Next up in Irish Music Month's A New Local Hero talent search, we're taking a look at Kilkenny and Carlow – whose local radio station KCLR has unveiled its four finalists...

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 25 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months.

So, let's meet KCLR's shortlisted artists...

Brid Lyons:

The Kilkenny-born singer-songwriter has drawn inspiration from the likes of Hozier, Saint Sister and Anna Mieke to carve out her own unique path in folk. She’s already clocked up support slots for folk legends like Lisa O’Neill, and released her latest single ‘Mother’ in November.

Noel Boland:

One of Ireland’s most promising country artists, this Co. Wicklow singer-songwriter has already built up an impressive CV – having signed with Bardis Publishing and taken part in Glór Tíre 2023. Keep an eye out for his upcoming debut album.

JAEK:

A pop two-piece hailing from Carlow, Jake and Shaun are gearing up to release their self-titled EP this summer – and have already offered us an idea of what to expect with singles ‘If You’re Ready’ and ‘C’est La Vie’.

Fake Friends:

Combining the talents of Cathal Flaherty and Patrick Kelly, this duo formed during the madness of 2020 – but after heading to Camden Recording Studios in Dublin, they struck gold with ‘Maybe’, their debut single. Stay tuned for their upcoming EP…

Each of the selected artists at this stage in the campaign will get a chance to play live on their station, and all of those artists – thanks to the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under its Sound & Vision scheme – will be paid for their performance.

From there, the four finalists representing the station will be whittled down to one ‘Local Hero’ from each  – a major honour in itself, which will serve as a huge milestone in the careers of the selected 25 artists.

All of this leads to the national stage of the journey. From the 25 artists selected locally, an industry judging panel will choose just five acts to go forward to play at a special showcase event in Dublin.

The A New Local Hero campaign will ultimately see over  €100,000 paid directly to Irish artists – and one worthy winning act selected, who will get to record a single at the prestigious Camden Recording Studios in Dublin, and release the single on the famed Irish independent record label Rubyworks.

As announced by Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), Irish Music Month will run from Monday, March 12, to Friday, April 13 – and will see significantly increased radio play for Irish music across 25 independent radio stations.

Irish Music Month is supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under its Sound & Vision scheme.

The event is also supported by IMRO, RAAP, MCD Productions, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Camden Recording Studios and the Rubyworks label.

Read more about Irish Music Month here.