A Drogheda musician who has spent the past nine years building a successful career overseas is preparing to release his first original music after years of performing for audiences around the world.
Currently based in Sydney, Australia, the musician recently returned to the city after a period living and working in Dubai and Thailand.
Originally from Drogheda, his journey abroad began during his university years when he spent summers working in New Jersey in the United States. It was there that he performed his first paid gig, sparking a passion that would eventually become a full-time career.
After graduating, he and a group of friends made the move to Sydney at the age of 24. Nearly a decade later, Australia remains his home and the centre of a thriving music career.
Sydney’s vibrant live music scene has provided countless opportunities, allowing him to perform regularly at pubs, clubs, corporate events and private functions, often playing as many as seven to ten gigs each week.
Last year, he relocated to Dubai, but the ongoing instability caused by conflict in the Middle East led to a decline in live music opportunities. Rather than remain, he decided to move on, spending two months performing on the Thai island of Koh Tao before returning to Sydney.
While life abroad has brought exciting opportunities, it has also come with sacrifices. Being so far from home remains one of the greatest challenges, particularly when it comes to missing family milestones and important occasions.
Despite the distance, he says the strong Irish community abroad has helped make every new destination feel a little more familiar. Many of his closest friends overseas are from Drogheda and County Louth, creating a valuable sense of connection to home.
There are still plenty of things he misses about Ireland. Family tops the list, along with some familiar local favourites including a fresh cream coffee bun from McCluskey’s, a visit to Joe’s Chipper after a night out and the simple pleasure of catching up with friends face to face.
Looking back, he believes moving abroad was one of the best decisions he ever made and encourages others considering a similar move to take the chance.
After years of performing cover songs across Sydney, Dubai and Thailand, he is now entering a new phase of his career by focusing on original music.
His debut single, Emerald Eyes, will be released on June 25. The song explores the emotions of leaving someone behind while pursuing opportunities abroad and reflects on themes of distance, memory and longing.
The release marks an important milestone after years spent entertaining and playing cover songs to audiences from all over the world.
There is plenty more to come. He plans to return to the recording studio in July to work on additional original material and is currently in discussions about joining an Australian Zach Bryan tribute act for an east coast tour covering Sydney, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and the Gold Coast.
He is also scheduled to return to Dubai this October as part of the Summer in Nashville tour.
For now, though, his focus is firmly on the release of Emerald Eyes and the exciting next chapter in a musical journey that began many years ago in Drogheda.
