Welcome to our new regular update on what’s going on in and around the Limerick music scene, and what a busy start to the year it has been!

The early year highlight was Denise Chaila’s wonderful win at the Music Moves Europe Awards, the European music prize for emerging artists. Denise was representing Ireland at the awards and you can catch ‘la nouvelle héroïne du hip-hop irlandais’ performing after the awards where she was as ever accompanied by her Narolane besties Murli and God Knows.

Another Limerick lady doing the city proud was Emma Langford who appeared on The Late, Late Show in the wake of the dreadful murder of Ashling Murphy. Not only did Emma speak passionately and courageously about the unacceptable fear that women live under everyday and that it needs to stop now, but she also performed a mesmerising rendition of The Winding Way Down to Kells Bay.

With regards to new releases we’ve seen new music from Laura Duff with All Sewn Up, the latest release from her Heavy Summer EP, John Steele who has followed up his 2021 album ‘Ghosts’ with a brand new song The Lucky One, whilst Dora Gola has also unleashed her energetic, rhythmic tour de force Flying Tree. Later this month Dylan Flynn & the Dead Poets are due to release the final track from their new EP ‘Crazy How We Live Like This’, and in the month that we remember the passing of the late great Dolores O’Riordan, her fellow Cranberries bandmate Noel Hogan has unveiled a wonderful new collaboration with Brazilian artist Mell Peck called With Keys.

And for those of you that want to enjoy a bit of nostalgia there’s still time to catch Digging For Fire, a radio documentary on RTE Radio 1 by Daragh Dukes and Kevin Brew (formerly of the band They Do It With Mirrors) along with Eoin O Kelly (The Hitchers) who explore the nature of youthful creativity as they remember their participation in the Limerick band scene of the early 1990s. Of course in late 2021 Daragh was back releasing new Headgear music and there’s more of that to come this year too.

Looking forward there’s plenty of superb gigs in the coming few weeks, pick of the bunch is the long awaited launch gig for Winding’s latest album Focus on the Past 5 which takes place in Dolan’s Warehouse on Feb 19th where they will be joined by the aforementioned Laura Duff, and Hey Rusty.

In what is a bumper month for Limerick’s premier music venue Belfast outfit Robocobra Quartet will be bringing their unique post-punk and jazz improv stylings to the Kasbah on Feb 11th, with support from fresh new talent Clara Tracey, whilst the absolutely not to be missed A Lazarus Soul finally have the opportunity to showcase their superb album ‘The D They Put Between the R&L’ the following night. Later in the month, on Feb 17th the legendary songstress

Mary Coughlan will be adding a touch of class to Upstairs in Dolan’s, whilst there’s a pair of Choice Music Prize nominees in the Warehouse in the shape of Soda Blonde on Feb 13th and Houseplants on Feb 18th. Tickets for all those gigs and loads more besides can be found here.

Elsewhere, the intimate setting of the Record Room of The Commercial hosts the first headline show for local talent on the rise Lloyd John with support being provided by Dylan Flynn & the Dead Poets on Feb 4th. And across town there is a stellar line-up in Pharmacia on Feb 20th celebrating the fourth birthday of the Hausu collective and record label, with Arthur Valentine, Ghostking is Dead, Actualacid and Automatic Blue all on the bill.

That’s it for now but if there are new music related developments, releases or gigs for the Limerick area that you wish to have featured in future editions, then just get in contact with John Loftus your local GoldenPlec man on the ground.