Laura Meets Musicians

Jenny Räisänen (Photo credit: Juhani Konttinen) Do you ever feel like the weight of what is happening in the world is too much to carry? Do you ever find yourself questioning about where humanity is lead? Do you ever see the seeds of injustice and suffering growing around you? I bet your answer is yes . Sometimes these feelings can be crushing, but if we look more carefully we still can spot the glimpses of light - sometimes small, sometimes bigger - among the darkness. This is the message of "The Light Between The Shadows" , the second album by  Jenny Räisänen , a Finnish singer-songwriter living in Ireland. This excellent 10-track album drives listeners in a deep journey into feelings of sadness, melancholy and isolation of individual and societal challenges, while providing heartfelt messages of hope and light at the end.  Jenny has been able to musically convey inner emotions that sometimes it's difficult to describe, while inducing goosebumps in the listeners w...

Aryel Moon Picture this: an Italian songwriter recently relocated to Ireland is walking on the Irish coast north of Dublin on a cold, grey day. It's a time of great struggle for her. A deep pain and a little memorial unexpectedly encountered on the way, awaken the most profound realisation about life and grief, and the beauty of finding the purest of love: the song "Bluebell" is born! The musician I am talking about is Aryel Moon , an indie-rock singer-songwriter that I had the pleasure to meet through social media. Being Italian myself, it's always so cool to meet Italian peers following their music dream abroad, and also quite funny that we always start talking to each other in English before releazing we can speak in Italian!  Aryel Moon's style ranges from melodic and mellow to scratchy and energetic, capturing the depth of human emotions and feelings. Her lyrics feature a storytelling style enriched with metaphors, often inspired by nature and natural eleme...

Photo credit. Lucy Ridges Many of you may know that discovering hidden talents and inspired songwriters is the thing I enjoy the most. When I first met Man at Sea (moniker of David Hewson) exactly one year ago, he was just at the beginning of his journey but it was clear to me how much talent he still had to unveil to the world. David bravely moved from musical/drama theatre to solo songwriting with the aim to pursue his real passion: creating immersive piano music experiences. After a resurgent desire to make songwriting his career, 2024 has seen the release of three brand new acclaimed singles, culminating in his second full professional EP, "In The Light Of A Dying Star" . I had the opportunity to interview him for the release of "Love & Anxiety" in 2023 (you can read it here ) and I'm delighted to introduce now his new 5 songs EP, released last week. In a music panorama where thousands of songs are released every day, most of which very similar to each ...

Luna Keller Growing up between two cultures and surrounded by music, Luna Keller is a singer-songwriter with a unique perspective fuelled by her curiosity and a deep connection to her emotions through songwriting. Her family moved from Germany to Spain when she was just 6 months old. As a result she grew up far away from most of her family and traveled often from a young age. Music was always a part of her life starting with her parents singing and playing the guitar for her to fall asleep and leading to her eventually falling in love with songwriting. Through it she found a true connection to herself, going as far as calling her songs "friends" that help her process life. Strong messages, honest lyrics and emotional vocals define Keller’s sound. I had the pleasure to interview her on Instagram about her journey and her latest album. Luna is definitely the most inspiring and prolific songwriter I've ever met - she enchants the listeners with her lyrics and her voice, g...

ARREN ARREN is a Dublin based, Limerick born artist who intends to blend the scale of iconic 90's rock bands with the intimacy of singer-songwriter, having inspirations including Radiohead, Oasis, Hudson Taylor and U2. ARREN also combines his music with strong visuals using lyric video visualisers, music videos and acoustic session videos, all of which accompany his new indie pop-infused rock single "It Takes One to Know", released in early July. "It Takes One to Know" is an anthemic, summer rock hit that combines the highs of a sunny blurry holiday with friends with the lows of heartbreak in your early 20's. In this song, ARREN paints a picture of a rollercoaster emotion-filled summer. The captivating sound and the powerful vocals create an "out of time" atmosphere, perfect to forget the present and enjoy a time journey in the past summer holidays. The lyrics and the rhythm are fresh and catchy, and instrumentally it features great drums and r...

(Photo credit: Holly McCandless-Desmond) Natalie Shay is one of the most exciting singer-songwriters emerging from the UK indie-pop music scene. Having performed at the world’s biggest festivals for new music SXSW and The Great Escape, as well as well-renowned festivals like Reading, Latitude and Victorious, the North Londoner is making her way across the globe, turning heads with her explosive live performances. Picking up the guitar at the age of five and attending the prestigious BRIT School in her teenage years, music has always been a part of Natalie’s life and her passion from a very young age. Known for her honest and relatable songwriting, Natalie is creating songs that empower and support, from infectious heartbreak anthems to up-beat tracks on love and friendships. She also doesn’t shy away from topics, speaking openly about mental health and anxiety.  CHAMPAGNE is Natalie’s new six-track EP, described as her favourite collection of songs yet. It encompasses who the art...

Mia Ramer Mia Ramer is a Swiss singer, harpist, music producer, and creator of unique and immersive musical experiences. At the heart of her performances is the harp , an instrument she uses in a non-conventional manner, employing loops, sound effects, and vocal harmonies to craft an ethereal, angelic, and deeply relaxing sound that transports the listener to another dimension. Drawing inspiration from nature, her travels, and a fascination with space and the universe, Mia weaves stories from the places she's been, the people she's met along the way, and faraway, imaginary realms. Her style can be described as a fusion of Celtic, folk, and ambient music, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere that transcends genres.  The self-produced "River" is Mia's latest single, with more mesmerizing material in the pipeline. Looking to the future, Mia is eager to share new and original creations, venturing into diverse musical genres while continually refining her style. "Ri...

Ciara Lawless (Photo credit: Oisin Browne) From arranging flowers to arranging music, 24-year-old Irish singer and florist Ciara Lawless , goes from working in her flower shop by day to arranging music by night where she writes and records her own music. After a successful start to 2024, the Celtic songbird who hails from Roscommon released her Debut Album "Paint My Soul" on Human Angel Records on 26th April. "Paint My Soul" is a beautiful collection of 10 songs that will do exactly that, Paint Your Soul! Ciara is one of the strongest Irish emerging artist that is set for world domination with her powerful voice that has hints of Kate Bush and Florence and the machine. The 10 songs have catchy choruses and are delivered with a mature song-writing that will leave the listener singing along. Ciara delves into themes about reconnecting with your inner-child, healing and self-discovery. Listening to her debut album, three things hit me: the maturity and complexity of Ci...

Amistat (Photo by Glynn Parkinson) Amistat is an indie folk due composed by twin brothers Josef and Jan Prasil . They were born in Germany and raised in Italy. With influences originating from Czech Republic and Australia, Amistat emerged in 2014. Their 2023 "colour in life" EP gained significant traction amassing north of 5.3 million Spotify streams and counting. At the same time, the musicians have multiple continents on tour and shined on festival stages. During 2023, Josef and Jan recorded what would become "a moment in the sun" in Cologne, Germany, where in the studio, they made a conscious decision to expand their sound. The result is something which is certain to turn heads, and they definitely turned mine! I  was already amazed by the music and harmonies they shared on Instagram, and I'm incredibly happy and honoured to finally feature them on my blog. Amistat inhale inspiration from life experience and exhale deftly crafted alternative folk anchored b...

Pamela Tully A brain tumour diagnosis in the middle of the pandemic with a possibility of having speech complications as a result of brain surgery led to taking chances and realizing dreams. Pamela Tully is a Pop/Rock singer songwriter from Kilnamanagh in Dublin , who has finally decided that now is the time to bring her music to life. She shares: "My genre of music is inspired by PopRock, think Lady Gaga meets Pink . Also Kelly Clarkson, Anastacia and Becky Hill influence me a lot, among many others. Since releasing my first single in 2022 I've been exploring my songwriting ability, getting more creative pushing the boundaries with this new single Paranoid. To date my music has been recognised and supported right here in Ireland by Irish radio; The Shift on WLR, KCLR, Dublin South FM, Dublin City FM, Tipp FM, Loughrea Radio, reviewed and featured by Hotpress, Newstalk's Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna , IMRO, Music Times, Rising Artists Blog, and added to playlists...

The North Café Series: the storytelling episodes Among all the musical projects that I've watched growing up from scratch, The North Café Project is definitely my favourite. Passion, storytelling, art, instrumental music, love... this ambitious musical project has them all, and even more. Conceived of and created across continents in the aftermath of a global pandemic, it is the brainchild of instrumentalist, John Silvers (USA/UK), who has collaborated with co-founder and musician, Elfin Bow (UK), sound designer and producer, Woody Woodward (UK), visual artist, Gus Lopez (USA) and mastering engineer, Derek Smyth (AUS) to create a unique and intimate offering of story and music. At a time of division and isolation, this global effort to unite and uplift, is a double album release comprising both an episodic story in four parts, with instrumental musical excerpts, and an accompanying album of the full compositions by John Silvers (ukulele) and Elfin Bow (piano).  Creating someth...

Luke Rhodes Luke Rhodes is a Pop-RnB singer and producer. His work is characterized by an energic style, self esteem and retaliation lyrics. Born and raised in Italy (finally I can feature a 100% Italian artist here on my blog, whoooo!!), he starts to play the guitar and sing at the age of six, learning by himself. After years of private music school, he enrolls in a music high school, where he starts to play the piano and write international pop songs in English. Shortly afterwards he decides to open a YouTube channel and post video covers, learning to record and edit videos and audio tracks. In 2016, he moves from his little town to Rome, where he starts busking and playing in pubs. This is when he starts finding his own sound and perfectioning his producing and editing skills, thanks also to his Bachelor degree in cinematic arts. In 2017, he meets the producer Sam Wells and the two start the production of his first single: Missed It (I'll Be Gone), characterized by a strong p...

Maria Wilman Taking a huge leap and making a fresh start at the age of 50, the London-based singer/songwriter, Maria Wilman , has just released her debut album, Dark Horse . The 12-track release showcases Wilman’s willingness to cross-examine the unknown – to draw out both its darkness and its joy and interrogate the idea of what it means for a side of us to appear as if from nowhere. Maria Wilman has a history of doing the unexpected, of transforming in ways guided by a trust in her own potential and strength. It’s a trait that the London-based singer/songwriter explores with candidness and depth on Dark Horse, produced by Colin Elliot (Richard Hawley, Slow Club) that offers a first taste of a much larger body of work written between 2019 and 2022. Sparked by an offhand comment by a friend, Dark Horse finds Wilman interrogating the idea of what it means for a side of us to appear as if from nowhere. What are we leaving behind there? What is the bereavement, the life already lived? Wh...

Elif Dame In this mid-August week, I found the perfect tune to ease you into the vacation vibes - "Killing It" by Amsterdam based artist Elif Dame. "Killing It" focuses on letting go and features warm, honey-soaked vocals, vibey beats from fellow Amsterdam artist GANZ, and hypnotic melodies which create an all-encompassing atmosphere. Plus, it is the result of a self-care hiatus that the artist took to take care of her mental health - I'm always more than happy to showcase on my blog the importance of taking breaks and breath a little, while the whole world is pushing us to just run, run, run (most of the times without a direction). But before, let's learn a little about Elif! Born to a jazz pianist and retail-clerk, the Amsterdam based Elif Dame (meaning "she who brings light") started practicing her creativity at a young age. Having her musical interests initially sparked by the likes of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and the gospel genre, it wo...