Johnny D'Fawkes, Frontier, Heron Red and Kayleigh Henry have been picked out as Ocean FM's local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is taking place on 22 stations across Ireland.

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 22 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. Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP and Live Nation, along with Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spéir Mix and Master.

The stations participating in Irish Music Month are: 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 FM, South East Radio, Sunshine FM, Tipp FM, and WLR FM.

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

– More Irish music song plays

– More Irish music artist mentions

– 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, let's meet Ocean FM's shortlisted artists...

Johnny D'Fawkes

Newly emerged power trio Johnny D'Fawkes are a force from the Irish North West with one foot in the blues and the other planted firmly in Irish hard rock. The band are driven by a single guitar, a thunderous rhythm section, and fearless improvisation, channelling the Celtic charge of Thin Lizzy and the raw intensity of Rory Gallagher in a set built for the stage.

Johnny D'Fawkes

Frontier

Folk-pop band Frontier are from the North West of Ireland. Playing music together for almost two years, they have played at various events all over Ireland. With two songs released and more on the way, the band are known for their high-energy live performances - playing popular pub tunes alongside original music to get the crowd dancing.

Frontier

Heron Red
Irish Americana folk band Heron Red are a musical project born from the creative spark between two artists: Molly Buchan and Callum Wall. With a sound that fuses the spirit of The Waterboys, Dolly Parton, and The Mamas & Papas, Heron Red is a dynamic folk duo with a full-band sound. The duo crafts music that ranges from stripped-back storytelling to soaring, full-bodied energy.

Heron Red

Kayleigh Henry

Sligo-native Kayleigh Henry is a solo musician who has been playing since she was eight years old. She began writing her own music last year and has played in pubs across Sligo and Mayo during the weekends, studying Primary Teaching at Mary Immaculate College during the week. With inspirations the likes of Amble and Luke Combs, her music sees emotional depth and intimacy.

Kayleigh Henry

• Keep an eye on hotpress.com and listen to your local participating station for more news on Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero and the Irish song competition, Amhrán na Laoch.