The Devlins, ‘Slipping Through Your Hands’

 The Devlins return with their heavy new single ‘Slipping Through Your Hands’, a track that seamlessly suffuses the introspective profundity of their past work with a catchy major-key melody.

 For singer-songwriter Colin Devlin, ‘Slipping Through Your Hands’ is something of a note to one’s self. “An inner dialogue about time passing, looking back and reconnecting to who you once were and where you came from, through the lens of the present,” he says.

 The cinematic rhythm section sets the scene for the track, before exploding into an infectious chorus: “I was not the master of your fate, I was not the author of your dreams / I see faces I had once forgotten, they appear like ghosts in the headlights”.

 “It’s one of the strongest songs from the new Devlins record and we hope old and new fans alike will gravitate towards it both musically and lyrically,” Devlin continues.

 

Bricknasty, ‘mouthy’

Bricknasty are back this week with the exciting announcement of their forthcoming mixtape XONGZ አስቀያሚ ጡብ and a new single to boot.

 ‘mouthy’ launches the mixtape with an immaculate blend of live acoustics and mesmeric soundscape creations, an approach that evades simple characterisation. Ambient electronic elements add layers of depth and texture to the loose-jointed track.

 The accompanying music video, directed by Connor Clarke, offers a material complement to the song with its surreal visuals and madcap antics.

Lauren Ann, ‘When The Party Ends’

The third single off Lauren Ann’s long-awaited EP Devour is a pummelling track about hubris.

By turns raucous and propulsive, ‘When The Party Ends’ sees the Newry singer explore new sonic territories across the synth-laden soundscape. “It’s quite different sonically, we added these really cool synths which I fell in love with,” Lauren Ann says. “It just felt like a different process when recording this song.”

Lauren drew from her experiences as a young artist in the music industry to pen the lyrics, with the song describing an artist battling imposter syndrome and feelings of self-doubt in the presence of someone with boastful arrogance: “It’s about being around someone who is so full of pride. They never think of how their own actions impact others, making everyone around them feel like they aren’t good enough for them.”

Adam James Geraghty, 'Western Nights'

A subtly moody first offering from emerging Dublin artist Adam James Geraghty, ‘Western Nights’ is a carefully crafted guitar ballad, occasionally accompanied by stirring percussions and delicate bass lines. Playing with themes of romanticism and longing, with a gentle hint of sadness and loneliness, the song is, according to the artist, “inspired by nights on the West coast of Ireland”.

Gavin Fox, ‘Slip Inside My Mind’

The first single from Gavin Fox’s upcoming record Illuminate, ‘Slip Inside My Mind’ is a compelling and hard-hitting track that perfectly showcases the singer’s unique blend of alternative folk, Americana and rock. With Fox’s rich vocal performance, set against a backdrop of riotous guitar riffs, this new release is bursting with energy and strength.

Speaking of the song, Fox says: “My mind is a strange and, at times, magical place to be. Overactive and creative. Darkness and light. Fear constantly battling with courage. Chaos struggling to find order. The secular fighting with the spiritual. All charged by a calling to connect and illuminate

“And while these songs are not about me, I invite you inside where we can work it all out together.”

Kyla Belle, ‘Bury Me’

Fresh off the back of performing at We've Only Just Begun Festival in Whelan’s as well as Electric Picnic, Kyla Belle releases her dark and hard-hitting new single ‘Bury Me’, an absolute pop banger exploring the vulnerability of putting yourself out there asking someone to show you all of their darkest secrets. With heavy bass lines and unique synths floating throughout the track, ‘Bury Me’ is both mysterious and uplifting, making for an extraordinary pop track.

The Psychs, ‘Hail Mary’

The Psychs are back with their brand new single ‘Hail Mary’, as well as its accompanying music video. After a minimalistic first verse of heavy bass lines and Billy Kid Jones equally deep and rich vocal performance, the track’s instrumentation is joined by distorted guitar chords and riveting percussions, picking up the pace with each new note until it reaches its climax on its bridge.

The music video, shot by Craig Johnston and directed by Billy Kid Jones, is a cinematic rollercoaster of dark humour, exploring the themes of self-destruction, told through religious symbolism with melancholic undertones of despair and addiction.

Longstryde, ‘Wishing Well’

Emerging Irish alternative band Longstryde’s second single ‘Wishing Well’ is a captivating rock tune, described as an “anthem for imposter syndrome and unaffected imperfection.” With its wildly spirited vocal performance and masterful guitar solos, the track’s anthemic chorus offers a climax that is both heart-wrenching and incredibly cathartic.

Speaking of the inspiration behind ‘Wishing Well’, guitarist Richie explains: “I’ve always had a guileless capability to be misled and most attempts to realign myself have been spoiled by apprehension and negligence. A tendency to back myself into a corner to fight my way out, only to recoil before I take the gold. I’ve been thriving off my own repetitive cycles since I was young and uninitiated, so I know what it means to lack good judgement and to be stung by the more heartless among us. ‘I’m outweighed by the same old demon’.”

 

Rejjie Snow, ‘Karen’

Dublin rapper Rejjie Snow has accompanied news of his next album PEACE 2 DA WORLD with the typically suave ‘Karen’ – a laid back hip hop number which sees the artist take a comedic aim at a modern, nagging trope. “This record was a reactionary one,” said Snow this week. “Most times we’re misunderstood by people & without being judgmental about it I wanted to approach this new age phenomena of Karen’s in a light hearted and fun way.”

PEACE 2 DA WORLD arrives October 25, and marks Rejjie Snow’s first record since 2021’s Baw Baw Black Sheep.

 

HousePlants, ‘Someone Throws a Brick’

HousePlants, the creative force of Bell X1 frontman Paul Noonan and innovative producer Daithí, offer up a tantalising preview of their forthcoming second album. ‘Someone Throws a Brick’ flaunts their signature, Choice Prize-nominated electro- soundscapes, with pensive lyrics inviting listeners to take a moment and reflect on the world around them.

“It seems that from sneering at Elon Musk talking with his bros in the bath about The Simulation Argument,” says Noonan. “I too became interested in the idea that we are living a simulation, and am now a wannabe bro in Elon’s bath. I’m sure the Germans have a word for this…”

 

RÓIS, ‘CAOINE’

RÓIS ( pronounced RAW-sh) is set to release a concept EP MO LÉAN next month. Taking her name from the Irish for rose, the Fermanagh artist offers a promising taster with ‘CAOINE’  - a broodingly atmospheric, synth-swathed number which touches on the project’s overarching theme of the Irish grieving process.

“The Irish Wake is not just a cultural tradition but a powerful celebration of life that deserves to be revived,” RÓIS reflects. “One of the most fascinating aspects of the wake was its role in matchmaking—finding love in a place where the impermanence of life was most palpable. The wake was not just about mourning; it was also about embracing life’s most primal elements—sex, love, and death.”

 

Gavin Friday, ‘Ecce Homo’

Perhaps best known as the founding frontman of Irish post-punk outfit Virgin Prunes, Gavin Friday has enjoyed a varied career as an award-winning songwriter, composer, actor, visual artist, and creative director.  Having teased details of his upcoming album’s title track with mysterious posts written in Ogham – the long-awaited first taste of the LP is cinematic, synth-driven and fiercely empowering.

Ecce Homo, the album, is described by Friday as "an ecstatic and unbound expression of anger and independence, of severing oneself from stereotypes of what you’re supposed to be while also acknowledging that our hardest battles are often our collective ones. There are love songs and fight songs, reflections on loss and reveries of nostalgia, anthems for solidarity and excoriations of the powerful."

Maverick Sabre, 'Roses Ether'

Co-produced alongside longtime collaborator Zach Nahome, Maverick Sabre conjures up a profoundly introspective and liberating track, with brazen, old-school breakbeat instrumentation matching the song’s emancipating lyricism.

The single comes with an Ivor Adamah-Lawson-directed black-and-white video, shot to capture the song's mood and message. “We’re in this space now,” the director said. “The visuals are following the sonics into this mad world, and having the grace to grapple with the bigger questions of self, higher powers, God, our own agency, the current milieu, and everything else is undeniably an exciting place to be.”

 

 

 

Fin Furey, ‘Ruled By Chance’

Following the success of recent single ‘Corners & Coins’ Fin Furey returns with a lively, upbeat indie-folk number, which sees the signer embrace the spirit of taking risks and shaping one’s destiny. Contemplating life’s unpredictability, Furey’s smooth vocals gradually build to a powerful resonance: “Life’s a game ruled by chance. Walk the tightrope of hope. Keep playing these same games. See how they unfold.”

The track is the second release from the Dublin native’s upcoming EP which arrives later this year, with further plans for an album revealed for 2025.

Sarah Fitz, ‘I Guess I Miss You’

After cutting her teeth on Dublin’s bustling busking circuit, Sarah Fitz has begun to dip her toes into releasing original music this year, with previous single ‘Heart Dance’ garnering some substantial radio support across the nation. Proving to be an apt crafter of sweet, acoustic-pop tunes, Fitz’ latest track is “inspired by the frustration of a friendship ending for no apparent reason, but could also be related back to any type of relationship ending.”

“Songwriting allows me to understand and explore my emotions, and sharing my music with others can help them do the same,” she adds.

 

Final Thirteen, ‘Why You Sacrifice Me Now’

Northern power trio Final Thirteen channel metal, alt rock with an indie spirit a debut single rooted in “the simple truth of the human soul and the new spirit", with the band taking time to themes of power, surprise, and resilience, all set against the backdrop of heartbreak and the aftermath of retaliation.

 

Myles O’Reilly, ‘Household Chores’

Dublin musician and filmmaker Myles O'Reilly offers up some serene ambience on his new album Music From The Threshold, with opener ‘Household Chores’ proving an appropriately meditative and spritely welcome to the record.

"I like to compare my approach to writing and performing ambient music as creating an incense or perfume—evocative notes as subtle as a smell, and with the same purpose in a space: to invite and amplify a transportive atmosphere and a calming mood," says O’Reilly.

“Music from The Threshold is a collection that, for me, encapsulates everything I cherish about ambient music—its ability to serve as a balm for our thoughts, a canvas for daydreams, and a workout for our imagination.”

Bantum, ‘Bamboo’

Cork native Ruairi Lynch has this week announced the release of his third studio album under his Bantum alias, with the self-titled project due to arrive early next month. Lead single ‘Bamboo’ is experimental and funky, with an irresistible bassline and synth combo resting over the tune’s marching beat.

“I made a conscious decision to return to where I started in terms of instrumental music, and once I set myself the challenge everything came together naturally,” says Lynch of the album. “A common thread throughout is guitar, bass and piano effects used on previous releases and funk beats/samples gathered over years of work. Bringing these elements together was probably the most fun I’ve had on a release in years.”

Fred Again... feat. SOAK, 'just stand there'

Revered Derry songwriter SOAK makes an appearance on superstar producer Fred again…’s new LP ten days, offering some candid spoken word reflections atop Fred’s gradually building, dramatic electro soundscape "I got a text message from Fred a while back saying he’d heard my music and I kinda figured he had the wrong number," SOAK wrote on Instagram yesterday, ahead of the release.

The pair were also recently spotted in Dingle, with massive crowds gathering to see the  DJ play a surprise set at Dick Mack’s pub.

 

Hinds & Grian Chatten, ‘Stranger’

Evidently not satisfied with releasing one of the records of the year with his band Fontaines D.C., Grian Chatten has popped up on Spanish indie favourites Hinds’ newly-released LP VIVA HINDS, with the Dubliner offering a typically sweet and poetic verse on the nostalgic-sounding number.

“Grian is a good old friend,” Hinds told NME this week. ”We met in Dublin when we played together in one of their first shows as Fontaines.  ’Stranger’ contains the toughest theme we sing about in ‘Viva Hinds’. Feeling the heaviness of existence and not recognising your own self. Fontaines D.C. taught us to embrace that darkness.”

 

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His Father’s Voice, ‘Interior Decorator’

The fifth track, ‘Interior Decorator’, off His Father’s Voice’s debut album, Black Poison Morning, is a brooding rock anthem for listeners in search of some headbanging catharsis.

With pedal-to-the-metal rhythms and soaring melodies, the track continues to cement the Limerick post-punk rockers as one of the hottest bands on the scene. The gradual build towards a rollicking explosion of sound recalls the likes of Cherry Glazerr, with plugged-in energy that recalls the band’s on-stage spirit. His Father’s Voice’s live gigs pull at the densely thick atmosphere that surrounds lead vocalist Ash O’Connor and lead guitarist James Reidy, bolstered by Laya Meabhdh Kenny and Cian McGuirk who make up the emboldened rhythm section.

 

Lisa Keane, ‘Nightmare’

Dublin singer-songwriter Lisa Keane has unveiled her captivating new single ‘Nightmare’, an optimistic pop number with hints of genre-bending threaded throughout.

The track describes the awkward experience of running into an ex-lover at a party, having not seen them since things started to sour. What would have been a fun night has turned into a nightmare with the former lovers going back to strangers, as if nothing happened between them.

“The majority of the time, when I’m writing music, it’s based on something that has happened to me or feelings that I’ve felt around the time that I sit down to write,” Keane says. “However, with this song, the idea just kind of came to me one day. Songwriting is kind of funny that way. It felt like a perfect follow-up to my last single ‘Chasing Ghosts’, a continuation of that story in a way.”

Pinhole, ‘Pinhole’

Avant-garde band Pinhole release their eponymous new single, a hypnotising and kaleidoscopic tune. Marked by the band’s signature slow-paced, nonchalant instrumentation, which perfectly accompanies Ciara O’Flynn atmospheric and haunting vocal performance, the track makes for another fascinating offering from the Irish duo.

The music video, shot and edited by Matt Griffin, follows a rogue-type character on a symbolic quest for answers. As Mark McLoughlin puts it, “He’s on a journey of discovery, looking for answers and peering inside the head through the eye that reveals the truth.”

Sister Ghost, ‘I Bite Back’

Released ahead of Sister Ghost’s upcoming album Beyond The Water, ‘I Bite Back’ is a riveting and lively offering of riotous guitar hooks and rich vocal lines. Drawing clear inspiration from 90s pop-rock and its buoyant energy, the track is a head-bopping banger showcasing Sister Ghost’s ability to deliver both reflective lyrics and fun instrumentation.

“This song is about battling depression and anxiety in a world that wants us to give in and give up,” the artist comments. “It’s about putting in the self-work and understanding the value of your own emotional intelligence, as well as the realisation that people who have low emotional intelligence aren’t worth losing any sleep over. Pick yourself up with kindness and grace and always keep moving forward.”

Luke Clerkin, ‘Constellations’ feat. Bríd Lyons

Rising Irish singer-songwriter Luke Clerkin is back with his stunning new offering ‘Constellations’, released in collaboration with Bríd Lyons. A gentle acoustic ballad of catchy lyrics and softly stirring instrumentation, the track is wonderfully emotional and uniquely optimistic. It comes out ahead of his debut record Orpheus, and is, according to Clerkin, “one of the last tracks on the album, but it marks the start of a new relationship, and it explores all of the vulnerabilities that came up during those early days.

“I was in a very cautious mind space when I was writing this song, I made sure not to let my impulsivities take the lead, and writing about it really helped me process how I was feeling. I felt that I had lost myself in the months previous and I couldn’t let that happen again.”

Jonathan Baxter, ‘SwanS’

Belfast-based alternative artist Jonathan Baxter is releasing his mesmerising debut single ‘SwanS’, a vibrant track of heartfelt guitar riffs and emotional vocal lines, making for a deeply vibrant piece. A journey through art, history, and love and inspired by the timeless sculpture Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, ‘SwanS’ is passionate, moody and incredibly magnetic.

 

Maria Kelly, ‘Slump’

Folk siren Maria Kelly follows her stunning single ‘Drive’ with a crystalline new offering of acoustic splendour.

‘Slump’ is a softly-woven tune that sheds light on the difficulties of finding yourself in a rut through a self-deprecating lens as the singer croons: “I feel the weight of every word I say / It’s heavy”.

“‘Slump’ felt like the right place to begin when thinking about how to roll out this next project,” Kelly recalls. “It captures a starting point—finding myself, once again, at the beginning of a mountain to climb, with no real will to climb it. It began on guitar, but once Matt and I got to the studio, it felt like the lyrics required more humour in the sound.

“It landed in this funny twee universe that I think pokes fun at that self-deprecating space we can all find ourselves in.”

Alok & Jazzy, ‘The Heat’

Irish queen of dance music Jazzy has paired up with Brazilian DJ Alok on the new spirited track 'The Heat’, a hard-hitting club tune that is sure to make the summer last for a bit longer. With infectious beats and Jazzy’s sparkling vocal performance, ‘The Heat’ is a short and fiery powerhouse of a single.

Pork Pie, City Lights

Dundalk four-piece Pork Pie have released their riotous single ‘City Lights’, as part of their brand new album GOLDEN LEAF SHEETS, which came out last week. With fast-paced, unruly guitar hooks and effervescent percussions, ‘City Lights’ is an absolute head-banger of a track, incorporating elements of garage funk and psychedelia to create a highly singular soundscape.

Check out our New Irish Songs To Hear This Week playlist on Spotify below!