Agus Éire: 5 Irish Artists to Add to Your St. Patrick’s Day Playlist
Ireland has been having its time in the metaphorical sun lately, bolstered by hit shows like Derry Girls, Paul Mescal’s boyish charm (or Cillian Murphy’s, or Niall Horan’s, or Hozier’s…), and swaths of memes about decomposing in a bog. But the Irish identity is one far richer than just a few online jokes and a frankly impressive collection of affable white men.
Ireland has a long history of immigration, conflict, and colonization that has left its mark on its people, but it has also left a bond with music. Irish language, poetry, and music have long been tools of resistance in Ireland, resulting in a culture with a strong ability for story telling and a real passion for doing so. And to look on the bright side: it’s given us quite a lot of talented artists.
This month, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Team EnVi rounded up five of those talented Irish artists to keep an eye on. Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding of the Irish experience, looking to gain more perspective on your own ancestry, or just infuse your playlist with some good craic, these acts are ones you won’t want to miss.
sinéad harnett
Born to Thai and Irish parents, UK-based singer Sinéad Harnett is a smooth-toned, dulcet R&B singer with a particularly personal take on music. Heavily inspired by her own experiences with mental health struggles, relationships, and feeling split between identities, Harnett’s music is as sorrowful as it is triumphant.
Getting her start from a Twitter contest hosted by grime artist Wylie to feature on his upcoming single “Crash“, Harnett featured on tracks by artists like Disclosure and Ryan Hemsworth before the release of her first EP N.O.W in 2014. But it was 2016’s self-titled album that saw her rise in popularity with breakout single “If You Let Me.”
Harnett has only grown since then, with her latest album Boundaries and its supporting tour exploring her mentality after starting therapy. The project is both vulnerable and accepting and serves as a promise of an even stronger artist to come.
Recommended Song: “Shoulder”
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khakikid
KhakiKid, a.k.a first-generation Irish Abdu Huss, is a dynamic, energetic rapper growing quickly from the Dublin music scene.
Starting out working solo in his bedroom, KhakiKid became known for his sense of humor and classic Irish self-deprecating lyrics. More recent releases, however, have seen KhakiKid’s music begin to incorporate more honesty and autobiography. Describing his earlier releases as fictitious and exaggerated, Huss admitted he didn’t think people would care about his own experiences. But it’s own experiences that truly make his work stand out — talking about growing up on an estate in songs like “Boy Racer” or grappling with his Arab identity as someone who had only been raised Irish in “Underbite.”
Huss’ is a fresh perspective on what it means to be Irish, and his frequent collaboration with other Irish artists has created a discography that is exciting and refreshing. If his sold out concerts are anything to go by, it’s a welcome change.
Recommended Song: “Who’s That Girl”
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kneecap
Love them or hate them, you’re still thinking about them — and that’s all Belfast-born hip hop trio Kneecap really care about. Members Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí infuse hip hop with a tongue-in-cheek take on Irish republicanism, donned in balaclavas, with lyrics flowing deftly between Irish and English. Though they often speak on themes regarding sectarianism, the reunification of Ireland, and the use of the Irish language as a tool of resistance, they don’t consider themselves “capital P” political. They see their music as a lens to understand the realities of life for young Irish people, exploring mental health struggles, addiction, and class inequality on top of reflecting on life in a nation divided by British colonization.
They’re also staunch supporters of a free Palestine, stepping down from last year’s SXSW festival in protest of its U.S. Army sponsorship. The group, too, regularly fly Palestinian flags on stage alongside their Irish tri-color.
While the trio got their start in 2017 with the track “C.E.A.R.T.A,” (cearta being Irish for “rights”), their rise in popularity has been stratospheric in the last year since the release of their autobiographical film, also titled Kneecap. Last year saw the group perform at Sundance Film Festival, the BAFTAs, Reading and Leeds Festival, and Glastonbury. With an upcoming U.S. tour and Coachella performances, Kneecap’s trajectory seems to be unstoppable.
Recommended Song: “Sick in the Head”
Socials: IG | TK | X | YT
bricknasty
One of Ireland’s most talked about acts of late, Bricknasty was created in Dublin in the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally created as a lockdown experiment, the concept eventually grew to a physical group of Fatboy (frontman/guitarist), Dara Abdurahman (bass), Korey Thomas (drums), and Louis Younge (sax/keys) in collaboration with producer Cillian McCauley.
As a group, Bricknasty are as anarchic as they come. A group of self-taught musicians, their 2023 album INA CRUELER was recorded in fire escapes, backs of cars, and bedrooms. Inspired by a vast array of genres from rave to garage to punk to R&B to jazz, they layer these together to create a uniquely sardonic, neo-soul sound. Their sound is experimental, an antithesis to clean packaged pop music both in sound and in ethos.
Much of their music draws from frontman Fatboy’s experiences growing up in Dublin’s Ballymun estates: seven looming towers that, though afflicted with unemployment and high crime, were a strong community of working class Irish. They were demolished in the early aughts to make room for modern developments and left behind a displaced community with no access to the capital in the area.
Bricknasty’s music embodies this type of tension, between love for one’s home and frustration at the difficulty of living there. It’s not the kind of music for easy listening, as there’s always a new layer to discover.
Recommended Song: “vinland”
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shiv
Born in Zimbabwe and having moved to Ireland as a child, shiv grew up in a musical home. From singing with her mother, listening to R&B and soul with her father, or writing a song for her sister’s wedding that ended up launching her career, the DJ-turned-songwriter had always had a passion for music.
While a YouTube video of that wedding song may have gotten shiv scouted, it’s her smooth lo-fi production and clean vocals that have kept her going. She got her start in music as a DJ, focusing on house music, thinking that singing wasn’t a possibility for her. But after getting scouted, she turned her focus from the thumping bass of house music to the sultry, flowing beat of soul and jazz. It’s hard to imagine a world where shiv can’t make it as a singer: her clear cut voice is sweet yet distinct, emotive and warm in a way that stands out from most lo-fi.
Shiv’s hazy instrumentals make for a warm and cozy listening experience. Where Irish rap and hip hop are building a reputation, in part due to some of the acts on this list, shiv alone makes the argument for Irish soul.
Recommended Song: “long route home”
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Want more rising artists to listen to? Check out EnVi‘s 25 Artists To Look Out For in 2025 here!
