RTÉ 2FM announces 10 incredible new Irish artists to watch in 2024

2FM Rising list 2024 has been unveiled and it's an eclectic mix of up-and-coming talent you're likely to see more of in the next 12 months

27 Nov 2023, 16:00 by Aoife MoriartyCulture Writer · BUZZ

2FM has announced its eagerly anticipated list of Irish artists to watch in 2024.

The 10 rising artists chosen for 2024 are: Big Sleep, Brad Heidi, Chubby Cat, Jordan Adetunji, Qbanaa, Saibh Skelly, Shee, Sick Love, Strabe and The Cope.

RTÉ 2FM Rising is an annual initiative that supports Irish musicians who are already breaking through and starting to make waves both here and internationally.

This week, from Monday, 27 November to Sunday 3 December, will be Rising Week on the national radio station, featuring new music and interviews with the artists chosen to take part.

Previous acts selected for the same honour include: Dermot Kennedy, Denise Chaila, Pillow Queens, Lyra, The Murder Capital and Wild Youth.

Here's a little bit of information on each of the artists chosen.

Big Sleep

Dublin-based band Big Sleep have already started racking up tens of thousands of listens on Spotify.

They say that their chilled-out rock sound is influenced by the likes of Big Thief, JJ Cale, Jamiroquai and The Cure. We think we can hear a bit of Arctic Monkeys in there, too.

Brad Heidi

Galway busker Brad Heidi was spotted by Collective Mgmt just before lockdown and has gone from busking on the streets to selling out his first shows.

He recently opened for Billy Joel in Hyde Park London, and was Ireland's most-followed artist of 2022 on social platform TikTok, where he's amassed one million likes and counting.

Chubby Cat

Belfast-based Chubby Cat, who originally hails from Cork, is a unique and eclectic indie pop purveyor.

She recently performed at festivals including Indiependence Cork, Output Festival Belfast, Dublin's Mother Summer Block Party and Sofar Sounds Belfast.

Jordan Adetunji

Rising Belfast artist Jordan Adetunji merges R&B, rap and pop punk to create his very own unique hybrid which has garnered a lot of attention already.

Recently signed to major label RCA Records, he's been busy in 2023 racking up millions of streams online with debut album Rock'n'Rave.

Qbanaa

With an eclectic fusion of sounds, Dublin's Qbanaa and her laidback tunes will appeal to fans of artists like Kali Uchis and Biig Piig.

Mixing Spanish and English, the mid twenties singer-songwriter spent her early years travelling back and forth to Cuba, where music and salsa dancing were integral parts of her childhood, and singing with her grandmother at Spanish mass in Dublin's city centre.

Saibh Skelly

Dublin teenager Saibh Kelly first drew attention after uploading videos of her busking to YouTube.

Now with an impressive tally of 16.5 million radio plays, 3.5 million YouTube views, 3.67 million TikTok views and 2 million streams, the pop singer is already making her mark and signed to Ireland's Rubyworks, with plenty no doubt still to come.

Shee

Limerick-based dance producer Shee says he was raised on "classic French house, disco and Guinness".

He's already released banging tunes via Edible Records, Part 4 recs, &Friends and Second Phase with millions of streams across platforms including Spotify, Soundcloud and YouTube.

Sick Love

Pop rock group Sick Love from Dublin include the likes of Paramore, Blondie, No Doubt, Hole and Garbage among their musical influences.

Their debut record is set for a summer 2024 release on Irish label Paragon Records, with their initial singles gaining strong support on streaming platform playlists.

Strabe

Musical duo Strabe consists of vocalist Angelica, originally from Edinburgh, and Dublin producer Emmet, who first met at Cork Music Festival.

Now living in London, the dance pop pair are signed to acclaimed independent record label group Pias with their first album, How Our Love Grows, released in October this year.

The Cope

Based in Dublin and Berlin, audiovisual artists The Cope first met at a karaoke party in late 2019.

Session bassist Joe Furlong and former Otherkin member and fellow bassist David Anthony began to develop their sound over the course of 18 months. The result, their debut album Dancer, will be released on 7 December.

What's been said?

Adam Fogarty, Director of Music at RTÉ 2FM, said: "2FM are delighted to announce our 2FM Rising list for 2024. The support of Irish artists and music is an integral part of 2FM's identity and output, and through core initiatives like 2FM Rising we aim to support the next generation of amazing talent creating music in Ireland across our platforms.

"The list was carefully deliberated over and discussed with great passion over a number of weeks, and the 2FM Rising list for 2024 is a wonderful representation of some of the most exciting artists and music coming from Ireland. We're excited for another great year for Irish music in 2024.”