Music from the Heart

If there is one modern folk pop artist who has seen the harsh realities in life, it is Michael Lane himself. Sent to Iraq and Afghanistan as a US soldier in his twenties, Michael was
forced into cruelty and that Face the ugly. If his previous albums were like a kind of musical diary in which these experiences were processed, one notices that with his new album, Michael Lane regained lightheartedness and joy. „Remember The Days“ is a message of hope and the positive certainty that a time of crisis and reflection will lead people back to the important things.

Living in the west of Ireland, Gavin Murphy hails from Dublin's North side. He's the lead guitarist and band manager of the successful Smiths tribute band These Charming Men, which he formed in 1995. Working as a session guitarist, both live and in the recording studio, led Gavin to writing songs of his own. His debut album "45 RPM (Replay Past Memories)", released in 2020, was highly praised by Hotpress, RTE Radio 1, RTE Entertainment and many more. He has also performed at numerous gigs and festivals such as Electric Picnic 2022, Whelans and even performed a live acoustic session on Ocean FM and was a finalist for the Irish Music Month 2022.

Varlight are a two piece duo from Carlingford and Newry. Jason Varley and Dean Wright formed Varlight from the remains of the group “Dean and Chapter” in summer 2021. Hence the name VARL-IGHT. They play a mixture of EDM and electro pop. Although Varlight have been mainly studio based so far, there are plans for performances later this year. The “third” member of the Varlight team is Richard Osborn at Type 40 Creative who is responsible for the duo’s videos. They expect to be joined by Ian Harold on drums for the future performances.

Hailing from a small Icelandic community in Gimli, Manitoba, Canada, Dave Helgi Johan moved to Byron Bay in 2019 to actively pursue music full time as a solo musician while playing and collaborating with many local artists. Dave has played bass for local favorite Luke Morris and performs and records with Patrick O’Reilly among others. Dave has performed and toured for the last decade in countless acts. Recorded and released a handful of albums and music videos in past groups and has finally committed himself to a solo career.

Davy Lyons is an Irish songwriter, musician, poet, and actor. Family gatherings in his childhood, where music was always vital, are the root of his creative endeavours. His first dream was to become a professional footballer. Having completed a First-Class Honours Masters degree in law at University College Dublin, Lyons abandoned the gavel for the guitar and began a spiritual journey across Europe that brought him to live and make wine in a Tuscan castle and stay for four months in the mythic Parisian bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, which has welcomed wandering writers such as Allen Ginsberg, James Baldwin, and Anaïs Nin.

From the sleeping remnants of Armoured Bear, Anthony Noonan emerges from musical hibernation with a new project, Q.U.I.E.T. The past number of years has seen the Clonakilty native recording, performing and touring with a variety of artists such as UK folk legend Roy Harper, Bill Shanley, The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra, Interference & Glen Hansard and Dog Tail Soup.

Luke Clerkin is a two time Sports and Cultural Council Song-Writing competition winning singer-songwriter. His music has gained international airplay and support, whilst also topping the Irish Singer Songwriter Charts on multiple occasions. Luke is known mostly for playing over 250 gigs in 2015, as a way of honing his craft. Since then he has headlined famous Dublin venues such as Whelan’s, The Workman’s Club, and The Button Factory. His music has brought him all over the world, with multiple tours of Germany, as well as festival slots in America,  UK, and Ireland.

Irish blues rock legend Eamonn McCormack has a new single and lyric video out, and this Living Hell turned out so sinister that if it was a hurting creature, it would bleed black. Dealing with the criminogenic nature of drug prohibition and institutionalized war mongery, the song’s musical direction could make it sail on the darkest depths of post metal with ease. Opening a new record with a slow hand and lines such as “Oh is there a dark shadow on their soul / Blood dripping from their hands yeah / Oh the devils work in this living hell” puts Eamonn in a good position to becoming the enfant terrible of heavy blues rock.

Veteran Dublin Songwriter Keith Burke is one of Ireland's best kept secrets. He has released three original albums. His debut "The Dancer who Stole your Shoes" achieved critical success in 2004 receiving the Hotpress "Pick of the fortnight". On the strength of it his band were invited to play a series of televised concerts in Italy and later three dates in the 2005 Guinness Cork Jazz festival. The album had national radio play on RTE 1 and NewsTalk, as well as many regional radio stations.