Aaron Corcoran aka Skinner released his debut album New Wave Vaudeville on January 7. He talks about playing open mic nights when he was in his mid-teens, his DIY ethos, his creative process and influences, and discusses making some of the tracks on the album.

Buy New Wave Vaudeville: https://skinner97.bandcamp.com/album/new-wave-vaudeville

----

Press release:

Skinner is the project of the Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Aaron Corcoran who was inspired by the New York No wave scene in the late '70s/early '80s for this debut record. The record's lead track "Calling In Sick" perfectly exemplifies this influence as he takes cues from the genre, while also carving his own path on the scene as well.

Speaking about "Calling In Sick", he said, "The song is about calling in sick to the world. Life is tough for most people right now and there is no down time for most of us. Some days just feel like you're hurtling towards destruction and I just wanted to write a song that captures that feeling of anger and frustration of having to say enough is enough. Fuck everything I'm just going to do me for today. And I think that's fair."

'New Wave Vaudeville', the song and album title, references the New Wave Vaudeville music variety freak show that took place at the 57 Club in New York from 1978 to 1983. The club was known for its free-form art shows, a debaucherous wild riposte to creeping commerciality of modern culture of the time.

"The ethos of the album is to celebrate the weird part of who you are and be proud of it," says Aaron. "You might feel strange in society but you don't when you're listening to your favourite music, and this record is a space for the outsiders to feel comfortable."

Skinner's debut album takes inspiration from the outsiders in alternative music who populate the greatest hits of no wave, dance-punk, Latin disco and post-punk genres - Liquid Liquid, A Certain Ratio, Kid Creole And The Coconuts and James Chance And The Contortions to name a few.

"I like the idea of mixing genres that shouldn't go together," Aaron adds. "That's probably why I like no wave music. It's just total and utter free expression of music without any constraint or rules. And it's not constrained by any societal ideals like a lot of other music can be. It's pure raw human emotion and expression."

Throughout the LP, Corcoran makes use of vocal training by Dara Kiely of Dublin noise-rock Gilla Band, who taught Aaron how to scream effectively while singing without losing your voice, as heard on the tracks "Calling In Sick", "Tell My Ma" and "When You Live In A Shoe".

Percussion also plays a big part in the record, with Latin American music and disco cited as an influence on the 10 tracks on the LP.

New Wave Vaudeville was recorded and produced by Aaron Corcoran at the Meadow and engineered alongside Rian Trench. The album was mixed by Sean Corcoran, and mastered by Tj Lipple.

It's the end of the year - we made it! And that means it's time to look over our favourite music moments of 2024. Nicole Glennon, assistant editor of the Irish Examiner Weekend magazine, and Cíara Byrne, a music writer with bylines in the Examiner, Golden Plec and the Thin Air, join to talk through our favourite live shows, best albums, best tracks - and some disappointments as well.

2.55: Best live

40.45: Best albums

1.12.00: Best tracks

Peter Lawlor aka Polytunnel, a producer and DJ, releases his debut album The Word for World is Forest via Alien Communications on December 13. He says: "The Word for World is Forest is an album influenced by the city of Glasgow, showcasing Polytunnel’s love of classic detroit-inspired electro along with nods to the techno and house that has influenced his work over previous records. Recorded in Glasgow, the album is a love letter to the city that continues to inspire and over the course of nine tracks, offers a glimpse into the producer’s broad palette of electronic sounds. The title is inspired by Ursula K Le Guin’s novella of the same name, which delves into themes of destruction, resistance, and the devastating impact of imperialism.'

On this episode of the TPOE podcast, we talk about the journey to Polytunnel's debut album, running his label Moot Tapes, clubbing and nightlife in Ireland vs Glasgow, favourite music of 2024, hardware, and more.

Polytunnel: https://polytunnel.bandcamp.com/

Alien Communications: https://aliencommunications.bandcamp.com/

Moot Tapes: https://moottapeslabel.bandcamp.com/

Lebanon Fundraiser: https://moottapeslabel.bandcamp.com/album/lebanon-fundraiser

SIlverbacks (Daniel O'Kelly, Kilian O'Kelly, Peader Kearney, Emma Hanlon, Gary Wickham, Paul Leamy) released their third album Easy Being a Winner on October 18 via Central Tones Records. Scattered around Dublin, Drogheda, Kildare and Paris, Silverbacks have really found their groove on this album. It sounds like an effortless progression. I talked to Dan about making the album, life in Paris, cycling, Other Voices, being a dad, and some of his favourite music of the year.

Buy Easy Being a Winner: https://silverbacks.bandcamp.com/album/easy-being-a-winner

---

As a band, Ireland six-piece Silverbacks are restless, eager to move onto the next thing: Three albums in four years is evidence of this. That their fizzing, rock-addled songs rarely pass the four-minute mark is further proof. But in their personal lives, they’re not restless. In fact, they’re settling down. Lead singer and guitarist Daniel O’Kelly now lives on the outskirts of Paris with his wife - it’s where he sees his immediate future too. His brother, guitarist Kilian, has moved to Drogheda, an hour north of Dublin, with wife and fellow Silverback Emma Hanlon, where they’ve discovered a newfound interest in plants (red hot pokers are their favourite). They’re content. Their relationships - their friendships - take the pressure off the music and ultimately allows for something that is more enjoyable to make, and perhaps, as a result, sounds more authentically like Silverbacks too. As they sing on the closing track of third album Easy Being a Winner: “You start to figure it out.”

His Father's Voice (Ash O'Connor, James Reidy, Laya Meabhdh Kenny and Cian McGuirk) released their debut album Black Poison Morning on September 6. Frontwoman Ash talks about how the band have developed over the years, making the record with Micheál Keating (Bleeding Heart Pigeon), the Limerick scene and Féile na Gréine, and lots more.

Buy Black Poison Morning: https://hisfathersvoice.bandcamp.com/album/black-poison-morning

---

Press release:

‘Black Poison Morning’ is the debut album from Limerick-based outfit His Father’s Voice. The album’s fabric takes its form through a methodical weaving of avoidance, desire, imperfection and impatience. Parallel to a tug of war between these lyrical vices runs a mix of wide ummeling instrumentals and raw dead space, giving a cinematic quality to each of its eight tracks. Even in the album’s more exuberant moments, an anchor of tension brings an unnerving reluctance to the listener. Equally, the album’s more claustrophobic moments are underscored by a sense of hope for emotional release. The granting of catharsis is carefully crafted through soaring pop melodies, immersive guitars and muscular rhythms, flipping the postpunk genre’s penchant for emotional outburst on its head. As with its ability to blend moods which lie in opposition to each other, the band find balance between its accessible sound and emblems of the experimental music community that it emerges from.

It feels as though our debut album grew up alongside us over a number of years, learning to navigate reluctance, longing and impatience. It’s fragile alongside bolder and more resistant moments. We wanted an album that could find a home for both our sweeter sound and the murkier gothic cornerstone of our music. This album collates and distills an energy that we’ve been testing out live for the last year. Sometimes the music can feel like it’s heaving along with us, fighting for emotional release.

Dublin singer-songwriter Daniel Anderson aka Anderson released his second album Some Rain Must Fall on November 1. It's nine years since he released debut album Patterns (2015), after going solo following his band The Rags.

Named after Karl Ove Knausgaard's book Some Rain Must Fall, Anderson says of the record: “This album was a long time in the making, perhaps these songs offer clues as to why. I’m an electrician by trade. That’s what I’m professionally qualified to do and what I worked as before I dedicated my life to music. Being a musician has taken up the majority of my adult life but I’d always had a feeling of imposter syndrome with it. In the back of my head I’d be thinking ‘I’m an electrician – I’m not supposed to be making art. But the dilemma triggered something in me and new songs and ideas started coming. I stopped obsessing on the career that music hadn’t given me and instead focused on how it had enriched my life. It wasn’t easy but everything I went through was captured in the songs and it’s all there on the record: work, worth, fear, pain, ageing, art, love, life and an understanding that into every life some rain must fall.”

Buy Some Rain Must Fall: https://andersonsongs.bigcartel.com/product/some-rain-must-fall-12-vinyl

Cork artist Yenkee aka Graham Cooney released his long-awaited debut album Night Golf via Soft Boy Records on October 25. He talks about making the album, being inspired by labelmates Kojaque and Kean Kavanagh, life in London, the dream of owning a house, the housing crisis, songwriting, and lots more on this episode of TPOE.

Yenkee tour dates:

December 1: Upstairs at Whelan's, Dublin

December 10: Old Blue Last, London

December 15: Folklore Rooms, Brighton

December 21: City Hall, Cork

Buy Night Golf: https://yenkee.bandcamp.com/album/night-golf

---

Press release:

Yenkee is now based in London, but it’s where he was raised on the Northside of Cork City in Ireland where he developed his admiration for simplicity and his love for music. “Being Irish, you are always brought up around music and song. It’s so ingrained, you can’t avoid it”. It’s this immersion that bred inspiration from a diverse array of artists. Arthur Russell’s versatility, Dolly Parton’s timeless songwriting, Manu Chao’s eclectic style, Talking Heads’ playful spirit and Fionn Regan’s graceful depictions of Ireland all play a role in who Yenkee is today.

His early projects, marked by an experimental spirit and a penchant for blending genres, laid the groundwork for what would become Yenkee. The transition to a solo career allowed him to fully explore his artistic vision, leading to a widely loved series of singles and EPs that garnered him placements on TV series’ Normal People and Conversations With Friends and finding fans in people like Florence Pugh.

Throughout these early days of Yenkee, ‘Night Golf’ would begin to develop. It all started with a throwaway tweet Yenkee had posted in 2014 that simply said “#NightGolf”. The phrase stuck with him for years, eventually guiding the whole album’s creation. “I had songs written but I just thought right, that’s the name of the album. How do I fit the music around that title?.” The name inspired a strong visual component and evoked an 80s musical awakening within, guiding Yenkee back to his love for that era’s music with Prefab Sprout, in particular, becoming a significant influence.

Yenkee recorded most of the album himself in various makeshift setups, but his best days were spent with others. Whether that was with producer Peter Brien in his Belfast studio, working with Adam Kaye in Hackney or knocking out single-session songs with Karma Kid in South London, it was these moments that solidified what the album would become. ‘Night Golf’ is a labour of love, a project born out of instinct rather than meticulous planning, designed more for dancing than deep contemplation. As Yenkee puts it, “It’s only music at the end of the day.”

HousePlants are Paul Noonan and Daithi. They released their second album Half Known Things on October 18 and talk about its creation on this episode of the TPOE podcast.

Buy Half Known Things: https://wearehouseplants.bandcamp.com/album/half-known-thingsh

HousePlants tour dates:

December 27: Roisin Dubh, Galway

December 28: Cyprus Avenue, Cork

January 11: Dolan's Warehouse, Limerick

January 30, 31: Button Factory, Dublin

Intro music: HousePlants - Swimming Pool

Outro music: HousePlants - Hope is a Hell of a Drug

---

Press release: HousePlants have built a reputation for their electrifying live performances, from festivals like All Together Now and Beyond the Pale, to opening slots for legends such as Chic and Leftfield. Their unique combination of energetic rhythms and heart-on-sleeve storytelling has earned them a loyal following. With Half Known Things, the band promises to deliver more of the vibrant, feel-good energy that has become their hallmark, while venturing deeper into sonic experimentation and live band dynamics.

Paul Noonan reflects on the evolution from their debut: "This album was very much informed by playing shows with the first one, feeling what was connecting and creating those euphoric collective moments. With Dry Goods, we were sending each other parts from our respective bunkers. This time, we had the luxury of being in the same room for some of it and making decisions in the moment. Every decision, we asked, ‘Will it make the people move?’

The result is an album full of heart, heat, and groove, with distorted textures and vibrant beats driving the music forward. From the album opener “In The Right Light” to the seven-minute opus “No Pushover,” Half Known Things pulses with life, capturing the raw, raucous energy of their live performances.

Daithí shares his journey throughout the making of the album: "Half Known Things feels alive in a way I’ve never experienced before – we’ve tried to capture the wild energy of our live shows and bottle it into these nine tracks. It’s music that’s messy, human, and alive, which to me is the heart of what HousePlants is all about."

Standout tracks include 'Swimming Pool', an upbeat anthem that captures the messy joy of life, and 'My Love My Umbrella', a haunting ballad that draws inspiration from Irish writer John McGahern’s works. From start to finish, Half Known Things offers a sonic experience that is simultaneously introspective and celebratory, inviting listeners to lose themselves in the music, and most importantly, have fun.

Cork singer-songwriter Stephanie Rainey has had an interesting year, appearing on America's Got Talent over the summer. She talks about that experience, why she felt like she wanted and needed to do it to shake things up, and her new EP The Highs and Lows of It All, due out next month.

Stephanie Rainey tour dates:

November 14: Button Factory, Dublin

December 18: Cork City Hall

---

Press release: In 2015, Stephanie emerged onto the music scene with 'Please Don't Go,' a song born from the depths of her soul, dedicated to her one-year-old nephew, Fionn, who tragically lost his life to meningitis. At a time before ‘going viral’ was even coined, the single reached 5 Million people worldwide on YouTube and Facebook when it was first released. Almost 10 years since its first release ‘Please Don’t Go’ has found new audiences with over 8 million Spotify plays and a staggering 40 million combined views on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram since September 2023.

The recent resurgence of 'Please Don't Go' catapulted Stephanie to the top of the Singer-Songwriter Chart in Canada, claiming the number 1 spot, and reaching number 2 in the United States. Her heartfelt music also charted on the main iTunes Charts in Ireland, Australia (reaching number 16 on the Main Chart), and the UK (reaching number 31). The outpouring of support online underscores the song's profound impact, with countless messages attesting to its ability to guide individuals through grief and healing. The accompanying music video, a poignant tapestry of personal tributes, amplifies the song's universal message of love and loss.

As a result of this recent resurgence Stephanie travelled from Ireland to bring this heart stopping anthem to the America's Got Talent stage. This audition will air to an audience of 10 million viewers in America alone this June 25. Her new found TikTok fanbase, with over 27 million views, confirms her anthemic songwriting continues to inspire and resonate with audiences around the world, proving that music can be a force for healing and unity.

Often compared to the likes of Adele, Dermot Kennedy and Ed Sheeran, Stephanie Rainey possesses a unique voice that is both authentic and honest. Since her breakthrough, Stephanie has amassed over 70 million streams across all her social media platforms and has become one of Ireland's most played female artists on radio. Stephanie Rainey's success in 2021 and 2022, with hit singles like 'Ross & Rachel,' 'No Cowboy,' '13,' and ‘Remember Who Your Friends Are’ also showcased her appeal to a new generation of fans. ‘Remember Who Your Friends Are’ climbed to No.2 in the Irish Breakers Radio Chart and the top 20 Irish Homegrown Chart. These singles were playlisted across national radio stations such as 2FM, RTE Radio 1, iRadio, Beat 102-103, Cork's 96FM, Today FM, and Northern Ireland's Cool FM. Stephanie also made her Irish TV debut on Ireland's prestigious Late Late Show and The Heart of A Saturday Night.

Cork producer Ruairi Lynch aka Bantum and Listowel-based rapper as Gaeilge Séamus Ó Súilleabháin aka Súil Amháin are the guests on this episode of the TPOE podcast. Bantum has just released his third solo album, which is self-titled, and he also produced, mixed, and mastered the debut album by Súil Amháin, which is called athPhORT. They talk about how they got together, collaborating, and the ideas behind some of their tracks - 'Aisling Fh​é​ile' off athPhORT, for example, was inspired by the River Feale, but there's so much more underlying that. Bantum also talks about feeling particularly creative and creating his latest solo effort.

Buy Súil Amháin - athPhORT: https://suilamhain.bandcamp.com/album/athphort-2

Buy Bantum - Bantum: https://bantum.bandcamp.com/album/bantum

Intro music: Bantum - Bamboo, Súil Amháin - Viva Liobarnach

Outro music: Bantum - Carousel