Live Report: Brinda Irani reels in listeners on the Y&E Series

Rising to prominence as a popular busker in Dublin, Brinda Irani’s music is the kind that makes listeners stop in their tracks. The seventeen-year-old singer-songwriter’s debut 2022 single ‘A Shadow’ cemented her status as a rising Irish star-in-the-making, followed by a stunning stream of singles this year.

Equipped with her keyboard and acoustic guitar, Irani joined the Y&E Series last night for a livestream of unexpected surprises. She kicked things off with her recent single ‘Clueless,' which Irani prefaced by explaining, “I wrote it about that feeling when you like someone so much, but you kind of have no idea that you like them.”

Her voice was rich and clear, reeling listeners into the narrative of the track. The lyrics read like a personal journal entry, while the acoustic guitar notes steered a bright, compelling rhythm.

She hung up her guitar, switching to the keyboard for ‘Crater,’ which she revealed she wrote at just thirteen years old. Irani showcased her production skills as she layered a haunting vocal track and emotive keys beneath her live vocals, creating a depth to the song with her programmed keyboard.

Irani was her own full band, building a dense, full sound on her own. With emotionally introspective lyrics and a dark vocal register adding an element of suspense to the track, it’s hard to believe the singer-songwriter composed the song at thirteen.

She brought out the sharp edge to her vocals again on her debut release ‘A Shadow,’ further proving her productional talents as she recorded and layered the track live. Synth keys pushed along the intro instrumentals, eventually building a tower of clashing drums and angelic, drawn-out vocals.

“I’m in love with a shadow,” she belted on the outro, before softly settling into the rubble as the song ended as it began – with simple, melancholy keys.

“I’d like to thank everyone for joining this live, it means the world to me that you took the time out of your night,” Irani said, before introducing her next song, the unreleased ‘Shards of Glass.’

“It’s about a girl stuck in society’s norms, who just wants to break out of it,” she shared. Static keys led the song into an upbeat verse with modern, relatable lyrics. Wise beyond her years, Irani introduced a nostalgic disco element to the production, using drum machines and synthesised sonics that nod to colourful ‘80s synth-pop. It

Irani surprised herself with time for one more song, leaving her audience with a real treat in the form of ‘Passenger Seat,’ an unreleased track the singer has yet to play live anywhere else.

Switching back to her acoustic guitar, Irani shared of the finale track, “I just wrote it about when time flies by, and you’re just feeling like you’re in autopilot mode.” The original, unreleased track was the epitome of Irani’s captivating, confessional songwriting, with lyrics of depth and realism over heartfelt acoustic strings.

Check out Brinda Irani’s full Y&E Series performance below:

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Watch the Hot Press Y&E Series - supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media - live on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressmagazine) at 7pm each night.

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