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 featured playlist. This month’s cover artist is Robyn Maddox. Words by Aaron Cunningham and Will Mac Aoidh.
Robyn Maddox – Margot
Dreamy, dramatic & full to the brim of Hollywood charm. ‘Margot’ is both quietly witty in its lyrics but still as bombastic as a musical showstopper, showing off Maddox’s powerful vocals, clever musicality and innate gift for the theatrical. WMA
ROE – The Moment’s Gone
‘The Moment’s Gone’ is the first 2025 release from Derry songwriter ROE. An introspective track about falling into routine and days bleeding into the next. ROE’s quiet vocals give the track an intimate feeling, while the production, born from home demos, aligns with her independent ethos. AC
California Irish – Big Questions
The latest project from The Answer’s Cormac Neeson has him leading a new seven piece band of musical talents. California Irish have only the one secret show under their belts to date but the analogue sounds of ‘Big Questions’ serves as a perfect introduction. The sun-kissed Americana of this debut captures the essence of a band who value the authentic heart of late 60s Laurel Canyon. An enticing live prospect, they’re in the Empire on 16th May. AC
Many A Son – Nesting
I’m a sucker for a bouncy, charming folk-pop tune. Gorgeous harmonies are found throughout, busy drum work & clean, complex guitar melodies make for a bright & energetic lil’ bop from the North Coast duo. WMA
Huartan – Uiseog
If you’re like me & ‘Bean Udaí Thall’ has been two songs away on any given playlist, you’ll have been chomping at the bit to listen to ‘Uiseog’. I’m glad to report that there are no disappointments here – ‘Uiseog’ is brilliantly composed, offering highest-quality tradtronica with a message that can never be silenced. WMA
RUA – To The Land Where We Go
‘To The Land Where We Go’ is spectral & misty, using a single droning harmonium to let RÚA’s voice twist & soar like a bird. Textured by influence of sean-nós, the melodies and atmosphere conjured in To the land where we go feel plucked from another time entirely. Incredibly beautiful, deeply moving. WMA
Cloakroom Q – Perfectly Legal For Me To Ruin Your Day
Tune You Have to Dance To is a celebration of a band who have built their following on free-spirited live performances. An idiosyncratic release that takes off in whatever direction the band sees fit, from 16 minutes prog odysseys to melancholic melodrama. ‘Perfectly Legal For Me To Ruin Your Day’ is a short distillation of their sound, dynamic and groove laden. AC
Sophie French – Friday Feels
The Oh Yeah’s Scratch My Progress continues to produce results, year on year. While it may be a little harder to track the advice and opportunities given to the artists on the programme each year, the annual Scratch releases offer something a bit more tangible. One fifth of that release is Sophie French’s ‘Friday Feels’, a feel-good, sunny pop track with a soulful shimmer. AC
Playlist:
