Under Starling, ‘Bird Watching’

Waterford alt-rockers Under Starling follow-up their acclaimed debut album, Murmurations, with the evocative new single ‘Bird Watching’.

‘Bird Watching’ begets a sonic journey, inspired by the rugged Irish coastline and fleeting moments of connection. The track traverses a similarly sprawling soundscape, replete with vibrant harmonies, layers of mesmeric guitars and a solid groove.

Frontman Danny Dunford’s scintillating vocals, paired with guest vocalist Molly Robb, deliver a stripped-back, yet atmospheric track that lingers long after the final note.

 

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The Null Club, ‘Frameshift’ feat. E L U C I D

The Null Club - the project from Gilla Band's Alan Duggan-Borges - shares his new single 'Frameshift', which features Brooklyn-based rapper E L U C I D. Heavy, experimental and at times punishing, the production nonetheless never loses its undeniable melodic flair. With the addition of E L U C I D’s hip-hop flavoured vocal in the second half of the tune, 'Frameshift' makes for an incredibly special offering which gives an enticing look into The Null Club’s upcoming debut EP.

Working with E L U C I D previously, Alan says of the track “ELUCID had reached out to say hey and I ended up producing a track – ‘RFID’ - for his record Revelator. ‘Frameshift’ was a track that I had for a good while but I didn’t know what to do with it. I had written and recorded most of it at home.

“For a good while I had seen it as an instrumental, but part of me always imagined vocals in the second half. I had resigned the track to being an instrumental, and mixed and mastered it. But very late into the making of the EP I reached out to ELUCID to see he would be into working on it. I sent him the track and he came back with his part. He made the track what it is”.

Fiachna O Braonain, Tom Dunne & Alan Connor, ‘God Only Knows’

An absolute dream of a piano track, Fiachna O Braonain’s ‘God Only Knows’ is released in collaboration with Tom Dunne and Alan Connor, for an emotionally charged yet boisterous version of the Beach Boys classic, with a silky smooth vocal and effectively simple instrumentation, the tune incorporates live sounds to create a deeply intimate feel.

YARD, ‘Trevor’

Dublin-based electropunk trio YARD explores anthropomorphism – the inclination to attribute emotions to inhuman objects – with their intoxicating new single, ‘Trevor.’

Fusing techno with electronic rock, the song builds slowly into an eruption of sonic excellence. The band derives inspiration from groups like SUUNS, Death Grips and Nine Inch Nails.

“I’ve a habit of naming inanimate objects that have played a significant role in my life,” said vocalist Emmet White. “In this case ‘Trevor’ was the name of a bike that I had for years, which was passed down to me by my brother. Sadly, one night, it was stolen outside of work. The loss of Trevor hit me far harder than I had expected as it felt like I had lost a friend or a companion.”

 

Cristina Movileanu, ‘Father’

Cristina Movileanu has released her new single ‘Father’, a deeply personal tribute to the artist’s late father, the renowned fine artist Vasile Movileanu. This song embodies the bittersweet emotions of love, memory, and loss, capturing the eternal bond between a father and child through moving string instrumentation and delicate lyrical work.

Mary Coughlan, ‘Freefalling’ feat. Ultan Conlan

Mary Coughlan's new single ‘Freefalling’, taken from her recently-released album, Repeat Rewind, sees the musician team up with frequent collaborator Ultan Conlan for this lighthearted and endearing duet that nonetheless shines a light on topics that consume many of our day-to-day lives: making up, breaking up, breaking down and most importantly falling in love again.

Yugen Blakrok ft. Cambata, ‘Tesselator’

Yugen Blakrok collaborates with Connecticut wordsmith Cambatta on the razor-sharp tune ‘Tesselator’, mixing pulsing bass, jagged guitars, trippy textures for a track as hypnotic as it is heavy, with undeniable urgency, poetic depth and dark, “Musings from a not-so-distant future,” Blakrok comments. “A dying planet on self-destruction. Two intergalactic explorers are on a recon mission, transferring the planet's consciousness into a crystal orb: The Tessellator - where the many become many more.”

Pastiche, ‘Calories’

Dublin alt-pop artist Pastiche returns with ‘Calories,’ the first single of her upcoming EP Femme Fatality. A high-octane, tongue-in-cheek track, 'Calories’ navigates confidence, sexuality, and pushing one’s limits. The song’s synth-pop instrumental and Pastiche’s velvety vocals are reminiscent of Mabel and Bebe Rexha.

With her single, the singer-songwriter initially expected to write a “pretty dark song about (her) messed up relationship with food,” but the result turned out to be something completely different.

“It just got a bit dark and we decided to flip the concept on its head,” said the artist. “I wrote ‘Calories’ because we needed to write something stupid and fun that day. Taking a name that holds such negative connotations to so many people and making it positive while fully embracing sexuality in the most tongue and cheek way."

RuthAnne, ‘The Way I’m Wired’

Donaghmede singer-songwriter RuthAnne has released ‘The Way I’m Wired,’ an emotional ballad about the reality of living with endometriosis and chronic illness.

The song, written during a painful endometriosis flare-up, has been inspired by Carole King, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Nicks. It features acoustic guitars, a steady bass drum, and steel guitars and strings which grow in strength throughout the track.

"I was keeled over on the bed, and through tears, I voice-noted the chorus,” said RuthAnne. “That day, I had to cancel a writing session with an artist who had flown me abroad to collaborate because I was too sick to move.

"This is the most vulnerable and honest song I’ve ever written," she added. "It’s not about being a victim or seeking sympathy—it’s about telling the truth, breaking the stigma, and admitting, 'this is just the way I’m wired.'"

Peter Doran, ‘Clockwork’

‘Clockwork’ provides new insights into Peter Doran’s upcoming album, All the World is Running on a Mystic Code.

"This album means the whole world to me,” said Doran. “I'm incredibly proud of it and so grateful for the hundred little miracles that went into its making. It is exactly the record that I wanted and needed to make at this particular point in my life."

The stripped-back track kicks off with Doran’s raw voice and an acoustic guitar. Slowly, the song builds to include soft drums, keys and background vocals. Telling the story of waiting for his wife’s ultrasound during the COVID-19 pandemic, the heartfelt single is a delight to listen to.

Basht, 'Vain'

The first taste of Basht's upcoming EP, 'Vain' is the post-punk band's first release of 2025. Featuring distorted guitar, a driving, punchy drum beat and anchoring bassline, the track drives along at a steady pace as spoken-word lyrics are delivered with a gritty, breathy urgency and authority.

"'Vain' is a character study of a charming but monstrous figure, someone who hides their true nature behind a pretty face," the band say. "It explores the danger of charisma, how easily people can be manipulated when they let their guard down."

Joy Crookes, ‘I Know You’d Kill’

Joy Crookes brings an effortless groove with ‘I Know You’d Kill.’

Fresh and fiery, the track highlights the hypocrisy in the music industry; however, it also pays tribute to Crookes manager, Charlie.

“I tripped balls at Glastonbury and believed someone in our team was bad news,” she said. “I panicked so much I almost cried. In an effort to reassure me, [Charlie] turns to me and goes ‘You know Nay and I would kill for you.’ My lack of sobriety, her presence and my trust in her made her look so literally shiny. I couldn’t even look at her because she was glittering.”

rex mundi, 'Far Away'

Greek-Irish rapper rex mundi has launched 'Far Away', the fourth single from his anticipated debut LP, 13 bullets. The track is reminiscent of the hip-hop scene in 90s New York, drawing on classical instrumentals blended with funk elements to highlight the rhythm and flow of rex mundi's lyrics.

"I wrote this track when I first moved to London and I was listening to a lot of Wu-Tang," rex mundi says. "I think my lyrics are a mind-spill of braggadocious wordplay, but also amidst all of that, you hear the discomfort that being far away from home can bring."

Forg.ie, ‘Refusal Too Bow’

Highly political and impassioned, ‘Refusal Too Bow’ addresses themes of poverty, drug abuse and civil unrest.

“I come bearing gifts of truth, authenticity, and my life story,” said Forg.ie. “I’m here to truly represent what it means to be an Irish rapper.”

First releasing music in 2024, the artist has continued to develop a dedicated audience of like-minded people. His quick lyricism and dynamic production certainly makes him one to watch.

Bowden, 'Undertow'

Cork-based alt-rockers Bowden continue a strong 2025, with the deeply emotive and complex 'Undertow'. The gentle yet striking vocals of singer Padraig Dempsey contrast starkly against the instrumentals, which are muffled as if submerged in water.

"In the end, it's not just about letting go," the band say. "It's about surviving the pull and finding out what's left on the other side."

Just as with 'Be Your Own God' released in February, this new single is proof, if proof were needed, that Bowden's upcoming debut album Glacier will be something truly special.

I Dreamed I Dream, ‘Fags’

Corkonian four-piece I Dreamed I Dream’s new single opens with a wormy synth line and marching celtic drums. The stripped back sounds frame a raw, chaotic love story for the dreamers and the disillusioned. Blending English and Irish, the tune uses the ceremony of cigarette smoking to convey the messy realities of love, loss, and the vulnerability of starting over.

As well as revealing the first release from their highly anticipated second EP, BOYOPOISONING (set for release in April 2025), the hotly-tipped live also announced a headline show at The Bello Bar in Dublin on May 3.

 

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Clive Culberston, ‘How Can You Say’

Ballymoney-born musician Clive Culberston - who was the featured bassist on Van Morrison’s 1989 album Avalon Sunset - marks a fresh chapter in his five-decade long career following a lengthy battle to reclaim the publishing rights to a catalogue of over 40 original songs.

Though ‘How Can You Say’ is not among the recently reclaimed tracks, the reimagined single sees Culbertson bring a fresh stylistic approach to the work, drawing particular inspiration from Nashville country music group Lady Antebellum on a rousing tune that boats weeping slide guitars alongside heartbroken lyrics.

Daniel Luke, ‘My Father’s Son’

Dublin-based pianist and composer Daniel Luke unveils deeply personal compositions for piano and cello. Performed alongside cellist Lizzi Murtough, the atmospheric and dramatic instrumental track is an intimate reflection on his relationship with his late father, and marks the artists’ first release beyond solo piano.

"Rather than dwelling on tragedy, this piece reflects on everything I’ve done since my father’s passing—how he might feel about my life, my family, and the person I’ve become," says Luke.

Dash!, ‘Luas’

Dash!’s debut single ‘Luas’ showcases their unique brand of new wave synth pop. The song is an ode to Dublin’s tram system, expressing affection and gratitude for the service.

Formed in 2023, the six-piece uses intergalactic imagery to generate an elusive air. The unrelenting bass and starry production in their new song makes it hard to leave your mind.

Fans can catch Dash! at their release gig on March 29 at Dublin’s Fibber Magee's basement.

Adrian Crowley and Sean O'Hagan, 'The Wreck of the Julia'

Released as part of a series for Bring Your Own Hammer, featuring on their new EP Speak Wreck Speak!, this nine-minute track is the haunting tale of a ship which wrecked off the Galway coast in 1873.

Disonant strings hum and buzz with eerie piano as Adrian Crowley's gravelled voice describes in how locals scavenged the broken ship. Not long after, local police arrived to secure the area, eventually leading to heightened tensions and the killing of Patrick King and Thomas Folan. The track is tense and unsettling, delivering the tragic story in a sombre, poetic style.

Bring Your Own Hammer gathers historians and composers to produce original songs based on historical sources of nineteenth-century Ireland.

Padraig Jack, 'Lovely Stare'

Singer-songwriter Padraig Jack's 'Lovely Stare' is his latest release since his album These Shores back in October. Through soulful verse, the Aran Island-native's lilting voice recounts the story of meeting his wife for the first time during a trip to Berlin.

Featuring Anthony Thistlethwaite of The Waterboys and We Banjo 3's Fergal Scahill, the track's gentle guitar, banjo, fiddle and flute firmly roots it in the traditions of Irish folk music. It feels as though it has been handed down through generations, like 'Raglan Road' and other classics of the genre.

Amble, ‘Swan Song’

Hailing from the West and Midlands of Ireland, indie folk three-piece Amble have released ‘Swan Song,’ the second single from their upcoming debut album Reverie, out on May 23.

Stripped back instrumentation - comprising only acoustic guitars and mandolin - accompanies Robbie Cunningham’s crooning voice as he sings through this melancholic, autumnal track about departing and longing for change.

"See the traffic lights, / Bid adieu to all those West-ward bound students, / Sight one I used to pal with. / Winter consumes this place, gentle remains its pace, /And we carry on, oblivious to our swan song," sings Cunningham in one of the song's verses.

Check out our playlist on Spotify below: