Five Irish Artists to Keep an Eye On in 2020!
Sheep, green fields, rainy weather or pints of Guinness. Ireland is a country which can be epitomized by an array of stereotypes. But one facet of the Emerald Isle that is often overlooked is the production mill of talented musicians that come from our shores. While artists such as U2 and Enya have managed to make their mark overseas, the island itself is dripping with musical talent which can be seen simply by wandering through any of our pedestrian urban thoroughfares. Tragically, the majority of these artists (save for the odd Ed Sheeran), rarely achieves notoriety beyond the realms of their locality, and Spotify playlists throughout the world suffer as a result. At Tempo Bar, we feel an obligation to our internationally drawn membership to highlight some of the great Irish talent on the rise here in 2019 and 2020.
#1 Versatile
Who are they?
Versatile are a two-piece hip hop duo from
the Dublin suburb of Ringsend, recently christened ‘Europe’s Compton’ by Rap legend Coolio. Versatile have hit the
headlines for their often controversial lyrics and catchy beats, with songs
such as ‘Prefontaine’ and ‘Ketamine’ achieving mainstream chart success.
Genre: Hip-hop.
Songs We Recommend:
Prefontaine, Dublin City’s
G’s, Scorchin’ Again.
Upcoming Concerts:
Saturday, November 30th, The 3 Arena, Dublin.
Friday, November 10th, The SSE Arena, Belfast (Supporting Snoop Dogg)
#2 Galway Street Club
Who are they?
Galway Street Club are a 15-piece (yes,
fifteen) band that fuses a variety of musical styles and have become known for
the energy of their live shows. Born on the streets of busker-haven Shop Street
in The City of the Tribes, Galway Street Club have played shows throughout
Europe in addition to their regular sell-out shows at Galway’s own Roisin Dubh
venue.
Genre: Folk Rock
Songs We Recommend: Black Widow of Iron Mountain, Sovereign State
of Madness.
Upcoming Concerts:
N/A
#3 David Keenan
Who is he?
David Keenan is a singer-songwriter hailing
from Dundalk, Co. Louth. After cutting his teeth as a busker in Liverpool,
Keenan has returned to Ireland where he has launched a successful debut album.
Since this, Keenan has gone from strength to strength selling out venues
throughout the country.
Genre: Indie Folk
Songs We Recommend: El Paso, The Friary.
Upcoming Concerts:
Saturday, December 7th, The Royal Theatre, Mayo.
Friday, December 13th, Roisin Dubh, Galway.
Sunday, December 15th, Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick.
#4 Le Boom
Who are they?
Critically acclaimed as a “1980’s New York
post disco throwback”, Le Boom have sent waves across the Irish music scene
since their breakthrough in 2016. Consisting of Navan duo of Christy Leech and
Aimie Mallon, Le Boom have played a number of festivals both at home and
abroad, and can boast over 2million views of their music on online streaming
platforms.
Genre: Electro-Indie
Songs We Recommend: What We Do, Coma.
Upcoming Concerts:
N/A
#5 Loah
Who is she?
Trinity alumnus Loah is our tip to be
Ireland’s next breakout star with her unique brand of artistic soul music. Born
in Kenya but raised in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Loah recently quit her promising
career as a pharmacist to focus on music full-time, with the Irish music scene
sure to benefit as a result.
Genre: Soul
Songs We Recommend: This Heart, Nothing.
Upcoming Concerts:
Monday, December 2nd, National Concert Hall, Dublin.
Keep an eye on our blog to check out more underground & upcoming artists every month! In the meantime - keep jammin' TempoBar readers!
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