New Music Weekend 23/4/21

Another weekend, another collection of our favourite new releases to share with you all and with a few Homegrown Heroes thrown into the mix. This week, I, Emma, even looked back and found a track that we somehow overlooked earlier in the month but fear not! No good single gets left behind! This week sees us enjoying a few remixes, some fabulous collaborations and a lot of laidback acoustics so we hope you enjoy our picks!

If you’d prefer to head straight to the playlist, click here.

Against The Current – Weapon (Acoustic) 

We all know Niamh adores her Acoustic versions so, when one of her favourite bands releases an acoustic track when their usual sound can be described as punk-rock, you know she is going to be all over it! ‘Weapons’ is my favourite release from Against The Current since ‘Strangers Again’ so getting an acoustic version was a lovely surprise. The acoustic truly brings the vocals to the forefront and the guitar-heavy acoustic aids the power behind the lyrics. 

Ashe – When I’m Older

Ashe has provided us with another glimpse at what kind of music we can expect from her upcoming debut album, Ashlyn. The song is very much the result of heartbreak and, in this song, Ashe is hoping that, in a few years time, she’ll finally stop missing whoever this song is about. The piano and layered vocals of this song give it a sense of hopefulness that “Maybe when I’m older I’ll know what it’s like not to love you any more.” It’s the kind of heartbreak ballad that will probably become the staple of breakups across the world but it is another beautiful song by Ashe, whose recent releases have made her upcoming album highly anticipated.

Bleak Soul & Luke Rainsford – Learning to Cope EP

The first EP on the list this week is from Bleak Soul and Luke Rainsford. ‘Learning to Cope’ EP was written during the lockdowns in 2020. ‘Learning To Cope’ brings us on a journey with the artists as their music helps them through tough times and teaches them important life lessons. The song I shared above is ‘Learning to Cope With Guilt’ and it is by far my favourite song on the EP as it just had me hooked from the first guitar strum. A solid body of work from Ben and Luke who truly make me question a lot about my own life while listening to their music.

Billy Hurley & Dylan Flynn – Storm

A laid back acoustic track with dreamy harmonic vocals in the background, Storm is a folky pop single from Limerick man Billy Hurley which was created along side Dylan Flynn who is better known for his indie styled music with the Dead Poets. The song highlights that there are two sides to the storms we weather in life. This single is an inspirational and uplifting message to the listener that, though storms are rough and cause struggles, there are the obvious negatives but positives as well as we make our way through the storm.

Emma Blackery – Brutus

Emma Blackery is back and we are enjoying the raw emotion that is ‘Brutus’. ‘Brutus’ is cleverly composed, the outro is just something else and has fans raving and honestly I would put it out there that it is my favourite Emma Blackery song to date. ‘Brutus’ is Emma’s second single of 2021 and completely different to her previous release ‘Crying’. Emma is set to release her second album later this year and honestly going on ‘Brutus’ we cannot wait to see what the album holds! As many fans have pointed out, the video for ‘Brutus’ is giving many of us vibes of ‘Burn The Witch’ from her debut album if, it had gotten a music video. 

PJ Harding & Noah Cyrus – People Don’t Change EP

Noah Cyrus and Australian singer song-writer, PJ Harding, have teamed up in a return to simple country, acoustic roots for Cyrus. Harding and Cyrus have worked together before writing songs together that appeared on Noah’s EP ‘The End of Everything’ but this is their first time singing together. The EP that accompanies which is accompanied by the single, ‘The Worst of You’, is folksy and focuses more on lyrics than the acoustic music and was definitely made for the sadder moments in life. The EP as a whole is gentle, soothing and very much a story telling process and, if Harding and Cyrus continue to work together, I think they can create more really amazing music.

Rag’n’Bone Man & P!nk – Anywhere Away From Here

In an honest track about wanting to be “anywhere away from here” and to escape uncomfortable situations, both P!nk and Rag’n’Bone Man collaborated to show that vulnerability that everyone experiences where you wish you could escape. The music is so simple that the listener can really appreciate the blending of both singers strong vocals, harmonies and sincerity. The single will also be making an appearance on Rag’n’Bone Man’s upcoming album, ‘Life By Misadventure’.

Roisin O and Mark McCabe – Heart & Bones (Remix)

Next up we have a collaboration between Róisín Ó and Mark Maccabe for the remix of Roisin’s hit single ‘Heart and Bones’. One of our favourite releases of 2021 so far, ‘Heart and Bones’ has gotten a new lease of life with Mark Maccabe’s remix and has turned into an epic dance bop! Another song we’d love to be bopping to on a night out if we were in different times. Make sure you give it a listen because, even if you have heard Róisín’s original version, the remix is completely different! 

Sleepwalkers ft. JP Cooper – Goodnight

The track written by London DJ Robert Manfredi (aka Sleepwalkrs) and British singer song-writer JP Cooper will have you bopping along from the very first time you listen to it because of that bassline. The song as a whole is an earworm and, when you focus on the lyrics, they are emotional and relatable with wonderful vocals provided by JP Cooper which is typical for him. This song really brings together the best of both artists to create something that conveys emotions we’ve all felt at one point or another while the music give the track bounce and prevents it from getting just a bit too emotionally heavy.

Stephanie Rainey – Ross & Rachel

Stephanie Rainey is back with her second single of 2021. ‘Ross and Rachel’ is definitely one for the fans of the Friends TV Show. The song itself sounds truly of Stephanie’s sound and her incredible vocals on this one will bring you on a comparison love story of how we sometimes wish we’d measure up to, those relationships that shaped our teenage years. 

Suki Zayla – Sea Story

Our Instagram music find of the week goes to Suki Zayla. ‘Sea Story’ is her debut release and is truly a breath of fresh air. Simple production with fun instrumental moments is the backdrop to this fun number. ‘Sea Story’ is a modern tale of a never ending story arch. A promising start from Suki Zayla as she begins her music journey. 

The Weeknd & Ariana Grande – Save Your Tears (Remix)

Though the original version appeared on The Weeknd’s album ‘After Hours’, the remix includes a new verse provided by Ariana Grande. The original ‘Save Your Tears’ was a stand out track from ‘After Hours’ and Ariana’s addition to the track makes this the third time Grande and The Weeknd have worked together. Though there is a new verse, there is very little difference between the original and remix when it comes to melody and music but that just means it’s a fresh new take on a great song that now features Ariana Grande.