• Stream: Slow Skies – Shut Your Eyes

    The long-awaited follow-up to the longing ‘Winter Night – a track released back in February last year – ‘Shut Your Eyes’ by Dublin’s Karen Sheridan AKA Slow Skies is a slow-burning pop ballad where subtlety and restraint is tantamount to emotive power. Accompanied by a video courtesy of Kevin and Páraic McGloughlin, we’re hoping this is an indication of some more new Slow Skies material in the making.

  • Stream: Slow Skies – Winter Night

    The latest release on Dublin imprint Paper Trail Records, ‘Winter Night’ by singer-songwriter Karen Sheridan AKA Slow Skies wouldn’t sound entirely out of place on a high-budget, prime-time ad about a young couple, each battling their way through rush hour traffic, only to eventually – finally – fall into each other’s arms on a balmily-lit doorstep, before setting down a half a dozen John Lewis bags and petting an obedient little terrier called Alex that greets them upon arrival. Or something along those lines, anyway. According to Sheridan, the song – very deftly stripped back to her vocals and sparse piano work courtesy of Patrick O’Laoghaire of I…

  • Hard Working Class Heroes 2015 – Friday

    Fast forward through your own boring life and the cycle starts again. Another night of wall to wall quality music with the criminal schedule clashes an unfortunate reminder of the standard for the night. By 8pm the Mercantile is host to its first few shuffling visitors and Lie Ins fuzzy pop-rock. It’s comprehensive, bouncy stuff but maybe a little unexciting. However the room slowly fills and by the time Staring at Lakes overcome what seems to be a host of technical difficulties the place could almost be called busy. Despite the Mercantile venues shit wedding party charm, half a song…

  • Sounds from a Safe Harbour: Five to Watch

    While Sounds from a Safe Harbour brings many high-profile and international acts to Cork City as part of a wide-ranging ticket, the real gems of the festival lie in the presence on the bill of some of the city and country’s independent bands and artists, once again mostly placed on a “music trail” as a secondary attraction (see also: MTV “hitting” Cork). Never fear, though: TTA’s got you covered with a look of some of the ones to watch. All events listed here are free. Rusangano Family: Friday 18 September @ The Bodega Formerly known by their individual names of…

  • The Co-Present Late Sessions Launch & Weekly Show

    Dwayne Woods, host of online alternative Irish radio show The Co-Present on Radiomade.ie – check their podcasts out here – has combined forces with show Niamh Farrell of Ham Sandwich to bring a monthly show at Dublin’s Workman’s Club, with the official launch taking place on Friday, February 27. Headlining the night are neo-psych quartet This Other Kingdom, who release their debut album Telescopic on April 11. Check their sonic concoction out on Bandcamp –  they’re sure to be one of the acts to keep an eye on throughout 2015, with new material being teased for their set. Following their set, singer & multi-instrumentalist electronica artist Patrick Kelleher (above) will be spinning…

  • Stream: Slow Skies – Bodies

    The follow-up to the beguiling ‘Ice Field’ – released at the start of the month – Dublin dream pop duo Slow Skies have gone one better with ‘Bodies’, a wonderfully unravelling, reverb-soaked effort that lulls and summons in equal proportion. Delicate and funereal, the track – conjuring the likes of Hope Sandoval, Explosions In The Sky, Hanne Hukkelberg, Hope of the States and – teases with its perfectly plodding pace and Karen Sheridan’s increasingly beatific vocals. ‘Bodies’ will feature on Slow Skies’ forthcoming EP, Keepsake, set for release via faction on September 26. The duo play Donegal’s Balor Arts Centre on September 29, Dublin’s Sugar…

  • Stream: Slow Skies – Ice Field

    Having been featured in our Instatour feature earlier this year, Dublin dream pop duo Slow Skies have dropped ‘Ice Field’, the first track to be taken from their forthcoming EP, Keepsake. The duo – comprised of singer-songwriter Karen Sheridan and producer Conal Herron – are joined by Richie Egan and Glen Keating from Jape on the track, delicately propelled by sparse instrumentation and Sheridan’s meditative vocals. Slow Skies are set to play The Sugar Club, Dublin on Wednesday, October 8. Stream ‘Ice Field’ via Soundcloud below.

  • St. Vincent @ The Olympia

    The Olympia Theatre quickly fills up as Slow Skies take to the stage as tonight’s warm-up for the impending spectacle of St Vincent. Possibly to make the latter’s immaculate stage set up possible, the former are down to headcount of three, and squeezed to the front of the stage. With the reduced set up, all the pressure is on the delicately soaring voice of Karen Sheridan (below) to carry them into the attention of the waiting crowd. After a slightly nervous start, she settles into the new surroundings and by the time they swell into on the shore (the lead…

  • Instatour: Slow Skies

    Instatour finally returns this year with Dublin based indie folk band Slow Skies on their recent tour with James Vincent McMorrow. Check out the photos from their travels below!