Following April’s scene-setting lead single ‘Beatha,’ ‘In the Beat’ marks the second transmission from Still a Day, the upcoming fourth studio album from Kildare-born, Dublin-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eithne Ní Chatháin, aka Inni-K. Set for release this Autumn via Green Willow Records, it’s a record already shaping up to be her most creatively expansive and emotionally attuned work to date. If ‘Beatha’ offered a sublime glimpse into that journey, In the Beat is a deepening; a rare-as-hen’s-teeth kind of deliverance consigned to song.
Softly incandescent and sorcerously assured, In the Beat finds Ní Chatháin at her most nuanced and open-hearted. Across four spellbound minutes, the track masterfully unfurls: talc-soft layers of synth and woodwind – courtesy of Seán Mac Erlaine, who also handles production – meet deft, meandering drums and percussion from Matthew Jacobson. But it’s Ní Chatháin’s voice that quietly takes centre-stage. Gossamer-light yet quietly commanding, it moves in a lower, unhurried register, radiating the clarity of someone who has fully embraced letting go. There’s rebirthing magick in that space and a quiet power that comforts to the nth degree.
Commenting on the single, Inni-K – who also contributes synth to the single – says:
“On a marathon 32-date tour across Germany – carrying recent heartache – I found myself watching the trees flit by out the tour bus window on a quiet stretch between Leipzig and Berlin and the deep realisation came into clear focus: that we are only and ever “in the beat”. Not a new idea by any means, but in that moment it, it was astounding to me. I reached for my synth to capture the feeling – headphones on, or so I thought – but they’d come unplugged, and I was blasting this rough loop across the whole bus! My fellow musicians were politely tolerating it until their hard stares clued me in. We laughed. And the song had started taking shape. I think I wrote it to remind myself of this truth. What’s incredible is that the song has come to meet me since when I’ve needed it most. I hope this one meets a few others out there too.”
That singular meld of intimacy and resonance is threaded throughout Still a Day. Released on 26th September, the album sees INNI-K weave her unmistakable voice and fiddle into ambient electronics, gentle jazz flourishes and hushed, expansive arrangements. It’s set to be her most fully-realised work yet, and a vivid journey through experience, release and return.
Sealing the spell of ‘In The Beat’ is a beautifully paced new video by Dan O’Connell. It’s a note-perfect visual counterpart to a track that more than warrants the attention.
Rooted in sean-nós and traditional Irish song, yet ever boundary-pushing, Inni-K has long stood out as one of Ireland’s boldest sonic stylists. Her last album, Iníon, earned widespread acclaim, including Top of the World from Songlines and multiple RTÉ Folk Award nominations following its release in 2022. A mesmerising live performer, she’s played everywhere from the National Concert Hall in Dublin to New York’s Irish Arts Center and is currently the 2025 Traditional Artist in Residence at UCC.
Still a Day will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats. A special limited-edition vinyl, pressed in Ireland by new Co. Kildare-based plant Anthem Vinyl, will be available to pre-order from 23 July via Bandcamp.
Have a first listen to In the Beat and watch the video below. Pre-order Still a Day here.
And while you’re at it, catch Inni-K live somewhere in Ireland this October and November:
Oct 09 – Cork, UCC Ó Riada Hall
Oct 10 – Ardfert, Kerry, Cúl Street
Oct 11 – Ballydehob, Levis
Oct 16 – Dundalk, Spirit Store
Oct 23 – Kilkenny, Cleere’s
Oct 24 – Carrick on Shannon, The Dock
Oct 30 – Newbridge, Riverbank Arts Centre
Nov 06 – Dublin, The Sugar Club
Nov 07 – Castlebar, The Linenhall
Nov 09 – Bray, Mermaid Arts Centre
Photo by Antonia Kenny
