Fontaines D.C ‘In The Modern World’

The fourth and final single from one of the year’s most anticipated records exhibits Fontaine D.C’s most cinematic moment to date. It’s unsurprising, considering the track is said to have been written during what vocalist Grian Chatten described as “inexplicable” 10-day stint alone in Los Angeles – taking inspiration from the lush, listless L.A of Lana Del Rey and the Old Hollywood aesthetic of films like Sunset Boulevard.

The 9/10-rated Hot Press album of the month, Romance marks the Dublin-founded post-punk heroes fourth LP.

“We’ve always had this sense of idealism and romance,” said bassist Conor Deegan when the record was first announced. “Each album gets further away from observing that through the lens of Ireland, as directly as Dogrel. The second album is about that detachment, and the third is about Irishness dislocated in the diaspora. Now we look to where and what else there is to be romantic about.”

Fontaines D.C. Photo Credit: Simon Wheatle

Aby Coulibaly, ‘Glow’.

The latest single from Aby Coulibaly comes ahead the Dubliner’s biggest show to date, with an opening slot for Coldplay when they take over Croke Park next weekend.  'Glow' is characteristically honest,  laid-back, smooth and catchy, taking inspiration from the artist’s own sun worship.

“This next song is about how the sun makes me feel in every aspect,” wrote Coulibaly on Instagram earlier this week. “No matter what I go through with my condition every day, what keeps me going is closing my eyes and imagining I’m in my favourite place in the world soaking up the sun and that’s what this song feels like to me. A warm hug from the sun and that everything will be okay.”

Aby Coulibaly at the Irish Music Month launch at Áras an Uachtaráin. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Rejjie Snow, ‘Keep Up’

Dublin’s hip-hop prince Rejjie Snow teams up with American singer Dana Williams and superstar beat mechanic Katrynada for another late-night groover, which follows in a similar vein to the sub-bass oozing ‘All Night', that the trio dropped last month.

“It feels like a nice time in my universe to put out these creations,” comments Snow.

“For me it’s all about timing & as much as music is a giant repetitive cycle I’m super certain that some artists must not focus on churning out stuff rapidly but allow for time and growth to take course especially in one’s craft, it’s more important than you think to be fully satisfied with that final product you’re gonna put out, especially in the face of critique.”

Rejjie Snow at Electric Picnic. Copyright: Liam Murphy/hotpress.com

Fee Gray and Mister Sister, ‘Little White Lie’

The self-proclaimed “Irish non-binary princess of queer indie-pop” Fee Gray teams up with fellow Dublin artist Mister Sister for a fun, hangover-influenced pop-punk cut detailing the trail of destruction left following a rollicking house party.

“Our style difference was something that we wanted to play with and intertwine rather than let it be an obstacle and, ultimately, we think it paid off!” says Gray of the track.

“‘Little White Lie’ is about coming from party culture from two different stages. The beginning, where it’s a little fun waking up piecing the night together with your friends the morning after, and when it goes too far, when you're too long on the scene and you're not sure who you are without your vices anymore."

Fee Gray and Mister Sister.

Gurriers, ‘No More Photos’

High-octane post-punk quintet Gurriers new tune marks the last song to be shared ahead of their highly-anticipated debut LP Come and See, arriving September 13. A ferocious and noisy banger of the level we’ve come to expect from the Dublin outfit, the tune opens with thunderous drums and face-ripping distorted guitars which don’t relent throughout the song’s three minute-and-a-bit runtime.

“This is a ferocious punk song about a distaste for nightclubs, the people you meet in the chipper in the early hours of the morning and how people behave when they take ecstasy,” said the band of the track.

Gurriers. Credit: Joshua Mulholland

R.A.C.H, ‘My Heart Still Beats’

Marino native Rachel McLoughlin delves into Meghan Trainor/Shania Twain territory with her second ever single, which showcases the young artists ability to delicately dissect conflicted heartbreak in the aftermath of a toxic relationship.

The promising talent turned to writing songs in her teens, following the passing of her Grandad. Her piano tuner suggested she speak to a friend of his who produced music, thus introducing her to renowned producer Peter Eades, with whom her debut track ‘How Do I Tell You?’ was recorded in one take.

R.A.C.H by Piltomedia

Pebbledash, ‘Killer Lover’

The first of two songs released as a double single this by Cork shoegaze merchants Pebbledash is quasi-religious in scope. The repetitive folky vocal and spaced-out guitar melody create a hypnotising drone, with the band’s call and response harmonies adding to this ethereal atmosphere, before the song climaxes via a glorious wall of crunchy sound.

Pebbledash at MusicTown Dublin, The Complex, Dublin. Copyright James Murray.

The Mercadonnas, Céad Míle Fáilte

Carlow-based The Mercadonnas' debut track fuses Grian Chatten-style post-punk vocals with modern synth-pop pop sensibilities, as dramatic synthscapes and crushing distorted guitars buttress this cutting account of the country’s recent relationship with migration.

Mercadonnas

Ahmed, With Love., ‘help wanted’ feat. Curtisy

Ahmed, With Love. follows up the breezy ‘WHATCHIMACALLIT’ with a new offering of lo-fi gloss. ‘help wanted’, which features fellow Dublin wordsmith Curtisy, spotlights the deeper side of the rapper’s consciousness, with Ahmed’s stream of consciousness flow at the centre as he contemplates the priority-shifting moments of life, be it a result of loss, relationships or his own mental health.

Ahmed, With Love. showcases a heightened societal and personal awareness as he talks about “life passing so fast that it terrifies people” and being in “a war of independence for a better state of mind”.

Ahmed, With Love.

Forty Foot, 'Toothache'

The double guitar and drum stabs that open ‘Toothache’, the new single from Dublin based alt rock band Forty Foot, are an instant statement of intent that didn’t come to play. The track is just waiting, with its ears perked, to have a sea of bodies, lost in the dreamy distortion and effects, throwing themselves around in reckless abandon.

As to meaning, the band's atypical cryptic lyrics offer layers of meaning open to interruption, only willing to offer: “It’s a track about things that happen in the nighttime hours, let's leave it at that.”

With ‘Toothache’, a quintessential 90’s tinged alt rock track, the band quickly cement themselves as one to keep an eye on.

Forty Foot

Big Sleep, ‘Go’

'Go' is the latest offering from Dublin's Big Sleep, a head-bopping number with garage rock and alternative feels. This is the fourth release of 2024 from Big Sleep following 'Daisy', 'All My Friends' and 'Two Cents' which reached number 4 in the Irish Breakers Radio Charts. 'Go' was recorded and produced by Chris Ryan (New Dad, Just Mustard ) and mixed and mastered by Tone Def (Briston Maroney, Green Day). It’s a slow jam that packs a punch, with plugged-in electrics and thick drums.

“'Go' is about navigating the fleeting connections and temporary love that are part of life during young adulthood,” the Dublin rockers say. “During this time everybody's on their own path eager to be something, run from something or a bit of both and it's hard for connections to last in the midst of all that.”

Big Sleep

Altara, ‘Somebody To Lose’

Punchy and propulsive, ‘Somebody To Lose’ is the impressive debut release from Irish-born newcomer Altara. Written in Paris, ‘Somebody To Lose’ is the result of falling for someone who’s already in a relationship. Playful and clever lyricism met with potent and catchy hooks, pin this as an anthemic first release.

“When I find myself falling for someone, I get very in my own head & can make everything too heavy,” Altara explains. “I wanted to write something that made light of that, I wanted to show myself that catching feelings doesn't have to be deep & over the top, it can be fun, easy & even embarrassing in the best way. This song really helped me reinforce that.”

Altara

Sun Mahshene, ‘Turning Tides’

Hailing from Dublin, Sun Mahshene emerged in 2018, breathing new life into the Indie and Shoegaze scenes. Comprising six diverse members from Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Poland, Sun Mahshene provides a musical journey that transcends genres.

Today, they release their highly-anticipated new album A Place We’ve Never Been, with their latest single ‘Turning Tides’ making for a post-Shoegaze offering for the masses.

Blending the fuzz of Slowdive and their Dublin forefathers My Bloody Valentine, ‘Turning Tides’ is sure to impress listeners from the outset with its infectious and intense soundscape.

Sun Mahshene

Picture This & Dean Lewis, ‘Middle Of Love’

Irish heartbreakers Picture This have teamed up with Aussie heartbreaker Dean Lewis on the magnetic new single, ‘Middle of Love’.

The release comes just days after Dean Lewis brought the Kildare rock band on stage during his EP performance to give fans a sneak-peek of the then-unreleased song.

A catchy pop torch song, ‘Middle of Love’ explores heavy feelings of unrequited love: “And I wish it was my name she called / When she's fast asleep and she's talking / But lately, it's only been yours, and / I'm in the middle of love”.

Picture This at St Anne's Park, June 1st. Copyright Hannah Bocian.

JyellowL x Holly, ‘Right Here’

‘Right Here’ is a bright sunlit bop and the latest from JyellowL and HOLLY. With its shimmering drum programming and prismatic vocals from HOLLY, the song makes for a dazzlingly extroverted, joyful soundscape to stretch the summer vibes as long as possible.

‘Right Here’ follows up JyellowL’s recent collab with Chris Kabs on ‘Love me now’, and radiates with the scintillating energy and lyrical verve that JyellowL has made his personal brand, entwining a slew of sonic threads to establish a tastefully sampled palette.

JyellowL

Walshy, ‘All My Time’ feat. Housewife

Dublin-based artist and producer Walshy has shared his latest single, ‘All My Time;, released in collaboration with Housewife. A solar, laid-back track about uncertainty and lack of direction, ‘All My Time’ is a guitar-infused, peaceful number featuring comforting vocals from the duet.

"I wrote this single feeling a bit lost with all the time on my hands as I attempted various jobs in music full-time,” Walshy comments. “I had a lot of gaps during my day and no structure to it. The town of Leamington Spa was also full of doctors and engineers and whenever I opened my mouth about what I was doing here I only got confused looks.”

Walshy and Housewife / Photo: Faolaín Carey

TRAMP, ‘The Birds (Lowered Suspension)’

Donegal band TRAMP release the first single from their upcoming debut EP 'The Birds (Lowered Suspension)’. A tongue-in-cheek, highly-spirited tune, the track hooks the listener with its heavy electric guitar lines and playful vocal performance, reflecting the band’s balance of political commentary with feel-good songwriting – and making it as thought-provoking as it is catchy.

TRAMP / Photo: Niall Murphy

Tadhg Daly, ‘Your Name’

The next track to come from Tadgh Daly’s eagerly anticipated EP, ‘Your Name’ is a gripping indie-pop tune for the hopeless romantics.

Showcasing the strength of Daly’s vocal performance and his spirited, highly enthralling songwriting, ‘Your Name’’s rock-inspired instrumentation is a display of raw passion, described by the singer as a ‘soundtrack to being hopelessly in love’.

Tadhg Daly

K3:lu, ‘A BREATH IN GRAYSCALE’

Hailing from K3:lu’s upcoming record, Vol. II Cortis, ‘A BREATH IN GRAYSCALE’ is a transporting and singular piece, taking the listener through a voyage of atmospheric and electronic soundscapes, sprinkled with ethereal string lines and percussions.

“‘A BREATH IN GRAYSCALE’ is a more inward-facing piece compared to the dance-influenced singles,” Patrick Hatchett, AKA K3:lu, comments. “It followed the death of my mother and served as a means to look at grief - the openings and closings, the fullness and emptiness, the serenity and frustration. Picture the more intimate work of David Axelrod perhaps as if he had entered a new age spiritual commune with a box of percussion and a drum machine loaded with ‘Boom Bap’ samples.”

K3:lu

Nagam feat. bella, ‘Honey to a Fat Fly’

Nagam’s new single ‘Honey to a Fat Fly’, featuring newcomer artist bella, is a jazzy, groove-infused tune, accompanied with smooth bars and silky vocal lines. With emotive lyrics which describe the timely loss of a life-long friendship, this track is Nagam's debut as a multi-instrumentalist, brandishing bass, trumpet, keys, drums, and a new approach to rap.

Nagam and bella.

Tanya O - ‘LET YOUR FIRE BURN’

Kerry born songwriter Tanya O is back with her velvety new single ‘LET YOUR FIRE BURN’, a hopeful and emotional track, once again written in collaboration with former Walking on Cars frontman Pa Sheehy. With its warm vocal lines, vivifying melodies and gentle guitar arpeggios, the song is about “embracing my flaws and accepting and loving myself as I am,” the artist explains.

“This song is for anyone who has struggled with self worth and is about reclaiming your power and about learning to love your authentic self," she continues. "I think today especially, we need a reminder to embrace our individuality without succumbing to societal pressures and to be our true selves.It is all about finding the strength within us to be completely who we are.”

Tanya O

Belters Only, ‘Something Real’

Powerhouse DJ-duo Belters Only’s new track ‘Something Real’ is a romping club tune of addicting patterns and smooth vocal hooks. With the band’s signature, earth-shaking basslines and its mysterious, almost sultry chord progression, the song makes for the perfect end-of-summer dance-inducer, and a new dazzling effort from the duet.

Belters Only's RobbieG (left) and Bissett (right)

Listen to our New Irish Songs To Hear This Week playlist on Spotify below!