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 Penny’s Band. Words by Aaron Cunningham and Will Mac Aoidh.
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
Silk – july
‘july’ has guitars that feel like lying down on a cloud. It’s the kind of good shoegaze your mother puts in the cabinet until guests come around. The soaring vocals, the crunchy-yet-spacious guitars, it’s just a song that hooks you. WMA
Dani Larkin – End of it All
Folk songwriter Dani Larkin is rarely quiet, with regular performances and her last single ‘David’ released earlier this year. But September single ‘End of it All’ comes with the promise of a new album. Described as a “song for our times”, there’s a foreboding nature to the track that mixes new sounds and even working in children’s rhyme ‘Row Your Boat’. It’s an arresting release that sets the tone for her ambitious second album Next of Kin in January. AC
Anna Bradley – ambulance song
I hadn’t heard Anna Bradley until she came up on this playlist, but I hope I hear far more in the future. ‘ambulance song’ is a peak example of the diary-entry style of songwriting that is doing numbers in the alt-folk scenes, but it’s so much more. There’s truly beautiful lyricism here, really gut-wrenching sorrow dripping out of every word. A real diamond of a song. WMA
Alfie Norma – Dog-Eared
Belfast based songwriter Alfie Norma caught our attention when he emerged out of nowhere with his debut EP two years ago, he’s not re-emerged with self-produced new single ‘Dog-Eared’. The lo-fi nature of that debut has been built upon for ‘Dog-Eared’ with his self-reflective lyrics poured through layered vocals, quiet piano and an array of analogue sounds. One for the dreamers. AC
Lonesome George – Eels of Lough Neagh
I was very lucky to hear Lonesome George two years ago in Falcarragh, Donegal. Since then, I’ve been hearing them everywhere. Why wouldn’t I? ‘Eels Of Lough Neagh’ is enough to get you hooked on Lonesome George’s brand of trad-fusion, showing off tight, elaborate melodies with wit and energy. WMA
Janet Devlin – Candy
I suppose it’s not revolutionary to have been from Ulster and also rooting for Janet Devlin in the X Factor waaay back in 2011 – I’ve maintained a soft spot for Our Janet (that’s what we called her) ever since. It’s been a delight over the last two years to hear her veer towards a fun, bouncy Nashville style, with ‘Candy’ being a standout example. WMA
Rory Friers – HOME
Rory Friers is best known for his place at the heart of Northern behemoths And So I Watch You From Afar, but his ambitions have stretched far beyond that in recent years with as a composer, producer and artist. His growing connection to the orchestral has led to new projects. ‘Home’ is the first release from a new project, an instrumental of stirring texture with fragmented samples and an orchestral score that builds through its ten minutes. AC
The Gold Tips – Do You Remember All The Lights?
The new release from The Gold Tips is part of an ambitious multi media project inspired by “the ghost of Elvis and The Curfew Tower in Cushendal”. With the Gold Tips as backing band, and songwriter Eamonn McNamee musically directing, the album STAY features contributions from the likes of Arborist and Duke Special while a short film of the same name is also on the horizon. ‘Do You Remember All The Lights? sees the band on typically electric soulful form. AC
Playlist
