The Irish musical landscape could have been so different.

Yes. That IS Gavin James. The man who has over 1.5 BILLION streams could have been a part of the line-up. And if he was in the band what a talent they'd have but it wasn't to be and they ended up with Jason... (only messing Jay yer class!)

Steve told Fergal:

I knew Gavin for years but we knew he really wasn't going to be a bass player. With that voice he had to become a singer-songwriter. But I still texted him and asked. Look at him now!  A couple of days later Jay joined. It's amazing really how things turn out.

Steve Garrigan from Kodaline revealed all in a warm, engaging chat with Fergal D'Arcy on TodayFM.

Fergal and the lads in pre-social distancing days!

 

 

 

Dua Lipa is the world's biggest female pop star right now and her affinity with Ireland is no fabrication.

It was the first country where she performed to a large audience the size of The Olympia. TodayFM was one of her very first live radio sessions. AND she was voted the best performer of the 2019 Electric Picnic Festival AND Ireland has given her more #1's than any other territory in the world!

We HEART Dua Lipa.

LOVED chatting to @DuaLipa today!

If Kerry is The Kingdom then these Dingle natives are fast becoming music royalty. They released their debut album Everything This Way in 2016 but it feels like they've been here for years. The sophomore album Colours appeared last year to great acclaim and since then they've toured the world.

Walking On Cars are one of the hardest working bands in Ireland and it's paid off with a passionate fan-base that reaches from here to Germany, Russia, New Zealand and beyond. And recently their smash hit 'Monster' got picked as the theme song on Netflix show The Stranger.

They might travel the world but Kerry is where they are at their happiest and most creative.

But, according to Sorcha, Dingle is a very different place at the moment. "Much more quiet. Obviously people are staying at home and there isn't the hustle bustle of tourists"

I’ll be jumping on @TodayFM to have a quick chat with @FERGDARCY you can listen in to his show from 2pm today at: https://t.co/PIeOLQFdjQ Sorcha x pic.twitter.com/MUyfv9uuyB

— Walking On Cars (@WalkingOnCars) April 7, 2020

Like everyone else in the country they are doing their bit by self-isolating which has led to working on music in a very different style than they'd be accustomed.

Sorcha chats to Fergal about being creative in the Covid crisis, superfans, new music on the way, Arcade Fire, being on Netflix and loads more...

This podcast has a special surprise at the end. As an isolation session we chose to pick the first live session song 'Speeding Cars' when Walking On Cars performed on the Fergal D'Arcy Show way back in 2016 when the lads were barely out of short pants. Enjoy.

Who’s been binge watching 'The Stranger’ on @netflix??

"Do what you do and always try to give back" - Conor from Wild Youth has one mantra and he is determined to stick to it.

It's a weird time for everyone right now and the lad's smash hit, 'Can't Move On' couldn't be more appropriate than now with everyone staying apart and staying home.

So proud to be from Ireland. Lets get through this together. Then we will have loads to look forward to. Including a free wild youth gig. X

— Wild Youth (@bandwildyouth) March 27, 2020

The lads haven't let the Coronavirus crisis affect their creativity levels, in between gigs for the ISPCC (a hugely important cause to Conor alongside Temple Street) they are writing music sending it to each other and putting the final touches to new music (WOOOHOOO! very exciting news) and creating new band artwork.

Everyone needs to stay strong, stay indoors, just so we can get back to do all the things that we love

He's also cooking more healthily and exercising more than ever to get ready to get back.

 

Picture This are just off the back of supporting The Jonas Brothers throughout the European leg of their world tour and the lads are buzzing.

It has been an incredible few years for the Kildare four-piece.

Their achievements are absolutely staggering:

Self-titled debut album went triple-platinum.

They sold out FIVE nights in a row at 3 Arena

450,000 tickets have now been sold to their gigs.

MDRN LV became the top selling album from an Irish artist in 2019

Press play for the extended Podcast interview. Ryan and Jimmy talk about the best feeling in the world, the love they have for their fans, writing music, changing songs with the help of hand drums in a restaurant in Cork! And that earthquake story! Plus loads more

You can also check out an edited video version here:

⚡Flashback:⚡@FergDarcy caught up with @PictureThis back in February (before #Covid19 restrictions) to chat about their new music, experiencing an earthquake in the US & their last EP slot. pic.twitter.com/9uTQDTOMI5

— Today FM (@TodayFM) March 31, 2020

Check out when the band played a live session for us...

Here's a flashback - 'Take My Hand' live on The Fergal D'Arcy Show. Enjoy:

 

 

The Blizzards are back and blowing a storm with their new single.

'Pound The Pavement' is a banging, upbeat, rocking anthem which is something we've come to expect from the Mullingar foursome.

Today they joined us on The Fergal D'Arcy Show for a radio first. We had then guys booked in for a chat and live session in Marconi House before the country was hit by Covid-19.

Obviously, due to social distancing and no in-studio guests allowed we arranged an 'Isolation Session'

This involved the band hooking up at different times in their Camden Recording studio then putting it all together for the Fergal D'Arcy Show.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Getting ready to play a few acoustic tunes with the boiz @theblizzardsie tonight in @thefencemullingar with @tonichousecollective Will be the craic, c’mon down if you’re in town!

Along with so many industries in Ireland and the world, the leisure/hospitality/music industry have been hit very hard by the Coronavirus. And as well as people might say, "ah sure haven't those bands a wedge of cash" that may be true for HUGE International acts but not for so many in Ireland that rely on live gigs, album sales etc. for their livelihood.

One of those bands that have been affected massively are The Coronas. An essential planned tour of the USA in April has been postponed and a new album release date to be rescheduled.

The Coronas new album, 'True Love Waits' will literally have to wait as it's release date has been pushed back

The new album was largely recorded at London’s prestigious Eastcote studios with George Murphy, acclaimed engineer and producer (Ellie Goulding, The Specials, Mumford & Sons), who engineered The Coronas’ previous two albums, undertaking the main production duties along with Rob Kirwan (Hozier, PJ Harvey) and Cormac Butler (Academic, All Tvvins).

I tell other bands. Lads, it could be worse you could have the same name as the virus!

Fergal D'Arcy spoke with The Coronas frontman, Danny O'Reilly to talk about how this crisis has effected them as a band, cancelling tours and holding back their new album release date (it's called True Love Waits...and now it will have to!), having the same name as the virus (someone suggested they tour with The Vaccines!)  He is also keeping himself sane in isolation in Dingle by playing a gig from his living room every night for fans online.

The Coronas and Danny are great friends with the show and we hope to recreate some of these pics when Covid-19 passes!

 

(Quick Disclaimer: The pics on this podcast were taken long before the Covid-19 crisis )

Limerick's loveliest lads Hermitage Green have shared the stage with Lewis Capaldi, Bastille, Two Door Cinema Club, Gavin James, Sigrid ... the list goes on.

The Middle East, Australia, North America, United Kingdom and of course Ireland... they've toured with their energetic, passionate and engaged live performances and powerful songs and built up a loyal worldwide fan base.

And to bate that they're the soundest bunch of lads you'll ever meet and really, really, really, ridiculously handsome!

Fergal and the lads in sunnier climes!

They're the lads who put a didgeredoo into a Billie Eilish song. There is nothing they can't do.

They told TodayFM's Fergal D'Arcy about how proud they are of their forthcoming album saying it's the best work they've done. It was produced by Irish music maestro Phillip Magee who's got Kodaline, Miles Kane, The Script, and many more on his CV. We can't wait for the new stuff.

Their brand new single 'Afterglow' is out now.

The @HermitageGreen lads will be joining @FergDarcy for a good auld catch up - join us after 3pm for that!

While you're here, check out their @BillieEilish cover of 'Bad Guy' - now with extra didgeridoo

Considering they're called The Academic. First let's have a brief history class on the lads from Mullingar:

Debut EP Released 2015 – 'Loose Friends' - People start to take notice.

Debut Album Released 2018 – 'Tales From The Backseat 'reached No.1 in the official album chart

Top 50 on the US Billboard Alternative Chart and No.22 in the UK Official Chart.

3 Choice Prize Nominations – Bear Claws, Different and Album of The Year

Sold Out Irish shows at Iveagh Gardens, Live At The Marquee.

Opened for Twenty One Pilots, The Strokes, Catfish and The Bottlemen.

Smash hit songs like 'Bear Claws', 'Fake ID' and 'Superlike' led Clash magazine to say they don't write songs they write anthems.

And breathe. There's a LOT to take in! They've been busy boys for the last few years. (We'll have a test later in the year when we all get back into school.)

For now:

Ahead of their return to the Heineken Big Top Galway in July (gig still on at time of publishing) Craig and Matty sat down with TodayFM's Fergal D'Arcy.

They tell Fergal about falling back in love with the guitar, How a rip across America in a cranky van made them as a band, how excited they are to release new music this year and loads more.

Plus, you will never guess in which class the two lads met in school.

They've also put something up for their fans who are self isolating because of Covid-19

Making the most of self-isolating by listening to more music! We’ve set up a little ‘Influences’ playlist on our @Spotify full of tunes we’ve been listening to and been inspired by over the years. Listen here: https://t.co/BHLJEI6som pic.twitter.com/RCGuJm4Q0A

— The Academic (@TheAcademic) March 20, 2020

 

 

Ellie Goulding is a busy woman. She's a UN Environmental Ambassador combating climate change, regularly fights for the rights of the homeless in the UK and in between all that she makes knockout songs.

A proud boxing fitness fanatic and she is now punching her way back into music with a banging new track called 'Worry About Me' feat. the brilliant and broody Blackbear on production duties.

It's the 10 year anniversary of her smash hit album 'Lights' and recently as she tells Fergal D'Arcy being in lockdown as so many people worldwide are now she has been thinking a lot about how herself and her music has changed. (she was only 23 when it came out and catapulted her to global fame!)

WORRY ABOUT ME WITH @iamblackbear IS OUT NOW!