Songwriter.ie Sponsors its 2nd Showcase
The 2nd Annual Irish Midlands Songwriter Showcase
Thursday, May 26th, at the Palace Loft in Athlone
At 9 o'clock on Thursday, May 26 you will want to be sitting upstairs at the Palace Loft in Athlone. Why, you may ask? Because five very talented songwriters will be coming to share a stage and their original music in the second annual Midland Songwriter Showcase.
If you were one of the lucky ones at last year's show, you know what to expect - an evening of fresh new songs sung by the talented people who wrote them. It's not very often that the chance comes along to enjoy an intimate evening with songwriters; close-knit pub sessions where new material is shared among friends are few and far between lately. These five young songwriters, Bill Coleman, Mike Dempsey, Catherine Finerty, Veronica Moran and Barry Walls are new voices in a renaissance of Irish songwriting that has lead to the revitalisation of the Irish voice in modern music.
What's more, the evening is being hosted by Midlands Gold DJ Liam Dumpleton and will be recorded live, to be released in coming months as the second Midland Songwriters CD. The five artists' material covers a broad range of styles, each as different from one another as the artists themselves.
Bill Coleman, originally of Cork and a mainstay on the Galway and Dublin music scenes lends his voice to a medley of styles. From political commentary to love songs, his unique guitar playing and bold use of technology during his performances puts him on the cutting edge of modern Irish music.
Mike Dempsey, a native of Athlone, floats impressive vocals through sometimes gritty, sometimes angelic melody lines over an articulate, edgy acoustic guitar accompaniment. His style has sometimes been compared to Damien Rice, among other modern performers.
Catherine Finnerty, whom you may have been lucky enough to catch playing in Mullingar in a band format, appears on the 26th in all her acoustified solo glory. Strong melody lines and stirring arrangements have impressed many audiences and her appearance on the night is strongly anticipated.
Veronica Moran, having just released her debut EP, "Beyond Broken Images," is the youngest of this year's group. Trained as a cellist, this talented young woman also plays guitar and has had her plaintive vocal style likened to a young Sinead O'Connor.
Barry Walls was raised in a musical family and his experience shows itself in his music. Old, aching themes and stories are expressed in his finger-picking style and haunting vocal lines. Laughter and tears, memories and hopes dance together in songs that sound like they belong coming off an old favourite vinyl record.
Red Hot Records will be hosting a table of independent, local music CDs for sale on the night and the evening is a non-profit event, all proceeds go to supporting local live, original performance. Last year's Songwriter CD is currently available at local Athlone music outlets, Red Hot Records and Musicland.
Truly an evening not be missed for both lovers of music and supporters of young Irish talent. Come enjoy the music and the craic this Thursday, 26 May at 9pm in The Palace Loft, Athlone. Please go to www.songwriter.ie for more information.
We're really excited about this year's batch of songwriters. All of them are hugely talented and very different from one another. There's even talk of streaming this year's concert live on the web.
