On Friday night, Bray singer-songwriter Sinéad McConville took over the Hot Press Instagram as part of the Young & Emerging artist series. Her soulful vocals were accompanied by fellow Y&E performer and partner D. Cullen lending acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies.

The musician released her debut solo single, 'Doorstep', back in May 2020. Recorded at home in an attic with Cullen, the song is an expression of love on a summer’s day in Ireland. Follow-up single ‘Running From You’ stayed on the RTÉ Recommends playlist for three weeks, with the Irish folk-pop artist releasing her stripped back, harmony-driven piano ballad 'Break My Heart' last June.

Her first Y&E Series track, titled 'Up', is a powerful and energetic opener. The classic, indie-pop original takes advantage of her vocal strengths and impressive range.

The singer-songwriter tell us that her next song 'Friendships' is about "being around someone you morally disagree with." She laughs, "It's a petty song. The whole set is petty songs."

Luckily for us, Sinéad is able to take the pent up energy from these emotions and translate them into some seriously fun and creative melodies. Each note is sung with passion. Her voice travels and riffs freely, leading us through the story arc for each song.

McConville spent the weekend recording two of the songs featured, 'I Don't Know What's in Your Mind' and 'Singing About You.' Stay tuned for the mixed, mastered and released versions of the captivating new tracks in the future.

Catch the rising artist live tomorrow night at the Grand Social in Dublin where Sinéad will be playing these songs and more with a full backing band.

Watch the Hot Press The Y&E Series – supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media – live on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressmagazine) at 7pm each night.

 

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Coming up on the Y&E Series...

Monday, April 11: KhakiKid

Over the course of 2021, the 22-year-old rapper kept busy, injecting an eclectic new energy into the homegrown scene, with a string of acclaimed solo singles and collaborations with the likes of TrippyThaKid, Bricknasty and Ahmed, With Love – while his track with 49th & Main, ‘Alcoholics’, has garnered over 1.7 million Spotify streams. With a tongue-in-cheek delivery and a refusal to be pigeonholed, this Dublin artist looks set to make some major waves over the months ahead. In November, he released his latest single, 'Cozy'.

Tuesday, April 12: Amy Ellen

After the last few years, Amy Ellen has carved out an importance presence on the Irish indie- rock/pop scene, with her delicate vocals and carefully layered harmonies. Her eagerly-awaited debut EP, Only You Will Know, was released last year, showcasing her influences such as Kurt Vile and Mazzy Star. In addition to her acclaimed solo work, she also joined forced with recent Y&E Series performer Tommy Cullen in November, for the collaborative track 'In The Winter'.