Every month sees more and more great Irish music released to the world. Aaron Cunningham and Will Mac Aoidh select some of our favourite releases of last month, including cover artist Ailbhe Reddy. All found in our rotating playlist.
Ailbhe Reddy – Align
We love when a favourite returns with new music after a while away, and Ailbhe Reddy’s emotional songwriting has always marked her as an artist worth listening to. Two years on from her last release, Reddy returns with new single ‘Align’ as she signs to new US label Don Giovanni Records. Born out of a breakup, the mix of quiet heartbreak and acceptance in the relatable and stirring ‘Align’ will wash over you. AC
Gurriers – Erasure
There’s a lot to be shouting about lately and Gurriers are finding huge success by shouting with intent & artistry. ‘Erasure’ is another winner from Gurriers, the band for whom the gigs just keep rolling on in. Just last month, Gurriers opened for Kneecap in the Wembley Arena and started a European tour that ends in Belfast next Christmas. Lots to look forward to! WMA
Pillow Queens – Be A Big Girl
Pillow Queens, the band that never misses. It feels like a very long time since I heard ‘Gay Girls’ in 2018, it was the kind of song that stays in your playlists through thick and thin. ‘Be A Big Girl’ is an evolution of that same energy and creativity – the same DNA is still there but the melodies are more complex, the production is sharp and used more aesthetically, the choruses punch in a new and exciting way. It’s such a delight. WMA
Inni-K – Still A Day
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Inni-K released her fourth album Still a Day last month on Green Willow Records, ten years on from her debut. In an album with experimentation of traditional sounds, the title track is one of the more bare and contemplative numbers. Eithne Ní Chatháin voice, accompanied only by piano, works through recent heartbreak and grief. AC
Child of Prague – Grey Hairs
Dubiln six-piece continue their midwest Emo appreciation on new EP Clothed in the Sun. In the midst a debut EP that refuses to rest on a single sound, ‘Grey Hairs’ sits as a highlight alongside the high energy ‘Basking Sharks’. Strings and saxophone rise to the fore here amongst weaving guitar lines. AC
Chameleon – New Way
I want to go on a long drive with ‘New Way’ playing. The kind of one where it’s raining and dark and the speakers in your car sound crap but it doesn’t matter. New Way is so grand, punctuated by moments of solid vocal and immense, immersive space. A real diamond of a song. WMA
Search Results – Excruciating Heights
Eclectic duo Search Results are already following on from their May album Go Mutant with new single ‘Excruciating Heights’. A celebration of garage rock sounds, it retains their ties to lofi sounds while while they continue their experimentation into new sounds. Not a band to rest on their laurels. AC
The Altered Hours – Turn Away
Irish alt rock five piece give an update on their new self-titled album alongside new single ‘Turn Away’. The band’s third album will now be released early November but ‘Turn Away’ is proving a welcome distraction. A high tempo track with dual vocals and swathes of shoegaze guitars recorded in just two takes. AC
Penny’s Band – Water from a Stone
Four-piece Penny’s Band have made waves since their emergence in the summer of 2024. They sold out their debut headline show back in January, and followed it up with another busy one in May. ‘Water from a Stone’ is their fourth single, marking out their path of indie rock, it’s a track with heartfelt emotion wrapped in indie guitars and melodies. The band play our next GIFTED on 30th October. AC
Playlist
