Brad Heidi’s ‘Don’t Let Go’ has crashed into key Irish charts today, suggesting that it could be on course to become one of the biggest Irish hit singles of the year.

The track has entered the Irish Breakers Radio Play Chart at No.2 on and has already raced to No.7 on the overall Radio Play charts for Irish artists.

Brad Heidi was the winner of A New Local Hero 2023, and ‘Don’t Let Go’ is the resulting single, released on the Rubyworks label. A New Local Hero – part of Irish Music Month – is an initiative of Hot Press and the 25 participating IBI radio stations, located across the country.

 

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“This is a fantastic achievement,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes says. “Immediately I heard ‘Don’t Let Go’ I could see that it was made for radio, and that has been fully borne out by the news today. The single was released on Friday last, so this journey is only beginning. But it is a hugely significant moment for Brad Heidi, who is a potential international superstar in the making – so it is brilliant to see that being recognised across the complete spectrum of Irish radio. As anyone who knows the industry will tell you, radio play is absolutely vital for Irish artists."

The good news for stations is that audiences are clearly getting in on the act as well. ’Don’t Let Go’ has climbed today to No.23 on Shazam’s Ireland Top 100 – which means that music fans who hear the track are keen to find out more.

‘Don’t Let Go’ was recorded at Camden Recording Studios, with Cian Boylan producing and Ruadhrí Cushnan mixing and mastering.

“It was amazing," Brad says of the experience, in an interview in the new issue of Hot Press, which hits the shelves later this week. "Winning the competition really helped set the ball in motion for me! I asked Ruadhri Cushnan how he made Ed Sheeran’s first few albums. I was like, ‘How did that happen?’ He said: ‘It’s the same thing I’m about to tell you – just go in and sing. We’re not going to do anything unnecessary'. They had so much patience towards the song. They allowed it to be what it was.”

As today’s chart news confirms, that, clearly, was the right approach. We await developments over the next few weeks with intense interest.

• Irish Music Month is funded by Coimisiún na Meán through the Sound & Vision scheme. It is suppprted by IMRO, RAAP, MCD PRoductions, Live Nation, Ticketmaster and Square One.