The Irish music scene is thriving across all genres at the minute, and we cannot get enough. From new era pop icons and folk crooners to noisy post-punk rockers, it’s all present and accounted for. Here are some of the names in our current rotation for you to support with merch, streams, and gig tickets…
Meghan Killalea, Branded Partnerships – Marketing Account Executive
I adore music, and I’m a bit of a chameleon when it comes to what I listen to. Whether it’s 80’s rock, ABBA, Hozier, musical theatre, or jamming out to some Noah Kahan, I love anything with a good beat and great musicality. A band I’ve been absolutely loving recently is Four Faces from Dublin. I was lucky enough to attend their recent sold out gig in Whelans and I enjoyed every last minute of it. A mixture of synth rock and indie, they’ve got a great sound and are definitely one to watch. I’ve been particularly hooked on their song ‘Old Scars’ but they also have lots of other great tunes to check out.
Emily O’Neill, Branded Partnerships – Marketing Account Executive
99% of my playlists on Spotify are full of Irish artists and it’s something I am proud of. We are so lucky to have some of the most talented musicians, new and old on our little island. At Electric Picnic this year I tried to see as many homegrown sets as possible and I was not disappointed. Amble, a three piece band from the midlands and west of Ireland were the highlight of my entire weekend. I have been a fan for a long time but never had the opportunity to see them live before then. Every single song of theirs has a story to it which is what has drawn me to them. If you haven’t given them a listen yet, I would highly recommend this playlist!
Sarah Gill, Features Editor
The Irish scene is an absolute smorgasbord of talent at the moment, piled high with just about every kind of sound you could hope for. For those enamoured by more pared back, indie softness, there’s the likes of Maria Kelly, Sorcha Richardson, and Morgana (special mention to their collab single, ‘Naked and Swimming’, which is an extremely beautiful listening experience.
Elsewhere, for those more fond of layers and layers of noise, I would recommend new tune from The Murder Capital, ‘Can’t Pretend to Know’, ‘Supermum!’ from three-piece garage band Adore, and ‘Cortana’ by Belfast boys, Enola Gay. It would also be remiss not to mention new album Romance from Fontaines DC, which is a good contender for Irish album of the year. I’m also patiently waiting for new music from Just Mustard, who have been popping up here and there with live shows, so I’m optimistic.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending a recording of RTÉ 2XM’s Sessions from Oblivion in Cyprus Avenue, during which a selection of local acts took to the stage and it was incredible. If you’re a fan of pop-indie rock fusion, you’ll love The Cliffords. I still have goosebumps from lead singer Iona Lynch’s insane vocals.
Megan Burns, Editor, IMAGE Interiors; Deputy Editor, IMAGE
Soda Blonde are always on my Spotify rotation, their music is something I never get bored of. I also have tickets to see both Villagers and Pillow Queens in November, so I’m looking forward to seeing both these amazing Irish bands live.
Joanne Kennedy, Senior Events Executive
I’m a huge fan of Cork native LYRA — I absolutely love her! And I recently came across Jamie Duffy. He’s a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Glaslough in Monaghan, and he’s incredible, super talented. Jamie blends traditional, popular and classical influences into his music, to create sounds that are beautiful, evocative and unique.
Sarah Finnan, Deputy Digital Editor
My undying love for CMAT has been well-documented at this stage so needless to say, both of her albums are still on heavy rotation. I was also introduced to Aby Coulibaly at All Together Now this year and having just supported Coldplay at all of their Irish shows, I think it’s safe to say that her star is massively on the rise. She’s got incredible style and her soulful vocals are the perfect tonic for a rainy autumn evening.
Other favourites include Kneecap who I’ve become obsessed with since seeing their self-titled film a couple of weeks ago (“H.O.O.D” is particularly catchy) and Rachel-Mae Hannon, who is probably too cool for her own good.
Finally, a special shout out to my college pal Cormac Looby, whose songs I’ve had on repeat for years. His sound is quite folky, though he also incorporates elements of pop and rock so there’s something for everyone. If you like Phoebe Bridgers, Sam Fender and Bell X1, you’ll like him.
Jolene Reid, Business Development Manager
Dublin-born Fiach Moriarty is one of Ireland’s top songwriters, and has just released a new single, ‘I’m For Gallipoli’, which I just love. He’s got a new concept album called Liberties coming out on Friday 18 October, which I’m really looking forward to. He also comes highly recommended by Damien Dempsey, who features on his latest single. Definitely check it out.
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