Newfound Sounds for April

Whether you are in the mood for melancholic piano-based pop, homegrown hip-hop or feminist riot grrrl sounds, you'll find them all in this month's Newfound Sounds podcast. Here's the lowdown on the Irish artists featured this month.

Cat Dowling has one of the most wonderful voices in Irish contemporary music – and its husky tones are used to mournful perfection on her latest single, Come On. The former Babelfish frontwoman will release her solo record The Believer on May 3rd, while Come On is out in April.

Dara Ryder is the man behind the Dying Embers, and is joined on debut album At War With The Eskimos by a range of musicians. Produced by Stephen Shannon, this release offers both Villagers-esque emotive pop songs and alt-country-tinged tunes.

Gavin Mulhall continues to release quality EPs – so here's hoping the follow up to this Elliott Smith-influenced EP The Wisdom of Crowds is a full length. Released on March 29th, it can be bought at reverbnation.com/ gavinmulhall with 50 per cent of proceeds going to the Keep A Child Alive Charity, or for free at
gavinmulhall.bandcamp.com.

The Low Sea are a Bosnian-Liverpool duo that make dark electro from their base in Waterford. Some of the tracks on their album Remote Viewing (out April 8th) were mixed by Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, New Order, PIL), and their synth-heavy sound, with its intriguing accented vocals, is almost otherworldly at times.

Meabh Cheasty is one half of the Berlin-via-Ireland duo You're Only Massive, and Midi Grrrl is her own solo work. This track, Breeder, is from a forthcoming EP and with its strong feminist message, fierce use of synths and nod to the energy of Riot Grrrl, it's a supercharged listen.

Finally, we end the podcast in Cork, with hip hop artist and beatmaker Spekulativ Fiction . His Deathly Words EP demonstrates how he takes influence from the past, but has no qualms about experimenting in the present, and that's what makes his music stand out.