Irish Artists And Tracks You Need To Listen To This St Patrick's Day
The following list is in no particular order either as all these acts are number 1 stars in our eyes!
We hope you enjoy!
Written and edited by yours truly, Kate O’Loughlin & Aoife Neville
KILL ‘EM CHARLIE
Kill ‘Em Charlie are a five piece indie rock band who are based Cork and Tipperary, Ireland and are certainly a band that you should watch out for and get listening to!
With guitar riffs as loud and impressive as Arctic Monkeys, infectious hooks and just an overall sound that is bursting with energy, is uplifting and has a good beat, these guys are impossible to dislike and have their own unique distinctive sound that make them stand out from the crowd. They are a different gravy altogether and really bring something different yet exciting to the Irish music scene.
We’ve yet to catch the guys at a Dublin show but from what we can see by the bands socials, these guys sound even bigger, better and louder live then their studio recordings with their performances coming across as pure passion and rock and roll. Don’t be sleeping on this lot! They make music that is fit for blasting out your speakers or your earphones (even if Apple Music tells you to turn these guys down, you don’t turn their music down!).
If these guys were to support Arctic Monkeys in Dublin this summer, it would be the dream line-up! Their music is something that sticks with you and something you don’t forget.
Personal favourites:
Kate: As soon as I heard these guys, I was immediately hooked and drawn in by their guitar hooks, as someone who grew up completely fascinated by guitar music and indie rock, these guys left one hell of a good impression on me with those impressive guitar riffs and catchy hooks and I really like how similar they are to some of my all-time favourite bands like Arctic Monkeys, Wunderhorse, Catfish & The Bottlemen.
I’m really loving their EP but my personal favourite is ‘Sunday’s Unwell’ just love the energy off it. Such a sick track and puts me in a good mood.
Special mention to ‘Hazey’ too and is made me feel I wasn’t alone with my mental health spirals and gives an important message, also a 10/10 intro.
RÓISÍN Ó
Róisín Ó is one of the biggest underrated female musicians in Ireland right now, but we think she is spectacular and this seriously talented lady should be playing headline shows in 3Arena. She has one of the most powerful voices in the Irish music scene and her live performances are passionate, fierce and also energetic. Her music takes you on a journey like no other as she deals with themes of love, growth and heartbreak and also the courage to move on.
Her latest album ‘Courageous’ reached the No.1 spot in the Independent album charts and No.1 overall in physical sales chart in its first week. This lady is an absolute powerhouse and comes from a hugely talented musical family with Mary Black being her mother and The Coronas frontman, Danny O’Reilly as her brother so it is no understatement when we tell you Róisín is just bursting with talent. We feel she deserves much more radio play throughout the country and deserves bigger venues for her own headline shows.
Róisín is heading off on an Irish tour this April with dates all across the country. Make sure to catch her on it! We can’t recommend her gigs enough, her live shows are seriously impressive and will have you truly ascending. Róisín Ó is a show-stopping artist who deserves a lot more recognition we feel!
Personal favourites:
Aoife: I’ve been a big fan of Róisín for years and I’m so glad to see her back making solo music. Róisín is one of the best singer-songwriters this country has to offer. Her latest album ‘Courageous’ was a phenomenal piece of work. She is criminally underrated! With a voice like hers and the songs she is producing she should be selling out the 3arena. Ireland, stop sleeping on this extremely talented woman and go stream her album Courageous!!
While you are at it get tickets to her Irish tour, you won’t regret it! Róisín’s gigs are so much fun!
Song Recommendation; Would highly recommend giving Stolen a listen. It’s such a stunning song and will leave you in your feels.
Kate: Róisín has such a gorgeous voice, and she is absolutely one of the loveliest humans ever, we had a good chat about her the cute Shiba Inu at a listening party for The Coronas.
Song Recommendation: It has to be 2023, reminds me of the time I spent ringing in the new year in London watching the fireworks.
SKINNER
Skinner is a 25-year old DIY slouch rock musician based in Dublin who writes, records and produces songs about growing up and overcoming a dirt-flecked 21st century. The DNA of no wave and post-punk acts like The B52’s, James Chance and the Contortions and ESG through to alt-rock touchstones Pixies and Morphine combined with a talent for grunge-nodding self-production and pockets of elevated instrumentation is oozing from Skinner’s music.
Skinner recently graced the stage at Dublin’s The Sugar Club at the IMRO music venue awards where he gave an energetic and truly mesmerizing performance (where he even smashed his guitar!) which proved that he was one of the most exciting up and coming acts to come out of Dublin. There is certainly big things and high potential due for Skinner and 2023 is looking promising for him.
He brings something different and unique to the Irish music scene and is just an absolute hidden gem of an artist who is oozing with talent, his music is simply electrifying and makes you feel alive.
Personal favourites:
Kate: I am such a huge fan of Skinner, I was so happy when I finally got to seen him perform at the IMRO awards, that man just has so much talent and is one of my favourite Dublin acts right now (keeping it local, up the Dubs x)
I’ve been loving his EP ‘Commander Trainwreck’ and my personal favourite would be the title track, also love ‘Headroom’ , I think his sound is just absolutely fantastic and he’s a different gravy! He’s incredible, I’m always listening to him.
ECHO CANTO
Echo Canto is one of the hottest new upcoming acts to come out of Dublin right now. Consisting of former lead guitarist of The Coronas, Dave McPhillips, Dave Haughton, Niamh Lowe, Elspeth Hanson, Shane Gough and Graham Heaney.
Echo Canto is a band that has a distinctive unique sound with the perfect blend of instrumentation which includes drums, bass, guitars and strings on top of McPhillips vocals which really make them stand out from the crowd.
The band made their debut in 2022 with the release of their Patchwork EP with featured the hit single ‘Disorder’ which went down hugely with fans and is a big loud track bursting with energy, a great beat and is infectiously catchy.
Over the weekend, Echo Canto graced the staged at Workman’s Cellar in Dublin for their first headliner in the capital, the room was packed and fans sung back every word of the fan favourite ‘Disorder’ to even a Dua Lipa cover of ‘Levitating’ with two songs by The Coronas thrown in which went down really well with the crowd, even the new songs everyone listened respectfully and was hooked immediately.
The room was bursting with an infectious buzz, energy and everyone was swaying the night away.
Lead singer Dave McPhillips knows how to captivate an audience and deliver a show with the rest of the band Echo Canto. The debut Dublin gig was a truly remarkable and memorable night that has left a huge impact on gig goers, we are still on a high from it and it won’t leave us anytime soon.
From the luscious vocals, gorgeous harmonies, impressive riffs and hooks, delicate strings and catchy drums and bass, Echo Canto certainly make music that is good for the soul and we can’t wait to hear more!
Personal favourites:
Aoife: Echo Canto is a spectacular new band and I’m loving the mix of genres in their music! Their debut EP ‘Patchwork’ is a superb collection of songs that brings something fresh to the Irish music scene.
On a personal note, I’m delighted to see Dave back making music again and taking the lead with the singing, he has an incredible voice that deserves to be heard!
I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this exciting new band! Get streaming their music and make sure to catch them at any future gigs they put on!
Kate: I really like ‘Disorder’, it’s such a great song and they captured the energy of this live perfectly while performing it in Dublin last weekend!
SOAK
SOAK (Bridie Monds-Watson) is an alternative singer-songwriter from Derry who is now based in Dublin. They released their latest album ‘If I Never Know You Like This Again’ in May 2022 last year and it is one of the most beautiful albums to have ever come out of Ireland in our opinion, it is truly stunning and is immersed in talent with hits such as ‘Last July’ to a song about a diner in LA (‘Red Eye’ ) , the album is absolutely flawless from start to finish.
It takes the listener on an experience that we can’t even describe.
The album made me (Kate) smile and also cry tears as I found it truly resonating and SOAK just makes music that truly connects with the human experience, it even has a song about someone talking through your favourite act.. ‘Baby you’re full of shit’.
We feel that SOAK is a special little gem in the Irish music scene, their music feels like a hug to the ears with their beautiful, infectious vocals and glistening guitars, their music is just pure dreamy and makes us want to gatekeep them but we also want to see them play to even bigger crowds as they truly deserve it.
SOAK is slowly and steadily getting on the rise with having played Other Voices and a sold-out Headline Show in Whelans.
Soak is one of those artists who we feel whose music is extremely relatable, Kate streamed their latest record so hard that it was her number 1 most streamed album of 2022, She felt she just deeply resonated it and didn’t know she needed it in her life until they released it, and they are also one of the most amazingly talented, loveliest, and funniest people in the Irish music scene who deserve the world. Bridie if you’re reading this, I Love You!!
Personal favourites:
Kate: So hard as I like nearly every song but ‘Bleach’ is definitely up there, also honourable mentions to their whole discography, ‘Knock Me Off My Feet’ went hard at Whelan’s last year.
PS: So sorry Bridie I skipped your gig for Lizzo xx
Aoife: I have been hearing about this artist non-stop because Kate won’t shut up about them, but it has led to me discovering some very good music so I can’t complain. Really loving Last July & Red Eye!
MONCRIEFF
Moncrieff is one of the most exciting up and coming Irish artist’s at the minute who we are really loving, he completely blew our minds with his powerful performance at Electric Picnic last year and his headline shows in the Olympia and Belfast. Moncrieff also recently won the Choice Music Prize for Song Of The Year with his single ‘Warm’ which was totally well deserved because what an absolute anthem it is and he is one of the most sweetest, wholesome and hard-working people in the music industry and his talent is just insane!!!
Moncrieff writes music from his heart and soul with his truly captivating and moving lyrics, he is proving that he is one of the best songwriters Ireland has to offer and he absolutely has one of the best voices too, this guy is just simply oozing with talent and has a very promising career ahead of him. We can’t wait to hear see where 2023 takes him, with every single song he has released he just keeps getting better and better.
His lives shows have been some of our favourite sets we have ever seen from an Irish act, he knows how to connect with an audience through music, lyrics and live performance and his gigs are just overall good vibes and so much fun. If you haven’t seen Moncrieff live yet, we highly recommend you do so because words don’t do this guy justice, he is just amazing and you need to experience his music live for yourself!
Personal favourites:
Aoife: Moncrieff is Ireland’s most exciting new artist in my opinion. The music he is producing is absolutely phenomenal, with some of the most relatable song lyrics that really resonate with people. His voice is incredible and the energy he brings to his live gigs is insane!!
He is one of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and makes lots of time for his fans which is so lovely to see. If you haven’t listened to his music yet, you are missing out but it’s never too late to discover a wonderful talent such as Chris’s.
It won’t be long before he’s selling out the 3arena so make sure to catch him live in an intimate venue while you have the chance!
My favourite song of Moncrieff’s is ‘Talk’. It has an incredibly important and powerful message and really hits hard. I think this is a song that everyone needs to hear! Make sure to give it a listen!
Kate: Has to be ‘Ruin’, I absolutely loved hearing this live at Electric Picnic last year, such an absolute anthem, relatable lyrics and he brings so much energy with it to the stage.
MORE IRISH TRACKS YOU NEED TO HEAR
Kate’s Irish Tracks You Need To Hear
The Scratch – Latchio
“I recently saw these guys for probably like my 10th time at The Academy, their energy just never fails to blow me away, shoutout to the Kodaline lads that got me into them, myself and Mark Prendergast (Kodaline Guitarist) were at their show in a small venue in Dublin City Centre called The Underground a few years back and I’ll never forget the energy in the room that night, it was amazing and ‘Latchio’ is such a tune, I love how these guys perfectly mix metal and trad together to make such an incredible, infectious and energetic sound”.
Lucy Blue – I Left My Heart
“I’ve always been such a fan of Lucy, she has an incredible soft and delicate voice, music that truly resonates with me and I feel that she is so underrated. I think she is incredible and is one of the best female musicians in Ireland right now, loving her latest single”.
Inhaler – Just To Keep You Satisfied
“I’ve been to pretty much every Dublin gig for Inhaler and a few Belfast and London ones, I just love the lads and they are so class. Been streaming their latest record hard but damn that opening track just hits, it’s always stuck in my head and makes me feel good whenever I stream it, I’m actually obsessed with this song haha. The second I heard it, I was hooked”.
Biig Piig – In The Dark
“Biig Piig has become one of my favourite artists at the moment, she is originally from Cork but based in London and she is absolutely killing it lately. Really into her latest mini album ‘Bubblegum’ it’s just a masterpiece. So excited to finally catch her in the Academy later this month and ‘In The Dark’ is such an anthem that just makes me want to dance”.
Milk. – ‘Human Contact’
“I recently saw Milk. Play The Academy and they were amazing! I interviewed the lads during lockdown on zoom and it was incredible to catch them live, they remind me of The 1975 quite a lot so it only seemed natural that I became a fan straight away. They are such a class band and ‘Human Contact’ is such a feel good tune, I love everything these guys release”.
The Neon Cars – Hold Onto It
"The Neon Cars are such a underrated band, I feel that the music scene in Cork right now has so many class bands at the minute that deserve a lot more recognition and The Neon Cars are one of them, their latest single ‘Hold Onto It’ is just ridiculously good, it’s anthemic, energetic and just an overall track full of good vines that is infectiously catchy, I can’t get enough of it”.
Peter Richardson – Never Enough
“Peter is such a good friend of mine and also a criminally underrated artist. This guy is just outstanding and is immensely talented. He released his debut EP ‘Then & Now’ last year and it’s just deeply resonating. He captures the human experience of falling in love, heartbreak and moving on with your life so beautifully and perfectly. Words can’t do him justice, he is just incredible and his single ‘Never Enough’ is just one of those songs that truly hits my soul, which proves he’s a good artist”.
Sinead Ann – Lemon Zest
“Sinead Ann has one of the most stunning voices I’ve ever heard from a female Irish singer, she is just simply breath-taking. She hails from the west coast of Ireland and you can just tell her hometown impacts the music she creates. Her music remind me of trips to Galway, she has such an ethereal and beautiful sound, she is absolutely phenomenal. She only has ‘Lemon Zest’ out at the moment which is such a fantastic track and it can only go onwards and upwards for her. I’m so excited to hear more”.
Amy Ellen – Day Dreamin
“Amy Ellen is also another severely underrated female Irish artist, she has one of the most dreamiest voices with features glistening guitars and her music just makes me want to sway. She is one talented lady and her music is just so beautiful, you can tell she really pours her into heart and soul into it. She is so passionate and is one of the most hard working women in music, I love her song ‘Day Dreamin’ and how shoegazed it is!”.
Kodaline – After The Fall
“My favourite Irish track of all time by my favourite Irish band of all time. Kodaline are such a special band to me and ‘After Their Fall’ is my favourite song by them for so many personal reasons. The song helped me through an extremely difficult time in my life where I felt numb, depressed and lost in life and the lyrics in this song was a huge pick me up and made me feel that I was okay to feel a bit lost and all I needed was time to get back on the road to myself again.
I could go on forever about a deep meaning into how much this song means to me but it will always be a special one that I treasure in my heart. I’m very glad the lads wrote it and we have our special little bond”.
Aoife’s Irish Tracks You Need To Hear
The Mary Wallopers – Frost Is All Over
“I just recently discovered this band but instantly fell in love with their music. I’m a big fan of trad music so I am absolutely loving their modern take on it. Their music is incredibly infectious and captivating. Dying to catch them live at a gig! They’ve got some fantastic tunes!”.
Luke Clerkin – Fall In Line
“Luke is such an amazing musician with a huge heart and a wonderful voice. He is one of the most hardworking people that I know! It is inspiring to watch him follow his dreams, creating fantastic music. Luke is an incredible performer too and can leave an audience mesmerised. So excited to see what the future has in store for him and his beautiful music!”.
Cian Ducrot - All For You
“If you are on Tik Tok you will most likely have seen the videos of Cian and his choir serenading people in public settings, but Cian has much more to offer musically that short videos. His music is absolutely stunning and is accompanied by his breath-taking vocals and lyrics. I am predicting that Cian will be on Hozier’s level soon enough with the sheer amount of talent he has. Make sure to give him a listen for yourself, he will blow you away!”.
James Or – An Attempt At Momnentum
"James is one of the most talented and hardworking musicians to come out of county Cork. His debut album ‘All The Beds We’ve Been In’ is a gorgeous piece of work and was one of my favourite albums of 2022. He has such a unique voice that blends perfectly with his impressive lyricism. If you haven’t heard of James make sure to give his music a listen! He is releasing a new single soon so make sure to pre-save that too and give him a follow on social media while you are at it!”.
Saarloos - Fire Is Love
“This phenomenal band is ridiculously underrated. Consisting of the wonderful Brian McGovern and Craig Gallagher this band is just oozing with an immense amount of talent. The power of their song writing skills combined is off the charts and their live gigs have been some of my favourites ever. Ireland really needs to stop sleeping on these lovely lads. Give their music a listen and make sure to see them live if they play near you!”.
True Tides - Survive
“This incredibly talented band are another Irish band that are severally underrated. True Tides have some of the most uplifting tunes in the Irish music scene. Their music really helped me through the recent pandemic and has been a huge comfort through difficult times. Not only is their music uplifting but it is very catchy and will have you bopping your head along to it. They are some of the nicest lads in the industry and deserve the world!
If you get the chance, go and see them live, their gigs are extremely energetic and so much fun! Do yourself a favour and give them a listen!
Lisa Keane – This Is How It Feels
“Lisa is an extremely talented singer from Dublin. She has such a beautiful voice and has been one of my favourite discoveries of the past few years. This girl puts so much work into making her music and the passion shines through in her music. With catchy melodies and stunning vocals I can’t recommend her music enough! Give her a listen and discover this wonderful talent for yourself!”.
Pa Sheehy - The Years Never Waited
“Pa is one of the most incredible solo artists currently in this country. His voice and song writing skills are insane. Formerly of Walking On Cars, Pa is no stranger to the Irish music scene but his music just keeps getting better with every new release. I am shocked at how underrated he is but I’ve no doubt he won’t stay that way for long because his talent is off the charts. I’m very excited to see what Pa does next and to hear some new music. If you haven’t listened to him, make sure to do yourself a favour and give his music a listen! Would definitely recommend catching him live too, he puts on an extraordinary show!”.
Louise Monaghan - Lost
“This new Irish singer has impressed us a lot. With the release of her most recent single ‘Lost’ she is definitely one to watch! She has a gorgeous unique voice that fits her music perfectly. Her latest single ‘Lost’ is very relatable and captivates the listener from the get-go. I’m excited to see what the future has in store for this very talented artist! Make sure to check out her music and give her a follow on social media!”.
The Coronas – Karma
“I couldn’t post this and not include my favourite band. These lads are the best thing Ireland has produced in my opinion. I will never get sick of their music or seeing them live. Their music is phenomenal. I adore their latest album ‘Time Stopped’. They have the most wonderful energy and passion when it comes to their live gigs and are the nicest bunch of lads in this industry. They honestly deserve the world! If you haven’t heard their music by now I would be very surprised but make sure to go and listen to ‘Time Stopped’ and catch them at their summer gig in Fairview! It’s one not to be missed!”.
Other Irish artists we love include: Christy Moore, U2, Just G, Erica Cody, The Academic, Fontaines DC, Aoife Scott, Hozier, Dermot Kennedy, Villa In France, Arn., George Hosuton, , Natalie Moran, Micah, Kingfishr, Lucy McWillaims, Sorcha Richardson, Post-Party, Belters Only, Odhran Murphy, Katie Phelan, Kyoto Love Hotel, Flynn, All Tvvins, Still Blue, Aimée, Fya Fox, Under Starling, Skies Behind, InBetween Honey, Bricknasty, Modernlove. , Elle Coves, The Exact Same Kid, Rachel Grace, Red Eye Pariah, Raging Sons, Thom Southern, Brid Lyons, Chasing Abbey, Wild Youth, Kynsy, Nell Mescal, HappyAlone, Somebody’s Child, Dylon Jack, Thumper, Gilla Band, and the list goes on! Ireland is bursting with talent from the big to the small names nationwide!
Check out our St Patricks Day 2023 spotify Playlist Here
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