WineMom, NO PHOTOS, find-joy and Conor Kinsella have been picked out as Nova Radio'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 Radio Nova's shortlisted artists..

WineMom

Hailing from Dublin, WineMom formed in 2023 with Rosanna Harrington on vocals, Millie Molony on bass, and Reese Martin on drums. Since then, the group have stepped their way firmly to the forefront of the indie Irish music scene. WineMom blend the sound of the '70s with their own '20s twist. Influenced by artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, The Band and The Last Dinner Party, they have been praised for their ability to craft songs that evoke both nostalgia and a modern edge.

WineMom. Credit: Pippa Molony

NO PHOTOS

Alternative indie band from North County, Dublin, find-joy began with vocalist Tadhg Kelly and guitarist Mark Allidine creating tracks in a home studio during Allidine's studies for a degree in creative music production. The duo began working with vocalist Colleen Conlon and there was an instant connection between the trio. Now, find-joy have become a six-piece band. Their sound is built on pulsing baselines, dreamy synth melodies and fuzzy guitar textures.

 

find-joy

CONOR KINSELLA

Conor Kinsella

• 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.