Music
28 Aug 26

New Irish Songs To Hear This Week

F3miii

Check out some of our favourite Irish tracks from the past week below*

U2, ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah’

The latest taster from November’s 20th Century Paddy: The Songs Of Shane MacGowan tribute album – we can’t wait! – finds U2 tearing through The Pogues’ 1998 gem with boundless enthusiasm. While his voice isn’t as weather-beaten as Shane’s (is anybody’s?) Bono imbues lines like “I love your lips/ I love your eyes/ I love your breasts/ I love your thighs” with the same lusciousness as the original. Before you say it, yes, these were different times. No mere throwaway, this is a very welcome addition to the U2 canon.

U2. Credit: Anton Corbijn

F3miii, ‘Take A Trip’ feat. Bricknasty & KhakiKid

Very much the sum of its legendary Dublin rapper parts, this gently shuffling gem has a hook that once heard will never be forgotten and should be all over daytime radio like a rash.

F3miii

Grooveline & Le Boom, ‘Buzz Junkie’

If it’s old skool vibes you’re after, look no further than this inspired hook-up between two more of the capital’s hip hop finest, which is pumping of bassline, tooting of horns and soulful of refrain. The expletive-strewn lyrics mean that it won’t be getting anywhere daytime radio, so you’ll just have turn this one up to ‘11’ yourself.

Grooveline at The Button Factory on April 24th, 2026. Copyright Maizy Kharrazian/www.hotpress.com

anemoia, ‘gesso’

Noise-rock four-piece anemoia return with an intense, impressive new single. Built on quick drums, heavy guitar riffs, raw vocals and a distinct, shoegaze-y sound, ‘gesso’ pushes the boundaries of anemoia’s ever-evolving sonic landscape. The band describe the song as “the crucial piece of the puzzle that unlocked the band’s sonic identity.”

“Built around a claustrophobic dream of being a child lost in the woods, ‘gesso’ explores how childhood fears bleed quietly into adulthood,” said the band. “It is a song about grief and self-containment, navigating the fog of my lost perspective.”

anemoia

Wasps vs Humans, ‘BANG BANG (You’re Dead)’

Punk-folk duo Wasps vs Humans have released a third single from their upcoming second album The Day Homo Sapiens Destroyed the Earth. A “full-scale band assault” creates an uncompromising wall of sound. With a steady rhythm, blasting sounds and haunting vocals, the track takes aim at a world consumed by war, political absurdity and humanity’s own self-destruction.

Inspired by innocent childhood games imitating warfare, the song’s lyrics ask uncomfortable questions about “wars fought remotely from office desks, bombs dropped before heading home for dinner and conflict consumed like entertainment,” according to a statement.

Wasps vs Humans

Tom Gee, ‘Belfast’

Belfast-based singer Tom Gee is back with ‘Belfast’, a deeply personal reflection on his first four years living in the city. With piano work from M Alexander and haunting vocals from Sarah McCreedy, the song blends storytelling with warm, melodic arrangement and Gee’s masterful lyrics sit forefront. ‘Belfast’ is an impressive addition to the emerging artist’s catalogue.

“’Belfast’ embraces the complexity of everything in between. It is a song about finding your footing in a new place, navigating grief and uncertainty and discovering moments of hope, resilience and connection along the way,” reads a press release.

Tom Gee

Oisín Mod, ‘Canary’

Galway singer-songwriter Oisín Mod has released a new track to announce his upcoming album Canary. Paired with a delightfully off-putting music video, the track sees gentle vocals, intriguing acoustics and an authentically Mod vibe.

Fueled by David Lynch films, psychobilly horror album Pop Crimes and John Healy’s bleakly funny memoir The Grass Arena, Mod spent a month locked away in a rundown house in West Cork while he wrote.

“Jagged thought processes were a big part of where these songs came from,” he recalled. “Being disillusioned and feeling like a cynic and maybe becoming not so easy to be around yourself. That’s the sort of world that a lot of it came from.”

Oisín Mod

Shobsy, 'Royalty'

Shobsy’s whirlwind success continues with ‘Royalty’, an infectious and exciting new pop track that sees him play amongst various genres and soundscapes. 80s-style synths, electrifying drums and Shobsy’s characteristic vocals make the track a great new addition to his catalogue ahead of his upcoming Electric Picnic and Irish tour dates.

“The song is an exploration of power dynamics in relationships,” Shobsy said of the track. “The constant pull between dominance and submission and finding out where you fall on that spectrum. I feel it’s a very fluid thing that can change for us over time. It can be expressed in unspoken ways purely through energy which fascinates me.”

Shobsy. Credit: Adam O'Regan

Countervela, ‘Least Expected Turns’

Derry-based trad-metal band Countervela have released a new single. Fully embracing both genres, ‘Least Expected Turns’ is a hauntingly beautiful track that marks the third release ahead of their upcoming debut album. Blending Irish and English language lyrics, while posing ethereal tones and melodies amongst heavier, forceful vocals – Countervela have made a song that truly stands out.

Gentle melodies wrapping around each other and a shimmering backdrop of noise – the track feels distinctly nature-inspired. The bass and drums add weight, with the vocals floating amongst that.

“‘Least Expected Turns’, for us, evokes rural imagery and of being on a path of uncertain destination,” said the band.

Countervela

Arco Arena, ‘Ties’

Dundalk-born rock band Arco Arena have released ‘Ties’ as part of their debut album of the same name.

The title track is the longest on the album, giving the band time to explore each of their ideas. Building from gentle rhythms to bouncing chords and emotion-filled vocals, the track has an almost dream-like quality, anchored by heavy guitar riffs and drums.

“This track quickly became the thematic lynchpin of the record, the themes explored are something we all felt was relevant in this day and age of divided communities and fractured global social infighting,” the band said. “It also deals with the fear of stagnation and of not moving on, not doing enough to fulfill your potential.”