Dublin Alt-Folk Risers Barnburner Shine On The Intimate New EP 'Nothing To Hold'

Dublin’s thriving alternative-folk scene welcomes a striking new voice this spring as Barnburner unveil their debut five-track EP Nothing to Hold, released on March 20. The duo, Pippa Molony and David Mac Dhubháin, arrive with a sound that feels both deeply rooted and quietly unmoored, blending traditional folk storytelling with contemporary, alternative textures.

Across the EP, Barnburner weave confessional lyricism with inventive melodies and intricate guitar arrangements, crafting songs that feel at once intimate and expansive. Their sonic palette draws subtle parallels to artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Adrienne Lenker, Pinegrove, Slow Pulp, The Cranberries, and Alex G, yet the duo carve out a distinct identity of their own, one that shifts between dark and brooding atmospheres and moments of whimsy and otherworldliness.

Produced by Dublin-based composer and sound designer Daniel Montague O’Brien, Nothing to Hold is marked by a carefully layered and emotionally resonant production style. O’Brien, known for his work across theatre, film, and independent music, including collaborations with Elishka Lane and Greg Tisdall - brings a cinematic sensitivity to the project, allowing each track space to breathe while maintaining a cohesive emotional arc.

The EP’s five tracks—‘Hound’, ‘Hills’, ‘Slow Replies’, ‘See and Sleep’, and ‘Splinters’—have already garnered attention from key Irish music outlets as the pair break out into other territories. Together, the songs explore themes of yearning, closeness, and vulnerability, often pairing evocative visual imagery with subtle, shifting musical arrangements.

Reflecting on the project, the duo describe Nothing to Hold as a milestone: “The five-track EP, is a culmination of everything we've made so far. There are songs that feel more Irish folk adjacent, and then there's stuff that leans more pop/country. So it has a lot of variety, though it's small. I think it's our best work. Looking back on the project, a lot of the songs circle around the idea of transience. That’s particularly strong in our song Hills. There's this feeling in the song of something being over, I think it is lamenting that perhaps this amazing time away has ended. The EP title comes from a line in that song: ‘a long drive home, your shoulder on mine, nothing to hold.’”

Since forming in December 2023, Barnburner have quickly built a reputation as a compelling live act on the Irish circuit. Their performances at venues such as The Cobblestone, The Workman’s Club, The Button Factory, and Whelan’s alongside festival appearances at Ireland Music Week, Phizzfest, and Mirabilli Festival, have seen them share stages with artists including Méabh McKenna, Rua Rí, and Aoife Wolf.

To celebrate the release, the duo will headline The Cobblestone on April 3, joined by support acts Ian Nyquist and Isaac Jones. They are also set to appear at the International Literature Festival Dublin on May 21.

With Nothing to Hold, Barnburner offer a debut that feels both fully formed and intriguingly open-ended, an introduction that signals not just arrival, but considerable promise for what comes next.

Listen below: