AS early summer breathes new life into the Irish music scene, a vibrant tapestry of fresh sounds and emerging talents is captivating audiences across the nation. From enchanting pop-R&B blends to powerful alternative rock anthems, the Irish music landscape is evolving, with a diverse range of genres and artists pushing boundaries and igniting excitement.
IT'S been another positive news weeks for the entertainment sector as Ireland redoubles its commitment to protecting and nurturing its Southern talent – and we hope recent electoral shifts can do the same for the North.
WE report this week from the road, this time sunny Brighton Beach for the Great Escape Festival.
THIS week one of the North's premier new acts have taken their show on the road following their first project and Ireland makes a mark in the UK at one of the world's premier festivals.
A PLETHORA of new tracks and projects from our Irish creatives this week, and news comes from the festivals of the newest acts to take the stage around the country in the coming months.
NEWS from Ireland's largest music showcase festival, new record deals and a swath of new albums on the way are all detailed in this week's edition of Northern Winds.
IN this week's Northern Winds, we grapple with some extremely talented releases from the country's musicians, including an incredibly ambitious project from one of our best songwriters, as well as new music from some of our best and brightest.
IT'S all systems go in this week's editions of Northern Winds. Last week's column featured one of the largest collective drops of the year from our artists (so far), with a huge slew of singles dropping amidst a series of new festival lineup announcements. This week is something similar, except that it's even bigger. The floodgates are well and truly open and thankfully you have your trusted Northern Winds to help you sort through the slog for that perfect spring playlist.
WE'RE taking a look at some of the best new music and festival news to come out of Ireland this week – and it's been a bumper seven days, so settle in for a doozy.
HOWDY from Texas, where our Northern Winds writer finds himself currently ensconced, taking in the sights and sounds of the biggest music conference in the world. The state capital, Austin, played host to the performance element of the fabled SXSW festival, which this year saw the highest contingent of northern bands ever performing at one time. Kudos to us.
THIS week in Northern Winds, we are looking at all things electronic. The North lives and breathes raves, dancef floors, electronica and techno, from our industrial centres to our rural heartlands. Largely filling the hole that punk left post-70s as a borderless, euphoric expression of culture and brotherhood, dance music in particular has played a crucial role in both independent and major creative circles.
ANOTHER bumper week of new music releases and live music news from Irish artists and festivals in this week's Northern Winds, where we look at some of the best and brightest we have to offer, North and South.
WELCOME to this week's Northern Winds, where we'll tackle not only the latest in Irish music and culture, but also some seismic changes to the international industry that could be potential game-changers for your favourite singers.
THINGS certainly seem to be heating up, don't they? Ahead of what is sure to be an absolutely wall-to-wall festival season for Irish artists, we have had another bumper week of releases from the creative sector.
March heralds a brave new world for Irish music. A sizeable contingent of acts is headed off to the states for a stint at SXSW, the texas-based largest music showcase on the planet. It's a great showing for our acts as they take on the world's industry and display how Ireland consistently punches above our weight creatively.