Performer
I first stepped into the live Irish music scene in the mid-1970s, cutting my teeth in what was then a vibrant network of London’s Irish pubs and clubs. I loved it from the start and I’ve been performing ever since.
I never had a single guitar or vocal lesson, and truth be told, my early playing was pretty dreadful. But over time, with persistence (and a few chords later), I gradually found my footing—and eventually started playing the right chords in the right places.
As the great Pete St. John (RIP) so eloquently wrote, I was “Raised on songs and stories.” His ballads—like The Rare Old Times, The Ferryman, and The Fields of Athenry—were one part of the multiple threads of a cultural fabric that shaped my style.
It was the original Dubliners, though, who initially truly stole my heart. The unique gravel and soul of Ronnie Drew’s voice and the magical fire of Luke Kelly’s, along with the spellbinding instrumentation from Barney McKenna, John Sheahan, and Ciarán Bourke—had me mesmerised from the first time I heard them. Their influence still echoes through my performances today; many of the songs they made legendary continue to be part of my setlist.
The record player in our London home spun a rich variety of voices: Irish greats like Big Tom and Larry Cunningham, Irish rebel songs, and American country icons—especially the three Hanks (Williams, Locklin, and Snow), Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline. Mixed in were balladeers like Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Solomon King, Pat Boone, and the Scottish duo The Alexander Brothers. Those songs, and the stories they carried, fed my musical soul from an early age.
Throughout my journey, I’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage with some of Ireland’s finest: Christy Moore, Paddy Reilly, The Wolfe Tones, The Barleycorn, Brendan Shine, Brendan Bowyer, Danny Doyle, Dermot O’Brien, Sean Dunphy, and others. I was especially inspired by the crafted styles of Johnny McEvoy and Danny Doyle—true masters of the solo stage, each with a storyteller’s magic and a songbook full of emotion.
I’ll never forget performing alongside Johnny McEvoy in Boston years ago. The way he could hold an audience—gentle, commanding, intimate—was astounding. His original ballads had a timeless honesty to them. The Ballad of John Williams remains my personal favourite from his repertoire—a poignant gem among many.
Songwriter
My unexpected journey into songwriting and recording took off with a bang in 1983, thanks to the release of a cheeky little 7″ vinyl I penned myself—The Thatcher Song.
It started life in the Irish pubs in London, where I sang it for laughs after writing it on a whim.
I never imagined it would become such a hit.
The inspiration came from the people around me—real characters like Joe O’Hara from Ballina, County Mayo, who played accordion with me in my first band for years.
I still remember him walking into a gig shortly after Thatcher came to power and declaring, “She’s destroyed me hire purchase.” That line was an instant inspiration to me.
The following year, I released a full album of original material under the same title. The Thatcher Song featured eleven of my songs, and over the next three years, a string of singles followed—some playful, some political, all rooted in the world I knew. There were tunes like The Taoiseach’s Hooley, Maggie & the Farmer, Don’t Press the Button, and a ballad for Ken Livingstone—The Ballad of Red Ken.
But there were quieter, more reflective pieces too—songs like The Derry Bogside, The Drumshanbo Exile, Michael, and The Irish Overseas. Looking back, I still can’t quite believe the incredible reception the album received. Over forty years on, it’s still available worldwide—streaming platforms, downloads, CDs—you name it.
It opened a lot of doors for me and brought experiences beyond my wildest dreams.
Along the way, I’ve been lucky enough to have some of my songs picked up by legendary Irish acts like Foster & Allen, The Fureys, and Susan McCann. Hearing your own words and melodies reimagined through other voices never gets old. These days, I’m still writing and pitching new material—it’s a never-ending adventure.
The truth is, no matter how good a song is, getting it heard by the right pair of ears is the toughest part, it often takes a bit of luck and a well-timed twist of fate to get to that part!
My recently released single is my self penned –
‘I Wasn’t Born in Ireland But Ireland Was Born in Me’.
It’s already been played over 110,000 times on Facebook.
Recording artist
Since 1983, I’ve released around 28 albums and 35 singles—a creative journey that’s been anything but ordinary.
It all began with a humble but heartfelt collaboration: my debut album, co-produced with my old schoolmate Steven O’Brien—a fellow Londoner with Irish roots. Two greenhorns in a West End studio (owned, incidentally, by a famous pop group of the day), making it up as we went along. That first spark led to the birth of our own label, Crubeen Records, which gave us a strong run of success in those early years.
Most of my recordings were made on shoestring budgets in no-frills analogue studios scattered around London and Surrey. One of the most memorable was Free the Six, recorded in an 8-track studio tucked beneath a Brixton railway arch—for £6 an hour. Every time a train thundered overhead, we had to stop recording and wait for the rails to quiet. Frustrating, yes—but there was a gritty magic in that process that I still hold dear.
In the ’90s, I found a priceless creative ally in Maurice Ruiz—a multi-talented maestro based in Mitcham. With his brilliance in the engineer’s seat, we crafted several albums that I’m still proud of. Around the same time, I dipped into a range of eclectic projects with Prism Records, including the popular Shamrock & Thistle series—joined on vocals by the wonderfully charismatic Archie McPherson. That era also saw me moonlight as a freelance presenter on QVC, selling stories and songs in a very different format.
My first album, all told, cost £1,793—that included the artwork and a thousand cassette copies. Not bad, considering where it led.
Fast forward to recent years, and I’m still going strong. Projects like The Ballad of Brexit, The Bojo Song, Jealous of the Angels, The Ballad of Katie Taylor, A Child of the Troubles, and Valley of Tears have kept my pen moving and my voice working. Album releases like 24 Shades of Green, The Thatcher Song, The Ballad of Boris Johnson, I Saw the Light, Irish Gig Requests, and Songs of Irish Revolution tell stories that are personal, political, and proudly rooted in Irish tradition.
I can’t overstate how grateful I am for the incredible support I’ve received over the years—especially from the Irish community in Britain. It’s been the heartbeat behind every track I’ve recorded, and I never take it for granted.
Thanks for listening, and here’s to what comes next, whatever it may be!
Seán Brady – October 2026