Supporting Irish Musicians and Artists

Shane Barry, Sara Lou, Washed Out and Woody have been put forward as local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is set to kick off on 21 stations across Ireland, on September 1st.

As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands – with all 21 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months. The excitement is rising, with a slew of announcements arriving over the next few days. Each of the acts selected by the stations will perform and be interviewed on their local station, with one act from each station going forward onto the long-list of contenders for the national A New Local Hero award.

Launched in 2021, Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán.

What Irish Music Month means, across participating independent stations, is:

– More Irish music song plays

– More Irish music features

– More Irish artist gig pushes

– More Irish artist interviews

And – what's more – we'll be putting over €100,000 into the hands of music makers and their crews across the country too.

So, let's meet WLR FM's shortlisted artists...

WOODY:

"The best thing to come out Kilmeaden since the cheese", alt-rock outfit Craig Dunphy, Alan O'Brien, Colm Dempsey and Cian Weldon have been making tunes together since 2020, releasing their debut album Beans on Toast earlier this year. With an exciting, Strokes-evoking, DIY sound, the young grafters have already started work on their sophomore LP While I'm Away. A fine example of what the Crystal County's buzzing indie scene has to offer.

Woody.

Shane Barry:

A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Barry re-kindled his music career in 2023 after spending the last few years completing a PhD in Applied Linguistics. Having had previous success with his indie-soul ensemble Shane Barry & the Distractions, he recently self-created his debut solo album Songs from the Silver South - which featured mixing from O Emperor's Brendan Fennessy and mastering by Slowdive's Simon Scott. It proved an impressive, flushed out LP from a superbly talented WLR FM Local Hero nominee.

Shane Barry

Sara Lou:

Having won two world medals for Irish dancing in her youth, this country-pop artist's love for performance melded with a passion for songwriting when she received an acoustic guitar aged fifteen. She's graced stages across Ireland, the UK, Australia, and America, supporting the likes of Mick Flannery, Republic of Loose and Aslan. It's no secret to why Lou keeps such esteemed company, with her impressive arsenal of big-sounding, country-tinged tunes.

Sara Lou.

Washed Out:

With an age range of 16-19, young guns Heather Deely, Danny Byrne, Oscar Devlin, Ben Walsh, Siofra Bartels-Shortt and Sara Whelan have been making waves in their native city via their exciting brand of indie-funk. Having played numerous festivals and events in their hometown - including the 40,000-strong Waterford Spraoi parade - the group recently recorded their debut single at Monique Studios in Midleton under the guidance of renowned drummer and producer Christian Best. The future is in capable hands.

Washed Out.

Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP, Live Nation, Rubyworks and Camden Recording Studios.

See the full list of participating radio stations below:

Clare FM
Classic Hits
Cork's 96FM
East Coast FM
FM104
Galway Bay Fm
Highland Radio
KCLR
KFM
Limerick Live 95FM
LMFM
Midlands 103
MidWest Radio
Northern Sound
Ocean FM
Radio Kerry
Radio Nova
Shannonside
South-East Radio
Tipp FM
WLR FM

• Irish Music Month - Irish Radio Supporting Artists - in association with IBI, Hot Press & Coimisiún na Meán's Sound & Vision Scheme, funded by the Television License Fee.