A force in pop music, GRACEY has been in our years for almost a decade as a singer and songwriter. She has featured on releases with The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Craig David, Jax Jones and KSI. In addition, she co-wrote 'PSYCHO' for Anne-Marie & Aitch which landed Top 5 in the UK singles chart, Jonas Blue and RAYE’s platinum-selling ‘By Your Side’ + others for Meghan Trainor, Rita Ora, Marshmello, Tiësto and more, earning her a nomination at the A&R awards for Songwriter of the Year 2023.

Now an independent artist, she has delivered BANGERS in the form of 'Delirium' and 'Rhetorical Questions', before now serving up the slower, more reflective 'Back To Then', where she mourns the loss of a friendship following a breakup.

GRACEY had a Top 10 UK hit single 'Don’t Need Love' with 220 KID which was nominated for a BRIT Award for Best Single, previous UK arena tours with Anne-Marie and Tom Grennan, along with festivals like BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, Reading & Leeds, Parklife, Latitude.

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Today on Léim Thart, we have a re-issue of my 2022 chat with Ryan McMullan. At the time, he was about to release his debut album 'Redesign'. However, he then postponed release citing poor mental health. Fast-forward to 2024 and 'Redesign' has just been released much to the delight of a very patient fanbase, with an even bigger and better tour to go along with it!

On this episode, you'll hear all about the album, and find out where Ryan McMullan is at in 2024!

View this episode on YouTube HERE

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Victor Ray is the UK's newest standout voice of R&B and Pop, with the release of new single ‘Still The Same’. It arrives alongside the news that his biggest headline show in London to date, at KOKO in November has sold out. The single is the first taste of new music since the release of his ‘I TRIED.’ EP in the summer, the final in a series of releases documenting Victor’s extraordinary rise over the last 18 months.

The gig list is getting longer and longer - performances at Montreux Jazz Festival, Radio 1’s Big Weekend and support slots with Teddy Swims and Tom Grennan have seen Victor playing for thousands, gathering new fans wherever he performs.

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE

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Charli xcx has FINALLY treated us to the follow-up of her summer-defining album 'BRAT' in the form of a remix album, entitled 'Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat', which features a star-studded line-up of collaborators, such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Lorde, The 1975, Bon Iver, Caroline Polachek, Tinashe, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, and The Japanese House.

With 'BRAT' being the most critically-acclaimed album of the year, and being an album living on the dancefloor, it was a natural extension of the era to release this edition, with every standard edition track of the album (and 1 deluxe track) remixed. How does it stack up? Hear my full review here!

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Making her return to Léim Thart, Dublin pop artist Aimée has a new banger, the heartfelt 'Passenger Seat' takes us through a comforting journey dedicated to her late mother, as a trip down memory lane is set to slick pop production.

Written with Gabrielle Aplin and Ash Howes (Kylie Minogue, Atomic Kitten), Aimée describes her latest offering as her ‘best therapy session yet’ written for everyone who is missing someone, whether it’s an ex-partner or somebody who has passed on; ‘Passenger Seat’ is the song to sing, dance and drive home to.

This new release follows the success of Aimée's Christmas single, ‘Grafton Street Lights’, which won the Christmas FM Song Contest to be crowned Ireland’s Christmas Song of the Year in 2023. Aimée also plays the Academy Green Room on the 4th August, tickets on sale now.

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE

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Watch Aimée on Léim Thart in 2022 HERE

American popstar and TikTok sensation Leah Kate joined me recently while in Dublin for her 'Super Over' Tour, which boasted even bigger crowds than ever as she made her way across Europe. I got to know her and her music through playing a few quick-fire games, including some podcast-exclusive content right here just for you :)

No stranger to the stage, she has toured alongside Madison Beer, Hayley Kiyoko, and Anne-Marie. Leah Kate is proving to be a star on the rise with 300M+ global streams, 200M+ TikTok views to date, and millions of followers across all socials.

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Norwegian superstar Astrid S has blown the world of pop music away with a staggering 5 billion streams of hit songs such as "Hurts so Good", "Think Before I Talk" and "It's OK If You Forget Me". Her second album, the newly-released 'Joyride', reflects her growth as an artist, inspired by car journeys with her Dad. They listened to bands like The Killers, Fleetwood Mac, Coldplay, and HAIM - early musical impulses that are reflected throughout the new album.

Astrid S is a global pop artist with sold-out world tours and several awards in the luggage, including Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy) and MTV award. She has previously collaborated with talents such as JP Cooper, Shawn Mendes, NOTD, and previous Léim Thart guest Dagny.

2020's debut album 'Leave It Beautiful', became a bible of Scandipop, crafted mostly with Swedish production duo Jack & Coke. Astrid compares the process of making the new album to speed dating. She has stepped out of her comfort zone and jumped into sessions with many different producers, including JT Daly (K. Flay, Benson Boone, PVRIS), Oliver Lundström (Carly Rae Jepsen, Dagny) and Matias Téllez (girl in red, Sondre Lerche, Maisie Peters).

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE

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One year on since his first Léim Thart, Fred Roberts has gone from strength to strength with the release of his debut EP 'Sound Of My Youth'. With over a million streams to date, packed-out headline gigs, and a summer full of festivals ahead, we sat down for a much-needed catch-up on all things music... and sleeper trains. and underwater tunnels.

Stream the 'Sound Of My Youth' EP HERE

Learn about underwater tunnels in the Faroe Islands HERE

Learn about sleeper trains on a boat HERE

Photography by Jono White

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE

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4 years since her last album, and continuing her reign at the top of the muisc world, we have finally been treated to Dua Lipa's third album 'Radical Optimism' 🦈 Following the juggernaut disco-infused 'Future Nostalgia', Dua worked with the aim to build a new psychedelic, Britpop-inspired record. Did she succeed? Here is my full review.

Since 2020, Dua Lipa has remained at the forefront of pop culture, with a 3rd Grammy win, 7th BRIT award, and the lead single of Barbie movie 'Dance The Night', to name but a few achievements. Her song 'Levitating' went on to become the official #1 song of 2021 the US, and certified Diamond. Inspired by Dua’s own self-discovery, Radical Optimism is an album that taps into the pure joy and happiness of having clarity in situations that once seemed impossible to face. The album was co-written by Lipa, alongside primary album collaborators Caroline Ailin, Danny L. Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala fame.

Big thanks to Rút, Seán, and Conor for their contributions to this episode.

- Stream the Léim Thart 'Future Nostalgia' review HERE

- Watch this episode on YouTube HERE

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Cover photo by Tyrone Lebon

Making a grand return to Léim Thart, one of my favourite guests is Bandon Beyoncé LYRA! Having freshly released her self-titled debut album, we just had to catch up and discuss all the new music. Hear her talk about working with Lady Gaga's producer, keeping a song from David Guetta, and the juiciness of a live show!

The debut album is a comprehensive reflection of the Irish pop- dance sensation today. Consisting of 14 tracks, the album conveys the broad range of her musicality, journeying from the dark and sultry ‘Chess’ to the pulsating dance anthem ‘Lovers’ to the empowering latest single ‘Queen’.

Watch this episode on Youtube ⁠HERE⁠

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