A much in-demand collaborator with the likes of Murlo, Swing Ting and Simon Raymonde’s Lost Horizons project, Gemma Dunleavy takes centre-stage today with the title-track from Up De Flats, an EP reflecting on her Dublin 1 birthplace, Sheriff Street.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0mCCeAdYsdD0M3aYUb3CHQ?si=3wpbVkIeTt2A3k7kLOnJDw
“Each song is written from a different perspective of the stereotypes I grew up around,” Gemma explains. “They each represent something I’ve experienced, someone I’ve been, someone I am or someone I’ve lost. It explores cyclical patterns of behaviour, hardships and grief, but most importantly the sense of community.
“I was feeling so much frustration, but the process of making the documentary really helped. It brought me closer to the things I can’t articulate. I can’t live without the people and the area I’m from.”
The six-tracker is by turns tender and tough with Ms. D’s R&B-flecked vocals a delight from start (‘PhilShanahanSoul’) to finish (‘Return’). Released on July 10, Gemma will be performing the Up De Flats EP in its entirety at 7pm on July 16 at https://www.instagram.com/drmartensofficial