Northern Ireland Tunes - Round-Up #39

It's been a while since we've did one of these round-ups of songs from Northern Ireland that have really taken our interest, but there's been a few songs that have grabbed us over the last few weeks that we felt were very much worth bringing to your attention - 

Mark Hegan - Love, Wait For Me

We've been fans of Mark Hegan on the blog for a number of years, both in his former band and now through his solo material - his song "Skyward" made the top 10 of The Metaphorical Boat's Top Songs of 2019.

His first release of the year is "Love, Wait For Me", which has all the characteristics of his solo material - the melding of the electric and rock elements, with a high level of pathos running through it. If you're looking for a less heavy Gang of Youths, then you'll enjoy this one.


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Conchúr White - Bikini Crops

Conchúr White is an artist that we first came across as frontman of Silences, whom we've had much love for over the years. He's now recording under his own name, and having released the great "Daisies" last year, and having come off an Irish tour with Villagers, he has released his first single of 2020.

"Bikini Crops" sees White taking on a more surreal quality to his lyrics - Father John Misty & Alex Turner have been cited as influences  - which shows a development in his songwriting since his band days. It's also got a blissfully powerful chorus, it's the most infectious one he's done since "The Sea", and if it's any justice, it will be the song that firmly establishes his solo credentials.


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Dark Tropics - Badlands

The one thing we love about music videos from Northern Irish artists is that their music videos tend to be shot in places we are very familiar with, which always gives us a little sense of satisfaction. Watching the video for "Badlands" by Dark Tropics, we were convinced from the get-go that it's filmed in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, which we had a great affection for growing up. It's funny how it's the little things that give us a lift.

But anyway, "Badlands" is the debut single from duo Dark Tropics, made up of singer/songwriter Rio and producer Gerard Sands, who's been involved in a few artists we've enjoyed over the years. The song is a slice of dark pop-noir that pulls you in from the get-go. One of fans of Lana Del Rey.


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The Florentinas - Stay

Still in their teens, our interest in The Florentinas was piqued when we saw that Gary Lightbody had been quite complimentary about them. Off the strength of their single "Stay" (which was recorded live in Start Together Studios), we can see that they're a group with a lot of potential in them. It's an atmospheric, hypnotic track that will stay in the back of your head for a while after you've heard it.

They've got a few support gigs coming up in the next few weeks, opening for The Maine and Brand New Friend, so we must make a note to see them live when we can.

Mark Hegan - Skyward

It's great to get new music from an artist that we've been fans of on The Metaphorical Boat in different guises. One of the Northern Irish acts that we were really excited about was In An Instant, who released some great songs that melded together indie-rock with electronic elements extremely well, like "All Binds Fall Undone", "Where The Demons & The Devils Speak", and a track that ended up in our Top 10 Songs of 2014, "Something Right & Something Real". Alas, like many local acts, the band called it a day not too long after releasing their final single in 2016 without gaining the wider attention that they definitely deserved.

Fast forward three years, one of the members of that band, Mark Hegan, has just released his debut single under his own name, "Skyward", having re-located from Bangor to London. If like me, you were a fan of In An Instant, then you will instantly enjoy this new track, as it is not a million miles away from the music he was producing in his old group. It's not as upbeat as prior songs he's been involved with, although given that the song's about isolation and feelings of losing one's identity, but it still successfully melds of electronic and rock elements in a great way. In particular, we do enjoy the little guitar licks, which reminds us of Mark Knopfler's solo works.

In An Instant may not have had the success I would have wanted them to, but Mark Hegan has shown with his debut single that he's still got some great tunes in him.

"Skyward" is out now.

In An Instant - Where The Demons and the Devils Speak

Given that Bangor band In An Instant have had songs featured in our Top 50 of the year from 2013 to 2015 inclusive, it is safe to say that any new material to come from them will be greeted by much rejoicing amongst these parts. And so it has come to pass that the band have unleashed a new single upon us, "Where The Demons and the Devil Speak", a title that makes it seem as if they band have made a surprising shift into black metal, but musically is very much in the In An Instant mold.

"Where The Demons..." follows in the archetype of IAI songs of yore, although in comparison to their previous songs the electronics are a lot more subtle, and the guitars are a little heavier, but in general it still retains the accessible, infectious, dance-y indie-rock that made us fall for the band in the first place.

"Where The Demons and the Devil Speak" is released on 8th July.

In An Instant - Light You Know And Love E.P

It's been a long time coming, but on Thursday 29th May, almost a year after their initial demos got so many people excited, and after 7 months in the making, Bangor four-piece In An Instant finally released their debut E.P, "Light You Know And Love", to an appreciative crowd at Voodoo in Belfast. (Incidentally, top marks to the band for selling their band t-shirts at the gig for a bargain price of £5. You wouldn't even get a plain t-shirt in Primark for that amount of money.)  So, has it been worth the wait?

The answer is a resounding yes. The E.P kicks off with "Lovers Apart", a song which showcase the band's ability to mix both rock and electronic elements in such a seamless fashion. The song, with its anthemic chorus and ascending guitar lines, calls to mind the sound of bands like The Killers, and dare I say it, Snow Patrol. Next up is "The Mighty Hands", a re-recorded version of one of their earlier demos, which is a dance-friendly indie rock track which lends itself well to being played live, with its well executed use of the humble 'woah'.

The strongest track on the E.P is "Something Right And Something Real". As we've mentioned before, the song contains great big guitar hook, an exquisite use of electronic instruments to bolster, but not overwhelm, their sound, a massive chorus and an irresistible, danceable rhythm. It's early days yet, but at the moments it's a frontrunner for this blog's favourite song of 2014. The tempo goes down considerably for "Boundaries", a song which pulls of the oxymoronic trick of on the one hand being subdued, whilst simultaneously sounding loud, impassioned and anthemic. It's the one song on the E.P that's the least typical of the sound of In An Instant, yet is still a rather great song.

 E.P finishes with a re-recorded version of "All Binds Fall Undone", the song that made this blog fall for In An Instant in the first place. It took a few listens to warm to this version, as they've made a few changes from the initial demo, with a heavier emphasis on guitar and a different treatment of the vocals. However, it's safe to say that on reflection, the new version is still a quality track, one which is more in line with the sound of the E.P, and a fitting conclusion to the E.P.

At the E.P launch of "Something Right And Something Real", I heard a few members of the crowd making some grand statements both about the band's performance at the gig (for the record, they were pretty awesome), and about what they were likely to achieve - one person called it the most important event in Northern Irish music since the A Little Solidarity gigs back in 2008, whilst another person commented that watching In An Instant perform in this place, at this time, was like witnessing a little bit of history. Whether these statements just amount to hyperbole, or whether this really is the start of a new movement in music here, remains to be seem. What we can say with certainty however is that the"Something Right and Something Real" is a brilliant starting point for what has to be the meteoric journey of In An Instant.

The E.P is available to buy now.

In An Instant - Something Right & Something Real

It's been far, far too long, but a year after their initial demos got so many people excited (your humble captain included), Bangor based group In An Instant have finally released their first official, début single. The problem that many bands can have when they go from initial demos to something more polished is whether they can capture what it was that made them so special in the first place. So the fateful question is thus - do In An Instant fall into that trap on "Something Right and Something Real"?

The answer, thankfully, is a resounding no, as "Something Right And Something Real" sounds fantastic. It does sound a lot more professional and polished in comparison to their demos (the vocals sound more beefed up for example), but they've still kept everything that made them so brilliant in the first place - a great big guitar hook, exquisite use of electronic instruments to bolster, but not overwhelm, their sound, a knack for a great chorus, and an irresistible, danceable rhythm.

In An Instant have done themselves proud with their new single, which one imagines will help to cement them as Northern Ireland's most exciting new act. Here's hoping that they can follow in the footsteps of other great bands to have emerged from Bangor in recent years.

"Something Right And Something Real" is taken from their E.P "Light You Know And Love". The E.P will be launched on May 29th in Voodoo, Belfast. Support comes from Affleck and C-Beams.

The Metaphorical Boat's Tips For 2014 - Northern Ireland

As is tradition for The Metaphorical Boat as we reach the end of the year, it is time to dust of our metaphorical crystal ball and get our prognostication on, as we look at ten artists that we are going to keep our eyes on in 2014. As is the case with every year on the blog, our tips will be split into two groups of five. The first five artists will be from our own stomping ground of Northern Ireland, whilst the second group will be from elsewhere in the world.

So first off we'll look at five artists from 'our wee province' who The Metaphorical Boat hope will go on to great, or further, success in 2014. There's been so many great artists to from here that have been making good music that it's been hard to narrow them down to five. But five is the number of counting, and the number of counting shall be five, to commiserations to some of the artists who didn't quite make our list, including Go Wolf, TeamRKT, Ed Zealous & Hologram, all of whom will still probably have a wonderful 2014 regardless.

And we start with:

1. A Plastic Rose

It does feel a bit of a cheat to include A Plastic Rose in a section about tips for 2014 from Northern Ireland, mainly because a) they've already released a critically acclaimed album which was nominated for the Northern Ireland Music Prize, and b) they're now based in Nottingham. But in the end, given that they're still regarded as a Northern Irish band, ad because they're on the cusp of a national breakout, it felt only right to give them a place on the list.

Back in October, A Plastic Rose released "This Side of Winter", quite possibly their poppiest and best single to date, and to say that it was well received would be an understatement. In the space of a month, the song was played on BBC Radio 1 a whopping twelve times, solely through spot plays by supportive DJs. That's more than some songs that make the playlist get over the same period. If A Plastic Rose can recapture that magic several more times in 2014, which they are very likely to do, then next year could be the year that the band transition from Irish heroes to international superstars.

2. Hurdles

Back in May, Hurdles released their luscious Phoenix-esque indie-pop single "Kaleidoscope", a song so cosmopolitan, so well polished, and so finely produced, that it seemed impossible to have come from a band who'd only been playing together for a few months and who hail from Dungannon. Yet the band then went on to prove that song was not a one-off fluke by releasing the "Where To Start" E.P last month, a release which showed the band know exactly how to craft an enjoyable, danceable guitar-pop song. With a UK tour on the horizon, and lots of airplay for the band both locally and further afield, 2014 shouldn't be a great year for Hurdles.

3. In An Instant

The inclusion of Bangor trio In An Instant may seem like a particularly odd one, as to date they are yet to officially release any music. However, if the two demos that the band have released are anything to go by, then they are going to be an insatiable prospect when we do get their debut E.P in January. After all, "All Binds Fall Undone", a song with an irresistible mix of guitars, synths, and danceable rhythms, is a better song in demo form than songs that many bands make through thousands of pounds worth of studio time. Having been relatively quiet on the gig scene in 2013, next year should see the band start to become local favourites within Northern Ireland, especially when their E.P drops at the beginning of the years. If it's better then the demos, then it might literally blow a few minds.

4. The Jepettos

Derry's The Jepettos have been on our radar for quite a long time now, with this blog first getting excited about their lullaby-folk sound at the very beginning of 2012. But this year has seen them cement their place in many people's hearts, with songs such as "Water" and "Chemicals" (a song that still leaves a tear in our eye when we hear it), as well as their stunning performance at the Belfast Music Week Showcase, leaving us in no doubt that the husband/wife duo (plus a few friends) are by far the cutest band to come out on Northern Ireland in quite some time, if not ever. With a new E.P primed for December, 2014 should be a great year for one of our more unconventional bands.

5. Little Bear

Of the five acts that TMB's tipping for 2014, the one band that probably has the greatest prospect of becoming international sensations next year is Derry 4-piece Little Bear. They've already been playlisted by Radio 1 this year, released a fantastic double-A side single (Night Dries Like Ink/Killer), and have been involved with some of the most memorable gigs of the year, including their performance at Other Voices and their fantastic performance at Glasgowbury in an overflowing tent. Kodaline became massive in 2013 on the back of a sound that wasn't too dissimilar to Little Bear's, although it's fair to say that LB trump them in terms of stagemanship, harmony vocals, and the sheer variety of songs on offer. So why can't 2014 be their year?

In An Instant - All Binds Fall Undone

Anyone know of any indie/dance trios hailing from Bangor who've gone on to major worldwide success in the past few years?

No?

Oh well, maybe at some point we'll see that happen. Until then we will just have to sit back and enjoy "All Binds Fall Undone", from Bangor trio In An Instant. In what seems to be something of a trend for tracks this week on the blog, the song is listed as being in demo form, yet already sounds as if it's ready for radio domination. The track mixes mainstream dance production with a guitar aesthetic to make something that is both familiar yet wonderfully fresh at the same time, and would sound just as at home playing out at Creamfields as it would be on the Radio 1 playlist. Keep an eye on this track, for when it exits the demo stage and becomes fully realised, this song is going to slay everybody left, right and centre.