Debut album displays all the influence of expanded sound

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

It was just over a year ago that Dundalk singer-songwriter Finnian decided to offer his acoustic guitar some company on stage.  And in forming a backing band of established, creative musicians, Finnian set about work on a project that has culminated in a nine-track, debut album.

While his acoustic folk roots remain well-represented on the LP, the dynamism and range of styles that accompany them are testament to the progress he has made over the last twelve months and beyond.

On July 24, Under the Influence will be released on all major streaming platforms. The record follows on from three successful single launches, each of which offered a lot of encouragement for Finnian’s modified sound.

There is a sense of collaboration that hadn’t existed in his previous work and it’s allowed him to craft a multi-layered body of work.

“I did release an EP a few years back,” Finnian recalls. “I was gigging a lot at the time – I put it up online and then I took it off because I wasn’t happy with the sound of it. It was my first endeavour in the studio.

“I recorded another EP and I didn’t end up releasing that. [With the album] I’ve reached a point where I’m really happy with what I’ve made with the rest of the guys in the band. The way I did it release-wise was to release three singles before the actual album.

“I just wanted to try and drip feed the music and put feelers out for what single to put out next etc. The plan was always to put the album out this summer and things went the way they went but I said ‘you know what, we’ll put it out anyway’. We’re happy with it and we want to move on to the next recording.”

There is a noticeable shift halfway through the album when the stripped back, piano-centric Out of Sight transitions into the indie-rock, toe-tapping rhythm of Fly.

It’s a powerful and purposeful change that points nicely to the contrasting styles at work throughout the record. Finnian manages to keep a freshness in each track.

“We were trying to give the album some dynamic range,” he notes.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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