• The Thin Air’s Top 100 Irish Tracks of 2021

    December 16, 2021 - By 

    Without a shadow of a doubt, more new Irish music has flown into our inboxes over the last 12 months than any year since we launched back in 2013. As we low-key stressed out on a shared Google doc to compile our annual end-of-year lists, it got us wondering: was it all happenstance or, you know, a direct result of [gestures wildly] all the shite that’s been going on? We can’t say for sure but the latter definitely checks out. Whether for release, distraction, or escape – stemming from time freed-up or inspiration en masse – artists from every corner of…

  • Songs in the Key of Goats: John Patrick Higgins on ‘Goat Songs’

    December 8, 2021 - By 

    Back in October, Belfast’s Strand Cinema hosted the premiere of Goat Songs, a five-part film series delving into the less-public world and lives of theatre. Directed and written by Belfast-based writer, playwright, and all-round creative wellspring John Patrick Higgins, it delivered deft, razor-sharp pathos across twenty minutes, whilst fiercely flying the flag for theatre’s vital place in our lives. We caught up with Higgins to learn more about the project. When I was approached to write this film, it didn’t occur to me to direct them as well. It’s an ambitious first effort: five short films, all in different styles, all…

  • Monday Mixtape: passersby

    December 6, 2021 - By 

    Off the back of his stellar 7-track tape alwayyys Dublin dream-pop artist – and Angular Hank member – Diarmuid O’Connor aka passersby takes us on a tour of some of his all-time favourite songs, featuring Blood Orange, Adrianne Lenker, Neil Young, Charli XCX & more alwayyys by passersby Charli XCX – Forever A most amazing pop song. It sounds like the world is ending. The sentiment of “things might not work out but you have my love and support for the rest of your life either way” is so beautiful. Adrianne Lenker – not a lot just forever This whole…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – December 3

    December 3, 2021 - By 

    On this, the final Bandcamp Friday of 2021, we’ve been landed with a wealth of fascinating singles from emergent acts, plus new albums and mixtapes from the likes of Kineograph, Hilary Woods, Arthur Itis and the North Cork Organic Group. Dig deep, and maybe support a few underground artists, if you fancy? Hilary Woods – Feral Hymns Feral Hymns by Hilary Woods Kineograph – CAPRICORN CAPRICORN by KINEOGRAPH FIXITY – [Do The] Bits and Pieces Arthur Itis – Am I Dancing? North Cork Organic Group – Blackwater Valley High (Landscape Mixtape) Blackwater Valley High (Landscape Mixtape) by North Cork Organic Group Me…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – November 26th

    November 26, 2021 - By 

    Here’s the very best music released across the island this week, featuring Denise Chaila, Acid Granny, Kineograph, April, Molly O’Mahony and more Denise Chaila – It’s A Mixtape Kineograph – I Can See 3 People Kineograph · I CAN SEE 3 PEOPLE Acid Granny – I Love The Brits & I Love The Queen April – Someone That I Made Alan Tobin x SubRelic – _ repurposed_ EP JyellowL & ANtigoni – Appetiser Molly O’Mahony – Brother Blue Lucy Gaffney – Heartstrings

  • Premiere: The Consequences of Breaking The Heart by Shaun O’Connor & Alan Daniel Tobin

    November 22, 2021 - By 

    Some creative unions simply seem fated to be. A sublime case in point is ‘The Consequences of Breathing The Heart’, a new, multi-disciplinary project by West Cork singer-songwriter Alan Daniel Tobin aka ADT and County Kerry filmmaker and writer Shaun O’Connor. Drawing on Irish folk tales of the Selkie, and based on a script written by award-winning Irish screenwriter Paul Cahill, it tells the Muirín and Tadhg, a young artistic couple living and working by the Irish coast. When Tadhg’s world is torn apart after Muirin suddenly disappears in the ocean, his search for answers leads him to a stunning…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 19th November

    November 19, 2021 - By 

    It’s been another great week for new releases in every corner of the island. Delve into the best of the lot, featuring Silverbacks, Just Mustard, Celaviedmai, Jackie Beverly, passersby & more. Silverbacks – Rolodex City Just Mustard – I Am You passersby – Always alwayyys by passersby Jess Kav, Senita & Toshín – Ascension Celaviedmai & Alan McKee – Upset Jackie Beverly – Temporary State modernlove. – Us Laura Duff – Easy Hazey Haze – Epitome

  • The Irish Government are Officially Taking the Piss

    November 16, 2021 - By 

    After 19 months of uncertainty, wilful obstruction, and – finally – some brief reprieve over the last four weeks, the Irish government has once again U-turned on its decision to throw the hospitality sector a lifetime. From midnight on Thursday, all pubs, nightclubs and restaurants in the Republic of Ireland will have to close at midnight. For the music industry that means one very obvious thing: those weeks of frantic planning, scheduling, booking, organising and liaising by bookers, venue owners, artists and DJs? It was more or less all for nothing. There’s no two ways about it: the Irish government…

  • The Art of Slowing Down: An Interview with FRMR

    November 16, 2021 - By 

    Last month, Northern Irish folk songwriter and poet Andrew Farmer aka FRMR unveiled one of the year’s finest LPs from these shores, Amelanchier. As well as offering a short piece on the making of the album, Farmer talks to us about songwriting, self-belief and the art of slowing down. Making The Record ‘Amelanchier’ by FRMR Amelanchier was recently launched into the world. But before we touch on the album, can you tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are as a songwriter today? In 2009 I took a year out to take part in a creative programme based…

  • Monday Mixtape: Soda Blonde

    November 15, 2021 - By 

    Dublin alt-pop band Soda Blonde guide us through their all-time favourite songs, from Air and Massive Attack, to Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson. Catch Soda Blonde live in December: December 5th: Cyprus Avenue, Cork December 7th: Mike The Pies, Listowel December 9th: Whelan’s, Dublin December 14th: Roisin Dubh, Galway December 15th, Empire Music Hall, Belfast December 16th: Whelan’s, Dublin December 19th: Dolan’s, Limerick Kanye West – Say You Will Kanye has always had this ability to create sonic landscapes and unusual textures that really hit you emotionally before any lyrics begin. This is something as a band we always aim…