Martina and the Moons, Rebecca Lane, Dee Fitz and Danxgerous have been picked out as FM 104's local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is taking place on 22 stations across Ireland.

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 Coimisiún na Meán. Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP and Live Nation, along with Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spéir 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 FM 104's shortlisted artists...

Martina and the Moons

Martina and the Moons are a Dublin-based all-female band recently signed to Rhubarb Music. They’ve supported Porridge Radio and Thumper, and performed at The Great Escape (Brighton) and Ireland Music Week 2025. Their latest EP, released in January 2026, blends influences from '60s/'70s icons like Carole King and Paul Simon, with a vibe reminiscent of '90s Britpop and alt-rock legends Elastica and Blur. Their sound mixes emotional depth with sharp, sardonic lyrics.

Martina and the Moons

Rebecca Lane

Rebecca Lane is an Ireland-born, France-raised singer-songwriter and producer creating soulful, pop-driven music rooted in both her French and Irish identity. With live performances spanning Whelan’s to Electric Picnic in both 2025 and 2026, to further afield in France, New York and London, she has shared stages with the likes of Self Esteem and Dave Lofts. Her latest single, 'Sweet Tooth', previews her forthcoming debut EP.

Rebecca Lane

Dee Fitz

Dee Fitz is a Dublin-based, Galway-born independent artist making alt-pop music. Fitz recently supported both Bressie on his podcast tour and Damien Dempsey in Vicar Street during his Christmas run of gigs. Her most recent single, 'Screen Time', is the first release of a new body of work that she is excited to share in the coming weeks. Her music explores themes such as love, loss and self-discovery.

Dee Fitz

Danxgerous

Danxgerous' music experiments with indie-rock, dreamy pop, and contemporary indie-folk. She debuted as a solo artist in 2023 with the independent label We Were Never Being Boring (WWNBB), which brought her to SXSW 2024 in Austin, Texas, performing four shows - including one at the prestigious International Day Stage. Her debut album, Old Soul, is set to be released on the 16th of October.

Danxgerous

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