BALTHVS - is a Colombian psychedelic funk trio formed in December 2019. Best known for their eclectic style, which fuses elements of Middle Eastern Music, Disco, House, Funk, Psychedelia, Indie Rock, Surf and Cumbia into a cohesive whole. The band is notable for their energetic shows, live improvisation and prolific output. Since their formation, the band has released over 26 singles and 2 full length albums, accumulating over 2.5 million streams worldwide. Starting with SXSW 2022, the group has toured the United States twice and played Main Stage at Rock al Parque 2022, the biggest music festival in Colombia.

BALTHVS is:

Balthazar Aguirre (Guitar, Vocals)

Johanna Mercuriana (Bass, Vocals)

Santiago Lizcano (Drums, Vocals)

Amerik (Adam Booth), the highly acclaimed Belfast based artist and producer, is set to make waves once again with the release of three highly anticipated singles featuring local Northern Irish artists Wilfie Gilbert, Sasha Samara and Niall McDowell. This exciting collaboration promises to showcase the incredible musical talent emerging from the vibrant Northern Irish music scene.

Revue are vocalist Emma Loudon & multi- instrumentalist Martin Price, ably assisted by Sean McCann on bass, Ioannis Tsioulakis on keys and Josh McCullough on drums. The sound is inspired as much by folk, roots, jazz and blues as it is updated sounds of ethereal indie pop, modern grooves and alternative rock.'

The Arts Council (NI) had confidence in their material and funded a full live band and recording sessions for their debut album Why Can't You Stay in 2022. The song-writing was as heavily inspired by the natural world as it was by themes of loss. Loss comes to us all in life but sadly Emma lost both her brother and her father in the space of a year. Comfort was found in local forests and beaches, where the pair walked their two dogs and so these inspiring natural locations found their way into the material for the album. As did a sense of joy and appreciation of being together with those we love and of strength and growth in the face of adversity.

Prior to this, their debut single Wonderful was released in 2019 and led to shows in Ireland/UK and two tours of Brittany. Wonderful, subsequent singles and The Wolf EP (released in 2022) all received national and international radio play.

2023 will see the release of their album, a third tour of Brittany, a second stint at the How The Light Gets In festival (the world's largest festival of philosophy and music), other festival dates and shows in UK & Ireland, and lots of time spent both in their cosy home studio and the wild beauty of forests, coasts and cliffs that continue to inspire them and their music.

Inspired by the desire to return to the form of classic songs, layered with kaleidoscopic oddness, Irish artist Jape announces the release of their sixth album ‘Endless Thread’ on Faction September 2023. The announcement comes with the release of a new single taken from the album ‘Heal These Wounds’ out July 18th.

Taking cues from the endlessly inventive solo records of the 1970’s, ( think Paul McCartney, Judee Sill, Robert Wyatt, John Cale etc. ) as well as present day production techniques, Endless Thread is memorable, uncomplicated and positive.

From a humorous contemplation on infinity, ‘The Hilbert Hotel’ to catchy brainworm ‘Lashing Through the Minutes’ or a Beatles-y take on a family Christmas with board games, ‘In Our Home’ - Endless Thread shows a songwriter spreading their wings and having fun, making music for the sake of the songs, pulling them from the air and dressing them.

Richard Egan produced and recorded the album at RARN studio using a unique collection of ribbon microphones, tape machines and tube outboard equipment. The album was mixed by David Odlum ( Sam Smith, Lisa O’ Neill ) and mastered by Seán Mac Erlaine. The artwork was assembled by M&E Sweden.

I’ve been putting all my focus onto getting into the tiny details of songs these days, there is so much joy in the details. The title Endless Thread reminds me we are all stitches on the rug of time who influence each other and inspire people in ways we don’t even know half the time, whether it’s an artist from the past or a thread on a social media page.

The first release from the record will be ‘Heal These Wounds’ - an upbeat song written around the time I was writing a lot of songs for cartoons, it’s a song that made me fall back in love with writing again, I listen to a lot of experimental and ‘weird’ music, however I always seem to fall back to the melodic side of things, in the past I sort of ran away from that but this time I thought I should embrace it as it seems to be what I might be good at.

elbé is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Seamus Allen and the perfect vehicle for his indie songs that are blended with folk, traditional music and pop elements.

Nora Frederich's intuitive, groove-based drumming and James Moone’s melodic and nifty bass lines make up a strong rhythm section. Emily Naughton is a vastly experienced keys player; her creative melodies dance in and out, adding colour to the songs.

Songwriter Seamus Allen takes inspiration from real life experiences and day-to-day events he witnesses in his life. In an attempt to make these relatable and give meaning to the listener, he describes events in a metaphorical and poetic way.

The Cork band has released numerous singles and three EPs which gained attention from BBC Introducing, FM104, RedFM and 98FM. elbé's latest singles have been played on BBC Ulster, Classic Hits FM, KCLR 96fm, 98fm, Radio Nova and were added to Goldenplec's New Irish Music playlist.

‘Hazy’ is about those unexpected experiences that occur, when the air is electrifying and the energy from the people around us is contagious. It’s about letting go of your stress and worries and being in the moment, if ever briefly. The song concludes with how lucky you are if you finish the day in the arms of someone you love.

Polly Barrett is a well-known name on the Irish folk scene. After releasing 2 albums, 2011’s Mr Bookshop and Probably Me in 2014 she took a break from music to focus on family. While she remained musically inactive for 6 years, the experience of motherhood, surrounded by the beauty of living in the wilds of West Cork continued to inspire her. During the Covid-19 pandemic Polly quietly recorded and released “Dark Garden”, an EP of four new songs, one of which, 'Thinking About You' was chosen for a Discover Ireland Campaign for West Cork. Since then, Polly has been fervently writing songs and experimenting with new musical sounds instilled by her own experiences and magic of the natural world. Using a loop pedal, bodhrán, guitar, tongue drum and low whistle, Polly has developed an exciting new sound which is as compelling to see being created on stage as it is to listen to. Polly performed an Official Showcase at Folk Alliance in the US in 2023 and plans to return to the US to perform at Milkwaukee Irish Fest alongside the Coronas, Wallis Bird and a host of other Irish acts. She has also played alongside Jack O'Rourke and Caoimhín O'Raghallaigh and recently wowed of Tradfest.

The Rosecaps are an exciting emerging independent rock band from Galway, Ireland. The Band consists of Daniel O’Malley on lead vocals/guitar, Shane Fahy on keys, Daniel Fahy on bass and Emmet Feerick on drums, the group began as childhood friends with a shared love of music. They began writing songs together and playing smaller gigs to fund their nights out, but upon realising the potential of their own music, the band dreamed big. Going so far as to collectively defer their college courses, The Rosecaps committed themselves to writing and releasing as many songs as they physically could. They boast an expansive discography filled with a refreshing, exciting new sound, landing them upcoming slots in this year’s Sea Sessions and Indiependence festivals, as well as an opening slot for The Stunning later this year.

Static Vision are a three-piece rock band from Limerick, Ireland.

The band is led by Cian O' Dowd (Guitar, Vocals) brother Tom O' Dowd (Bass) and Toby Shane (Drums). Since Cian O' Dowd started the band in 2017 the only consistent members have been his brother and himself. Their first EP "Faith in the Future" was released in late 2019 as the original band fell apart. After a long period of trying to find a new drummer, Toby Shane joined and quickly the trio clicked having been playing all around Ireland in venues such as The Button Factory, Whelans, Roisin Dubh, Dolans, Fred Zeppelins and more. They also released a new EP "New Beginnings" with lots more new music on the way this summer in 2023!

Hailing from Dublin, Laoise is a musician of exceptional talent with a unique approach to blending lyric and piano compositions with textural electronic elements.

From an early age she showed promising musical talent, beginning her studies in classic piano at age five. She went on to study music at Goldsmiths University of London. Here, Laoise began to challenge her classical training.

Amy Ellen is a Dublin artist living in the French Alps. Her music is a combination of soft rock & dream pop with hints of the 90’s underground scene. After featuring on RTÉ Radio 1, she followed up with 'Falling' establishing her new sound and received airplay from Seattle's alternative radio KEXP. Amy's new single 'Free' is out now and is said to be "soundtracking the apex of an indie film."

Shaun Finn is a 23 year old songwriter from Blanchardstown fresh out of college. He describes his songs as stories as every song tells a story from his life. So far Shaun released 4 singles and an EP. All from his bedroom recording set up. Shaun is praised for his use of social media where he tries to strike a balance between connecting with his audience through music and humour.

’Rise’ is a song about the rebellion within yourself. You’ve been through a tough time and now you’ve come out of the other end of the battle you’ve been through ready to rise to any occasion.

‘Rise’ is perfect for the modern music lover. It’s short run time gets to the point and doesn’t mess around with long guitar solos or big breakdowns. Rise gets into the meat and potatoes of modern rock music with a thumping bass, kick ass drums, catch lead guitar hook and lyrics that upon future listens provide a message of hope for the rebellion that is within us all!

"10 songs is a lot, but also so little. So hard to refine it down to just 10, but also what 10 songs can I truly say have shaped the music I make? A lot of rock music will come to service for sure, but what else has had that deeper effect on my music? I guess we'll take this journey together and find out! This list is not in any particular order!"

Donegal born Conor Maley began his musical journey learning to play the guitar at the age of 10. His father was a music teacher so being around music so frequently, he quickly found himself writing songs. As a child Conor would listen to the radio on long trips in the car and find himself rewriting the songs he heard, feeling that they might sound better with different lyrics. At age 16 he moved to Belfast with his family and began to pursue his musical career studying music at Belfast Met and playing open mic nights. In 2017 Conor entered the JBL eon one take UK songwriting competition and won. He then was brought to London to record his song ‘Lost Boy’ with Grammy winning producer Steve Lavine. Conor would then move on to perform to a sold out crowd in KOKO Camden as part of CapitalXtras Music Potential Programme.