He started uploading songs to YouTube and eventually released 13 of these songs as an album called ‘Simple Kid 3: Health & Safety' in 2022. Kieran has now changed his name back to Simple Kid and decided to come out to play again. He imagines there will be some good times, some bad.

Anamoe Drive is the solo project of Thumper frontman and guitarist Oisín Leahy Furlong. He released his debut album Breakfast in Bed via Faction Records on March 8 and talks through it track by track on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Oisin says Breakfast in Bed is a breakup album told in three parts. The non-linear narrative flits between the throes of heartbreak to the bliss of new love, from the depths of loneliness, to the slow dissipating of these feelings in the rearview mirror. The album's title reflects different meanings depending on which song you view it through - from a kind gesture, to a lonely act, to the masticating of these themes in solitude. It also doubles as the place where most of these songs were written - perched on a bed, the morning after the night before, recapping these events in song. He says influences range from Sparklehorse to The Microphones, Bright Eyes to The Beach Boys, and Big Thief to Real Estate. Buy Breakfast in Bed: https://anamoedrive.bandcamp.com/ Tracklisting 1. The Same Asylum 2. Goodbye & Goodluck 3. Out Like a Light 4. Bulb 5. The Finder's Keeper 6. Long Time Coming 7. Procrastination 8. NYC 9. Holiday Song 10. Don't Walk the Wrong One Home

Singer/bassist Julie Hough and guitarist Matthew Harris from Dublin-based pop-punk trio Havvk talk through all the tracks on their third album To Fall Asleep, released on Veta Records. Julie's battles with insomnia are one of the influences on the album. She says: “I was waking up with an unshakable feeling of urgency, like I was forgetting something and then letting my thoughts spiral for hours. Sleep was something I had always taken for granted, so at first this felt like a huge betrayal from my body. But it wasn't really. Actually, it was my body trying to tell me something. I had to really listen to it, and examine how honestly I was living my life, and how much energy I was giving to things that I didn't have the capacity for." To Fall Asleep tracklisting: 1. Daylight Robbery 2. Expiry 3. Strong Possibility 4. You Say You Won't (played in intro) 5. White Noise 6. To Fall Asleep 7. Take It From Me 8. Keep It to Myself 9. City Creep 10. Waste of Time 11. Nobody Told You (outro music) Buy To Fall Asleep on Bandcamp: https://havvk.bandcamp.com/album/to-fall-asleep

Dublin singer-songwrriter Danny Carroll released his debut solo album I am the Cheese on March 1. He talks through the nine tracks on this TPOE 304. --- Press release: Part of the Dublin music scene for years, Danny Carroll is co-curator of A Litany Of Failures compilation series showcasing independent artists from across Ireland.  Having gigged in various projects, he's opened for kindred spirits such as Jeffrey Lewis and Pavement guitarist Spiral Stairs before the time came to work on his debut solo album. Enlisting the help of Belfast based producer Chris W. Ryan (New Dad, Just Mustard, Robocobra Quartet), the two developed songs with a playful, anything goes approach, with Carroll's songs likened to softer touchstones of indie rock - Silver Jews, Jonathan Richman, and Lee Hazlewood. --- Danny explains: I Am The Cheese is an album I initially recorded with Chris W. Ryan in a week in June 2021. We did this in a terraced house in East Belfast - visited by Carl Eccles on two occasions to play guitar and sing some backing vocals. In the months that followed, Finn McCarthy emailed me bass parts, and I added various bells and whistles to the songs from a flat on North Circular Road in Dublin 7. Laura Ryder also contributed piano to the song Cheesemonger. The drums were performed and recorded by Chris on one day in January 2022 in Start Together Studios. He then mixed the album, and eventually I got it mastered by the late, great John Davis (Blur, The XX, Careerist) who passed away in September 2023. I've sat on the album a long time, in part down due to vinyl pressing, in part due to personal reasons. The mental fortitude it takes to independently 'emerge' and 'unleash' is not always forthcoming. At this point the album feels like a distant document. Nevertheless, it's still something I'm happy to have made for myself. The title is taken from the 1977 Robert Cormier YA novel, which haunted my adolescence. The final lines of the novel refer back to the folk song 'The Farmer In The Dell': "The cheese stands alone. The cheese stands alone. Hi-ho, the derry-o! The cheese stands alone" For a number of reasons it felt fitting to lift that title. credits

Singer-songwriter Niamh Bury released her debut solo album Yellow Roses on March 29 via Claddagh Records. Produced by Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds), it features Caimin Gilmore and Kate Ellis (Crash Ensemble) and Ryan Hargodan (Rachael Lavelle), but it is Bury's amazing voice that stands out as she weaves tales about travel, mysticism, and domesticity, with a theme of female empowerment coming through, particularly when she sings of her mother on one song and her grandmother on the title track. Comprising nine original tracks and one interpretation of an older song ('Lovely Adam'), Niamh Bury talks through Yellow Roses on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Niamh Bury tour dates: April 12: American Bar, Belfast April 21: Róisín Dubh, Galway April 24: Upstairs at Dolan's, Limerick April 25: Cleere's, Kilkenny April 26: Winthrop Avenue, Cork April 28: Whelan's, Dublin Buy Yellow Roses: https://www.niamhbury.com/

Willie Stewart runs Nyahh Records from his home in Co Leitrim. After releasing the brilliant I Am Kurdish by Mohammad Syfkhan in February, Willie talks about how that album came together and talks about Mohammad's story and musical output. Then he talks through other releases on the label, like Natalia Beylis' collaboration with Eimear Reidy, Ian Lynch's solo debut, and the two compilations from 2023: A Collection of Songs in the Traditional & Sean​-​N​ó​s Style and Under the Island: Experimental Music in Ireland 1960-1994. Nyahh Records discography on Bandcamp: https://nyahhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-island-experimental-music-in-ireland-1960-1994 Ley Lines: https://daily.bandcamp.com/ley-lines/ley-lines-february-2024 Mohammad Syfkhan tour dates: March 28: Record Room, Limerick March 29: Bello Bar, Dublin April 4: Vicar Street (Gig for Gaza, w/ ØXN, Junior Brother, Pretty Happy) Mohammad Syfkhan is a Kurdish/Syrian Singer and Bouzouki player. He began playing music in 1980 while he was in college studying nursing. When he got his degree in 1983, Mohammad moved to the city of Raqqa, Syria where he began working as a professional singer and started his own band, The Al-Rabie Band which played concerts, parties, weddings and festivals all over Syria. The Al-Rabie Band were a much sought-after group. Their live sets included Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish and some Western songs as well as Mohammad's own original material. Mohammad continued to play with his band while also working as a surgical nurse until the war broke out in 2011. This unfortunately brought tragedy to Mohammad's family when one of his sons was killed by Isis thus threatening the lives of the rest of his family. His family had no choice but to leave their home and seek safety in Europe. Three of Mohammad's sons were resettled in Germany while Mohammad, his young daughter and wife were taken in by Ireland. Mohammad has spoken at length of his confusion and despair with fundamentalists and how their message is a far cry from the teachings of love and understanding that he considers the true message of Islam. Since arriving in Ireland, Mohammad has used the language of music to integrate into the local community by playing at private parties and concerts. He regularly plays at weddings and events for the Kurdish and Syrian communities all over Ireland and in Germany. He has collaborated with such Irish artists as Martin Hayes, Cormac Begley, Eimear Reidy, Cathal Roche and Vincent Woods. In 2023 he opened for Lankum at the Cork Opera House and received huge applause from the packed out room. Mohammad's own brand of ecstatic music takes elements from Middle Eastern and North African music to create an atmosphere of joy, love and happiness. The songs on ‘I am Kurdish' have been recorded and mixed with the view to make them to suitable for listening to at a small get together or to be played on a big rig at night clubs. Either way, it is a record that will make people dance. Three of the tracks on the album feature accompaniment by two fellow Leitrim-based musicians: composer, improviser, sound artist and saxophonist Cathal Roche and composer, improviser and cellist Eimear Reidy. Mohammad says: “I thank everyone who has stood with me and supported me. And I especially thank the Irish people who have engaged with my music in such a wonderful way. I consider myself lucky to have come to this wonderful country that has welcomed me and all refugees. I thank God for everything, and now, thanks to this wonderful country, I am a musician and have a safe home. Thank you to the Irish government and people for giving me the honour of calling this country my home.”

Driven Snow aka husband and wife Kieran and Emily released their debut album A Kind of Dreaming on February 9. An intimate collection of nine songs, it's a glance into a relationship, friendship, and all that that entails, with loss and doubt and worries along the way. But there's also hope - like they sing on closing track 'Nothing as Hard as Love': "Life calls me to breathe, calls me to breathe for us. Time makes me believe." On this episode, Kieran and Emily talk through all the tracks that comprise A Kind of Dreaming, how they started and developed, their lyrics, and inspiration. First they take us back 20 years to when and how they met - and their bands Delorentos and Republic of Loose. Driven Snow tour dates: March 22: Winthrop Avenue, Cork March 23: Kasbah @ Dolan's, Limerick April 6: Roisin Dubh, Galway

It's the 300th episode of the TPOE podcast!!! To celebrate, we asked some friends of the show to pick their favourite moment/gig/song/album of the past nine years or so since the show began (summer 2015, since you ask). Thanks to everybody who's listened to TPOE, thanks to all the guests over the years, and thanks to Irish music! You'll hear from: 13.45: Niamh Regan 16.01: Swimmers Jackson 20.55: God Knows 25.10: Brian Coney 29.50: Ailbhe Reddy 33.25: Steve Ryan 35.25: Stevie G 40.45: Jack O'Rourke 43.40: Brian Brannigan (A Lazarus Soul) 50.38: Lankum Choice Prize acceptance speech

Neil O'Connor aka Ordnance Survey released his latest album Turas (Journey) on December 1 and talks through the tracks and creative process in this interview. He says Turas (Journey) is the most ambitious Ordnance Survey record to date. The field recordings used on Turas were captured with both analog and digital devices at passage and wedge tombs across Meath, West Cork, Wicklow, Connemara and Roscommon. To make use of the tombs' acoustics, elements like percussion were recorded in the tombs and through the process of re-amplification (playing pre-recorded material back in the tombs), this 3000-year-old reverberation became a major part of the sound world that the listener experience. Turas is an electronically mediated journey that allows these historical sites to become an important collaborative factor in the creative process. Guest collaborators include Roger Doyle (Piano), Gareth Quinn Redmond (Violin), and Billy Mag Fhloinn (Yaybahar). Also known as Somadrone, all of Neil's work can be found and purchased at https://scintillarecordings.bandcamp.com/music