Ray Recommends: January's Irish music picks from The Shift
Hello it's Ray C here and I would like to introduce you to some newly released Irish music that have featured on my show The Shift over the month of January. Some of the artists you may know and some you may only be discovering for the first time. Either way, Enjoy!
AIS – Freedom
Irish-Ghanaian singer-songwriter AIS's latest single is a complete 180 from her last release Glitter Gold which I absolutely loved, and it isn’t a bad thing. It just shows that she can cover everything from high energy Dance to stripped back RnB ballads. Freedom is about her journey of adjusting to a changing world.
Stream Freedom HERE
Casanova Jackal – You Were Never Really There
This is the Debut single from Galway/Donegal based artists Sean Meaney. Although the story is about leaving a partner, the upbeat jazzy sounds make it OKAY to break up, which is a nice change from the usual tear jerkers I would normally get sent. Looking forward to hearing more from Sean the Casanova Jackal in the coming months.
Fontaines D.C – Jackie Down The Line
These Dublin post-punkers have just announced that their third album Skinty Fia will be released in April and to celebrate the announcement they have released this absolute cracker. Which incidentally they performed live on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier in the month.
Stream Jackie Down the Line HERE
Dunluvly & Molly Nolan – Stick & Pokes
I first heard of (Shane) Dunluvly in October 2021 when he was one of over 40 Waterford acts that entered WLRs “A New Local Hero” competition as part of Irish Music Month; he entered a song called Too Late which is still on rotation here in WLR. Shane recently sent me Stick & Pokes which he collaborated with Irish music producer Molly Nolan on.
This lo-fi Hip-Hop beat with Shane's unmistakable vocal brings it all together for a proper smooth cut. It should be a great year for these two young Irish talents, both individually and hopefully as a tag team.
Stream Stick & Pokes HERE
