As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands with all 22 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months. The excitement is rising, with a slew of announcements arriving over the next few days. Each of the acts selected by the stations will perform and be interviewed on their local station, with one act from each station going forward onto the long-list of contenders for the national A New Local Hero award.

Launched in 2021, Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, and is funded by Coimisin na Men. Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP and Live Nation, along with Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spir Mix and Master.

The stations participating in Irish Music Month are: Clare FM, Classic Hits, Cork's 96FM, East Coast FM, FM104, Galway Bay FM, Highland Radio, KCLR, KFM, Limerick Live 95FM, LMFM, Midlands 103, Midwest Radio, Northern Sound, Ocean FM, Radio Kerry, Radio Nova, Shannonside FM, South East Radio, Sunshine FM, Tipp FM, and WLR FM.

What Irish Music Month means, across participating independent stations, is:

More Irish music song plays

More Irish music artist mentions

More Irish music features

More Irish artist gig pushes

More Irish artist interviews

And what's more we'll be putting over 100,000 into the hands of music makers and their crews across the country too.

Without further ado, let's meet Ocean FM's shortlisted artists...

Johnny D'Fawkes

Newly emerged power trio Johnny D'Fawkes are a force from the Irish North West with one foot in the blues and the other planted firmly in Irish hard rock. The band are driven by a single guitar, a thunderous rhythm section, and fearless improvisation, channelling the Celtic charge of Thin Lizzy and the raw intensity of Rory Gallagher in a set built for the stage.

Johnny D'Fawkes

Frontier

Folk-pop band Frontier are from the North West of Ireland. Playing music together for almost two years, they have played at various events all over Ireland. With two songs released and more on the way, the band are known for their high-energy live performances - playing popular pub tunes alongside original music to get the crowd dancing.

Frontier

Heron Red
Irish Americana folk band Heron Red are a musical project born from the creative spark between two artists: Molly Buchan and Callum Wall. With a sound that fuses the spirit of The Waterboys, Dolly Parton, and The Mamas & Papas, Heron Red is a dynamic folk duo with a full-band sound. The duo crafts music that ranges from stripped-back storytelling to soaring, full-bodied energy.

Heron Red

Kayleigh Henry

Sligo-native Kayleigh Henry is a solo musician who has been playing since she was eight years old. She began writing her own music last year and has played in pubs across Sligo and Mayo during the weekends, studying Primary Teaching at Mary Immaculate College during the week. With inspirations the likes of Amble and Luke Combs, her music sees emotional depth and intimacy.

Kayleigh Henry

Keep an eye onhotpress.comand listen to your local participating station for more news on Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero and the Irish song competition, Amhrn na Laoch.

The post-punk band are touring Europe and the UK for their second album, No One's Coming To Save You. The album releases today.

We gave an 8/10 to the "record about finding hope in hopeless situations and comfort in huge choruses and eardrum-battering guitars Gurriers latest is as gritty as it is galvanising."

Gurriers have become known for sharply political songwriting. Their live shows have been described as bone-rattling and mosh-ready, their sound as fast-paced and high-voltage.

The title of the album's focus track 'Waiting For Fisher' is a cross between Beckett's Waiting for Godotand anti-capitalist writer Mark Fisher's name. It critiques both the misery and irony of capitalism.

Me and the lads bonded over Mark Fisher quite early on - so it felt appropriate to be putting this madness together for them", said Thomas James, director of the music video.

"For me, the video is a visceral, surreal, grenade of a satire - observing what the confines of competition can drive us to, in a system which tells us to always try to reach the top of the pile - treading on as many heads as were told to along the way. James also directs Kneecap's music videos.

See the video for 'Waiting For Fisher' below.

Tickets to the 3Olympia show are available here.

Tickets to the Vicar Street gig are sold out.

Hot Press gave the record a 9/10, and described it as "positively incendiary" in the album review.

Their 2023 album, Irish Rock N' Roll reached No. 42 on the Irish albums charts when it was initially released.

The band performed four guerilla tours in different pubs around Ireland to promote the album earlier this month, with the location of the show being revealed on the day.

Their first stop was McGirls Bar in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim on September 15. The second show was in Charlie Malones Pub in Limerick, on September 16. The group travelled up to Dublin for the third show, in Thomas House. Finally, they finished up their tour with a gig in Madden's pub in Belfast on September 18.

 

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The Mary Wallopers will be going on a European tour beginning in January 2027.

The band will be performing in Antwerp, Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Munich, Zurich, and Vienna.

They also have a headline show at the 3Arena on Thursday, December 10.

Tickets for the band's upcoming shows can be found here.

The phone call is short, the language careful and informative, the woman on the phone remains unseen. But as Catherine asks how many babies do they think they have found, the womans voice wobbles as she replies A substantial amount, Catherine.

The women end the call politely, but their wavering breath and catching voices convey two bodies struggling to contain the truth that has just been shared. Nobody gives a speech. Nobody explains to us the obscenity of what has been discovered. They dont need to.

Frank Berrys extraordinary film understands the power of what remains unspoken due to secrecy, and what cannot be captured in words. It also understands that, in telling a story about one of the most shameful chapters of Irish history, it would not only be unnecessary to engage in cinematic grandstanding, it would feel almost indecent. The horror is already there; Berry does not need to manufacture it.

Written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and starring a superb Monica Dolan as Corless (though I admit, I wonder why an Irish actress didnt play the role), The Lost Children Of Tuam traces the local historians investigation into the children who died at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam.

What begins as historical research slowly reveals itself to contain almost unthinkable darkness, as one womans modest project transforms into a reckoning around the Church, the treatment of women and children in Mother and Baby Homes, and an attempt to receive justice for the hundreds and hundreds of children's lives, deaths, and bodies that had been treated as though they did not matter.

Berry has always been a filmmaker of deep social conscience, working with communities to tell honest and empathetic stories that reveal difficult truths about a country we often tout as being progressive and a protector of the underdog. In Michael Inside, Berrys film about about Irelands prison system, and Aisha, his feature about Direct Provision, institutional violence emerges not through sensationalism but through its intrusion into ordinary life, and that instinct becomes incredibly powerful here.

Much of The Lost Children Of Tuam unfolds in kitchens, offices, archives, graveyards and over telephone calls, as Catherine begins to realise the sheer amount of children who died at the Bon Secours home, and that there are no records of their burials.

The sheer ordinariness of the backdrop is profoundly effective, showing not only that one woman could have such an impact on Ireland, but of the way bureaucracy, red tape, and people never asking questions can conceal such horrors.

Catherines journey is a series of small actions. She makes lists, crosses off names, looks through records, requests files, asks questions. Its as if the ordinary nature of the world and the actions she is taking should yield some reasonable explanation but they never do. Each individual action is small, but their cumulative meaning is monstrous.

Dolan is remarkable at conveying that accumulation. Her Catherine does not begin as a crusader or someone conscious that she is about to change Ireland. She is curious, persistent, morally clear, and increasingly unable to look away. And as the scale of what she is discovering becomes apparent, Dolan seems almost physically altered by the knowledge. The word that came to mind again and again as I watched her was haunted.

The restraint of her performance is crucial. Characters in The Lost Children Of Tuam rarely articulate the enormity of what they are experiencing. Emotion instead gathers in faces, pauses and voices. And the emotional impact of this choice is immense. By refusing to release all of that emotion onscreen, the film leaves the audience somewhere to put its own grief and anger and there is plenty of both.

One title card tells us that 9,000 children died in 18 Mother and Baby Homes between 1922 and 1998. The number is staggering.

The film reveals the terrifying consequences of allowing institutions to claim moral authority while denying the humanity of those under their control. Shame, sin, silence, and ideas of legitimacy and respectability were imposed upon unmarried mothers and their children by institutions committing acts of unspeakable cruelty themselves.

One of the simplest lines in the film reveals this hypocrisy. Confronted with what she has uncovered, Catherine tells her husband Aidan, What they did was evil the real thing.

Through remarkable restraint, Berry has made a film that is not only about the dangers of silence and the importance of breaking it, but also about what is possible when individuals decide to pursue the truth and follow their conscience. The Lost Children Of Tuam is a profoundly moving, beautifully controlled film about what happens when one woman decides that the missing must be accounted for.

It is of course about cruelty and complicity, but it is also about persistence, testimony and the radical moral force of paying attention.

I have thought of this film every day since Ive seen it. Which means Ive thought of those children. And isnt that the entire point.

Directed by Frank Berry. Written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and Dan Barry. Edited by Colin Campell and Nathan Nugent. Cinematography by Kate McCullough. Music by Hannah Peel. 84 mins

• In cinemas now. Watch the trailer below:

Bono, David Evans a.k.a. the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. met in secondary school and practised together for the first time on September 25, 1976. The members attended the coin launch event at the Little Museum of Dublin today. They also played a surprise gig at the school where they met, Mount Temple Comprehensive School.

U2 have won 22 Grammys, eight BRIT Awards, four Ivor Novello Awards and two Golden Globes. Their new album Carneval de Luz comes out this November, with single 'Silencio' out today.

They released their debut album Boyin 1980, and gained traction with War in 1983. It was their fifth album The Joshua Tree that truly made them an international, critical and commercial success, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. This album contained the smash hits 'With or Without You' and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'.

Another collectors' coin, a 15 euro silver proof coin honouring Maeve Binchy, will be released on October 2. The author from Dublin wrote international best-sellers including Circle of Friends and Tara Road.

The U2 coin can be purchased here.

Introducing Niamh Beatrix

15 year-old South African-Irish singer-songwriter Niamh Beatrix Smith is an emerging young artist who lives in Roundwood, Co Wicklow. At 14, Niamh was selected to sing the South African national anthem alongside the Irish Army Band at Dublins Aviva Stadium, performing in front of more than 40,000 people at the Ireland Vs South Africa international. She was also a Top 3 finalist in Junior Eurovision Ireland. Though she is still at the beginning of her musical story, it has already taken her from writing songs under experienced mentorship to stepping onto some remarkable stages.

Niamh released her first original song, 'Irish Lad' at just 12 years old, receiving high praise for the release and marking the beginning of her journey. Since then, she has performed at the 2026 BCMA Showcase, broken into the HotDisc UK Top 10 and began working with acclaimed Irish musician and producer Cian Boylan at Camden Recording Studios in Dublin, where she continues to develop her own sound. Behind the milestones is a young songwriter who is drawn to the things that are harder to put into words: growing up, love, loss, belonging and the small moments that can mean far more than they appear to. There is a tenderness to the way Niamh writes, alongside a voice that is becoming increasingly her own.

A New Local Hero: The Facts

As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands with all 22 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months. Now with, over 80 artists havingperformed and been interviewed on local radio, one act from each station is nominated for the long-list of contenders for the national A New Local Hero award.

Launched in 2021, Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, and is funded by Coimisin na Men. Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP and Live Nation, along with Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spir Mix and Master.

And what's more we'll be putting over 100,000 into the hands of music makers and their crews across the country too.

The stations participating in Irish Music Month are: Clare FM, Classic Hits, Cork's 96FM, East Coast FM, FM104, Galway Bay FM, Highland Radio, KCLR, KFM, Limerick Live 95FM, LMFM, Midlands 103, Midwest Radio, Northern Sound, Ocean FM, Radio Kerry, Radio Nova, Shannonside FM, South East Radio, Sunshine FM, Tipp FM, and WLR FM.

What Irish Music Month means, across participating independent stations, is:

More Irish music song plays

More Irish music artist mentions

More Irish music features

More Irish artist gig pushes

More Irish artist interview

Keep an eye onhotpress.comand listen to your local participating station for more news on Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero and the Irish song competition, Amhrn na Laoch.

The new 600-capacity venue at London's Battersea Power Station will officially open with a performance from John on Monday.

He will be followed by Baby Keem on October 2 and Skye Newman on October 7, before Troye Sivan, Arlo Parks and Burna Boy fill the rest of the month.

Chase & Status will then perform on November 26, before Charli rounds out the first announced run on December 2. All performances will also be live-streamed globally on Apple Music.

In addition to its 48-speaker Spatial Audio system, the space includes dedicated recording and mixing studios, multi-camera broadcast capabilities and a dedicated home for Apple Music's radio sessions.

"Apple's deep love for music dates all the way back to the very beginning, from the launch of the iPod to the long-running iTunes Music Festival to the debut of Apple Music," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and International Content.

John's performance will be his first public UK show in over three years, having wrapped his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at Glastonbury Festival in June 2023.

Charli is also set for a sold-out show at Dublin's 3Arena on February 13, 2027 as part of her upcoming tour of Europe, the UK and North America.

Tickets for all the upcoming Apple Music Hall shows go on sale Monday at 9 am here.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr, played songs to students and staff and journalists, with the set featuring 'I Will Follow', 'Vertigo', 'Beautiful Day', and their new single, 'Silencio'

There was also a rendition of 'One', performed alongside young musicians from Music Generation, as well an encore of 'With Or Without You'.

 

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Bono also took time to speak to students and reflect on the band's beginnings, as well as pay tribute Fr Jack Heaslip, who travelled with the band before his death in 2015.

"This sense that maybe all we needed was around us, just sort of under our feet, if we could see it in our mates, in our schoolmates, in our community," Bono said.

"This island is full of song and music and mischief, and we are so proud to be Irish."

U2 count Saturday, September 25, 1976 as their starting date, when a group of teenagers met at the Mullen family home in Artane. The meeting came about after Larry Mullen Jr, then a 14-year-old pupil at Mount Temple, put up a handwritten notice on the school noticeboard that read "Drummer seeks musicians to form band."

Seven turned up to that first rehearsal, including Mullen. Peter Martin and Ivan McCormick soon dropped out, leaving Mullen, Paul Hewson, Adam Clayton and the brothers Dave and Dik Evans. Early rehearsals took place in their music teacher's classroom at the school.

The band went through a few names before settling on U2. After a brief spell as the Larry Mullen Band, they became Feedback and then The Hype. The name U2 was suggested by Steve Averill of The Radiators From Space.

 

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Their first performance was at Mount Temple itself, where, according to accounts of the band's early days, they played a short set of covers as Feedback at a school talent contest in late 1976.

Their first official gig as U2 came on 18 March 1978, when the band, by then a four-piece, won an Evening Press and Harp Lager battle of the bands at the Stella Ballroom in Limerick, taking a 500 prize and a chance to audition for a recording contract. That night is brilliantly documented in Becoming U2, a new book by Brian O'Connell, published by Hot Press books.

Fans are also marking the date in the city through tribute shows, fan meet-ups, guided U2 walks and a film screening, as organisers expect 1,300 people from 28 countries to descend upon the capital.

Earlier this week, the band officially announced their new albumCarnaval Da Luz.

Photo Gallery featuring UCD Fresher's Week Battle of the Bands Finalists:

Lucy's Cigarettes
Mob14
The Calicos
Skipper's Revenge
Soft Rules

Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat) has also been announced as a cast member. He will join Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon), Georgina Campbell (Barbarian), and Lena Headey (Game of Thrones).

The programme is described as an absurd comedy masked as a crime thriller.

"Tormented Detective John Blackmere (Paddy Considine) leaves the rain-soaked Northern city of Bleakford for London to avenge his partners death and catch a ritualistic serial killer before they run out of victims. Contains blood and frowning."

The six-part series was created and written by Brooker, along with writers Ben Caudell, Jason Hazeley, Emer Kenny, Daniel Maier and Joel Morris. Victoria Asare Archer has also provided additional material for the series.

He is also an executive producer on the show, along with Jessica Rhoades and Annabel Jones. Mark Kinsella is a co-executive producer, and Richard Webb is producing the series. Al Campbell serves as series director.

Brooker has previously collaborated with Netflix with his anthology series, Black Mirror, and the mockumentary Death to 2020. Black Mirror will return to Netflix for an eighth season, which began filming during the summer.

Check out the first look images of Blackmere below.

Credit: Netflix

Credit: Netflix

The original dates at Vicar Street are on September 18 and 19. Doran is also visiting Belfast, Cork, Ennis and Galway on her Emmaculate tour.

Her personal experiences as a teenage mother, having her first child in 2003 and doing her Leaving Cert two weeks later, and now as a member of a patchwork family, shape her topics significantly.

Doran rose to fame through sketches on RT'sRepublic of Telly. More recently, she was on Amazon Prime Video's LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland andRT's No Worries If Not!

She has also hosted several podcasts, including "You're Grounded!" with her daughter during the COVID-19 lockdown, "And Another Thing!" with Muireann O'Connell, and currently "Keep It Tight" with Deirdre O'Kane. In November, Doran and O'Kane are bringing the podcast to the 3Olympia Theatre as a live discussion.

Her autobiographical bookMad, Isn't It?was published in 2o24.

Tickets to the extra night at Vicar Street are available here.

Sarandon was seen being handcuffed by New York Police Department officers at the demonstration, in footage released by the AFP. Einbinder was reportedly removed from the protest by NYPD officers as well.

The protest was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, multiple high-profile figures attended the protest including actress Cynthia Nixon, musician Lucy Dacus, and comedian Caleb Hearon.

Netanyahu was in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly. Multiple delegates from across the world walked out as he began his speech. Israel have been accused of genocide by multiple organisations and politicians, including New York mayor Zohran Mamdani.

He criticised several countries in his speech, including Britain and France, who recently decided to recognise the state of Palestine.

"They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism - some colonialism. And who's accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God's sakes, they invented the term," he said in his speech.

Sarandon has been outspoken in her activism for Palestine. At the Venice Film Festival earlier this month the actress claimed she has missed out on roles due to her pro-Palestinian views.

"Ive still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still," she said.

"But thats the power structure. I think [among] people, certainly internationally, I feel welcome."

Einbender spoke at the Cannes Film Festival in May about her decision to vocally support Palestine:

"I follow in the steps of Palestinians who have set the bar, who have always had to be their own advocates," she said.

"I am really pleased to join a tradition of Palestinians and Jewish allies who are committed to being vocal in a time where a lot of people shy away from that. I follow their lead.

"There is a greater toll in not speaking and youve just got to have your priorities straight."

Earthier and more exciting than their previous outing, producer and NBT riff wrangler, Dominic Craik, has done an excellent job capturing their explosive live sound. Exploring themes of community, belonging and shared experience, Stray Dogs is at its best when the guitars are cranked up to 11, and the band lean into those Queens Of The Stone Age, Muse and Smashing Pumpkins influences.

The super-catchy Evolution tips a cap to both the Gaslight Anthem and Don Henley's evergreen The Boys Of Summer', while the irresistible Baby Kool (Evelyn) is destined to be a mainstream hit. Elsewhere, the nu-metal and grunge mash-up American Confidence is driven by some stellar vocals from the versatile Conor Mason.

A fun and often feral salvo of mongrel rock, Stray Dogs has plenty of bite.

7/10

The duet with Bono will close the Irish band's upcoming 16th album, Carnaval De Luz, out November 13.

"When she got ill, she got out of her bed to sing this song," Bono told Rolling Stone. "I can't even listen to it now."

Parton died on August 25 at the age of 80, following "a brief battle with cancer," according to her representatives.

According to Rolling Stone, she recorded her vocals for 'Torn' in June, just two months before her death.

Bono initially approached the country icon about contributing to a separate, unreleased project inspired by Irish folk music, but Parton felt the material was too Irish for her and instead offered him a song of her own called 'Torn'.

Bono and Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid then reworked the lyrics around the perspective of a mother watching her family fracture, and Parton agreed to the new version. She was able to hear and approve the final mix before her death.

U2 had a longstanding friendship with Parton. They paid tribute shortly after her death, sharing an Instagram post that teased the song, writing: "Every heart is torn."

Carnaval De Luz arrives during U2's 50th anniversary year and marks their first full-length album of new material since 2017's 'Songs Of Experience'. The band shared its latest preview, 'Silencio' yesterday.

Produced by Jacknife Lee, the album is a collection of 12 songs, covering themes of spirituality, friendship and freedom. Alongside Parton's collaboration, Spanish singer Rosala also features on a track titled 'The Mirror Maker'.

"It's a messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs - and features the first-ever use of flat-wound strings on a U2 recording, just saying," said The Edge

"Roll up, roll up, roll up, bring your purple socks, your broken hearts, your rose-tinted naivety...oh be amazed in the hall of mirrors," followed Bono. "There will be loud guitars, deep bass, some ecstatic rhythms and yes, some silver tears will make an appearance!"

MusiCares recently announced U2 as their2027 Persons of the Year - marking the first time the honor covers all members jointly.

The group celebrates their 50th anniversary this weekend, with events to be held around Dublin including performances from tribute bands Zooropa and U2Baby. Tickets are available here.

Listen to 'Silencio' below.

In the meantime, to keep the home fires burning while they make their play for the role of the country's foremost rock act - creatively as well as commercially - they have been signed to a three-year deal for Ireland by CBS, a contract which will stand irrespective of international developments.

Module one of the ultimate U2 recorded canon has also been launched onto the local market, in a sufficient variety of sizes and wrappings to satisfy the most fetishistic of collectors: as an initial statement of intent, it stands with the best local records ever. Its crucial strength is its startling uniqueness: you have never heard anything before to which 'Out Of Control' or 'Boy/Girl' or 'Stories for Boys' can be remotely reliably compared.

Because U2 are a band who have meticulously and conscientiously avoided the trap of being out of control, a paradoxical condition attendant on the common initial error of plugging into a limited musical frame of reference. They are not punk. They are not pop. They are not glam. They are not "metal", let alone heavy. They are hardly country!

Not that they are blind to what is going on around them. Unlike more "Temperamental" musicians, utterly precious about the notion that they are creative and original people and inordinately suspicious of the suggestion that they might have listened to someone else, U2 will talk freely about their influences, who they've picked up on individually or collectively - the most certain barometer of the fact that they are not significantly indebted to anyone.

There is a basis for this in their creative rationale. Ironically again, it's because they are willing to relinquish control. After all, they are prepared to fall back on intuition and the power of the subconscious in writing their music and their lyrics, so that the end-result is so distinctive. You know hearing U2's music that it is intimately personal, that it reflects - with all the inevitable implicit tensions this involves - the personalities, the concerns and the convictions of its perpetrators.

U2 are good because the band comprises four intelligent, musical people who are not only willing but anxious to work towards the form of self-fulfilment that making rock n roll music entails. U2 are potentially great because they care, because their music is informed with a depth of concern for things and people and ideas. Which is, even at the best of times, anything but commonplace.

They are young and nave and above all committed. Not to anything outside themselves which they have yet to grasp either emotionally or intellectually but, simply, to making their contribution. They have maintained what amounts to a foolishly idealistic stance in the face of much cynicism, abuse and, latterly, even sporadic violence. But that foolishness, which is in fact at the very heart of their identity, is about to be repaid one hundred times.

The fact that they were prepared to go out onto a limb is admirable; the fact that they were prepared to look silly in the short term to develop something more powerful in the long run, a sign of their real humility; and the fact that its all coming together is a perfect form of poetic justice. And yet they are young enough for it all to come terribly unstuck.

There are five people sitting in (and out) on an interview, which extends for over two hours and contains more weight per minute than the vast majority of shorter conversations. The four members of the band, Bono (vocals), Adam Clayton (bass), Dave Edge (guitar) and Larry Mullen (drums) are here, as is manager Paul McGuinness, who makes sporadic contributions, mainly on matters of business.

THE GENESIS OF A BAND AND ITS PERSONALITY

Larry: Getting together in high school, none of us had been in bands before except Adam, who was in the Max Quad Band.
Dave: We were all terrible. We just couldnt play other peoples material thats how we started writing. We learnt to play by learning how to do our own songs.

Bono: Adam pretended he could play and used words like gig and talked about things like action on the bass, and we thought this is a guy who can play! He was a liar. He actually couldnt play a note. Dave was just playing away on acoustic, and people kept on coming up and saying, theres something wrong, and we couldnt figure out what it was until suddenly we thought its Adam! Adam cant play.

He (Adam) has had his own distinctive style from the start at first it was called BLUFF (general laughter), but then it began to work. And he has a different sense of rhythm. You know the story about Jimi Hendrix when he went to a guitar tutor, they told him, forget it youll never play guitar, your rhythms all wrong Adam had the same thing. He was fired from the Max Quad Band because he couldnt play bass. Put him on the spot and say play that and he wont, hell play it his own way. And because of his odd sense of rhythm, he began to develop lines that werent normal, they werent clichd. They were good. The first song that we played was Stagalee-type funk rock. It was bloody good. Ill tell you how I wrote it. I was just playing the guitar, making the nice sounds of these chords, and suddenly there was emotion! It was very definitely, Ooh! this is nice and then playing more and more and it came like that. And I reckon it still holds good today. We were thinking of offering it to Stagalee.

Dave: Thats when I became a lead guitarist, during that song. I had been playing my guitar for three months, and we had this garage guitarist down who was very good fast and all that and after seeing him and hearing Paul (Bono) play that riff... that was it. I learned mainly by playing nothing in particular, just fiddling around on top of records.

Bono: Dave was definitely showing talent very fast. He came down you know that famous group Mushroom (chorus: No! Cromwell) ... Cromwell ... you know that track Guinness Rock has a bit diddle diddle diddle diddle diddle diddle diddle diddle Dave came down and said, listen to this and proceeded to play it. At that stage I wanted to play lead guitar, but I couldnt do that. And I still cant.

Dave: I started by being influenced by everybody, but the only records that I had were borrowed from Fergus across the road, and they were Rory Gallagher records.

Bono: So we began to feed him records like Marquee Moon.

Dave: I developed just generally being told, thats horrible do something else. And I would, out of embarrassment. Also listening to other guitarists, like Tom Verlaine.

Bono: It wasnt my choice to stop playing guitar. About eighteen months ago, they first of all stopped me playing guitar and I decided Id be a singer and then rumours had it that maybe I shouldnt sing. At that stage, I nearly faced EXIT! But I was the mechanic of the band. I got very frustrated at times I was always the guy bringing in records and making them listen to them. I eventually stumbled on singing, through a sore throat.

Larry: I started five years ago doing military drumming and from there, I had this style of having to fill in. I went to other teachers and then to Johnny Wadham, and he was teaching me to play jazz. When the band formed, they thought I was great because I was able to fill in. But as it developed, they started to say, try not to put so many rolls in and its only lately that Ive managed to cut back. I used to be able to do drum solos but I cant anymore...

By this stage, the instrumental prowess of the individual members of U2 can hardly be in question. Not yet utterly professional and adaptable musicians in the old school by any means each has however, developed a proficiency, musicality and personal style which works excellently in the context of the group sound. There is no obvious weakness, though not every move is inspired and there is always a possibility of individual shakiness. The collective progress from their novice beginnings is, nevertheless, remarkable.

MOMENTS OF SUCCESS, MOMENTS OF RESISTANCE & MOMENTS OF RESILIENCE

Bono: Were not ashamed of how bad we were, cos we played this competition in Limerick Civic Week and we won it on a spark. We went down there, and we went out on stage and it had an atmosphere even when we couldnt really play. We just felt good on stage.

Its hard to define we went out there and played and Jackie Hayden of CBS, who was a judge in the competition, could see the spark. There were groups like the East Coast Angels and Room Service who were very proficient musicians and blew us off in terms of sound, but we still won.

I remember one of our early gigs in a little, tiny Church Hall in Howth. We had two sets an original set and an unoriginal set. We played the unoriginal set first and then the original one to show people you see, this is what we do ourselves. For this gig, all these people from town came out to see the Radiators, and it was our big day like, these people were coming out and heres our chance to impress them. But when we played, there was much spitting and jeering, and a fight sort of broke out, and some of the Prunes had to, you know, take the guys out.

And it was only because we were young. I mean, you put these young boys up on stage, and theyre playing their music and youre twenty-one. I mean, why should you dance to them? Isnt there a bit of an ego thing involved? Of course there was. Lets face it, most of these people would like to be involved in music so they get a bit annoyed at these young whippersnappers up there: theyre doing it, and Im not.

Adam was looking after the money, and when theyd see Adam, theyd think, Oh, theyre all rich, they dont need the money. Which wasnt the case at all we were all smashed, especially Adam because his parents were not at all into him playing music. He got no financial help at all. He worked very hard for anything he ever got! (loud cheering and clapping).

Adam had the right attitude when he got involved with the band he said, This is it, this is what I want to do, and he just forgot about his schoolwork and all that, much to his parents distress. And I must admit it was his determination which spread to the band and eventually my schoolwork started to deteriorate. And Larrys!

INTO THE DEEP END THE HOW, WHY AND WHAT OF THE SONGS

Bono: I never write lyrics until the last minute because theyre constantly building as we work out the song. They build subconsciously because I found that I can write exactly what I want to write subconsciously, better than anything sitting down and trying. When the song is complete when the idea is right I then assemble the lyrics.

They all point to one thing getting people to think for themselves. Theres also a reaction against heavy advertising and television images and things like that. I remember seeing heroes on television people like James Bond and so on and thinking, Im not very good looking Im not going to get things like that and being unhappy about it. Also the constant pushing of perfection beautiful boys and beautiful girls. Intelligence in school everything that it seemed you were not was pushed at you, and I had a bit of a reaction against that. I personally had a very heavy adolescence emotional turmoil, that sort of thing. We feel that were qualified to comment on things like that because we are teenagers.

Everybody has a spiritual awareness but in rock music it tends to be forgotten. Teenagers think about questions like is there a God? Or refusing to go to service why? Its just finding out what you want in life or what you are in life and the spiritual element is there.

Out of Control is about waking up on your eighteenth birthday and realising that youre 18 years old and that the two most important decisions in your life have nothing to do with you being born and dying. The song is from the childs point of view, and its about a vicious circle. He becomes a delinquent, but the psychologist says, its in his childhood. No matter what he does it cant be because he wants to; its always because of what went before, and theres no decision in anything. Then again, thats slightly spiritual the question What is happening, if youve no freedom?

The lyrics change on stage. Thats something that fascinates me about Iggy Pop. I knew he constructed lyrics in his head and never wrote them down. When I saw him on stage, I could see the way he changed them. Youre just finding out what you really want to say as opposed to what is grammatically correct. I like the sound of words, as well like in The Fool some of the lyrics dont make sense but theyre there for the sound of the words. Like: Alive in an ocean a world of glad ice... that sentence came because of its actual colour.
Were serious about... like, everyone has emotions and were serious about them. They come out in our lyrics and our attitude but its not at all intended to be serious.

Dave: Were trying to avoid being shallow and one-dimensional. Its like the difference between the comic and the hard-covered book.

Bono: But fun is part of it were trying to capture all emotions.

Larry: Like Cartoon World.

Dave: Its a comic strip. We might lack a bit of humour, but we have enough humour in ourselves. I think thatll develop in the music. Were aware that were not going to change the world or anything. But if we can reach some of the people...

IMAGES, AUDIENCE & THE END

Bono: Theres two types of character being portrayed on stage: the Child or the Boy and the Fool, the Clown. These are the two sides of what we want to project. If we always come across as serious, then were not succeeding.

We have no intention of playing the hero. We are acting out the role of hero. Off-stage, I would consider myself a very Joe Bloggs-type of person. But the movement on stage is integral. Youre trying to point people towards the stage. Youre saying Look at me. Its very silly (laughs) youre jumping up and down, saying Look at me. Very much like a child.

Sometimes there is a danger of me being a bit patronising I dont really mean to. This night there was a girl in the audience and I said, Whats your name? and she got all coy. But the other friend knew what to say. She just moved in front of the microphone and shouted: FUCK OFF YOU BLOCKHEAD! I knew I couldnt compete, so I just walked away, holding my head down in embarrassment. I was the prick!

We hope for a type of cross-over audience. Like the name U2 was chosen because of its ambiguity, if you like because it wasnt attached to any trend, be it old wave or new wave. We want to stand up on our own.

Were also determined to achieve a position where we have artistic freedom and where we can affect people the way we want to affect them. We want to get that position, that artistic freedom, which derives from money and success and well work very hard to get there. And were willing to compromise to a certain extent but the music is very believed in

Adam: Its a quest for perfection, as we see it. In the next two years, were going to develop so much more its going to be a continuing, growing and maturing process.

They speak well for themselves, U2.

• Becoming U2, by Brian OConnell, tells the extraordinary story of the night that the four-piece from the Northside of Dublin played their first ever official gig as U2, in a band competition and won! thereby changing the course not just of Irish music but of popular music across the world. Becoming U2 is published by Hot Press Books. The hardback is available exclusively from the shop on hotpress.com.

To celebrate, we're giving away two tickets for Ed O'Brien's (Radiohead) only Irish show - An Evening with Blue Morpho - at The Ulster Hall on Monday, October 19, plus a 2 night stay for two, including breakfast at Bullitt Hotel on October 18 & 19.

Blue Morpho finds OBrien beginning anew. With its moments of hypnotic psych-folk, radiant guitars, beguiling trip-hop and luminous stillness, it reveals an artist moving beyond familiar structures.

The live experience brings together a collective of musicians who performed on the albums recording sessions, including musical director Dave Okumu. Rather than simply recreating the record in its studio form, the live show is conceived as a fluid and immersive experience a celebration of the music in which each performance will evolve and take on a life of its own.

Bullitt Hotel is the perfect place to stay, eat, drink and explore, right in the heart of Belfast city centre. Inside, youll find cleverly designed rooms, two restaurants, a rooftop bar and garden, and an award-winning cocktail bar, alongside a monthly line-up of DJs, artists and local creatives bringing events, exhibitions and collaborations to life across the hotel. Step outside and the vibrant Cathedral Quarter, along with some of Belfasts best bars, restaurants, shops and cultural spots, is right on your doorstep.

Bullitt Hotel

To be in with a chance of winning, simply fill out the form below:

The concert will focus on his two solo albumsSolo in Soho and The Philip Lynott Album, as well as selected songs from the Thin Lizzy catalogue. Glasshouse have also enlisted the help of some of Irelands most interesting and versatile contemporary vocalists including SexyTadhg, Iona Lynch from Cork band The Cliffords, Toshin and Paddy Hanna.

The event is part of the wider Musictown 2026: A Celebration of Philip Lynott celebrations. Presented by Dublin City Council and Foggy Notions, the week-long programme features contemporaries and friends of the Irish musician, as well as younger creatives inspired by Philip's work spanning the worlds of music, film, literature, visual art and more.

To be in with a chance of winning tickets to OLD TOWN - The Songs of Phil Lynott at the National Concert Hall, fill out the form below:

The five-piece are fresh from releasing Stray Dogs, a project which saw them strip things back and lean into early influences like Radiohead and Jeff Buckley. Their fifth LP, it was recorded at Angelic Studios, where Nothing But Thieves made their debut record in 2015, and was written in unison over a dedicated 5-month period.

I enjoyed the experimental, explorative stage we were in for the last few records trying out every avenue, singer Conor Mason explained in July. But then we pushed it further with Dead Club City.

"It feels good to actively be like, Lets get rid of everything and have the band in the room and write the best songs we can. Its almost a more difficult task, where youre not relying on all the things you can play at, and pull out and experiment with, to make it interesting.

To be in with a chance of winning two tickets to Nothing But Thieves at the 3Arena Theatre on February 2, fill out the form below:

Award-winning Irish singer Mav has released her single, Near, co-written with Stephen Rennicks. The song serves as part of her upcoming fifth solo album, Sweet Sorrow, which explores themes of grief and consolation. Her sound fuses folk music with Celtic inspirations and classical vocal styles.

Meavs unique sound was forged by the combination of her family heritage in the Irish language and folk music tradition and her classical training in voice, harp and piano. Her crystal-clear soprano vocals take centre stage and her unique, intricate compositions serve as more-than-worthy accompaniment. A beautiful new track to add to her catalogue.

Mav

Kingfishr, How Lonely

Indie folk band Kingfishr have risen to fame with dizzying speed. Their 2025 debut album Halcyonreached number one in Ireland. Now the Shannonsiders have released their third single of 2026, a melancholy yet melodic, appealing tune titled 'How Lonely'.

"'How Lonely' is about unrequited love. Funny how being in a band doesnt seem to make much difference in the pursuit to requite your love but in any case, we move," said vocalist Eddie Keogh.

Declan O'Rourke, Earl Grey & Edwin

Declan ORourke began his career with a bang when his debut albumSince Kyabramwent double platinum. 22 years later, he is touring Ireland for his album Oceanic,

Earl Grey and Edwin is a nostalgic tale about ORourkes guitar teacher. His smooth, deep voice and the bright guitar jingle combine to convey the bittersweet memories of a close friendship lost over the years.

Declan O'Rourke. press photo

Strange Boy, God Help Him (Seemingly He Didn't)

Strange Boy, the alias of Jordan Kelly from Limerick, specialises in mixing hip-hop and Irish trad, rapping over flutes and acoustic guitars.Kelly won the Liam O'Flynn Award in 2023. His second album SAY NOTHING is now out.

God Help Him (Seemingly He Didnt) with Enda Gallery opens with a clear, lonely flute and ends with a trancelike choir of ahs. This is a calmer track on the album, on which Strange Boy spits bars in the style of rappers like Eminem or Mac Miller, with his distinct Limerick accent.

Strange Boy. press photo

Girl In The Year Above, Wet Paint

Girl In The Year Above are an Irish-Cornish six-piece. When asked which '-ish' is better, they reply, "Beamish!" They gained attention when their cover of 'Teardrop' was featured in the film Peaky Blinders: the Immortal Man.The band will play at Whelan's on October 25.

Their sound has been described as Celtic storytelling infused with an unapologetic, fierce emotional charge. 'Wet Paint' is their third original single, dealing with boundaries and desire. My body is this wet paint / I dont feel like it tonight / These layers coat my body / They keep me safe inside,sings vocalist Jennifer Ball.

Louise OFlanagan, Crooked Crown

Limerick singer-songwriter Louise OFlanagan has released a new single Crooked Crown a spacious acoustic and indie-folk ballad drawing gently from folk, country and blues traditions. Acoustic instrumentation, natural production and a restrained arrangement give OFlanagans expressive vocal, melody and lyrical storytelling room to breathe.

The songs themes explore the question: Can I be loved (unconditional self-love), even when my best is imperfect? from a statement. OFlanagan coined the phrase Crooked Crown to describe the distance between who we genuinely are and the polished, capable version of ourselves. The crown does not have to sit perfectly before the person wearing it can feel whole, valued or enough, she said.

Louise O'Flanagan

Sen Collins, Full Moon

Sen Collins is a newcomer to the folk and trad music scene. Full Moon is the Dubliners fourth-ever single, featuring Senie Bermingham of Amble on mandolin. The mellow track is catchy and comforting, like a lullaby. His debut EP has been announced, not yet with a set release date.

The inspiration for Full Moon came when I was walking home one evening with the full moon shining down on me, and the melody just jumped into my head", Collins said. "The idea is that the Full Moon personifies a person, place or something in our lives that is ever-present and constantly watching over us. In the first half of the song, I am singing to the moon, and in the second half, the moon is singing back to me. I think of it like a warm blanket offering comfort, and reminding us that everything will be okay.

Sen Collins. Press photo

Don McKevitt, 'Calling You Out'

Don McKevitt is an indie musician from Dublin who plays all the instruments, at once. His smooth guitar and piano melodies are joined by complex, genuine lyrics that often point out societys problems. <

Calling You Out is a catchy condemnation of gender-based violence. You know who you are / And so do I / I know what you did/ and I know why, McKevitt begins before insulting and aptly describing a toxic, violent personality. Other tracks on the new album celebrate the city of Dublin, criticise screen obsessions, or examine blind Irish patriotism.

Don McKevitt. press photo courtesy of donmckevitt.com/meet

Basht. Kids Vs Guns

Basht. today release their brilliant new single Kids VS Guns, hailing from their highly anticipated album Poor Advice, due out October 9. A gorgeously melodic and cinematic track, the single is lined with head-spinning, dark guitar riffs that add a profound weight to the track. A live favorite, this rousing number is the final single to be released before the full length EP in a couple weeks and its more than a little enticing.

Basht. | Photo credit: Polocho

Gilla Band, The Angelus

Gilla Band are back with their fourth album Pugnello and they are at the top of their form. Opening with the brutal The Angelus, a nonsense-Irish-proclamation about our nation of Applegreens, as absurd as it is visceral and bone-shaking, deliciously claustrophobic with its noisy instrumentals and Dara Kiely brilliant screamed vocals. A real goosebump inducer of an opener.

Gilla Band in 2026. Credit: El Hardwick

Tr Phidn Mionnn

Tr Phidn today release their gorgeous new record Cloch Cla, including the delicate closing track Mionnn, a glistening song mixing improvised traditional music with ambient textures quiet, almost faded strings with sounds of the forest that transport the listener straight into a magical land. Enrapturing and deeply moving.

Tr Phidn Photo Credit: Sara Leslie

Paul Quin, Dancing With The Devil

Dublin electronic artist Paul Quin today releases his new single Dancing With The Devil, hailing from the upcoming record HIVEMIND. Exploring the dark side of a young woman's dreams of finding fame and fortune in Tinseltown, the track is lined with bright, synthy textures that transport right back to the 80s for our greatest delight.

Paul Quin

U2, Silencio

U2 have announced their first studio album in nine years Carnaval De Luz, including the brand new single Silencio. Inspired by surf-punk flavours, the short and hard hitting tune is lined with deliciously bouncy bass lines, languorous vocals and an unshakable californian feel. Its accompanying music video was shot in Mexico City earlier this year and is directed by Cliqua,

Its a messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs said The Edge of the new record, and features the first-ever use of flat-wound strings on a U2 recording. Just saying.

U2

BICEP, Air

Belfast-born duo BICEP are back with a trio of singles, including the magnificently cinematic Air, released in collaboration with SOARR. With atmospheric vocals from the singer, the electronic tune would lend itself perfectly in an indie movie depicting a late night car ride, or a delicate sunrise, without losing any of its head-spinning intensity or almost ambient and light quality.

Speaking on the release, BICEP says: This really marks the start of a new chapter for us. Moving into a new studio, where we built our own vocal booth, has completely transformed how we work. Weve finally managed to step up our recording process, allowing us to collaborate live in the room with amazing vocalists like SOARR and Saskia to add a whole new layer to our sound.

BICEP. photo credit: Brennan Bucannan

WASPS vs HUMANS, Are You Having A Good Dream

Originally his solo project, WASPS vs HUMANS now consists of husband-wife duo Carl Antony Plover and Linda Plover. They have been described as electronic punk-folk, combining whistles, drums, bodhrn, and punk poetry. New single Are You Having A Good Dream is a melodic, unsettling chant, asking, "Are you having a good dream? Or falling apart at the seams?"

Their second album,The Day Homo Sapiens Destroyed the Earth, is due out on October 2.

WASPS vs HUMANS. press photo

SJ Talbot,Memento

Memento is SJ Talbots first release since 2024. The BIMM Dublin graduate has reportedly been busy developing her musical skills and is due to publish her debut EP midway through next year. The alt-pop singer was selected as an Irish Music Month New Local Hero in 2021.

Memento, Talbot's return to releasing, is a danceable pop song about a one-night romance. Catchy and contemporary, it boasts of "energy so feminine / you know I shine like a medallion"before bursting into the electronic chorus.

SJ Talbot. press photo

Flynn Johnson, MURDER PT II feat. Rebel Phoenix, Mango and whoisdays

Irish rapper Flynn Johnson revisits his 2025 single MURDER on a new sequel with Rebel Phoenix, Mango and whoisdays. Shifting the focus from defensive bravado to pack mentality, the Dublin rapper has released MURDER PT II. It features heavy beats, rhythmic lyricism and catchy hip-hop melodies.

The original MURDER always felt like it needed a second part, Johnson said. I was always a bit braver when I had the lads around me. The warnings got more aggressive and the demeanour got harder, even though a lot of it was for show. PT II is what happens when youve got a group already feeding off each other.

Flynn Johnson

Jimbo Jones, Lost All My Time To The Television

Jimbo Jones returns with Lost All My Time to the Television the lead single off his Irish Arts Council-funded concept album, We Only Want the Earth. The melancholic trip hop track sees Jones wrestle with technological addiction and its exploitative grip. It is also the debut of his singing voice, a terrifyingly vulnerable step, but an important one, as he described.

With experimental synths, euphoric, trippy beats and Jones guiding vocals, the track makes an impressive addition to his catalogue. The upcoming record documents the destruction of our environment, our society and ourselves but offers an imagined alternative: a utopian future based on community.

Jimbo Jones

Christian Cohle, Queen of Ashes

Art-rock artist Christian Cohle has released Queen of Ashes, the title track off his upcoming album. Casting himself as both protagonist and antagonist, the highly-anticipated LP fully embraces the contradictions of his own identity, grappling with themes of addiction, sex, self-destruction and recovery. His lyrics hang partially obscured in dreamlike and poetic imagery, offering a deep, visceral connection.

There is an element of mythology to the song, which you will see a lot in this LP, Cohle explained. Spoke to Shiva on Northend Way is one of my favourite lines in this song, as its this collision of the mythic and the mundane. Shiva, the destroyer/recreator, appears on an ordinary London street.

Christian Cohle

Conor Furlong Descent

Conor Furlong returns with Descent the title track of his new album released today. Drawing inspiration from many forms of media such as paintings, films and other music, Furlongs new track features an intense soundscape with fuzzy guitar textures, sampled speech, reverberating rhythms and an overwhelmingly cathartic feel.

I need to be inspired in order to write songs, Furlong said. Im not someone who can just sit down with a guitar and spit our a tune. At the beginning of the year, I started listening to a lot of the Seattle big four: Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana and Alice In Chains As a consequence, I wanted to make an album that was viscerally different to anything Id done before.

Conor Furlong

Gilbert OSullivan, Its Me

Gilbert OSullivan returns with Its Me, the opening track taken from his upcoming 21^st studio album On The Record. The release on November 6 will coincide with Gilberts 60 Years of Music celebrations. The track is about supporting those you care for combining Gilberts trademark songwriting strengths with modern production.

Its Me felt like a good way to open the album, OSullivan said. Its got sort of a funky, Steely Dan feel to it, which I really like. Theres a nice chord sequence and a good middle eight Ive always liked middle eights that take you somewhere else and then bring you back again.

Gilbert O'Sullivan and Bill Shanley

Chelle, 'Same Blue Sky'

Independent Dublin and Kildare artist Chelle has released her new single 'Same Blue Sky.' In contrast to her previous song 'Have To Do', which was high-energy, and showcased a dark, alt-pop intensity, 'Same Blue Sky' illustrates a brighter, more reflective version of Chelle's sound.

The song is driven by her emotive lyricism, lustrous vocals and expressive pop melodies, exploring spaces and shifting perspectives.

Chelle has a pop-synth style, however there is a clear Motown and soul influence on her sound as well.

Chelle

Davie Furey and Eleanor Shanley, 'There's an Ocean'

Davie Furey and Eleanor Shanley have released their new single 'There's an Ocean.' Two established voices in the Irish music scene, this song marks the first time Furey and Shanley have collaborated.

'There's an Ocean' combines the duo's rich, emotive vocals with a compelling atmosphere. The song explores lost love and the memories surrounding a relationship, both good and bad.

'There's An Ocean' single artwork.

Bradley Marshall, 'On The Edge'

Bradley Marshall has released his new single 'On The Edge.' The song is about Marshall's own experiences of pulling away from people when he is falling in love with them. The track features the singer's heartfelt vocals, along with sweeping piano, that adds to the song's emotional message.

Marshall supported Lewis Capaldi in Marlay Park in June. The musician will also be making a special announcement along with the release of the single.

Bradley Marshall. Photo: Abigail Ring.

Burglar, 'Cappadocia'

Burglar have released their new single 'Cappadocia'. This will be the alt-rock duo's third single, following 'Lovey' and 'Star-Crossed.' The group comprises Willow Hannon (guitar and vocals) and Eduardo Pinheiro (vocals and guitar). The song features scratchy, layered vocals by the duo, along with pulsating drums and lively guitar.

Pinheiro explains the track's origins:

"'Cappadocia' is my happy place. Its somewhere to escape to and fly over the mountains in an air balloon, and Ive always thought of it as the perfect honeymoon trip," he said.

"Its a romantic thing to do with the person you love. Its also an exaggeration of a dream and an abstraction of what it might mean to reach the other side and finally find happiness."

Burglar. Credit: Jack Adams.

Tom Morello, 'Unconquered', featuring Kneecap

Tom Morello has released his new single 'Unconquered,' featuring Belfast rap group Kneecap. The Rage Against The Machine guitarist has released the song along with his new album Everyone Gets Everything They Want. Morello has praised the group in the past, calling them the "the Rage Against the Machine of now." The song features Morello's signature inventive guitar, with loud, energetic vocals by Kneecap. His style blends perfectly with Kneecap's fast-paced rapping. The instrumentals and synth combined with the group's vocals creates a truly unique track.

Tom Morello Supporting Limp Bizkit Belsonic 12-06-24

Gurriers, 'Shades'

Gurriers have released their new album Nobody's Coming To Save You, this includes their new song 'Shades.' The record was produced by Mark Bowen, member of IDLES and Loren Humphrey. The Dublin punk band are touring the album across Ireland, the UK and Europe. 'Shades' combines booming drums, bass and electric guitar with Daniel Hoff's powerful vocals. The synth running through the track gives the quality that you are listening to the song in a grotty, packed basement gig. Gurriers are unafraid to get in your face with their new album, and it works in their favour.

Gurriers at the Hot Press Chat Room on August 28, 2026. Copyright Saoirse McAllorum/hotpress.com

Isaac Butler, 'Devil The Door'

Isaac Butler has released his new single 'Devil The Door. This follows the release of his third EP Don't Let It Fade in May 2026. The song is Butler's ode to all the people in his life who support him. He talks about his insecurities in the song, and how he can overthink things.

However, each verse builds to a chorus that acknowledges his support system. His heartfelt vocals emphasise how much these people mean to him in the song; it is a lovely tribute to the importance of family and friends.

Isaac Butler. Credit: Nicholas ODonnell

Jack Lukeman, 'Starman'

As Bowie's otherworldly presence inspired a generation to imagine different ways of being, Jack Lukeman's 2018 recording with the National Children's Choir, 'Starman', carries that invitation to younger voices and, on release, was introduced into Irish secondary schools as part of Science Week.

The celestial-themed track demonstrates his singular ability to reinterpret, revive and redefine music.

Jack Lukeman

Hannah McConnell, 'Lights Off'

Hailing from Wicklow, indie-folk singer-songwriter Hannah McConnell returns with her compelling new single, 'Lights Off'.

The track delves deep into the exhausting cycle of self-sabotage and the fear of letting good things in. Soft, stripped back guitar and ethereal vocals frame the verses before blossoming into layered strings, driving drums, and an emotionally charged chorus.

Hannah McConnell

The Gentle Reckoning, 'Burning Away The Dawn'

The Gentle Reckoning is the new project from Irish singer-songwriter Jamie Wells. Designed as a vehicle of intense personal self-expression that centres around Jamie, with the ability to surround himself with a rotating cast of band members, pulling people into his orbit depending on what the song requires. On new single, 'Burning Away The Dawn', The Gentle Reckoning moves away from the established sound with Jamie as a singer/songwriter by stepping on the distortion and embracing their rock influence.

With the DNA of Pixies, Pearl Jam and Manic Street Preachers running through the track, it should be no surprise that over driven guitars and thunderous drums is the bedrock for the track, giving rise to stadium sized choruses and soaring vocal hooks.

 

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Lacer, 'Go It Again'

Lacer is a three-piece alt-rock band from Dublin, who've dropped their debut release, 'Go It Again.'

The track blends DIY guitar-rock with dreamy psych pop and punk rock energy. With catchy hooks and introspective lyrics, they deliver a sound that's unique yet familiar.

Hailing from Dublin luminaries like Venus Envy, Pet Lamb, and Zeropunkt, this trio brings some formidable OG Irish pedigree, Channelling Blondie, Iggy Pop and the B52s.

Lacer's sound hits like a playful cocktail of quirky, cinematic storytelling and hook-filled indie-rock.

Lacer

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