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  • The London Ear 387 with Missing The Ferry

    The London Ear 387 with Missing The Ferry

    The London Ear #387

    Show 387 of The London Ear on RTÉ 2XM. Along with 113 shows of Culture Cafe, before I moved to London, that is a total of 500 shows on 2XM, which I have to say, I’m very chuffed with. Here’s to 500 more! Here’s what went down on this week’s episode of The London Ear, with my special guest, Chris Anderson from London Irish band, Missing The Ferry.

    Thanks very much to Matt Taylor and Rachel for sending me their voice notes to introduce their tracks.

    From The Vault: Dara

    This week’s Irish track From The Vault comes from Dara. Dara, aka Daragh O’Toole, released an album called ‘The Eye of The Clock’ in 2000. I loved this album. When I was working in a post-production house, making CDs and cassettes, we manufactured Dara’s album. I was lucky enough to hear this album and the singles before release and I absolutely adored the production on it. Daragh has a knack with strings and arrangement and also did the string arrangement on U2’s The Sweetest Thing and has done lots of film work including ‘The Gangs of New York.’ P.S. Josie Doherty’s vocals on this track are absolutely immense.

    Daragh is still making music, you can find him on his website.

    Sound of The Underground

    Sound of The Underground is the section of the programme where I introduce you to a London-based artist or band. This week’s artist is Moreish Idols. Originally from Cornwall, the band moved to London and signed to Dan Carey’s Speedy Wunderground label. Dan is a bit of a legend and worked on Fontaines D.C.’s ‘Dogrel’ amongst others.

    You can find out more about Moreish Idols on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Insta.

    Interview with Chris from Missing The Ferry

    It was great to catch up with Chris from Missing The Ferry to chat about the band’s new single, ‘Castlebar’. Chris was previously a guest on The London Ear as a member of elephants and castles.

    Chris, his brothers, and a childhood friend formed Missing The Ferry in St Albans and over the past couple of years, have built up a nice little following here in London with their London Irish music. It’s a good mixture of Irish folk mixed with contemporary tales.

    I chatted to Chris about his second-generation Irish identity, the convergence of punk and folk and Tony Cascarino. Spoiler: Tony Cascarino was on my train just before I spoke to Chris.

    You can find out more about Missing The Ferry on Bandcamp, Twitter, Facebook and Insta.

    The London Ear Playlist May 7 2022

    Here’s what was was on the playlist for this week’s episode of The London Ear.

    Hour 1
    Sinead O’Brien: Good Times Are Coming
    Fears: 16
    Vale: Warning Sign
    Rachel: Maybe We Could Be Something
    Kae Temptest feat Grian Chattan: I Saw Light
    Roe: I Dare You
    Ger Eaton: Phoenix (Reborn)
    Dani Larkin: Heron, Until We’re Free
    Sack: Sleeping On The Floor
    Sam O.G. Heated
    From The Vault – Dara: The Way
    Aby Coulibaly: On My Ones
    The Clumsy Giantess x Shammen Delly x Tuath: Summer Is A Cumin In
    Hour 2
    Working Mens Club: Circumference
    Naked Lungs: Why Do People Change
    Sound Of THe Underground: Moreish Idols
    Matt Taylor: April 13th
    Soak: Puragatory
    Interview with Chris from Missing The Ferry
    Missing The Ferry: Duty Free
    Interview with Chris from Missing The Ferry Part 2
    Missing The Ferry: Castlebar
    The Whileaways: Toss The Bobbin
    Wekin: Seven
    Mogwai: Bolt For Cover

    Listen On-Demand to The London Ear

    Thanks for listening, The London Ear is broadcast online and on your radio apps, in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ 2XM. You can always listen to the show on-demand after it has been broadcast on RTÉ 2XM on the RTÉ player including all previous episodes. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1200. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME OF MIDDAY!

    You can find all previous episodes on the pages of this site here.

  • The London Ear #386 // Five Grand Stereo + The Clockworks

    The London Ear #386 // Five Grand Stereo + The Clockworks

    The London Ear #386

    Two great Irish bands to chat to on this week’s show, a great way to kick off a Bank Holiday weekend. Whether you’re in the UK or in Ireland, The London Ear is where it’s at. On The London Ear #386 I’ve got interviews with Five Grand Stereo and The Clockworks.

    From The Vault: Microdisney

    This week’s Irish track From The Vault comes from Microsdisney with Singer’s Hampstead Home. This week’s track was a very easy one for me, coupled with the fact that for the first time, the albums that Microdisney released on VIrgin records are now available on streaming services. ‘The Crooked Mile’ and ’39 Minutes’ are gorgeous albums. I would strongly suggest you check them out if you’ve never done it before.

    Check out Microdisney on Spotify

    Sound of The Underground: The Mighty Observer

    Sound of The Underground is the section of the programme where I introduce you to a London-based artist or band. This week’s artist is The Mighty Observer. Garmon Rhys, aka The Might Observer, is a West End actor, so an interesting back story too. He also is member of Melyn Melin, another Welsh act making waves.

    The current EP from The Mighty Observer is entitled ‘Under The Open Sky’ and is released on the Welsh label, Cae Gwyn Records.

    You can find out more about The Mighty Observer on Twitter, Facebook, and Insta.

    Interview with Chris from Five Grand Stereo

    Chris from Five Grand Stereo Chats to Nessy on Zoom
    Chris Singleton from Five Grand Stereo Chats to Nessy on Zoom

    It was great to catch up with Chris Singleton from Five Grand Stereo to chat about the band’s new single, ‘Dancing Mary’ and to chat about their forthcoming collection of tracks that reflect on Chris’s childhood in Dublin. ‘Dancing Mary’ is a great song to introduce us to what’s coming next and many of us will remember ‘Dancing Mary’ in Dublin city centre.

    I’m really looking forward to hearing more music from Five Grand Stereo. Check out the band on their website and Spotify.

    Interview with Sean from The Clockworks

    Sean C from The Clockworks Chats to Nessy on Zoom
    Sean C from The Clockworks Chats to Nessy on Zoom

    It was lovely to chat to Sean from The Clockworks, last time we chatted was for a Q&A for these pages during lockdown one. The London-based Galway band are back with a new EP and again, they deliver. We chat about the EP, moving home during lockdown, SXSW and upcoming gigs.

    You can find about more about The Clockworks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Listen to the band on Spotify.

    Five Grand Stereo on The London Ear - Promo Image
    The Clockworks on The London Ear - Promo image
    Today’s Guests on The London Ear

    The London Ear Playlist April 30 2022

    Hour 1
    Naked Lung: Why Do People Change
    yunè pinku: Bluff
    Lukewarmdaily96: Hit The Hay
    Farah Elle: Play It By Ear
    Ciaran Moran
    Five Grand Stereo: David Bowie
    Interview with Chris from Five Grand Stereo
    Five Grand Stereo: Dancing Mary
    From The Vault: Microdisney: Singer’s Hamsptead Home
    Vernon Jane: Origami
    Faontaines DC: Roman Holiday

    Hour 2
    Nala & Nikki Nair: The World Is Always Ending
    Sinead O’Brien: There Are Good Times Coming
    Sound of The Underground: The Mighty Observer
    Interview with The Clockworks:
    The Clockworks: Feels So Real
    Interview with The Clockworks:
    The Clockworks: Endgame
    Jody Sinclair: Pastel Black
    Sive: Dancing Alone
    Pillow Queens: My Body Moves
    The Clash: Clampdown

    Listen On-Demand to The London Ear

    Thanks for listening, The London Ear is broadcast online and on your radio apps, in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ 2XM. You can always listen to the show on-demand after it has been broadcast on RTÉ 2XM on the RTÉ player including all previous episodes. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1200. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME OF MIDDAY!

    You can find all previous episodes on the pages of this site here.

  • The London Ear #385 with Rooue

    The London Ear #385 with Rooue

    The London Ear #385

    Howdy all! Welcome to #385 of The London Ear on RTE 2XM. I’m delighted to have this episode of The London Ear with Rooue. Just after the 1 pm when the programme was still on air, I tweeted about how lucky I felt to have RTE 2XM as a platform for me. It’s brilliant that every week, I can have amazing conversations and play music from a variety of artists and genres and not be told that I cannot do that. It’s an amazing freedom and I love that you get to join me every week.

    From The Vault: Seeping Into Cinemas

    This week’s Irish track From The Vault is Seeping into Cinemas with Shoot Out. Seeping Into Cinemas was a solo project of Barry O’Brien who used to play in Betamax Format. Since moving to London, I have no idea if Barry is still involved in music. I got to know him when I used to run some gigs in the good ole Voodoo Lounge on Arran Quay in Dublin. Thems were the days! This track was taken from the 2011 album, ‘100,000 Times’.

    https://youtu.be/jFO86jf3Ono

    Sound of The Underground: Frisco

    Sound of The Underground is the section of the programme where I introduce you to a London-based artist or band. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know anything about Frisco before I heard of his Tottenham EP. But Frisco has released six albums and has a massive back catalog of mixtapes and EPs and has been a huge part of the London Grime scene. The track I played ‘High Road’ also features P Money and Dizzee Rascal.

    Interview with Rooue

    The London Ear with Rooue
    Nessy Chats to Rooue on Zoom

    It was lovely to finally get chatting to Ro and Lou, otherwise known as Rooue. Rooue have just released their fifth single ‘Orbit’. I really enjoyed chatting with the twins. As I said to them during our chat, we kinda got used to brothers in bands, but apart from Haim, I’m not too familiar with sisters in bands. We chatted about working together, how their voices blend, maintaining their own identities while still being individuals and their plans for future music.

    I love how Rooue’s sound is evolving throughout their releases and I’m looking forward to hearing more and finding out what is next for them.

    You can find out more about Rooue on their website, Twitter, and Insta.

    Check out the vid for Bad Blood below:

    The London Ear Playlist 23 April 2022

    Hour 1
     Five Grand Stereo: Dancing Mary
    Nixer: Decisions
    Mhaol: Desperation
    Fontaines DC: Roman Holiday
    Sinead O’Brien: There are Good Times Coming
    Sounds of System Breakdown: Connect with Me
    Junkdrawer: Temporary Day (Tuath Remix)
    Friendmaker: Weird
    Farah Elle: Play It By Ear
    N.O.A.H.: The Way We Are
    From The Vault: Seeping Into Cinemas: Shoot Out
    Lucy Dacus: Kissing Lessons
    Yumi and The Weather: It’s In My Head
    Jackie Beverley: Analog Radio
    The Boy From The South: Stereotypes
    Melts: Signal

    Hour 2
    The Midnight: Change Your Heart or Die
    Driven Snow: Trying
    Sound of The Underground: Frisco feat P Money + Dizee Rascal
    Cian Ducrot: All For You
    Rooue: Bad Blood
    Interview with Rooue
    Rooue: Orbit
    Matt Taylor: April 13th
    Love Alien: Move
    Hothouse Flowers: Don’t Go
    Megan O’Neil: Fail Better
    The Walls: Chrome Heart

    Listen On-Demand to The London Ear

    Thanks for listening, The London Ear is broadcast online and on your radio apps, in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ 2XM. You can always listen to the show on-demand after it has been broadcast on RTÉ 2XM on the RTÉ player including all previous episodes. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1200. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME OF MIDDAY!

    You can find all previous episodes on the pages of this site here.

  • The London Ear #384 with Emét

    The London Ear #384 with Emét

    The London Ear #384 with Emét

    Welcome to The London Ear #384! Lots of fun on this week’s episode. I loved catching up with Emét, aka Emmet McGonagle from Derry, to chat about their new album ‘Carlin’s Farm’ and had great fun choosing the music for the show.

    From The Vault

    This week’s Irish track From The Vault comes from Berkeley. They were a band that everyone was talking about for a while. They formed in 2001 in Donegal and recorded their debut album ‘Hope, Prayers and Bubblegum’ with Steve Albini. Tommy McLaughlin from the band now runs Attica Studios and let’s face it, he’s a bit of a legend!

    Sound of The Underground

    Sound of The Underground is the section of the programme where I introduce you to a London-based artist or band. This week’s artist is Sweet Giant.

    Here’s what the band say about the tracks: “The songs were a product of the time spent during lockdown and a need for escapism from the world we were experiencing. We decorated our little box of a studio with colourful materials, pictures and plants to try to make it feel like we were somewhere far from the grey of north London. The wallpaper on our computer screen is a photo Marco took in the Desert (Joshua Tree). We would look at that and imagine it was a window while we were playing. I think there is a common theme on this EP of trying to ‘get away’ and find somewhere better.”

    Gang, as long as you’ve got bucket loads of Factor 50, I’m happy to head off to the desert with yiz!

    You can find out more about Sweet Giant on their website.

    Check out the video Sweet Giant’s last single and title track from their EP, ‘Til You’re Gone’. It really has that dustbowl vibe that emanates from their music.

    Interview with Emét

    The London Ear with Emét - Nessy and Emét chat via Zoom
    Emét and Nessy chat via Zoom

    It was an absolute pleasure to chat to Emét on what was the release day of his album ‘Carlin’s Farm.’ It can’t be easy releasing an album when you’re living away from home, when you’ve recorded it at home. I’ve spoken to lots of Irish people on The London Ear about moving away from Ireland and this interview with Emét really struck a chord with me personally. Each time we move country, or even the longer we live outside Ireland, we all develop a different sense of what Ireland is and what it means to us. I guess that’s the whole point of The London Ear.

    Emét is originally from Derry and now living in Calgary, Canada. I have to say it sounds awesome. Emét described the place as a ‘gay cowboy town’. I’ve always wanted a stetson!

    Carlin’s Farm is a beautiful album, I encourage you to sit down for an hour and chill out to this masterclass in storytelling. I love how visual each song is, you can see the movie play out as you hear each song.

    FInd out more about Emét on their website and on Insta and Twitter.

    Check out the video for the title track from Emét’s album below:

    The London Ear April 16 22: Playlist

    Here’s what was on the playlist for this week’s episode of The London Ear.
    Hour 1
    Sack: Sleeping On The Floor
    SPIDER: I’M Fine I’M Good! I’m Perfect!
    Nixer: Decisions
    First Class & Coach: Neon Hip
    Dirty Dreamer: Downhill
    Fontaines DC: Skinty Fia
    Cornerboy: Blackstairs Winter Snow
    Zapho: Peoples
    Hercules & Love Affair & Anohni: Poisonous Storytelling
    Pillow Queens: The Wedding Band
    Berkeley: New Star
    Soak: puragtory
    Blossoms: The Sulking Poet
    The Clockworks: Endgame
    Hour 2
    Self Esteem: You Forever
    Just Mustard Mirrors
    Rosie Carney: dad
    Sound Of The Underground: Sweet Giant
    Roe: I Dare You
    Interview with Emét
    Emét: Carlin’s Farm
    Interview with Emét (Part 2)
    Emét: Sticky Floor Serenade
    It’s Just Cat: Not a Vibe
    David Holmes: It’s Over, If We Run Out Of Love
    Jamie XX: Let’s Do It Again

    Listen On-Demand to The London Ear

    Thanks for listening, The London Ear is broadcast online and on your radio apps, in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ 2XM. You can always listen to the show on-demand after it has been broadcast on RTÉ 2XM on the RTÉ player including all previous episodes. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1200. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME OF MIDDAY!

    You can find all previous episodes on the pages of this site here.