Rebecca Sibley gives us the run-down of some of the best up and coming acts Ireland has to offer.
Æ Mak
Æ Mak’s music is all about dreamy, effervescent sounds, exquisite harmonies and tribal style chanting. Though yet to release a full-length album, they’re making waves in Ireland with their unique art-pop which creates rich soundscapes with singer Aoife McCann’s gorgeous voice at the forefront. Earlier this year, a collaboration with Dublin’s own Le Boom yielded the catchy single ‘Dancing Bug’ as the latest triumph of Æ Mak’s short but impressive discography. Hopefully, a full album will soon follow.
Check them out if you like: Tune-Yards, Sleigh Bells, Animal Collective
Spies
Possibly the most under-appreciated band on this list with fewer than 500 monthly listeners on Spotify, Spies have been intermittently releasing feel-good indie rock singles for almost a decade. They finally released their album, Constancy, last year. It boasted several catchy tunes such as ‘Ho Chi Minh,’ a catchy ode to a hostel stay in the Vietnamese city, and ‘Young Dad’, a synthy bop about an encounter with a band way cooler than them. Optimistic, wordy, and slightly self-deprecating, Spies’ music is solid indie-rock.
Check them out if you like: The Wombats, Kodaline, Bleachers
Luka Palm
Part of the independent record label Soft Boy Records, Swedish-born Luka Palm is a rising star in Irish hip-hop. Though sometimes overshadowed by his label mate, Kojaque, Luka Palm deserves recognition for both his collaborative successes and the solo work he’s been releasing since his first single ‘Pink Lady’ at 16 years old. His most recent album, Green Diesel, was produced in collaboration with other members of Soft Boy Records and boasts the slow, soulful beats of ‘Paris, Texas’ as well as the more boisterous ‘SPIT DAT OUT’.
Check them out if you like: Kojaque, MF DOOM, Slowthai
Katie Laffan
Fresh, fun and effortlessly cool, Katie Laffan’s funk-inspired disco pop blends snarky lyrics with rich instrumentation. Her music experiments with many different genres, taking influence from R&B, reggae, disco, funk and punk, and reveals an impressive range across her two EPs. Her best bops ‘Tastemaker’ and ‘I Don’t Mind’ are as dancefloor ready as it gets.
Check them out if you like: Mark Ronson, Lily Allen, Kimbra