Irish music initiative The X Collective have shared a video capturing the live performance of their new single 'Ascension.'

Founded by Ele Breslin (aka Zapho) and Emily Shaw of Oíche Events, the collective hosts over 100 Irish artists and creatives. Their latest single 'Ascension' was created by three of their members: : Jess Kav, Senita, and Toshín.

"Returning to live music again is a feeling I cannot explain. It felt as if someone had taken away a piece of my heart for 18 months which meant I couldn’t function properly and now that I have it back, literal joy is oozing out of me," Toshín said about the live performance.  "It’s great to be performing again, I got to experience my first show back with The X Collective family which was magical."

"Being honest, some parts of coming back to music has been quite overwhelming and there has been a lot of readjusting, but as soon as I hit the stage and have my mic in hand all my problems seem to fade away! It’s great to be back in such a safe and nurturing environment where I can perform my art, be challenged creatively and go outside of my comfort zone and make friends for life in the process’’

The new track is the second to be released from the X Collective's upcoming album, a mass-collaborative effort by 35 contributors set to release in 2022. This will be the first record by the collective, which was founded last year with the purpose of promoting and elevating the musical industry in Ireland.

“The X Collective approached me at a time when I really needed a creative community for support," Jess Kav explains. "I feel bolder and more confident knowing I have a support system of musicians and friends I can call on for help and encouragement. It doesn’t hurt that we put on an incredible show too!”

In 2020, the X Collective released their first single, 'Collide (feat. Jenny Browne)' featuring Zapho and Tolü Makay. The song was followed up with the 90s inspired banger ‘WB’ performed by members Chloë Agnew, Zapho, Senita, Toshín, and Gemma Bradley.

Their latest single was produced and co-written by produced by one of Ireland’s up-and-coming composers and songwriters, Liam Geddes. The video of the live performance was created by Mango Media.

Photo Credit:  Ana Lucia Mondoloni

Watch the live rendition of 'Ascension' below: