MacD on Music: From 1969 to Galactic Tides, the evolution of Donegal’s Seán Feeny

Doing this job, I get the chance to follow artists from first gigs to headliners. Over the past four and a bit years, I’ve got to see the likes of TRAMP, The Suite, Clodagh May/Lord Jane and more go from debut singles to full albums or EPs, drawing bigger and bigger audiences with each passing gig.

Last year, Seán Feeny released his debut single ‘1969’, followed in October by ‘Western Roads’. These singles drew considerable praise and showed Seán to be one of the best emerging talents from this part of the country. This Friday (February 6th), he will be releasing his debut album ‘Galactic Tides’, an album that mixes ‘intimate folk storytelling with cinematic, atmospheric arrangements rooted in Irish tradition’ and is ‘an album for anyone seeking a journey of place, identity and connection’.

I caught up with Seán recently to chat a bit about the album, starting with the striking difference between the first two singles and the LP’s opening tracks: “I think there was a definite train of thought when it came to the first singles.

Those are real songs and themes close to my heart that I wanted to get out of the road but also build up in terms of the sound and theme to the title song ‘Galactic Tides’. When it comes to the overall sound, I didn’t want to do the same-old again, a folk album. A lot of those songs could have sounded very differently, but that’s why it was so important for me to work with Orri McBrearty, a very close friend of mine and who’s worked with many artists from Donegal, the northwest, across the north and even further afield.”

“What I wanted was Irish folk and Irish-themed songs disguised in popular arrangements. That was my goal, to pay tribute to the greats that I would’ve listened to through my dad and his influence through the music that he loved, but also bring in that influence of my love of more modern music, from electronic, to rock, to indie, to singer/songwriter and somehow bring that all together, and I do feel like I’ve managed to achieve that.”

Talking about the songwriting process for the title track: “I was working on these lyrics and going a different route. I was talking about the themes that reoccur on the album, immigration, sense of belonging, sense of place, and I was trying to find a setting for that that would be more universal.

"Obviously, this went into space, but the theme is still there, and I hope it’s relatable to anybody, whether you’re from Co. Derry, Donegal, or anywhere else in the world. As we all move across the world, the world becomes a much smaller place.”

“I’d been in conversation with a good friend of mine, Ruairi Friel, who’s also a talented singer/songwriter. He’s got his own band Silver Wing They Fly, and he said ‘I wouldn’t mind having a look at those lyrics’ and lo-and-behold, a melody came to him. This was one of my first collaborations, and I’m delighted to say his wife Sarah Cullen, who releases music under The Reflection Box, came in for backing vocals, adding that haunted element.

"There’s many different influences in there, from Daft Punk to Fleetwood Mac, and between Orri, Ruairi, Sarah and myself, we brought it all together. I’m really pleased with the final results.”

READ MORE: MacD on Music

Finally, speaking about the album’s release: “It’s all still a bit surreal. I’ve quietly worked on this album for many years. I work full time. I’m a married father of two young children. The goal was always to get it out of my system, so to speak. I always said if I do it, I’ll do it right. I’m just glad to get it out into the world. I hope people enjoy it and they can relate to some of its themes.”

And that’s it from Seán Feeny. His debut album ‘Galactic Tides’ is out this Friday on all good streaming services and on Bandcamp.

Now, onto other business. First up, we have the acclaimed Bruce Springsteen tribute The Seeger Sessions Revival, who will be playing the Millennium Forum this Friday. The group, paying tribute to Bruce’s tribute to the legendary Pete Seeger, are no strangers to Derry and always guarantee a great night of music. Tickets are £31 plus booking fee, and it starts at 8pm.

Next, Scustin will be playing Nacional De Cuba this Thursday with support from The Marra. Tickets for this one are £14 and can be bought on secure.ticket.ie. Doors are 7.30.

Also, a bit later in the month, we’ve got a double headliner from Dark Tropics and :Panic :Over, when they take to the stage in Sandino’s on the 26th February. The gig features support from the always-brilliant Cora Harkin and tickets are £8 plus booking fee on tickettailor.com.

Lastly, some new music from Dylan Bradley & The Heat, who have just released their new song ‘Love Love Love’. Speaking of the song, Dylan says: "I wrote this song during a blissful past relationship. I wanted to ignore any preconceptions about trying to be subtle with my lyrics and just speak about the raw, almost embarrassingly-happy feelings that I had. I’ve always been such a fan of on-the-nose love songs, and this track felt like the right vehicle for that." 

Finally, time for the socials. Dylan Bradley & the Heat can be found on Instagram @dylanbradleyheat, Cora Harkin @coraharkinmusic, :Panic :Over @panic_over_, Dark Tropics @darktropicsmusic, Scustin @scustinism, The Marra @themarra_band, The Seeger Sessions Revival @theseegersessionsrevival and Seán Feeny @seanfeenymusic_.