Sound of the Isle

The trusted source for all things Irish Music  

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Upcoming Irish Festival - Life Festival

Life Festival is back and better than ever this year with a whole host of world renowned acts ready to make their way to Mullingar. Carl Cox, I Hate Models, Patrick Topping and Belters Only are only a few of the acts that the notorious festival have announced on their lineup. With a hugely successful history of hosting events not to be missed the Life team have huge hopes of adding another one to the history books after the long let off they had during the Pandemic. We here at Sound of the isle are certainly going to be there and we hope some of you can join us! Life Festival takes place this year from the 26th-28th of May and if you are interested in going a link to their website will be provided below.

Life Festival

Life Festival takes place 26-28 May 2023 at Belvedere House, Mullingar . Ireland.

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Top Recently Released Songs

3. Christian Cohle - "Strength"

Well known for songs such as "Drown Me Slow" and "Breathe", the Dingle man has recently released another song that were sure listeners will love. "Strength" is the newest addition by Cohle and includes a mix of his classic electronic pop style with his clever lyrics.

2. AikJ

One of the fastest rising stars in the whole country, AikJ is back to provide his fans with yet another classic anthem. The Dublin based RnB artist is hoping to achieve yet another UK Top 20 with his newest release "Lavish"

1. Siobhan Franks

Yet another one for the Dubs! Singer songwritter Siobhan Franks has recently released her third single called "Spill It All Over You". The song has a deeper meaning as it discusses at length Siobhan's struggles with mental health and the barriers she faced with trips to a counsellor. This one's definitely an emotional one, but, it just shows the talent we have coming form our small country, Well done Siobhan!

As always thank you all for our continued support and please leave a comment if you firstly, liked our choices for our favorite recent songs that came out or even if you think we missed any let us know also!

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Hidden Gem Irish Music Venue’s

Ireland has always been a country that is blessed with a rich history of legendary venue's that has attracted some of the top worldwide talent. Slane Castle, 3 Arena and Croke park are all names that come to mind initially but what we are interested in is uncovering some of the smaller unknown gems that are dotted around the isle.

Ballykeefe Amphitheatre

Kicking things off we have the Ballykeefe Amphitheatre located in Kilmanagh, Co. Kilkenny. I think the pictures shown above really tells all you need to know about this incredibly unique venue....

But if you want us to go into detail we will. The 850 seater venue has similarities to an open air Italian theatre. The setting provides visitors with a large open space, tiered limestone seating and countryside quaintness combined into one. The Amphitheatre has welcomed the likes of Gavin James, Dan McCabe and Mike Denver to just name a few. A stacked lineup in 2023 also shows an exciting future for the rural location.

De Barra

To the untrained eye De Barras Pub in Clonakilty Co.Cork may just look like your run of the mill rural Irish pub, but this venue offers so much more. When on the hunt to find a great “Gig" or "Session" De Barra's has got to be right up there with the best places to get your fix. The actual entrance to the venue is extremely deceiving as passer byers may not recognise the magic that takes place inside. Musicians from all genres and walks of life have contributed to this locations notorious status. The family run venue has been producing some amazing events for the past 40 years and has achieved a pedigree that far exceeds the boundaries of the rebel county. We would encourage all people in the area to just take a look inside and the place will do the rest, De Barra's can guarantee visitors with good times, great people and even better music!

If you have visited or even enjoyed reading up about these two hidden gems in Ireland please feel free to leave a comment below letting us know your thoughts?

As always we appreciate your continued support for Sound of the Isle and we will be back on Friday with another blog.

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Top 3 Irish Up and Coming Irish Artist's

We here at Sound of the Isle love providing our readers with the freshest up to date artists coming out of country. But what we love even more is ranking them...

So without further a due we present Sound of the Isle's Top 3 Irish Up and Coming Irish Artists

3. Sello

Coming in at number 3 we have Clondalkins own Sello. The Dublin based musician has cemented his position at the top of the Irish drill Scene by mixing his Irish culture with a combination of hip-hop creating a unique sound that is loved by the masses. Sello's new single "process" has given him the recognition he's deserved and has garnered the attention of those from both Ireland and overseas. Sello is fronting a performance at Dublin's The Academy on the 10th of December and we feel this is not one to miss.

2. EFÉ

Dublin-born Irish artist EFÉ comes in at number 2 on our list. The 22 year old published her debut EP, "What Should We Do This Summer," In October of 2020 from her bedroom. Her unique sound consists of a mix of pop that uses funky, modulated guitar tones and shimmering synth pads to conjure up thoughts of blue skies on a summer day. With her distinctive and funky beat, which serves as the foundation for her DIY style and distinguishes her from other musicians, EFÉ stands out from the crowd as a rising star in the Irish music industry.

1.Aby Coulibaly

The current state of Irish R&B is promising for the country's music industry. There are many thrilling new acts in the genre, but Aby Coulibaly stands out from the rest. Rising to fame during the pandemic saw Aby release three singles and two music videos which caught positive attention. Performances at AVA Festival and Forbidden Fruit gave Aby her deserved recognition. Taking inspiration from artists such as Lauryn Hill, James Blake and Empire of the Sun we believe that Aby is well on her way to achieving greatness.

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Welcome to Sound of the isle!

We are extremely excited to announce that the time has finally come for us to launch our Tumblr page.

If you don't already know, get to know! We here at Sound of the Isle are dedicated to providing lovers of the Irish music scene with all the relevant information they need to keep up with the ever evolving industry.

Readers can expect to receive news on the upcoming events, fascinating venues, relevant news topics and all the necessary information on upcoming Irish artists ranging from trad to techno and everything in between!

As this is the official launch of our Tumblr page we would really appreciate all forms of support for us and can ensure readers will not be disappointed in what we have coming up.

Thanks as always - Sound of the Isle Team