Belfast-based artist Moon Landing, real name Jake McCrea, first featured on our blog as part of Jane’s Ireland round up in April this year. Now it’s my turn to share some of his music thanks to his powerful new tribute to a lost friend. It’s called Violet.

By Graeme Smith

Jake wrote Violet in the wake of losing a friend to suicide in 2022. A mechanism for catharsis for him, it’s expectantly vulnerable as he pours his grief out sonically. Opening ambient with the sound of waves lapping against the shore, acoustic guitar comes in and the emotional landscape is set. It’s when Jake’s vocals come in that things become truly heart-breaking before things develop into a rich, soft, folk rock arrangement.

Violet will feature on Moon Landing’s upcoming EP Blink Once and Miss the World Go By, set for release 15 November. You can give the track a listen below.