Familiar to us as the arresting vocalist in modern slow-core greats deathcrash, Cork-born songwriter Tiernan lifts the lid on his debut solo album with its touching lead single 'Nuala'. Stripped back to reveal a strengthened delivery style, respectful instrumentation makes room for Tiernan's thoughtful lyricism as he grapples with love and loss, explaining: “I had been affected by the death of someone I hardly knew, and that death had lived on inside me.” Setting the tone for the rest of the 7-track album he continues: “My songs are for my family, my partner and myself. I write them to tell our stories, and to capture bits of us all that have either gone, or refuse to go.” The Ribbon Songs will arrive on the 14th of April, ahead of a headline show at Bow Church on the 8th of May. -Holly Mullineaux