The London Ear #386 // Five Grand Stereo + The Clockworks

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The London Ear #386

Two great Irish bands to chat to on this week’s show, a great way to kick off a Bank Holiday weekend. Whether you’re in the UK or in Ireland, The London Ear is where it’s at. On The London Ear #386 I’ve got interviews with Five Grand Stereo and The Clockworks.

From The Vault: Microdisney

This week’s Irish track From The Vault comes from Microsdisney with Singer’s Hampstead Home. This week’s track was a very easy one for me, coupled with the fact that for the first time, the albums that Microdisney released on VIrgin records are now available on streaming services. ‘The Crooked Mile’ and ’39 Minutes’ are gorgeous albums. I would strongly suggest you check them out if you’ve never done it before.

Check out Microdisney on Spotify

Sound of The Underground: The Mighty Observer

Sound of The Underground is the section of the programme where I introduce you to a London-based artist or band. This week’s artist is The Mighty Observer. Garmon Rhys, aka The Might Observer, is a West End actor, so an interesting back story too. He also is member of Melyn Melin, another Welsh act making waves.

The current EP from The Mighty Observer is entitled ‘Under The Open Sky’ and is released on the Welsh label, Cae Gwyn Records.

You can find out more about The Mighty Observer on Twitter, Facebook, and Insta.

Interview with Chris from Five Grand Stereo

Chris from Five Grand Stereo Chats to Nessy on Zoom
Chris Singleton from Five Grand Stereo Chats to Nessy on Zoom

It was great to catch up with Chris Singleton from Five Grand Stereo to chat about the band’s new single, ‘Dancing Mary’ and to chat about their forthcoming collection of tracks that reflect on Chris’s childhood in Dublin. ‘Dancing Mary’ is a great song to introduce us to what’s coming next and many of us will remember ‘Dancing Mary’ in Dublin city centre.

I’m really looking forward to hearing more music from Five Grand Stereo. Check out the band on their website and Spotify.

Interview with Sean from The Clockworks

Sean C from The Clockworks Chats to Nessy on Zoom
Sean C from The Clockworks Chats to Nessy on Zoom

It was lovely to chat to Sean from The Clockworks, last time we chatted was for a Q&A for these pages during lockdown one. The London-based Galway band are back with a new EP and again, they deliver. We chat about the EP, moving home during lockdown, SXSW and upcoming gigs.

You can find about more about The Clockworks on FacebookTwitter and Instagram. Listen to the band on Spotify.

The London Ear Playlist April 30 2022

Hour 1
Naked Lung: Why Do People Change
yunè pinku: Bluff
Lukewarmdaily96: Hit The Hay
Farah Elle: Play It By Ear
Ciaran Moran
Five Grand Stereo: David Bowie
Interview with Chris from Five Grand Stereo
Five Grand Stereo: Dancing Mary
From The Vault: Microdisney: Singer’s Hamsptead Home
Vernon Jane: Origami
Faontaines DC: Roman Holiday

Hour 2
Nala & Nikki Nair: The World Is Always Ending
Sinead O’Brien: There Are Good Times Coming
Sound of The Underground: The Mighty Observer
Interview with The Clockworks:
The Clockworks: Feels So Real
Interview with The Clockworks:
The Clockworks: Endgame
Jody Sinclair: Pastel Black
Sive: Dancing Alone
Pillow Queens: My Body Moves
The Clash: Clampdown

Listen On-Demand to The London Ear

Thanks for listening, The London Ear is broadcast online and on your radio apps, in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ 2XM. You can always listen to the show on-demand after it has been broadcast on RTÉ 2XM on the RTÉ player including all previous episodes. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1200. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME OF MIDDAY!

You can find all previous episodes on the pages of this site here.