To celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 the Last Mixed Tape has curated a mixed-tape of exciting new tracks released by a host of Women on the Irish music scene this year so far.
Soak – Knock Me Off My Feet
The sonic sea change that SOAK has undergone since her acclaimed debut outing has become clearer in the lush indie-pop banger ‘Knock Me Off My Feet’, a heart-warming powerpop ballad.
whenyoung – Never Let Go
A song that finds the band widening the scope of their music with large-scale choruses, hook-driven guitar passages, and a production to match, ‘Never Let Go’ is yet another clear sign of whenyoung’s momentum bringing them to prominence in 2019.
Sive – Holding
With its hypnotic beat, ‘Holding’ is a song built upon a relentlessly vivid backdrop of sound that is constantly twisting and turning with harmony, atmosphere and rhythm. Sive’s best work to date.
Soulé ft. C Cane – Love Tonight
Soulé hits the mark yet again, with a song that instantly infectious to listen to. Covering a wide spectrum of vivid beats, the track is unashamedly brilliant pop that is pinpoint in how its hooks pull you into its vibrant choruses.
Digg Deep – Soak It Up
From the interlocking rhythms, augmented interwoven vocal lines (which features Louise MacNamara and Olwyn Mahon) and fuzz-filled synths, ‘Soak It Up’ is a joy to listen to as Digg Deep delve into their own pop influences to produce an instant gem.
ROE – Down Days
ROE returns with the gentle alt-pop of ‘Down Days’. A song set against a wide-open, dynamically moving and sonically spacious backdrop, this latest offering from ROE makes an impact with the songwriter’s trademark emotional connection.
Molly Sterling – Feeble
‘Feeble’ is heart-wrenching introspection. The thematic rawness of Molly Sterling’s single is mirrored in the stark opening where Sterling’s vocal is laid bare and able to weave a deep tapestry of emotion that leads right into the core of the song.
AE Mak – We Have It Right Here
AE Mak’s sound has grown to such a level that it can be truly called singular. From the interlocking pops and clicks, augment movements and vivid beats of ‘We Have It Right Here’ its clear that AE Mak on the cusp of something great.
Rosie Carney – Awake Me
‘Awake Me’ serves as Bare’s high water mark, the point at which all the albums strengths converge to deliver a powerful song of introspection and isolation. Mirrored in the clean crunched guitar, bustling textures and Carney’s heartbreaking vocal, ‘Awake Me’ is Bare encapsulated in one song.
Jackie Beverly – Talk It Through
A full-blown pop gem, Jackie Beverly’s sophomore single ‘Talk It Through’ has everything from the glistening beats to shimmering flourishes of synth, to soulful emotion-driven vocals, all of which blend into the retro 80s sheen of the production.
Maria Somerville – All My People
Clocking in at an epic six minutes long, the suspenseful dream-pop of Maria Somerville’s ‘All My People’ plays with brooding textures, growling atmospheres and tense soundscapes as the music builds relentlessly to a buzzing, obscured crescendo.
Fehdah – Saharakungoh
A giant leap in sound from Fehdah, the warping sound and beats of ‘Saharakungoh’ make for a hypnotic listen as we are drawn further and further into the multi-layered vocal weaving of Fehdah.
Inni-K – Just After
A song with a strong sense of place, Inni-K’s ‘Just After’ is a strikingly raw song written with a deftly portrayed craft that grabs you from the beginning as Inni-K’s expressionistic folk tells its story.
Havvk – Birds On A Wire
Propelled with an ominous rhythm, hard-edged guitars and a powerhouse vocal, Havvk continues their recent run of stand out singles with the brooding ‘Birds On A Wire’.
Sick Love – Soccer Mom
Hard-hitting, pulsating rock ‘n’ roll from Sick Love, the all-encompassing growl of ‘Soccer Mom’ makes an immediate impact as the group’s tour de force sound moves to the fore.
Sister Ghost – Backwards
Ragged, by-the-throat garage-rock from Sister Ghost. ‘Backwards’ growls, drives and pushes its way from start to finish whilst showcasing the growing sound of Sister Ghost.
Ruth Mac – Speed
A song that sits perfectly on a bed of jangled guitars, gently set vocals and a hazy dream-pop-esque production, Ruth Mac’s ‘Speed’ works to introduce the songwriter as a force to be reckoned with.
Erica Cody – Over & Over
Big, ambitious R&B from Erica Cody, ‘Over & Over’ marks a step-up in sound from Cody with a production that more than matches the ambition.
Lydia Ford – Same Old Rules
There’s a big unbridled pop sound lying at the heart of Lydia Ford’s new single ‘Same Old Rules’. Set against a far-reaching production that encompasses 80’s style drums, fizzing synths, and hook-filled vocal passages, the track is Ford’s most accomplished work to date.
Rebekah Fitch – Poison
An ambitious track, Rebekah Fitch’s ‘Poison’ works from a collage of musical flourishes that blend into the backdrop of Fitch’s alt-pop sound, making for an interesting twist.
Beauty Sleep – The Dark
Taken from the Beauty Sleep’s upcoming debut album Be Kind, ‘The Dark’ is a dreamlike pop song filled with vibrant sounds, washing textures and vivid harmonies.
Nnic – Grow
A captivating soundscape rests behinds the pops and clicks of ‘Grow’, delivered upon a laid back beat Nnic’s vocal weaves and twists around the song, resulting in a fully immersive listen.
Eve Belle ft. Isaiah Dreads – Cut Throat
Highly-stylised pop from Eve Belle, ‘Cut Throat’ melds alt-pop, R&B and hip-hop into a slick production that once again highlights Belle’s rising promise.
Hvmmingbyrd – Legacy
Hvmmingbyrd returns with ‘Legacy’, a new single that marks a line in the sand for the duo through a sound that is highly-stylised, pulsing with vivid beats and brimming to the top with captivating vocals.
Lōwli – Colourless
Ethereal-folk songwriter Lōwli’s debut E.P. is a treasure trove of large open soundscapes, reverb-soaked harmony, and darkly lit atmospheres, this is nowhere better seen than in the closing track ‘Colourless’.
Host – Taste Of Your Love
A vivid soundscape with great washes of synth pops and clicks, the propellant backbone of Host’s ‘Taste Of Your Love’ is a vibrant listen from beginning to end.
Peachface – Killing Kind Of Love
The sophomore single from Peachface, ‘Killing Kind of Love’ is a multi-layered synth-pop banger with lush production and hooks for start to finish.
Kyoto Love Hotel – Shapes That Bond You
A sprawling depth of field engulfs the alt-pop leanings of ‘Shapes That Bond You’, resulting in a captivating offering from Kyoto Love Hotel that works distant soundscapes, softly conveyed vocals and shuddering textures into a piece of music that has a deep sense of place.
Fiona Harte – Storms
Fiona Harte returns with the heartfelt ballad ‘Storms’. A gentle affair, bathed in distant texture, the song merges alt-pop with indie-folk elements to create a warm sound overall.
Sorcha Richardson – Latch
The underlined sense of space found within Sorcha Richardson’s new single ‘Latch’, a Disclosure cover recorded with Participant, is a breath of fresh air. The sparse production of the track coupled with the subtle use of textures within it makes for an instantly engrossing offering.
Toshín – Love & Defeat
A melting pot of retro-pop, neo-soul and R&B, the jangled ballad ‘Love & Defeat’ is vibrant new single Toshín filled with lush harmonies, weaving brass sections and a powerhouse vocal.
Sylk – All In Ur Head
Darkly edged electro-pop, Sylk’s ‘All In Ur Head’ is constructed from augmented vocals, undulating electronic pops and clicks and unrelenting beats.
Follow TLMT’s Monthly Irish Mixed-Tape – here. For more playlists, and mixed-tapes like this one, follow the Last Mixed Tape on Spotify.