Hudson Taylor To Feature On ‘The Host’ Soundtrack

Having received a majorly positive response to two fantastic EPs, released in quick succession, it seems Dublin brothers, Harry and Alfie Hudson Taylor, plus the new addition to the group, Tadgh Walsh-Peelo, are leaping further into the public eye and are onto even bigger and better things this year.

The extremely talented trio have just announced that their ultimate fan-favourite, and most popular song live, Chasing Rubies is set to be a part of the soundtrack for upcoming film, ‘The Host’. This soon to be released film hails from Stephanie Meyer, the author of The Twilight Saga, and will be in cinemas across the UK on March 29th.

It definitely looks like the years of busking around Dublin have paid off for the Hudson Taylor lads, as they unsurprisingly start their movie soundtrack appearances at the top, with this eagerly awaited film.

If you are amongst one of those who cannot wait to hear Hudson Taylor and the many other talents appearing on this soundtrack, you can download this soundtrack on iTunes from March 26th, and catch the movie in cinemas from March 29th.

Don’t forget to follow Hudson Taylor on Facebook & Twitter for all the latest on gigs and releases.

Watch ‘Chasing Rubies’ here:

Lauren Aquilina – ‘Wanderlust’ Single and Music Video

After hours and hours of anticipation and excitement from Lauren’s fans, and even Lauren herself, her brand new single Wanderlust is out now, as of 12am.

This beautiful mellow track, accompanied by a fantastic music video took a whole three months to plan, not to mention the months and months of saving Lauren had to do to hire the venue.

Wanderlust is a beautiful sounding track (and the sound in the music video is live recorded, I should add), which is filled from corner to corner with emotion, as one would only expect from Lauren Aquilina. Over four minutes of flawless piano leading Lauren’s extremely powerful vocals which pour out real, honest lyrics, combined with the fact that all profits go to such an extraordinary charity- what more could we ask of this young inspiration?

Filmed between 11pm and 3am, this music video is filled with grace and goes hand in hand with the melody of the track beautifully. The extremely intricate, complex lyrics we see in Lauren’s songs shines in this fantastically written track, and definitely stands out as one of her most mature sounding.

Following her extremely successful release with Fools EP, there’s clearly a great level of consistency in Lauren’s songwriting, and she’ll just grow and grow in the industry.

Follow Lauren on Twitter & Facebook.

You can download the single for free (donations are accepted and greatly encouraged) HERE. All proceeds go to Comic Relief.

Watch the music video here:

Review: Tom Mitchell – ‘Ruthless Thing’ EP

Bristol based singer/songwriter, Tom Mitchell has recently branched out to take on a solo career, having been involved in bands since the age of 15, and of course having played guitar for Duffy in 2006 and 2007.

To begin this solo career, Tom has just released his debut EP, entitled Ruthless Thing. With influences reflecting off the likes of Mark Knopfler, this EP was always destined to have a beautifully delicate sounding guitar to support soft vocals, which execute The Kinks and BellX1 influenced writing styles.

This EP begins with the title track, pouring upbeat guitar melodies into a mix of quiet, soft vocals and ultimately creating a mature folk-y slant on a generic acoustic genre. With a satisfactory introduction complete, the music flows into a more deep, complex song- Only Partly There, displaying a sweet sounding guitar picking pattern. Being used to harmony-based vocals, the harmonies, although relatively subtle, shine in this song.

Almost completing a full circle in terms of guitar pieces, we are directed from an upbeat beginning in Ruthless Thing, then toning down to less strumming and more complex sounds, to lifting back up in the final track- He Forgot To Check His Heart At The Door.

Ruthless Thing EP is an extremely easy-to-listen-to EP. A man and a guitar is essentially what would appear at the fore; but the lyrical substance of each track is something that Mr. Mitchell should be acclaimed for.

Find out more about Tom on his website.

You can download ‘Ruthless Thing’ EP HERE.

Don’t forget to follow Tom on Twitter & Facebook to keep up to date with his music.

Review: Shauna Mackin – ‘Rita’

Following her debut EP Little Blue, Shauna has recently released her latest single- Rita.

Kicking off with a rustic, booming guitar piece, giving off the essence of a slight Ryan Sheridan vibe, this track immediately registers with enthusiasm and life. When Shauna’s voice appears through the surface slowly, lowering the volume of the thundering instruments for a short verse, we’re reminded of what’s so special about this artist. This uniquely soulful voice, which was almost calming in previous tracks, is fantastically uplifting and motivating when given the task of competing with this incredible abundance of noises- in the best way possible!

All this power and energy is pulled together excellently throughout this song, and in one beautiful finish, the eletric guitars have an absolute field day reaching their highest possible pitch, and are gently lowered and silenced by a set of almost whispering vocals, that could only be Shauna Mackin.

All in all, Rita is a fantastic song, beautifully written, and wonderfully executed… But even better- it is also accompanied by an extremely impressive music video. Check it out here:

Natalie Holmes Releases ‘The Simplest Things’ Official Music Video

Having spent a vast amount of time building up her fanbase on Youtube, British Singer/Songwriter, Natalie Holmes celebrated her first iTunes release at the beginning of this year, with The Simplest Things EP.

With beautifully honest lyrics set to smooth melodies, the response to this EP was bound to be amazing. Only a couple of months on from this release and we are presented with what is a perfectly articulated music video for title track The Simplest Things.

With Natalie being the main focus of the video (even baby Natalie!), it portrays the story that the lyrics speak, and the two go hand in hand wonderfully. A lot of thought and personalisation was clearly incorporated into this video; it definitely won’t become just an accompaniment for the song, but rather a story in itself. Top marks to Natalie and Daniel Broadley Films!

Natalie’s EP is available to buy on iTunes.

Don’t forget to follow Natalie on Twitter & Facebook to keep up to date with gigs, releases and general news.

The Simplest Things music video:

Interview: Swiss Lips

Manchester Dance-Eletro-Pop group, Swiss Lips, are planning to release an album in the Summer, and with their utterly unique sound and their musical energy, I've no doubt it will be a massive success. 

Having supported Bastille on a number of shows during their tour in October last year, Swiss Lips' fanbase just keeps growing, and who could question it, with such comfortable, lively stage presence to offer. Lead vocalist, Sam Hammond, spoke to me about the background of Swiss Lips, and also what's next on the cards for this upcoming group.

Interview: Matthew M. Taylor

British songwriter and producer, Matthew Montgomery Taylor has recently worked with a lot of upcoming musicians such as Katie Sky, Natalie Holmes and Orla Gartland. I caught up with this extremely talented guy to find out how it all kicked of for him and what’s next in his very positive looking career.

Orla Gartland Announces First Ever UK & Ireland Tour

After years of hard work and severe patience, Dublin singer/songwriter, Orla Gartland has finally announced her first ever UK and Ireland tour. Eagerly anticipated by her large, and rapidly growing fan base, Orla will be visiting a variety of places around Ireland and the UK during the month of July.