The Ephades, Eoin Ferry, Zoe McCauley and Tessio have been picked out as local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is set to kick off on 21 stations across Ireland on September 1st.

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 21 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.

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

– More Irish music song plays

– 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, here are Highland Radio's shortlisted artists...

Tessio:

Derry duo Jude McCandless and Callum Feeney combine acoustic guitars with tightly-knit harmonies, dipping into a healthy pot of influences which includes the Everly Brothers and the La's. Having supported popular Irish acts like the Hothouse Flowers and The 4 Of Us, as well as releasing their own slew of hearty acoustic-pop singles, they've got some seriously sweet-sounding synergy.

Tessio

The Ephades:

This posse of highly-talented 17-year-olds have brought a fresh, bright-sounding indie energy to Letterkenny and beyond via a few really impressive tracks. Latest number 'Giving Out' is case and point, with the bop showcasing the youngsters' capacity for crafting mature, introspective lyrics over jangly Vampire Weekend-evoking instrumentation.

The Ephades

Zoe McCauley:

16-year-old Dugloe native Zoe McCauley looks to carry the torch for great, folk-rooted pop songwriters, taking inspiration from legends like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, as well as contemporary favourites such as Adrienne Lenker. As comfortable performing her own incisive material as she is belting out a well-known cover - this rising songstress's voice oozes with passion for her craft.

Zoe McCauley

Eoin Ferry:

Teenager Eoin Ferry has always been surrounded by musical talent growing up in the picturesque Gaeltacht of Ghaoth Dobhair, and boasts close-quarters contact with the likes of  Moya Brennan, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Enya. Their influence has evidently rubbed off on the 18-year-old, with singles 'Miss You' and 'The Way I Loved You' hinting at a radio-bound artist  in the making.

Eoin Ferry

Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP, Live Nation, Rubyworks and Camden Recording Studios.

See the full list of participating radio stations below:

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
South-East Radio
Tipp FM
WLR FM

• Irish Music Month - Irish Radio Supporting Artists - in association with IBI, Hot Press & Coimisiún na Meán's Sound & Vision Scheme, funded by the Television License Fee.

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