Sarah Anderson, Jamie Callaghan, Proton Pool Party and Sonic Minds have been selected as local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is set to kick off on 21 stations across Ireland on September 1st.

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 21 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.

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

– More Irish music song plays

– 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...

Sarah Anderson:

This guitar-wielding singer from Sligo has been showcasing a passion for songwriting for over a decade, having won awards at the Yeats Songwriters' Festival in Barry's of Grange when she was fifteen years old.  She's started to roll out the singles in the last couple of year's, with 'What If?' and 'Our Goodbye' garnering well-deserved radio attention in the west.

Sarah Anderson opening for The Vibes in Whelan's (Screenshot: Isntagram)

Jamie Callaghan:

This rocker's palette of sounds is very much '70s and '80s-leaning, drawing inspiration from legendary acts like Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher. Hailing from Sligo, he's already made a name for himself as a fixture on the local pub circuit, and is a regular favourite at the annual Rory Gallagher festival in Ballyshannon. Heartfelt and resilient rock 'n' roll.

Jamie Callaghan (Photo: Kieran Quinn Music on Youtube)

Sonic Minds:

These Sligo alt-rockers cite a healthy list of stars as inspirations, including The Beatles, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Oasis and U2. Recording all their songs live, they're strong proponents on keeping the human element of music alive, and with singer Ryan winning Sligo's Got Talent in 2023, they've got the chops to boot - as exhibited when they took to the stage at Sligo Summer Festival in August.

Sonic Minds at the St. Patrick's Day festival in Sligo.

Proton Pool Party:

Brothers Davy and Matthew Byrne have spent the last two years working on and performing their exciting repertoire of original material. With influences as wide ranging as Paolo Nutini, Wunderhorse and Hippo Campus, it's sophisticated-sounding, feel-good indie rock - with their latest release 'He Likes Flowers' standing as an upbeat, jangly observation of love in the 2020s.

Proton Pool Party.

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
South-East Radio
Tipp FM
WLR FM

• Irish Music Month - Irish Radio Supporting Artists - in association with IBI, Hot Press & Coimisiún na Meán's Sound & Vision Scheme, funded by the Television License Fee.