Music from the Heart

David Hope is a Clare based singer – songwriter. ‘...and the Sea’ will be Hope’s fifth studio album release. Hope has toured extensively in both his native Ireland and mainland Europe, averaging in excess of 200 shows per year. During this time, Hope has built a reputation as one of the very best live performers on the touring circuit today. ‘Lovers Leap (Coast of Clare)’ is the highly anticipated first single from aforementioned album. It is released globally on Swiss music label, TOURBOmusic.

One of the things music does is that it connects like-minded people. Sometimes, the connections are unexpected. And  the greatest art is born from nowhere. Isn't that just what musicians do in general, creating something from nothing? Perfect example of this unexpected collaboration are French artist Clint Slate and Scottish singer/songwriter Iona James. Iona, a nurse by profession, realized her long-time music dream by releasing her debut single "To The Moon" in January of this year.

Formed in 2016, A Ritual Sea’s distinctive, synth-driven, shoegaze sound is heavily influenced by the esoteric imagery of Andrei Tarkovsky, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Robert Altman and Ingmar Bergman. Having featured at the renowned Other Voices Festival in 2018 and supported international acts such as Gwenno and Jane Weaver, the band played a sold-out headline show in Dublin’s Whelans venue in early 2020 and are gearing up to return to playing live shows in support of their debut album launch.

Dublin based composer BK Pepper recorded his debut album in a number of locations, from Abbey Road to a converted swimming pool and the hard graft paid off with acclaim from not only the Irish media but international radio and blogs too. Classically trained on piano and trombone, BK Pepper’s musical projects include composing for film and theatre as well as touring with both orchestras and rock bands. After many years performing and releasing collaboratively, BK finally released his own collection of songs. He is now  releasing a second teaser from his upcoming magical project, in a 4 song live EP and accompanying video in the unique picturesque setting of the 16^th Century Rathfarnham Castle in South Dublin. 'Island' will be released  ahead of the full EP and video 'From An Empty Castle' which comes out on July 16^th. The film was directed by Antimo Puca and Hector Romero and the strings are performed by Glasshouse along with Gareth Quinn Redmond. 

Following the critical success of his ‘What Little Time We Have’ EP, Dublin folk-pop songwriter and artist Luke Clerkin is set to return with a new single. ‘Lost in Translation’ is the first of a series of songs recorded remotely with Berlin based producer, Jaako. It furthers Luke’s journey into the Pop music genre. Talking about the release, Luke said, ‘’This song was written in 2019 when I was on a college exchange in Germany and I found myself ‘lost in translation’, I was dealing with homesickness, and finding it really hard to connect with people. The one thing that was keeping me going was music and it helped me overcome the language and culture barriers that existed.’

Pontious Pilate & The Naildrivers have been writing, performing and independently releasing their own music for a number of years now, to a loyal and growing audience. Now, in association with FIFA Records, comes their latest single ‘Own Your Spectrum’, taken from their full-length debut album due out later this year, “Kick The Megaphone”.

In the midst of a global pandemic, and what we can only call a crushing year for so many, four musicians got together to kill some time by making music. It had been their passion individually for decades. And with what felt like never-ending lockdowns, the one thing they had was time. With diverse experience and backgrounds in folk, rock, hip hop and reggae, the music started to take shape, and Kandemic was born. With everything going on in the world, it became clear from the very start that Kandemic had a lot to say and a story to tell. As one lockdown was followed by another, the band kept writing and recording music. And six months and thousands of cans of beer later, Kandemic realised they had an album in their hands and a message from far beyond the stars. Rock, punk, hip hop and reggae, and swapping between English and Italian languages, Kandemic's sound picks from the past and sets out to make something new. Band members from Helsinki, Milan, Rome and Venice now call Dublin their home.

Irish singer-songwriter Chris Short started singing on the open mic scene in Dublin in 2017 and he’s gone from strength to strength ever since. He has previously received support form the likes of RTÉ Radio, IMRO and The Vinyl District to name a few. Chris has worked closely in the studio with Beardfire Music - the label behind the likes of RUNAH, Martin McDonnell, KTG, Zoe Clarke, Kayli Sousa, Lauran Beth, and who’s development work includes Patricia Lalor and William Franklyn Miller. His debut EP Somewhere was produced by David Virgin, Rohan Healy and Al Quiff at Beardfire Studio, Dublin - a father and sons production team who, in their collective six decades of musical experience, have worked with the likes of Nick Cave, INXS, Leslie Dowdall (In TuaNua), Mary Black, The Cruel Sea, Cat Power, Billy Bragg and Lloyd Cole, to name but a few.