Today's Léim Thart episode is with Monaghan composer Jamie Duffy, recorded live with an audience at the Róisín Dubh Galway to celebrate the release of his debut album, which is freshly landed at #1 on the Independent Albums Chart in Ireland, and #7 All Albums. I loved speaking to Jamie about it, as well as a few live tracks with Claire on cello, which you'll hear in the episode.
Recorded between Ireland and Iceland over the past 2 years, the album takes the listener on a cinematic journey of late nights, raw nature, and intimate moments of solitude. With a big orchestral sound, even the smallest room will feel huge. We spoke about all this, his connection to Enya, and his composing habits.
At just 24, Jamie Duffy has emerged as one of Ireland’s most compelling new artists. His debut single 'Solas' became the most streamed debut by an Irish artist since Hozier’s Take Me To Church, with over 130+ million streams on Spotify, 27 million YouTube views, and 7.3 billion views on TikTok. He has supported Hans Zimmer in Hyde Park London, and has scored his first movie, due for release in 2026.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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'Jamie Duffy' Tracklist:
1. Torus
2. Into the West
3. Solas
4. Rising
5. Take This Slowly (with Colm Mac Con Iomaire)
6. Breathing
7. For the Moon
8. Púca
9. Resonance
10. Against the Atlantic
11. Upon a Hill (with Atli Örvarsson)
Dublin's own RuthAnne is on Léim Thart today! A major Irish figure of music and the industry, she has been in the game since co-writing 'Too Little Too Late' for JoJo at 17 years old. Since then, she has accumulated over 12 billion streams as a writer, and earned GRAMMY & BRIT Award nominations. Now 20 years into her career, she has a brand-new album 'The Moment' out October 10th, and her book 'It's Not Just A Song' is out now.
As an artist, her song 'The Vow' blew up when used in the Love Island 2019 finale, and then was asked personally to sing it at the engagement of finalists Tommy Fury & Molly-Mae Hague. As a writer, she has credits on global hit for likes of Britney Spears, Niall Horan, Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha. RuthAnne has been a champion for songwriters, campaigning for fair payment for writers, often overlooked by the industry.
'It's Not Just A Song' is an empowering guide to songwriting and surviving the music industry. RuthAnne speaks to some of the biggest global songwriters about their process and the writer’s room, including Amy Allen (Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, Tate McRae, Selena Gomez, Halsey) John Legend (Estelle, Janet Jackson), Dan Wilson (Adele, Dixie Chicks) and Emily Warren (Dua Lipa, The Chainsmokers.)
'The Moment' is a love letter to classic songwriting and a reminder that vulnerability and craft are timeless. The Moment was written in some of life’s most intimate corners, moments of quiet reflection where she began to ask herself what she truly wanted to say as an artist.
RuthAnne plays The Sugar Club in Dublin on 15 October and One Ninety Four in London on 23 October. Tickets available now.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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Kilkenny dance duo 49th & Main have just dropped their long-awaited debut album 'Happy Tears', to wide acclaim and to the delight of their fast-growing base of listeners. With over 200 million streams, 2.2 million monthly Spotify listeners, multiple BBC Radio 1 - backed releases & listed in the NME 100, the pair have become one of the most popular acts in music coming from Ireland and sit at the forefront of indie-electronic music globally.
Their high-energy live shows have propelled them to selling out shows left right and centre, with a sold-out North American tour, Olympia Theatre Dublin, and HERE at Outernet London all within the last year.
49th & Main have crafted an album that captures the pulse of indie-electronic music while crossing over into their plethora of sonic elements, writing their own playbook on success through artistic authenticity. From their audacious rise from Kilkenny to international acclaim, the duo has carved out an unconventional and inspiring path.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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'Happy Tears' Tracklist:
1. Good Times
2. Welcome Aboard
3. 49th & Main & mustbejohn - Rewind
4. Possibly Hunger
5. Most Days (feat. Brandon Nembhard)
6. Happy Days
7. Can’t Walk Away (feat. A Little Sound)
8. Some Advice
9. Nothing Comes Close
10. 49th & Main x SHEE - Hold On
11. Feels Right
12. Roll Over
13. Glenmalure Blue
14. Distractions
15. Percontation
16. Mr Rain
17. Self Sabotage
19. Come Home
20. Ardbeg
21. Invictus
Scotland's newest folk hero Jacob Alon sat in on Léim Thart to share their stunning debut album 'In Limerence', released on the 30th May. With captivating otherworldly lyrics, and a voice that in the words of Annie Mac can crack the most cynical of hearts wide open, Jacob has been winning over audiences everywhere since first releasing music last autumn.
Having recently finished a tour with Olly Alexander (Years & Years), they're now touring Europe with the album, arriving in The Workmans Club Dublin, upgraded due to demand, on the 11th June, tickets available now. Jacob will support Kae Tempest this autumn on tour.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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Bringing lush neo-soul to us is Lizzie Berchie as she shares her brand-new EP 'Night Shift', which comes out on the 23rd May. The 7-track project is filled with stunning vocals, tight harmonies, and the relatable story of an artist who balances full-time work with the music career. I loved having her on to learn all about it!
On the live scene, following support slots for Mahalia and Loyle Carner, Lizzie plays a sold-out show in St Pancras Old Church, London, which is set to be a beautiful show.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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Lady Gaga has well and truly returned with 'MAYHEM', her first pop album in FIVE years following 2020's 'Chromatica'. Following our review of that album, I invited Dean O'Reilly back onto Léim Thart with me to give initial thoughts on this new era for Gaga. Producers on the album include Gaga, Andrew Watt, Cirkut, and Gesaffelstein.
This album follows the critical success of single 'Disease' and 'Abracadabra', and the worldwide smash of 'Die With A Smile' with Bruno Mars, which boasts over 2 billion Spotify streams, a Grammy, and charted as the #1 song worldwide for 10 weeks.
At its core, MAYHEM is about embracing the fractured pieces of oneself and discovering how they come together to form something unexpected and beautiful. The album mirrors this concept with its diverse sonic palette and thematic layers, combining elements of chaos, defiance, and vulnerability into a cohesive artistic statement.
Gaga describes this process as assembling a shattered mirror: “Even if you can’t put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something memorable and whole in its own way.”
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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I'm thrilled to FINALLY welcome my friend Paddy Keyes onto Léim Thart with his brilliant debut EP 'Over & Over'. After several years of releasing indie-pop bangers, the Sligo-native, Dublin-based artist has shared his first body of work with the world. We got to dive into the journey so far, some track details, and what to expect this year!
Keyes explores past experiences of various relationships in his youth throughout the EP. In the title track ‘Over & Over’, Keyes shares his frustrations of working a part time job, while in ‘Not Ready To Love You’, he sends a voice message to a former partner expressing his true feelings. Each song has a message to someone in the past from Keyes’ current perspective, followng a very strong 2024 for the 23-year-old, selling out his headline show in Whelan’s Upstairs in November, securing support slots across the UK and Ireland for the likes of Good Neighbours, Post-Party and Holler, as well as taking the stage at Sea Sessions Surf & Music Festival in June.
Play this episode on YouTube HERE
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I'm thrilled to welcome British singer-songwriter Jo Hill onto Léim Thart with her stunning debut album, girlhood. The album is a testament to Jo’s exceptional songwriting prowess, drawing inspiration from iconic legends like Queen, Boney M, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Joni Mitchell, while also echoing the influence of contemporary acts such as Big Thief, Remi Wolf, and Kacey Musgraves.
She brought me through the highlights of the album, going independent, connecting with her audience, 2025 plans, and even an unexpected Arabic lesson! girlhood. is a captivating blend of timeless and current sounds that has received multiple spins from BBC Radio 1 and a recent play from Elton John on his Rocket Hour Apple Music show.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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A force in pop music, GRACEY has been in our years for almost a decade as a singer and songwriter. She has featured on releases with The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Craig David, Jax Jones and KSI. In addition, she co-wrote 'PSYCHO' for Anne-Marie & Aitch which landed Top 5 in the UK singles chart, Jonas Blue and RAYE’s platinum-selling ‘By Your Side’ + others for Meghan Trainor, Rita Ora, Marshmello, Tiësto and more, earning her a nomination at the A&R awards for Songwriter of the Year 2023.
Now an independent artist, she has delivered BANGERS in the form of 'Delirium' and 'Rhetorical Questions', before now serving up the slower, more reflective 'Back To Then', where she mourns the loss of a friendship following a breakup.
GRACEY had a Top 10 UK hit single 'Don’t Need Love' with 220 KID which was nominated for a BRIT Award for Best Single, previous UK arena tours with Anne-Marie and Tom Grennan, along with festivals like BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, Reading & Leeds, Parklife, Latitude.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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Today on Léim Thart, we have a re-issue of my 2022 chat with Ryan McMullan. At the time, he was about to release his debut album 'Redesign'. However, he then postponed release citing poor mental health. Fast-forward to 2024 and 'Redesign' has just been released much to the delight of a very patient fanbase, with an even bigger and better tour to go along with it!
On this episode, you'll hear all about the album, and find out where Ryan McMullan is at in 2024!
View this episode on YouTube HERE
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Victor Ray is the UK's newest standout voice of R&B and Pop, with the release of new single ‘Still The Same’. It arrives alongside the news that his biggest headline show in London to date, at KOKO in November has sold out. The single is the first taste of new music since the release of his ‘I TRIED.’ EP in the summer, the final in a series of releases documenting Victor’s extraordinary rise over the last 18 months.
The gig list is getting longer and longer - performances at Montreux Jazz Festival, Radio 1’s Big Weekend and support slots with Teddy Swims and Tom Grennan have seen Victor playing for thousands, gathering new fans wherever he performs.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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Charli xcx has FINALLY treated us to the follow-up of her summer-defining album 'BRAT' in the form of a remix album, entitled 'Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat', which features a star-studded line-up of collaborators, such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Lorde, The 1975, Bon Iver, Caroline Polachek, Tinashe, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, and The Japanese House.
With 'BRAT' being the most critically-acclaimed album of the year, and being an album living on the dancefloor, it was a natural extension of the era to release this edition, with every standard edition track of the album (and 1 deluxe track) remixed. How does it stack up? Hear my full review here!
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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Making her return to Léim Thart, Dublin pop artist Aimée has a new banger, the heartfelt 'Passenger Seat' takes us through a comforting journey dedicated to her late mother, as a trip down memory lane is set to slick pop production.
Written with Gabrielle Aplin and Ash Howes (Kylie Minogue, Atomic Kitten), Aimée describes her latest offering as her ‘best therapy session yet’ written for everyone who is missing someone, whether it’s an ex-partner or somebody who has passed on; ‘Passenger Seat’ is the song to sing, dance and drive home to.
This new release follows the success of Aimée's Christmas single, ‘Grafton Street Lights’, which won the Christmas FM Song Contest to be crowned Ireland’s Christmas Song of the Year in 2023. Aimée also plays the Academy Green Room on the 4th August, tickets on sale now.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
Follow Ruairí Egan / Léim Thart HERE
Watch Aimée on Léim Thart in 2022 HERE
American popstar and TikTok sensation Leah Kate joined me recently while in Dublin for her 'Super Over' Tour, which boasted even bigger crowds than ever as she made her way across Europe. I got to know her and her music through playing a few quick-fire games, including some podcast-exclusive content right here just for you :)
No stranger to the stage, she has toured alongside Madison Beer, Hayley Kiyoko, and Anne-Marie. Leah Kate is proving to be a star on the rise with 300M+ global streams, 200M+ TikTok views to date, and millions of followers across all socials.
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Norwegian superstar Astrid S has blown the world of pop music away with a staggering 5 billion streams of hit songs such as "Hurts so Good", "Think Before I Talk" and "It's OK If You Forget Me". Her second album, the newly-released 'Joyride', reflects her growth as an artist, inspired by car journeys with her Dad. They listened to bands like The Killers, Fleetwood Mac, Coldplay, and HAIM - early musical impulses that are reflected throughout the new album.
Astrid S is a global pop artist with sold-out world tours and several awards in the luggage, including Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy) and MTV award. She has previously collaborated with talents such as JP Cooper, Shawn Mendes, NOTD, and previous Léim Thart guest Dagny.
2020's debut album 'Leave It Beautiful', became a bible of Scandipop, crafted mostly with Swedish production duo Jack & Coke. Astrid compares the process of making the new album to speed dating. She has stepped out of her comfort zone and jumped into sessions with many different producers, including JT Daly (K. Flay, Benson Boone, PVRIS), Oliver Lundström (Carly Rae Jepsen, Dagny) and Matias Téllez (girl in red, Sondre Lerche, Maisie Peters).
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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One year on since his first Léim Thart, Fred Roberts has gone from strength to strength with the release of his debut EP 'Sound Of My Youth'. With over a million streams to date, packed-out headline gigs, and a summer full of festivals ahead, we sat down for a much-needed catch-up on all things music... and sleeper trains. and underwater tunnels.
Lead single Sound Of My Youth was written in LA on the last day of a writing trip with Andrew Wells(Phoebe Bridgers, Halsey) and Anthony Rossomando (Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding). Fred’s cross generational inspirations move from The Killers to The Smiths, Billie Eilish to LittleSimz, Matty Healy to Frank Ocean and his idol Troye Sivan.
Stream the 'Sound Of My Youth' EP HERE
Learn about underwater tunnels in the Faroe Islands HERE
Learn about sleeper trains on a boat HERE
Photography by Jono White
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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4 years since her last album, and continuing her reign at the top of the muisc world, we have finally been treated to Dua Lipa's third album 'Radical Optimism' 🦈 Following the juggernaut disco-infused 'Future Nostalgia', Dua worked with the aim to build a new psychedelic, Britpop-inspired record. Did she succeed? Here is my full review.
Since 2020, Dua Lipa has remained at the forefront of pop culture, with a 3rd Grammy win, 7th BRIT award, and the lead single of Barbie movie 'Dance The Night', to name but a few achievements. Her song 'Levitating' went on to become the official #1 song of 2021 the US, and certified Diamond. Inspired by Dua’s own self-discovery, Radical Optimism is an album that taps into the pure joy and happiness of having clarity in situations that once seemed impossible to face. The album was co-written by Lipa, alongside primary album collaborators Caroline Ailin, Danny L. Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala fame.
Big thanks to Rút, Seán, and Conor for their contributions to this episode.
- Stream the Léim Thart 'Future Nostalgia' review HERE
- Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
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Cover photo by Tyrone Lebon
Making a grand return to Léim Thart, one of my favourite guests is Bandon Beyoncé LYRA! Having freshly released her self-titled debut album, we just had to catch up and discuss all the new music. Hear her talk about working with Lady Gaga's producer, keeping a song from David Guetta, and the juiciness of a live show!
The debut album is a comprehensive reflection of the Irish pop- dance sensation today. Consisting of 14 tracks, the album conveys the broad range of her musicality, journeying from the dark and sultry ‘Chess’ to the pulsating dance anthem ‘Lovers’ to the empowering latest single ‘Queen’.
Watch this episode on Youtube HERE
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BRITs Rising Star nominee Caity Baser is still learning, good thing she has a mixtape about it! With over 200 million streams to her name to date, and collaborations with both chart-topper Joel Corry, and Sigala, Baser has wowed sold-out audiences far and wide with hits like 'Pretty Boys', 'X&Y', 'Friendly Sex', and 'I'm a Problem'.
With her new mixtape 'Still Learning' out now, and her biggest tour to date about to kick off, she shared all the juicy details with me for Léim Thart!
Watch this episode on Youtube HERE
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South African pop newcomer Will Linley has just kicked off his sold-out European tour with a show in Dublin's Whelan's, to a raving reception from the crowd. Before taking to stage, we sat to talk about his tour plans, his new 'Magic' EP, along with what is on the way for the 22-year-old! Having shared stages with the likes of P!nk and Maroon 5, the tour will leave audiences wowed by the high energy, and thoughtful lyrics.
Will first gained traction on TikTok, leading to an airplay #1 in South Africa with the Gold-certified “miss me (when you’re gone).” International acclaim soon followed, along with his debut EP kill all my feelings. His previous single ‘Last Call’ also made a sizable impact with over 32 million global streams to date.
Watch this episode on Youtube HERE
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