Opinion
22 Feb 23

A&R Department: Ailbhe Reddy, Eiza Murphy, Sweetlemondae and more

Whether it’s electro-pop bangers, monstrous dance anthems or Doja Cat-esque hip hop goodness you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. Graphic by Rachael McGinty.

Turning heads with her third single, ‘Waste Of Time’, is Liliana who might just be the missing link between Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato. No, really!

Oozing confidence and pop sensibility, the electro banger is already being played off the air by Spin 103.8 whose Marty Guilfoyle describes the 17-year-old Dubliner as “incredible and Ireland’s answer to Billie Eilish.”

Liliana is currently studying law at Trinity, which will come in handy when the inevitable happens and she’s offered a recording contract.

As revealed in last issue’s monster 2023 Irish Album Preview – you can find it now on hotpress.com – Ailbhe Reddy releases her second long-player, Endless Affair, on St. Patrick’s Day.

Trailed by the moodily atmospheric ‘Last To Leave’, it “addresses the challenges we face in letting go and accepting finality.”

Recorded in Donegal with Tommy McLaughlin co-producing with Ailbhe, it’s a stunning collection of lo-fi indie gems which should see the Dubliner following pal Orla Gartland into the upper reaches of the charts.

After a trip to Texas for the South By Southwest showcase festival, she embarks on a European tour that culminates with May 5 and 6 homecoming shows in Whelan’s which are close to selling-out.

Our winter cockles are also being warmed by Lilaac, a Dublin duo now studying music together at London’s Goldsmith College.

Their latest offering, ‘Purity’, is a real warm duvet of a song, which underlines Ali Lunt and Atiah O hUiginn’s folk shoegaze tendencies.

Originally trading simply as Ali and Atiah, their 2016 track, ‘Out Here’, which was written when they were respectively 16 and 15, received major support from Radio Nova who’ll hopefully be going into bat for them again.

Having been raved about in these here pages, Dark Tropics’ ‘Midnight 10th Of December’ has gone on to become BBC Radio Ulster’s most-played song for four weeks in a row with up and comers Harry Styles and Taylor Swift having to settle for second and third place.

Commended by our man Ed Power for their “Lana Del Ray-esque cinematic pop”, Gerard Sands and Rio McGuinness absolutely killed it last month at their sold-out show in Belfast’s Black Box and promise more new music soon.

Fresh from gracing our Hot For 2023 list, Galway MC and Diffusion Lab recording artiste Sweet Lemondae ups the ante with the Jafaris-assisted ‘Higher State’.

The fifth in a line of very fine singles – we’re especially fond of last year’s ‘Never Gonna Be’ – it’d sound ace on the radio segued between Doja Cat and Lizzo. Or just on the radio…

The numerous Whelan’s Ones To Watch 2023 highlights included Ailsha whose brand spanking new ‘Sucker’ single finds her ditching the quirk-pop of yore for something altogether heavier and more grunge-y.

If you’re as fond of “Surprise semi-tone key changes, sensual half-time break downs and lyrics about romantic regretz” as we are, head to your favourite streaming platform immediately.

You’ll also find Ms. Davey’s excellent Hot Press Y&E session archived on our Insta.

The writer of idiosyncratic songs about fatigue, failure and football, Danny Carroll gets (relatively) serious for once with ‘Affection’, which was recorded in Belfast with NewDad and Just Mustard producer Chris W. Ryan who’s one to watch in his own right.

Justifiably compared to the likes of Wilco, Jonathan Richman and Lee Hazelwood, the Dubliner is also co-curator of the excellent A Litany Of Failures compilation series.

First coming on to the Hot Press radar in 2021 with the double whammy of ‘Movies’ and ‘Bat And Ball’, Leesider Eiza Murphy impresses again with the glacial electropop cool of ‘Haunted’.

It’s amassed a whopping 19.5 million views on TikTok, which will doubtless be added to a resumé that already includes a spot on the Netflix Riverdale playlist; two iTunes Ireland number ones; a 2fm ‘Track of the Week’; and a BBC Introducing slot.

Destined to follow Belters Only into the pop charts is JustG who previously impressed as a member of Halftraxx.

His latest solo offering, ‘Anywhere’, is a monstrous feelgood anthem, which the Limerick DJ Also Known As Greg Lynch has been refining since December 2021.

Spin Southwest’s Katie Sheehan, FM104’s Louise Tighe and Galway Bay FM’s Neil Molloy are just three of the Irish radio heads who’ve been championing JustG who has come up through the Beatport ranks.

Clannad, Westlife and Aslan producer Chris O’Brien sprinkles the sonic fairy dust on ‘Other Song’, the latest offering from The Flavours who makes the sweetest of jazzy soul noises.

The Leesiders’ trump card is singer Ella Comton who one suspects has a Sade album or five in her collection.

Another of our former Hot For picks Bklava kills it on ‘It’s Your Time’, her latest floorfiller which features a guest turn from Jamie Joy Bassline.