Jack and Jay from SubSounds performing at the Youth Music Festival
Project growing in popularity: Subsounds will launch ep Strands
“THE album launch is one of three annual launches that SubSounds has every year,” remarks Martin Moran of the SubSounds Youth Music Collective.
SubSounds has been working with young musicians from the South Dublin County area since 2004.
Since 2008 there has been at least one record release that features original compositions by the participants.
The collective has released two albums, two EPs, and 2/3 singles each year for the past six years, as the project has grown in popularity and numbers, and the participants have gained confidence and competency.
The collective consists of three strands – SubSounds Schools, which is a taster project; SubSounds EP, a 16-week introductory project; and SubSounds LP, the full project that runs over 24 weeks.
On May 23, the Schools and EP strands albums will launch, which will be released on all streaming platforms that day.
The gig will feature performances from the young participants of each SubSounds strand – LP, EP and Schools.
The songwriting process began in October 2024 and continued until March 2025, with the first recording taking place in December 2024 and running up to the end of March 2025.
Martin acknowledges that the “initial period can be awkward until people get to know each other,” as EP participants are, for the most part, new to the process.
When asked if there are any favourite songs or EPs among the group, Martin responds, “it’s hard to pick one. There are so many different types of songs written each year.”
He also jokes that “with over 70 participants involved, it would be madness for me to single one tune out. I’d need to hire a bodyguard.”
He concludes by commenting that they are all “deadly” in their own way.
After this album launch will be the SubSounds annual outdoor festival – the SubSounds Youth Music Festival 2025, held on the grounds of the TUD campus in Tallaght.
This will be the third year of the festival; there will be around 100 young performers from around Leinster playing on two stages.
Tracy Clifford from 2fm will MC the event, which will feature surprise headliners and young musicians.
The day kicks off at 2pm on Saturday, July 5, it is a free event, open to all ages, tickets are available on Eventbrite.
SubSounds Youth Music Collective is a partnership between Alternative Entertainments and Music Generation South Dublin.
They have also had additional support from CONTACT Studio (a South Dublin County Council Arts Office initiative).
SubSounds has also received financial support from South Dublin County Council, The Arts Council Ireland, Creative Ireland, and Music Generation Ireland.
They would like to thank Rua Red Arts Centre for their continued support throughout the years and The Civic Tallaght for hosting their various album launches.
Finally, SubSounds thanks all the “incredible” young musicians that make up the collective, “whose work inspires us every year”.
The Schools and EP groups from SubSounds will launch their respective albums on May 23 in the Civic Theatre at 7:30pm.
