Dealer’s Choice have made their entrance, and it’s a confident one. The Liverpool-based duo of cousins Joe McHugh and Barry Mullaney release their debut single “Some Kind Of Way” now, a dreamy, trip-hop-tinged introduction that signals something genuinely worth watching. Lush instrumentation, introspective lyrics, and a sound that sits comfortably between alternative and electronic without belonging entirely to either.
The pair bring complementary backgrounds to the project. McHugh has spent nearly a decade as a prominent DJ in Liverpool’s music scene under the name Jack Trades, holding down regular spots at Motel and Teddy’s. Mullaney comes in as an accomplished musician and producer, previously releasing music as Deadbeat Drew to national press attention in Ireland, with Hot Press calling him “one of the more exciting up-and-coming producers in Ireland.” Together, the chemistry is immediate.
Both originally from County Mayo in the west of Ireland, the duo’s perspective on Irish identity from inside the UK gives their writing a distinctive layered quality. Barry puts it plainly: “A lot of the lyrics used so far have been from before I made the move to Liverpool from Ireland, that I could never really find a way of completing. So, working with Joe, the songs were given a fresh pair of eyes, and this basically became the foundation for Dealer’s Choice.”
Drawing inspiration from LCD Soundsystem, Yard Act, and The Avalanches, Dealer’s Choice blend danceable nu-disco grooves with lyrics shaped by rural Irish upbringing and the particular clarity of observing home culture from a distance. “Some Kind Of Way” captures that balance with ease, a debut single that feels fully formed.
A five-track EP arrives this summer. Dealer’s Choice are only getting started.