Time spent perfecting his craft pays off for Galway tunesmith

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell – ciantoconnell@gmail.com

Jack Lee writes songs that stay in your head days after you hear them. The folk/pop singer/songwriter’s music blends intricate acoustic guitar with powerful, infectious vocal hooks – as is evident on his debut single Anyhow.  Though Anyhow is the Galway singer/songwriter’s first track to hit streaming sites, his songs are well known by those who have seen him perform live.

Over the last couple of years he has supported major Irish artists like Aslan and Ryan O’Shaughnessy and he rounded off last summer with several dates at Electric Picnic.  With more singles planned in the near future and an instantly positive reaction to his first release, it’s hard not to feel optimistic.

However, Jack notes that the time it took to transition from playing and writing with his brother Sam to figuring out his style as a solo performer may have briefly stalled his progress as well as Anyhow’s release date.

“I’ve been sitting on that recording for the best part of eighteen months and it was just that I hadn’t yet gotten comfortable as a solo artist,” Jack admits.

“Once I found my feet in terms of live performances I thought it was time enough to let that song have a proper platform for listening and the reaction has been brilliant – I’m delighted with it.”

Playing with Sam from an early age, Jack’s style of music has long been geared towards a duo. With older songs reminiscent of Hudson Taylor, his approach to songwriting has changed drastically in the last several years.

“It was five or six years – probably my most important years of writing because it was when I was starting – that I developed a habit of writing not just a melody, but the harmony and arrangement for a second instrument,” he notes.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.