Soft Girls and Season Finales
Hello angels xx
Hope you’re taking care of yourselves these rainy days. There’s change in the air! We are saying goodbye to Club Chonradh na Gaeilge this week (mo chomhbhrón libh ar fad atá ag ceiliúradh agus ag caoineadh na háite an deireadh seachtaine seo), we’ll be leaving the office I’ve worked in since my first Grown Up Job, and the autumn weather is lashing down upon us. Leaving Uimhir a 6 yesterday really felt like a season finale. I’m trying to romanticise it all and enjoy the glimmers, but some days the sun sets too early or your socks get wet on the commute and it’s okay to admit it’s just a grey day.
Hopefully the following will provide a little company or sólás…
Big Fan of Kojaque: Jade Buttle
Look at us sticking to a publishing schedule! Jade Buttle or @jadebeo_ @jadephotos @jadepokes (she’s multi-talented, girls!) is this month’s Big Fan and we had a gush about Kojaque who has been on a skyward trajectory since 2015 when he hit the ground running with his phenomenal Midnight Flower music video:
We covered the Irish music scene, gaps in Irish radio play when it comes to homegrown artists, and how groups like Soft Boy function as communities for artists and fans. Wholesome. We also shared some cute (and gas) tattoo stories and fangirl moments - tune in for embarrassing stories and waxing lyrical about J Smith, Kojaque’s brother. Some show notes for you:
The early Sunday Roast Mixtape playlist (featuring Faye O’Rourke of Soda Blonde) on Soundcloud
Jade’s fave Craic Baby video
I reference Girl Band, forgetting they are actually now Gilla Band, and their song Going Norway is sampled on Kojaque’s Town’s Dead and it’s delicious
More from Soft Boy Records - pre-save the upcoming Yenkee album here!
Boiler Room doc on Soft Boy Records:
And the iconic tattoo:
While we’re on Soft Boy Records, Kean Kavanagh will play an Ireland Music Week showcase in the Button Factory next Thursday alongside Annie-Dog, Ahmed, With Love. and DeCarteret for €12 - tickets here!
This month’s playlist is here and features Yenkee, some Italian 70s pop I’ve been obsessed with, new Laura Marling and Ray Lamontagne agus neart eile…
Special mentions:
Ceann de na albaim is fearr liom go dtí seo i mbliana: athPhORT le Súil Amháin agus Bantum. Scaití éistim le ceol Gaeilge toisc gur i nGaeilge atá sé. Éistim leis seo toisc go bhfuil sé snasta blasta lasta mar cheol! File go smior Séamus Barra mar sin ní haon iontas go bhfuil scríbhneoireacht an albaim dochreidte maith, ach níl aon éirí in airde a chuirfeadh duine nach bhfuil ar a gcompord leis an teanga ó dhoras ach oiread. Tá sárléiriú déanta ag Bantum ar an togra freisin agus is breá liom an rithim agus éagsúlacht a bhaineann leis an gcnuasach ar fad atá snoite le chéile go sásúil… ach tá léirmheas le taifead ag foirean Rí-Rá an tseachtain seo chugainn mar sin ní dheirfidh mé a thuilleadh!
And of course, Laura Marling. This is a weird one for me because it’s the first time Laura and I have fallen out of step in terms of themes and life stages: she penned break up songs to soundtrack my first heartbreaks, and wrote of coming into her own as I felt like I came into mine (aren’t we always doing that?), but now that she is blissfully in love and raising a child I feel… strangely left behind? But also reassured that the Adult Things that are to come - or not to come - don’t need to be scary. She sounds happy, and hearing these songs has been like receiving postcards from an old friend. Also glad she has melted into a buttery-soft romantic in her old (but still young) age - happens to the best of us, apparently.
I shouldn’t tell you this because I desperately want a ticket but there will be a listening party for her upcoming alubm in Whelan’s next month and tickets are available Friday morning 10am.
Moladh nó dhó deireanach, scríobh mé faoin Say a Song Project cheana ach is fiú go mór éisteacht leis an tsraith le Doireann Ní Ghlacáin atá ag cur thar maoill le cruthaitheacht agus saibhreas, agus más cruthaitheacht shaibhir a thaitníonn leat b’fhiú cuairt a thabhairt ar shaothair Paddy Critchley sa Project Arts Centre roimh an 2 Deireadh Fómhair!
Lemme know what you think of the podcast - you can reply to this or find me on Insta - and I’m so excited for your hot takes on our upcoming country episode(!) because you had a LOT to say about Beyoncé’s CMA situation!
Agus sin a bhfuil, don mhí seo is dócha. Feicfidh mé sa gClub cuid agaibh an deireadh seachtaine seo is dócha, gura fada buan na cuimhní geala atá againn den áit 🧡
Le grá,
Emma x