DONEGAL singer-songwriter Seán Feeny returns with ‘Galactic Tides’, a sweeping, atmospheric folk-pop track exploring displacement, discovery and the search for belonging.
The single arrives today, Thursday, January 15, alongside the announcement of Seán’s debut album, Galactic Tides, set for release on February 6.
Seán has enjoyed strong media support with the release of his first singles ‘1969’ and ‘Western Roads’, which earned support from RTÉ, Hot Press, The Irish News, Belfast Telegraph, IMRO and many more outlets across Ireland, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, the US and Canada.
While ‘1969’ drew widespread Irish media attention and heavy regional radio rotation, follow-up single ‘Western Roads’ significantly expanded Seán’s international footprint, bringing in specialist music coverage and playlist support from GoldenPlec (Ireland), BlackMarket Playlists (Germany) and For The Love Of Music (The Netherlands).
This growing momentum sets the stage for the former Donegal News journalists most ambitious release yet.
A collaboration with fellow Donegal singer, songwriter and musician Ruairí Friel of Silver Winged They Fly, ‘Galactic Tides’ began with a set of lyrics Feeny wrote, an imagined journey through cosmic drift as a metaphor for emigration.
When he shared them with Ruairí, the project took welcome shape in musical form.
Ruairí said: “Seán and I had a chat about a collaboration. He shared some lyrics and this one jumped out to me as it spoke about displacement and identity being outside of control, subject to bigger forces. I felt it was an important song in his whole project and I went with the melody and chords that felt right.”
The recording also features the distinctive talents of Ruairí and his much-respected wife, singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Cullen (The Reflection Box) on backing vocals, with Sarah’s voice adding a haunting quality that elevates the track’s celestial atmosphere.
Produced once again by fellow Donegal man, Orri McBrearty, the track carries Seán’s blend of warm storytelling and evocative imagery, this time framed through the vastness of space.
Using stellar winds, distant moons and shifting galaxies as metaphors, ‘Galactic Tides’ reflects the emotional tide of being uprooted, placed somewhere unfamiliar, and slowly navigating toward a place, or a person, that feels like home.
Seán said: “This song is, at its heart, an emigration story. It’s about being dropped into a place unknown and having to find your way.
“The universe became the language for that journey, those moments where you feel weightless, lost, or out of your element, but eventually find a kindred spirit or a new beginning.”
‘Galactic Tides’ also marks Seán’s third creative collaboration with filmmaker Charlie Joe Doherty, who directed the official music video. Shot in the West Donegal Gaeltacht, the video visually mirrors the song’s themes by placing its characters, co-writers Seán and Ruairí, in a landscape both beautiful and unfamiliar.
“We wanted the video to feel like you’ve been dropped into another world. An Carn Buí (Carnboy) and An Charraig Fhinn (Carrickfin) gave us that sense of vastness, isolation, and discovery. It’s a story about finding connection in an unknown place,” Seán said.
With its soaring melodies, introspective lyrics, and cinematic soundscape, ‘Galactic Tides’ expands Seán’s artistic universe, building on the grounded storytelling of his earlier work and moving into a more expansive, atmospheric folk pop style. The single offers a powerful preview of the forthcoming album of the same name.
To listen, watch and follow Seán Feeny, visit www.seanfeeny.com
