December A&R Department: Dove Ellis, Croíthe, Goldbug and more

There’s a few weeks to go but Dublin alt. rockers Croíthe are close to bagging the Spin Dizzy Records Biggest Pre-Order of the Year with their five-track A Brief Respite EP.

Pressed by Ireland’s new Anthem vinyl plant, the 12” is awash with serrated guitars and Caodán Connolly’s mean ‘n’ moody vocals.

Lyrics-wise, it explores “themes of struggle, alienation, and identity, finding beauty in the tension between vulnerability and defiance.”

In other words, all the good stuff!

Taking care of production is Just Mustard man David Noonan who’s learned well from his own band’s studio endeavours.

Another of Ireland’s most celebrated alt. rock combos, The Murder Capital, have been regularly namechecking the Dublin outfit who left hundreds outside on the pavement at a recent Rotterdam gig.

Last month’s Grand Social homecoming was similarly rammed with a rave review to be found on hotpress.com.

Managed by the same people who’ve steered Gavin James, Brad Heidi and Dave Lofts to success, you’d reckon on them having a massive 2026…

Terry McNally, AKA Hot Press’ Man With The Golden Ears, was mightily impressed with Ultras when they supported fellow Dublin indie merchants DELUSH recently in the Grand Social.

Their new ‘Who Did It?’ single explains why, with a raw, raucous feel redolent of early Oasis/Arctic Monkeys/Killers and declarations that “I’m peaking now!”

As the name suggests, Jay O’Donoghue, Jack Kelly, Bernard McDonnell and Luke Whearity are all mad keen footie fans and play their instruments with a Roy Keane-esque fury…

There have been lots of record company personages checking out Goldbug, AKA Irish/French singer Danilo Ward who’s been working with NewDad’s go-to Belfast man Chris W Ryan.

As in thrall to Disney soundtracks and orchestral scores as he is the lo-fi indie merchants he’s frequently compared to, Danilo already has BBC duo Emily Pilbeam and Abbie McCarthy singing his praises in Blighty.

Your first port of call should be ‘Losing The Swing’, which is equal parts Mellow Gold-era Beck, Flaming Lips in their more blissed out moments, Spiritualized and Nick Drake…

Young Dubliner Daire Patel steps it up several gears with his new What Means The World To You? album, which is out now on Pretty Sweet Records.

The money track is ‘Last Night, A Decade Ago’, a chilled earworm which has helped him break through the one million Spotify plays barrier.

Part of the Word Up Collective, he cites Mac Miller, Dijon and Frank Ocean as key influences and has started picking up BBC Radio 1 and 6Music plays…

Receiving much Ireland Music Week attention was Dáire Joyce, a 24-year-old Mayo singer who will appeal to both Hozier and Dermot Kennedy fans – and, by extension, a load of industry heavyweights.

Much in demand as a songwriter, he’s collabed with the likes of Sorcha Richardson, Kodaline’s Mark Prendergast, Niamh Regan and James Vincent McMorrow who’s another reference point…

We are love, love loving The Guilteens, a Cork quartet who nod towards Secret Machines and Pixies.

Their Heavy Letters EP also includes a track, ‘Saviour’, which could almost be Aladdin Sane-era Bowie.This, of course, pleases us greatly!

Digital copies are available from theguilteens.bandcamp.com…

Following on from his hip hop-tabulous 2024 debut album, Great Potential, Room For Improvement – genius title! – Awkward Z. displays his poppier side on ‘YOUNG & GROWN’.

While it’s lazy (in a good way) beats are perhaps more suited to sunkissed summer days, the Johannesburg-born, Wexford-raised singer once again demonstrates his enormous potential…

Hot Press fave Crybabyamy returns with This Is Gonna Hurt, a four-track EP featuring three previously released songs and the brand spanking new title-track.

A ”bittersweet anthem about the quiet ache of realising a relationship is nearing its end”, it’s worthy of mainstream airplay alongside the likes of Taylor, Sabrina and Chappell but will need a few of the ‘fuck’s removed first…

Galway-born and Manchester-based, Dove Ellis has been causing a right old stir of late with ‘To The Sandals’, a wonderfully winsome slice of alt. folk that Sam Beam would be proud of.

Currently running round the States on a sold-out tour with Geese, its parent Blizzard album has just been released by London’s Black Butter Records who helped launch Rudimental’s career.