Firstly, welcome to my new website!
I have tried to get this up and running a couple of times but it looks like this time we made it. Thanks Neil Doherty. Im going to try and make this site as interactive as possible. I’ll up load news, videos and lyrics if you want to learn the songs (they’re not that hard).
Ok let’s get started…what a year!
I can’t get my head around how much ground that I’ve covered in twelve months. Let me tell you about some of the highlights….there has been that much I’ll forget something.
I know I’ve been at this old music carry on for a while, but over the last year I think I’ve found my feet. Having Jennifer Kelly perform with me has made the songs stronger and easier to perform. The stage can be a lonely place and all the travelling can take it’s toll when you’re a solo act…
I have always tried to keep this manageable, which is hard when you work a full time job and just keeping the wheels on the bus of every day life. As most of you who know me, know that I’ve been running most of this on my own (with a little help from close friends.) From booking the gigs to designing the posters, writing, recording and pressing most of this is just me.
The fact that we covered so much ground and without any major disasters is a miracle….or good planning!
A couple of years ago, during the lock down when everything was going to shite, I was thinking about hanging up the guitar and calling it a day. I really couldn’t see how things would ever work again.
A company from California, ‘Need To Know Records’ reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in working together. After a bit of back and forward, I found myself in a record studio in Aptos, not far from the beach I recorded the eleven tracks that would become the album ‘My Northern Soul’.
Over this last year we’ve been putting out singles and trying to get more listeners. I even made a video, this has all been working. Then after a number of shows on the East coast and a meeting with Brian from the label, he agreed to let me go into Blast Furnace Studio here in Derry and record a load of songs that I had recorded before but felt I could improve.
So here we are at the next stage. The album is called Shadows and is 8 songs, 2 from each of my first 4 albums. I have been criticised in the past because some of of my songs would use language that is not conducive to Radio play and I felt that I should give them a chance to be heard.
So what next?
A new album out for Christmas then a load of shows across the country with me old pal Damo (Damien Dempsey), then gigs in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Dublin. Here we come!
There is chat about a couple of bigger gigs in the US, but let’s see how that plays out.
The one I am really looking forward is in the Millenium Forum here in Derry in January, along with a load of Derry’s finest talent…get your ticket soon!
Oh, and I’ve just finished writing the next ten songs for another album.
Main highlights of 2025
The musical highlights have been touring the across the island; Dublin/Belfast/Buncrana/Letterkenny, Downpatrick & Derry
Playing gigs in the States; San Antiono/ El Paso/Watsonville/NYC/Hubson/Athens), Scotland (Hawick), Mexico Juárez
The night train from San Antiono to El Paso
Looking through the fence from Mexico
Walking on the beach at Fahan for my birthday
Getting to the gig in Brooklyn just on time
The Kneecap gig in Queens
The train from Penn station to Hudson
Woodstock
Recording the albums
Playing in the Millenium Forum, Derry
The crowd dancing at Stendhal
The Ferry
A full house for the show in St Augustine’s
The week off were we drove the north coast in the sunshine…. That was the best.
Playing with Damo at the Forum, a stormer! It may have been the best gig we’ve done. It was really nice to feel the crowd get behind you.
Getting to recorded some of my songs for another album.
Im fkn exhausted but very happy. Thank you to all you who have helped in any way.
