A New Local Hero

Dan McCabe:

Coming form a long line of folk musicians, the enviable highlight of this singer's hitherto exciting career came during NYE 2020,  when he performed 'The Parting Glass' at Áras an Uachtaráin by request of President Michael D Higgins. It's either that, or his appearance on The Sunday Game, when he delivered a version of Luke Kelly's 'Song for Ireland' as a tribute to healthcare workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic. Either way, McCabe has got a seriously impressive résumé. Once you here his high-powered, folk-tailored voice, it's no secret as to why.​

April:

Inspired by the wave of 2010s DIY acts like Gus Dapperton, Clairo and Kojaque, Kilcullen native April Lawlor is as indie as they come. Adept at self-producing lo-fi bedroom-pop bangers, she initially uploaded some tracks to Soundcloud for fun, before she quickly gained some attention and eventually moved to London. Angelic and etheral, these are sad girl anthems which fans of artists like Phoebe Bridgers will feel right at home getting lost in.

Emily O'Sullivan:

This youngster first dipped her toes into the music industry through an adorable audition to Kildare's Next Superstar in 2021, with her rendition of Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball' booking her ticket in that year's final. Still frighteningly young, the singer has been evidently honing in on her craft in recent years, if her emotional, wise-beyond-her years number 'My Fairytale' is anything to go by.  The 2024 single wouldn't be out of place on Disney's next animated blockbuster soundtrack.

Púca:

Left-of-centre tunes with a darker, industrial edge, Kildare-born Colm Conlan introduced his own unique brand of Irish Funeral Pop earlier this year, with his debut single 'And I Gleam Along A Knife Edge'. A cattle farmer by day, the artist might be familiar to some as the keyboardist and backing vocalist to chart-topping sensation CMAT. Recently adopting the on-stage persona of Púca, he offers up an ethereal, phantom-like mix of dance music, folk and pop, and we can't get enough.