DONEGAL singer and songwriter Seán Feeny released his debut album Galactic Tides on Friday, a moment he described as “a long time coming.”
Seán first recorded an original song when he was just 19 years old, almost 25 years ago. At the time, music took a back seat to the practicalities of adult life.
“I just done it for the experience and then I went back to focusing on college and getting a job, all that adult stuff.”
That slow burn has defined the journey towards his debut album, which has been carefully introduced through the release of three singles so far, each accompanied by a music video.
“I always said, I’ll likely only be doing it once in my lifetime so I may as well do it right.”
Seán explained that he put significant thought into both the songs chosen as singles and how they would be visually represented.
“Because I wasn’t in a rush to do it I had a lot of time to build things up and plan things out and think it through.”
Each of the released tracks reflects themes close to his heart. Across all of his videos, Seán draws inspiration from his own life, learnings and surroundings, while also showcasing some of Donegal’s most striking scenery.
For his most recent single, Galactic Tides, Seán and Ruairí Friel headed to the rugged coastline of Carrickfinn in the depths of winter, filming with parachutes strapped to their backs. While Western Roads was filmed at the Fintown Railway, leaving viewers stunned by its beauty.
Seán credits filmmaker Charlie Joe Doherty, who has worked with him from the very beginning, for bringing these ideas to life.
“He has taken my ideas and captured them on camera,” he explained.
Charlie Joe is one of many local artists Seán has collaborated with on the album.
It is produced by his close friend and long-time collaborator Orri McBrearty, with additional creative input and performances from a host of Donegal talent, including Ruairí Friel (Silver Winged They Fly), Sarah Cullen (The Reflection Box), Tommy Callaghan (The Heads Of State) and Laura McFadden (Cello).
Seán described them all as truly great friends and spoke warmly of their remarkable talent.
“Music to me is a collaborative thing. I love nothing more than creating and making music with friends,” he said.
He credits that outlook to growing up singing in choirs and playing in bands as a child.
Over the years, Seán has also been immersed in music, both personally and professionally.
Former Donegal News reporter Seán Feeny, released his debut album Galactic Tides on Friday.
From interviewing local artists as a reporter with this paper to his current role in marketing, music has always been a constant in his life.
“I am delighted to have had so many friends along this musical journey with me.
“The fact these people are showing faith in you and want to be a part of your journey is a very humbling thing.”
Seán admits that finally releasing the album has brought a sense of relief.
“Most of these themes, songs and ideas have been in my head for the last 25 years,” Seán laughed.
From the cosmic metaphor of the title track, to the ancestral journeys of Western Roads, to the intergenerational resilience explored in ‘1969’, the album examines how stories are carried across oceans, borders and eras, and how they shape who we become.
The record is structured in two parts, Low Tide and High Tide, reflecting both emotional ebb and flow and the recurring themes of departure and return.
Those long-held ideas are paired with phrases and expressions he has picked up in more recent years, including through his work as a journalist.
One such example is Tír Mór, inspired by a phrase he heard while visiting his wife’s native Árainn Mhór, the islanders’ term for the mainland.
“That’s something that struck me, your Tír Mór could be the big smoke as a mainlander, or it could be London or Australia, anywhere.
“I took the metaphor of what they were saying and made a song out of it.”
Another track, Bairneach, also draws from island life. The word is used to describe people who cling to the rock like a barnacle.
“We all know people like that. Some who are here by choice, and some not, that song is a tribute to them.”
Seán said he particularly enjoyed exploring themes of diaspora, migration and belonging from multiple perspectives.
“I’ve saw lots over the past 20 years. I’ve saw people who grew up here who were forced away and some who might have been fortunate to come back.”
While he considers himself lucky to have been able to live and work in Donegal, he says the stories of those who had to leave were never far from his mind when writing the album.
For Seán, the record has been a way of finally releasing ideas that have lived with him for decades and putting them out into the world.
Interest in the album has already extended beyond Donegal, with national and international media and radio taking notice.
As for what comes next, Seán is keeping an open mind, including the possibility of live performances, though any future plans will need careful consideration.
“I’ve always said I am on a budget of time, because I am married and I have two kids and I work full time, so there are other things that take priority.”
In the meantime, alongside the ten-track album, listeners can expect more music videos, each highlighting new locations around Donegal.
Seán has been truly taken aback by the response to his first three singles, with congratulations coming from all directions, from parents approaching him at the school pick-up to chance encounters in the local shop.
“This is all still very strange, I’ve spent more than half of my life talking about and promoting others so it is still quite daunting to talk about myself. I get coy or embarrassed when people mention my music or when somebody stops me in the local shop to congratulate me.”
