9 bands and musicians from Northern Ireland you should be streaming right now

By Niamh Cooper

Published 6th Nov 2024, 17:15 GMT

From bedroom pop and indie rock, to jazz funk, these talented musicians in Northern Ireland are currently making waves in the industry.

Hailing from all parts of the country, it’s not just a great pint of Guinness and famous architecture that can be found amongst Northern Ireland.

If you’re interested in discovering new music that you’ll love, then take a look at this list and find your next obsession.

Here are nine fantastic sounds to start listening to.

Inspired by the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin, Dea Matrona is a Belfast-based Irish rock band, led by frontwomen and school friends Mollie McGinn and Orlaith Forsythe. From humble beginnings busking in the Northern Irish capital, Dea Matrona has now reached over 70,000 monthly listeners on spotify since entering the music scene in 2018. The band came out with their hugely successful debut album, For Your Sins, this year after supporting Kris Barras and Foo Fighters’ Chris Shifflet on UK and Ireland tours in 2023. With their rapid growth in the last year, Dea Matrona is quickly heading towards worldwide recognition. To stream their music, go to open.spotify.com/artist/2mjBLM7k51GwUPhN1miEHY

1. Dea Matrona

Inspired by the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin, Dea Matrona is a Belfast-based Irish rock band, led by frontwomen and school friends Mollie McGinn and Orlaith Forsythe. From humble beginnings busking in the Northern Irish capital, Dea Matrona has now reached over 70,000 monthly listeners on spotify since entering the music scene in 2018. The band came out with their hugely successful debut album, For Your Sins, this year after supporting Kris Barras and Foo Fighters’ Chris Shifflet on UK and Ireland tours in 2023. With their rapid growth in the last year, Dea Matrona is quickly heading towards worldwide recognition. To stream their music, go to open.spotify.com/artist/2mjBLM7k51GwUPhN1miEHY Photo: Dea Matrona Facebook

Fresh off the stage after opening for Liam Gallagher’s tour, Esmeralda Road are a talented and eclectic group of young musicians who are quickly shooting to popularity. The seven-piece Belfast band have established themselves in the local music scene with their unique jazz funk sound. Before joining Liam Gallagher, they had been touring with the popular indie-trad band, Brogeal. With the 2023 NI Music Award Single of the Year for their song “To U” already under their belt, they are most definitely a group to keep your eye on. To stream Esmeralda Road’s music, go to spotify.com/artist/6S9cVNSaKsE2rdeVqban5w

2. Esmeralda Road

Fresh off the stage after opening for Liam Gallagher’s tour, Esmeralda Road are a talented and eclectic group of young musicians who are quickly shooting to popularity. The seven-piece Belfast band have established themselves in the local music scene with their unique jazz funk sound. Before joining Liam Gallagher, they had been touring with the popular indie-trad band, Brogeal. With the 2023 NI Music Award Single of the Year for their song “To U” already under their belt, they are most definitely a group to keep your eye on. To stream Esmeralda Road’s music, go to spotify.com/artist/6S9cVNSaKsE2rdeVqban5w Photo: Esmeralda Road website

Polar Bolero is an upcoming alternative folk band from Derry / Londonderry that has become a frequent face in the local gig scene, performing recently at the city’s biggest fundraising concert, the Gig for Gaza. Made up of six musicians, the 2023 NI Music Award nominees incorporate an interesting array of instruments such as the fiddle, the saxophone and the bass guitar. Polar Bolero are an exciting and unique group of musicians with frequent gigs around the country, making them a great choice to support if you’re a lover of live tunes. To stream Polar Bolero’s music, go to open.spotify.com/artist/4lMHI7nnpHviRV9LsC9Sfo

3. Polar Bolero

Polar Bolero is an upcoming alternative folk band from Derry / Londonderry that has become a frequent face in the local gig scene, performing recently at the city’s biggest fundraising concert, the Gig for Gaza. Made up of six musicians, the 2023 NI Music Award nominees incorporate an interesting array of instruments such as the fiddle, the saxophone and the bass guitar. Polar Bolero are an exciting and unique group of musicians with frequent gigs around the country, making them a great choice to support if you’re a lover of live tunes. To stream Polar Bolero’s music, go to open.spotify.com/artist/4lMHI7nnpHviRV9LsC9Sfo Photo: Polar Bolero Facebook

With major UK festivals such as Pub in the Park and Country 2 Country festival at London’s O2 already ticked off, the Night Hearts are already making a wave in the modern country music scene. Formerly known as The Rising, the songwriting duo, made up of Chantelle McAteer and Chris Logan, have recently toured with X Factor star Lucy Spraggan and have amassed over 280,000 streams on their single, Bruise You Left. The self-proclaimed blend of Americana, Modern Country Pop and Rock Stylings band have received support from BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio London, Guitarist Magazine and many more. If you’re looking to discover a new Country Pop band with a distinctive sound, then the Night Hearts are for you. To stream their music, go to open.spotify.com/artist/0I4Sg6JkRdKpkOTichDMpI

4. The Night Hearts

With major UK festivals such as Pub in the Park and Country 2 Country festival at London’s O2 already ticked off, the Night Hearts are already making a wave in the modern country music scene. Formerly known as The Rising, the songwriting duo, made up of Chantelle McAteer and Chris Logan, have recently toured with X Factor star Lucy Spraggan and have amassed over 280,000 streams on their single, Bruise You Left. The self-proclaimed blend of Americana, Modern Country Pop and Rock Stylings band have received support from BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio London, Guitarist Magazine and many more. If you’re looking to discover a new Country Pop band with a distinctive sound, then the Night Hearts are for you. To stream their music, go to open.spotify.com/artist/0I4Sg6JkRdKpkOTichDMpI Photo: The Night Hearts Facebook

Northern Ireland

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.