irish musicians – Page 3 – Get In Her Ears

WATCH: Pretty Happy – ‘Conn Boxing’

**Trigger Warning: mention of sexual assault and rape culture**

Reiterating the vital outrage behind their original track ‘Conn Boxing’, today, Cork art punk trio Pretty Happy have shared a new video to accompany their ominous creation. Lifted from their EP, Echo Boy, released via Foggy Notions in 2022, the band have directed and produced the visuals to coincide with Imbolc (Saint Brigid’s Day), to hammer home the disturbing idiosyncrasies of rape culture in Ireland and further afield.

Attacking the fact that a local boxer’s reputation and trophy cabinet are more respected and revered than a local woman’s safety, ‘Conn Boxing’ calls out the deeply ingrained misogyny and double standards in both the sporting and wider social spheres. “They don’t even have a women’s bathroom,” counters vocalist and guitarist Abbey Blake about the boxing gym, between the repeated refrain “Conn Boxing has been producing superb/unbelievable/amazing/elite athletes for years.” Bassist Arann Blake’s simmering bass lines and drummer Andy Killian’s skittish percussion all contribute to the palpable sense of frustration underscoring the track, which gradually edges towards its nerve-shredding conclusion.

The visuals, which were filmed in the famous Linehans sweet shop in Shandon, Cork, also star actor Niamh Santry, who appeared in the band’s previous video for ‘Boots’. The conveyor-belt of sweet production seemingly personifies the production line of predators from the Conn Boxing gym, highlighting how women have to conceal their rage and attempt to move on in the overwhelming aftermath of sexual assault.

Along with the new video, Pretty Happy have also announced a string of UK & Ireland live dates, including tour support with Canadian post-punk band Preoccupations. Full dates can be found below.

Watch the video for ‘Conn Boxing’ here:

Pretty Happy UK Tour Dates 2023
09 February – New Adelphi Club, Hull (supporting Preoccupations)
10 February – Brudnell Social Club, Leeds (supporting Preoccupations)
11 February – Cork Opera House (supporting The Sultans of Ping)
12 February – District, Liverpool (supporting Preoccupations)
16 February – London Scala (supporting Preoccupations)
18 February – Windmill, Brixton

Follow Pretty Happy on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Celeste Burdon Photography

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

February 1, 2023

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LISTEN: Ailbhe Reddy – ‘Last To Leave’

An intricate re-framing of the extended emotional hangover that often sets in before the end of a big night out, Irish musician Ailbhe Reddy has shared her latest single ‘Last To Leave’. Taken from her upcoming second album, Endless Affair, which is set for release on 17th March via MNRK, the track is a relatable reflection on taking things too far, and wanting to atone for potentially embarrassing behaviour – whether personally, or vicariously.

“’Last To Leave’ is about having an infatuation with someone who you find frustrating and watching as they make a fool of themselves at a party, while knowing you might be doing the same thing,” Reddy explains about her new single. The songwriter explores this scenario through the lens of a bystander, but is all too aware that she may also be guilty by association. Reddy acknowledges this via her endearing, yet excruciatingly raw lyrics and crystalline vocals. “It’s not just your drink you’re spilling / to anybody who will listen” she observes, over gentle beats and considered instrumentation, softening the awkward reality of the situation.

Following on from her debut album, Personal History (2020), Reddy’s upcoming record Endless Affair is inspired by her romantic relationships and her fractured memories of many a fun night spent partying in her early 20s. It’s both a poignant and playful offering, that sees her tap into the need to be with others, to soak up the experience as much as possible, and to remind listeners that they’re not missing out – even if they have to leave the party early.

Reddy will be playing the revered SXSW festival in Texas in March, before returning to the UK and Ireland in April and May to play a string of headline shows. Full dates are below.

Listen to ‘Last To Leave’ here:

Ailbhe Reddy 2023 UK & Ireland Tour Dates
12 April – Portland Arms, Cambridge, UK
13 April – Louisiana, Bristol, UK
14 April – Gullivers, Manchester, UK
15 April – Hug & Pint, Glasgow, UK
16 April – Brudenell, Leeds, UK
18 April – Moth Club, London, UK
05 May – Whelans, Dublin, IE
06 May – Whelans, Dublin, IE

Follow Ailbhe Reddy on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Niamh Barry

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

January 20, 2023January 20, 2023

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

WATCH: Ailbhe Reddy – ‘A Mess’

A lighthearted reflection on an early, chaotic relationship, Irish-born, London-based alt-folk artist Ailbhe Reddy has shared her latest single ‘A Mess’. Full of energetic guitar riffs, relatable lyrics and Reddy’s clear vocals, the track is a buoyant rumination on the cyclical nature of bad habits and a lively effort to move past them.

Following on from her recent single ‘Inhaling’ and her tender, intuitive debut album Personal History (2020), on ‘A Mess’ Reddy continues to balance the bittersweet nature of romantic relationships with her earnest and relatable lyrics. “The song is about not feeling good enough in a relationship and examining old patterns and habits,” she explains. “It’s about feeling fed up of going around in circles, while focusing on a throw away comment.”

Whilst the repetition of the title lyric could sting if it was delivered differently, Reddy claims it as a lighthearted label, accepting that youth and inexperience are all part of the learning process when it comes to forming healthy relationships. This humour is reflected in the single’s accompanying video, which sees Reddy fishing and dressed up as a surgeon, trying to dissect the moment that led to the relationship being branded ‘A Mess’.

“The video was directed by Georgia Kelly of CLTV,” she explains (an Irish production company who have created for videos Fontaines D.C., Denise Chaila, Pillow Queens and Inhaler.) “I wanted to keep the playfulness of the music alive in the video and make sure it was tongue and cheek rather than very serious. Georgia came up with a few scenarios that were funny representations of feeling ‘not good enough’ and giving up.”

Ailbhe Reddy will be performing at Visions Festival and Latitude this summer, with more live dates due to be announced soon.

Watch the video for ‘A Mess’ below.

Follow Ailbhe Reddy on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Collective Dublin (CLTV)

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

June 16, 2022

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Track Of The Day: SPIDER – ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’

A dark, atmospheric reflection on the imbalance of emotions in an unequal relationship, London-based, Irish musician & producer SPIDER has shared her latest single ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’. Taken from her recent debut mixtape C.O.A. (Coming Of Age), the track is a raw, relatable rumination on being taken for granted by someone you cared for, explored through emotive vocals, brooding electronics and confessional lyrics.

Born and raised in Dublin, twenty-two year old SPIDER harnesses the strong feminine energy of the arachnid she’s named after as a totemic symbol through which she can explore her own emotional resilience. She struggled growing up in a Catholic household as a young Nigerian girl in a predominately white country, but creating music provided her with an outlet for her most unfiltered thoughts. Now, with her mixtape and new single, she continues this narrative of breaking down barriers to share her truth and she does so with provocative flair.

Refusing to be stereotyped by producers and other music industry folk who assumed she was an R&B artist because of her skin colour, SPIDER exerts full autonomy over her music, taking on production duties and coming up with the visuals and aesthetics for all of her releases. On C.O.A, she filters her experiences through a dark-pop, angsty lens to prove that growing up – and fucking up – is a universal experience.

“Activities like drinking and partying are tagged as ‘coming of age’ when white kids do it but demonized when kids of colour do it,” SPIDER comments. “We deserve the right to experience our youth and find ourselves. C.O.A is what that felt like for me, and my hope is that other people of colour will listen to it, hear a situation they’ve been through, and maybe it’ll become their own coming of age moment.”