POSTS TAGGED : Folk

Brí – ‘Low Supply’

Brí is a Dublin-based musician and singer-songwriter from Offaly.

Drawing from a deep well of folk influences ranging from Birdy, Laura Marling, Lisa Hannigan and Gabrielle Aplin, along with subtle touches of psychedelia and electronica, Brí crafts her own unique brand of beautiful, expansive, fragile and experimental psych-folk It is something born out on exquisite new single ‘Low Supply’, and aided and abetted by producer Darragh Nolan of Asta Kalapa studios and guitarist Aidan Mulloy, it is a perfect introduction to Brí.

‘Low Supply’ is a languid psych-folk daydreamer that whisks us away on a lush meditative journey. Swirling layers of vocal harmony gently unfurl an essence of pastoral warmth as it meanders along a soft beat, splashes of subtle electronics and rhythmic psych undulations. It is a mesmeric canvas for Brí’s bewitching atmospheric tones to transfix the listener entirely. An elegant, awe-inspiring and charming blend of shimmering pastoral psych-folk; it is a hazy, soothing and altogether wonderful song.

To celebrate the single’s release, Brí plays Whelan’s Upstairs, in Dublin on Tuesday. June 11. For further details / tickets etc. click here

In the meantime, you can listen to ‘Low Supply’ below.


Chloe Foy – ‘Oh You Are Not Well’

Chloe Foy a Manchester-based singer, songwriter and folk artist drawing inspiration from a deep well of folk, psychedelia and classical music influences, to craft songs of carefully constructed arrangements that delicately compliment cryptic lyrics.

With a debut album in the pipeline, Foy’s latest single ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ is a stunning encapsulation of this sound and provides a perfect introduction to her delectable talents. This is beautiful, expansive, fragile and melodic folk, with ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ feeding off delicate yet intense atmospheres, backed with sweeping spectral tones, spurts of stomping but cushioned bass drum and rhythmic guitar strum. This exquisite textured sound is imbued with emotional sadness and honesty, resilience and defiance, creating an elegant yet intense atmosphere as with her strikingly beautiful voice, runs the gamut of shades too with bewitching results. ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ is exquisite, experimental and intense – it is simply stunning and will bend you to the power of its whim.

As mentioned earlier, a debut album in the offing, but before all that it is time to become acquainted with the engrossing splendour that is ‘Oh You Are Not Well’.

Swimmers Jackson – ‘Believe’

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London-based Dubliner Niall Jackson aka Swimmers Jackson is probably best known for his bass-wielding duties with indie-rock quartet Bouts but aside from that, he’s also known to sporadically serve some sublime sounds via his solo guise, Swimmers Jackson.

Jackson has just released his fourth solo single ‘Believe’; a passionate, heartfelt and stripped back acoustic ballad – his finest release to date. A carefully-crafted tale, imbued with honesty and realness, it revolves around a gently melodic acoustic strum and Jackson’s fervent and deeply touching vocals as he tells a tale of refusing to give up on love and an unwavering belief that things can be worked out. ‘Believe’ is an emotive, compelling and beautiful three-and-a-half minutes that wields a powerful spell.

Listen to ‘Believe’ below

Adam Melchor – ‘Plan on You’

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Adam Melchor is a Jersey-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter with a penchant for rich, melodic and heartfelt old-fashioned pop.

Melchor introduced himself to us last month with swooning slice of orchestral-esque pop ‘3 Hours Ahead’ and as he prepares to release his Plan on You EP this month, he has returned with the equally alluring ‘Plan on You’. It is an intoxicating single, sweet, heartfelt and imbued with a pang of nostalgia. Drifting, delicately, this wistful indie-pop ballad purrs with a rich, dripping melody. It is a beautiful song plain and simple – musically and lyrically – it is warm, hazy and heart-strung. It will take a cold heart to be enamoured by this beauty.

Listen to ‘Plan on You’ below – and keep your eyes peeled for the Plan on You EP later this month.

Simen Mitlid – ‘Tell Me Everything’

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Simen Mitlid is a precociously talented singer-songwriter hailing from the woodlands of Os, Norway, crafting lush, Nordic indie-folk a la contemporaries like Sufjan Stevens, Broken Social Scene and Patrick Watson.

Mitlid is preparing to release a follow-up to his wonderfully charming 2017 debut LP, Everything is the Same this year and having already treated us to the beautiful ‘Saturdays’, Mitlid has shared a second single ‘Tell Me Everything’. It is a beautiful, bright and colourful folk song buoyed by a perky mood, irresistible melody and marked by an optimism and warm inviting glow. Amid the glimmer, there is a mild undercurrent of melancholy due to Mitlid’s rich, emotive and tender vocal delivery. ‘Tell Me Everything’ is bright, buoyant, intimate and touching all at once – it is an absolute treasure.

Nothing concrete on the new album as yet – title, release date etc. – but for now, sit tight and enjoy ‘Tell Me Everything’.

Ben’s Imaginary Band – ‘Celebrity’

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Ben’s Imaginary Band is the work of Ben Romvari, a Canadian musician with a serious penchant for DIY and indie. Essentially a one-man band with Romvari looking after every role possible; he writes, records, and mixes his tracks in DIY studios based in Victoria, BC.

To date, Romvari has three albums to his name (or Ben’s Imaginary Band rather) Nocturnal Fables and Illusions (2007), Trust (2011) and The Apartment (2018); all characterised by intimate, deeply personal, melodic, somewhat melancholic and beautiful songs. Ben’s Imaginary Band’s latest single ‘Celebrity’, lifted from the latter record, is adorned with all the aforementioned attributes. ‘Celebrity’ is a charming, heartfelt and soft-centred piece of indie-pop balladry. Drifting along some gently tripping percussion and stripped back instrumentation, ‘Celebrity’ is dripping with melody and pitted with an idiosyncratic, kind of quirky sensibility as Romvari’s hushed, whispering vocals tug at the heartstrings.

Listen to ‘Celebrity’ below and The Apartment comes highly recommended also – listen to it here.

Tender Glue – ‘Dear Peri’

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New York City-based folk singer-songwriter Tom Gluewicki, aka Tender Glue, specialises in tender, rich and heartfelt lo-fi dream-pop – as evidenced by his debut record Closet Leftovers, released toward the back end of last year.

‘Dear Peri’ is the latest single to be lifted from his debut and is cut from a similar cloth to previous releases, ‘Lights Out’, ‘Rudy’ and ‘Back Home’. Recorded in the closet of his apartment, ‘Dear Peri’ is a wistful and melancholic guitar-driven ballad tempered with a heartfelt sense of loss and longing. The guitar strums amid a sombre, late-night sort of atmosphere that is eroded by a growing distorted sound that swells as Gluewicki’s voice clambers to be heard. ‘Dear Peri’ is yet another, in a long line of powerful, heartfelt and beautiful songs from the NYC-based artist.

Listen to ‘Dear Peri’ below and you can listen to the album Closet Leftovers here.

Introducing: Durty Mick

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Durty Mick is the musical moniker of Kildare musician Owen Murphy who from the confines of his bedroom, armed with an acoustic guitar, microphone and laptop, crafts a home brewed fervently DIY sound.

There is a decidedly mellow, late-night, nocturnal vibe to his sound as his ponderings delivered in a despondent world weary vocal tone accompanied by lyrics of everyday observations draped with a prowess for intuitive songwriting and storytelling. Latest release ‘Beige Slave’ captures all this perfectly – and more acutely than any written description. A gentle acoustic guitar-driven number, it revolves around some ruminating sounds, chilled out rhythm, acoustic plucks and strum while Murphy shares his flowing musings. Previous single ‘The Degenerate Manifesto’ is cut from the same cloth, expanding on the loungey, laid-back murmuring backdrop for Murphy to express his contemplative reflections. Both tracks have the right amount of home brewed, rough around the edges sound – a little hiss here and a touch of reverb there adds a distinctive character.

There is a touch of King Krule to Durty Mick but that is in no way a bad thing. An innovative, interesting and exquisitely crafted exploration that rewards again and again with repeated listens.

Tune into Durty Mick below – his debut album Damage Limitationist is out next week.

Martha Ffion – ‘Kennedy Hair’

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Last year, Martha Ffion released my favourite record of 2018 with her long-awaited debut LP Sunday Best; a beautiful record filled with gleaming guitar-pop, wistful-ballads, swooning sixties inspired indie-pop and touches of folk & country.

The Irish-born, Glasgow-based singer-songwriter is back with a wonderful new single ‘Kennedy Hair’; a super catchy slice of bittersweet indie-pop. Working with the excellent Lost Map Records again, ‘Kennedy Hair’ the first release in the label’s brand new PostMap Club – a series of postcard releases and other exclusives – references It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia while critiquing post-Brexit politics. As evidenced throughout her debut, Ffion’s prowess for observation is second to none. Lyrically she is clever, witty, and often times a sharp tongued, while her ear for a melody is only rivalled by her powers for observation, making for an incredibly infectious, lush and beautiful song. A phenomenally catchy slice of swooning, bittersweet indie-pop, it will be bobbing around your head all day, and you will be all the better for it.

Listen to ‘Kennedy Hair’ below and find you more about PostMap Club here.

Martha Ffion also appeared on the latest episode of NPR’s ‘World Cafe’ for music and a chat, you listen to that here too.

Introducing: Stella Donnelly

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Wales-born, Australian singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly built a much warranted reputation on the back of her 2018 debut EP Thrush Metal – a stunning collection of deceptively simple, sparse but compelling acoustic tracks filled with witty, stark, honest and frustrated musings tackling subjects like sexual assault, victim blaming and misogyny.

Following on from last year’s EP, Donnelly has announced her debut album, Beware of the Dogs will be released on March 8 via esteemed indie label Secretly Canadian, and the 13-track LP is led by the single ‘Old Man’. Joined by a full band, on the surface ‘Old Man’ is a breezy, easygoing and sparkling piece of indie-pop but amid all the warm melodies, it’s a song that finds a perfect balance between dreamy and acerbic, with a sharp message aimed at taking exploitative men to task. Once again, Donnelly has proven herself to be a masterful voice of rage, wit, humour and compassion.

Check out ‘Old Man’ and the Fiona Jane Burgess directed video below and the debut LP, Beware of the Dogs is out on March 8 via Secretly Canadian. You can listen to debut EP Thrush Metal here too – it’s very, very good indeed.

Stella Donnelly plays The Grand Social, Dublin on April 29 – Tickets €15.