Music
Preview
RTÉ Choice Music Prize Nominees Announced
Check out which Irish artists have been nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Album of the Year 2023
The shortlist for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2023, in association with IMRO & IRMA, have been announced and once again showcases just a selection of the incredible talent of Irish artists. The actual awards take place in Vicar Street, Dublin, on Thursday 7 March 2024, tickets are on sale now.
Check out the nominees below and where you can catch many of them live.
Grian Chatten – Chaos For The Fly
Fountains D.C frontman’s first solo debut Chaos For The Fly didn’t disappoint fans. Throughout Chatten experiments with lyrics and genres. The 35-minute long album infuses his familiar lead vocals, emotive lyrics, and alternative sound leaving listeners enriched.
CMAT – Crazymad For Me
Global pop star CMAT and previous RTÉ Choice Music Prize Winner for her 2022 debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead is back. The sensational 12-tracker Crazymad, For Me – is an “abstract break-up record,” that is “Bat Out of Hell by Meatloaf for the girls,” according to CMAT.
CMAT will play a headline show in Fairview Park, Dublin on 13 June. Tickets are on sale now here.
John Francis Flynn – Look Over The Wall, See The Sky
John Francis Flynn’s music evolves around traditional and folk material from Ireland. His most recent album Look Over The Wall, See The Sky is to witness history through a modern lens in a trance-like state. On this most recent record, his unique musical language is fully formed noting that “I feel freer within that language to experiment and take it further without it being too conscious or premeditated.”
You can catch John Francis Flynn at the new one-day festival ‘In The Meadows’ at Royal Hospital Kilmainham on 8 June. Tickets are on sale now here.
Kojaque – PHANTOM OF THE AFTERS
Rapper Kojaque has been nominated again following his previous nominations for the 2018 genre-bending record Deli Daydreams and his 2021 release Town’s Dead. His newest release PHANTOM OF THE AFTERS deals with the inevitable loneliness of relocating your life – a relatable feeling for many of his generation. Although a heavy topic, Kojaque’s indisputable charm and energic flow keep the listener upbeat and engaged.
Lankum – False Lankum
Four-piece Lankum has gained worldwide acclaim for their first three albums and in 2019 won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Album of the Year for The Livelong Day.
Their fourth album False Lankum has been universally praised, reaching No.2 in the Official Irish Album Charts on release. The record heralds a new stage in the metamorphosis of the band into a modern-day powerhouse, drawing on traditional and primitive methods to create bold and singular music that transcends its folk roots.
Lankum are co-curators and headliners at the one-day festival ‘In the Meadows’ at Royal Hospital Kilmainham on 8 June 2024. Tickets are on sale now here.
Rachael Lavelle – Big Dreams
Rachel Lavelle is a Dublin-born singer and composer. Her stunning debut album, Big Dreams, was released in November 2023 to widespread acclaim. Big Dreams is an existential coming-of-age album that chronicles the journey of a young woman searching for direction & meaning in a very strange world.
The Murder Capital – Gigi’s Recovery
Dublin-based post-punk group The Murder Capital’s album Gigi’s Recovery pushed the band into ever braver sonic territories, apart from previous peers. An early iteration of the record emerged after eight months, but the results were deemed too depressing. They decamped to London for another six months, resulting in Gigi’s Recovery, which managed to explore a broader range of emotions, added bold melodies and expansive guitar work.
The Scratch – Mind Yourself
The Scratch are a four-piece band, previously a five-piece and “a full-blown metal band” called Red Enemy. They swapped the electric axes and amps for acoustics. With this, they began creating music that is a beautiful blend of traditional Irish and Metal with a sprinkle of humour. The latest album, ‘Mind Yourself‘, is the band truly evolved into their now established sound – the fusion of folklore, trad, metal, and Irish colloquialisms.
Soda Blonde – Dream Big
Dream Big, the second studio album from Irish band Soda Blonde, is far more than a collection of catchy and cathartic pop songs; it’s a mantra – a mission statement from four lifelong friends. It’s their promise to themselves, and a message to all who come along for the ride: A reminder that life is precious, fragile, and fleeting, so we might as well dream big and hold nothing back.
Ezra Williams – Supernumeraries
Ezra Williams is a 21-year-old songwriter and musician from Cork, Ireland. Their debut album, Supernumeraries was released in June and deals with the intricacies of forming relationships as someone on the Autism spectrum. It gives the listener an insight into the internal conflicts and self-reflection throughout these experiences.
With a fantastic lineup of some shortlisted acts set to play, make sure to get your tickets for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize 2023 at Vicar Street here.
