POSTS TAGGED : Kildare

October Fires – ‘Pray’

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October Fires are Kildare-based alt-pop foursome of Carol Somers, Lisa Baker, Eoghan O’Neill and Eric Somers.

Their latest single is called ‘Pray’ and going by that, October Fires have found a perfect blend between beauty and otherworldy eeriness.

From the gentle harmonies and piano-led opening to ‘Pray’, you would be forgiven for expecting a full on folk ballad but as it develops, layer upon layer reveals itself to be a more thrilling and chilling beast. As it progresses, ‘Pray’ slowly shifts itself off to an otherworldy zone with a flurry of unsettling piano plonking and guitar notes beneath swelling percussion. The vocals, crystalline and soulful, rise from the unsettling, murky shadows and cut a sway through a majestic collage of spectral swirls, dark and haunting atmospherics, and trip-hoppy beats to top off this chilling, beguiling and beautiful song perfectly. With its spooky, gothic, haunting and otherworldly aura, altogether, it makes for a rather compelling listen.

Listen to ‘Pray’ below now:

2015 According to Knoxville Morning

Knoxville Morning 2015

One of my proudest achievements on the blog this year, or any year for that matter, is the release of GruffWuff; a 19 track compilation of new, previously unreleased and exclusive recordings from some of my very favourite acts over the past 5 years of blogging.

It was a truly fantastic way to mark 5 years of BarryGruff and I am incredibly grateful to everyone involved and the overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic response. As 2015 draws to a close, I have enlisted help from people who made the compilation what it was, to chat about their favourite moments and sounds from year, and up next is Ciaran Dwyer, of Knoxville Morning.

The Knoxville Morning project was inspired by a trip around the USA taken by chief troublemaker Ciaran Dwyer. The result of which is a combination of sweet folk, country and Americana. While it certainly wears it’s US influences on it’s sleeve, Ciaran’s intuitive storytelling remains a cornerstone as does their home town roots. A longtime BarryGruff favourite that never cease to deliver, again and again.

Before we take a look at his 2015 sound selections, you should check out Knoxville Morning’s fabulous self-titled debut LP, and their GruffWuff inclusion, ‘Bridget’ – of which you can download here for FREE.

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