Every month we take a look back at the best new releases from Northern Ireland, showcasing the sheer amount of talent coming out of the North in our Fresh Music From NI Playlist.
Words by Eimear Gallagher, Robert Brown & Will Mac Aoidh.
Kynsy, Lemonade Shoelace – how things are today
Dublin’s Kynsy and Newcastle’s Lemonade Shoelace are two songwriting titans that I’ve followed for a long, long time, so a Kynsy/Lemonade Shoelace collab is like Irish Indie Christmas. I’m happy to report that, this year, Santa has been very, very generous. how things are today is a dreamy, colourful slice of escapism that blends the two artists’ signature styles with graceful ease. WMA
piglet – kitchen flood
piglet, the long-time project of Belfast’s Charlie Loane, has been a series of wins; alex’s birthday, frank forever and two collaborative tracks with Porridge Radio have been incredible works, one and all. Adding to the collection of gold medals is kitchen flood, the first single from the upcoming mixtape so far, to be released October 23rd. There’s a gossimmer delicacy to vocal melodies elevated by vibey, lo-fi synth and samples to create a beautiful, lullaby-esque track. Lyrically exceptional and aesthetically gorgeous, that’s the piglet guarantee. WMA
The Gentle Reckoning – Burning Away The Dawn
The Gentle Reckoning, a project of Belfast-based Jamie Welles, has much more punch than you would expect from just one writer. Usually, the kind of musicality on display in Burning Away The Dawn is the combined efforts of a group of musicians, but not in this case. The pronounced vocals and excellent lyricism feel very in the folk troubadour vein, while crunchy guitars have more of the rock’n’roll grit to them. It blends well into a song that has no trouble being the best of both worlds. WMA
Novena – Give Me A Call
Belfast rockers Novena come out swinging with this edgy indie rock banger. There is a slight lofi tint to proceedings but the ferocity of the guitar and drums mean there is a real energy and swagger to proceedings. Arguably the stand out debut single of the year to date. RB
The Marra – The Last of the Poets
Momentum has been slowly building behind Derry’s The Marra for a while now and their latest release looks set to only lift them higher. They aren’t chasing trends and sonically there are plenty of throwbacks to REM and Tom Petty with that unique Derry narrative. The rockers lament the death of maverick rock stars but manage to call on the services of Paul Weller for a guest appearance on the organ. It is always handy to have friends in high places. RB
