Ronan Friel

At just 21 years old, Ronan has a developed a skilful songwriting ability. Quirky hooks, Strong choruses and atmospheric instrumentation combined with lyrical themes about lost fishermen longing for home, life in modern society, breaking free and relationship struggles. In his own words these themes "are a reflection of the world around me, I suppose. I try to keep grounded in the experiences that I’ve encountered when I’m writing my songs."

The melodies are inventive, the chord progressions are strong and evocative and they draw inspiration from legendary sources - songwriters like Lennon/McCartney, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder combined with modern twists. Ronan writes music that stirs the soul, it's sometimes nostalgic and emotional and sometimes up-tempo and made for dancing. Ronan believes “it’s important to draw your inspiration from everywhere. It’s vital to have variation and depth in your music.”

Growing up beside the sea, on the North-West tip of Co. Donegal, Ireland, the isolated childhood provides great inspiration now, as the imagination conjures all sorts of stories as one looks out into the mysterious and unfathomable oceans and winding inlets of the Atlantic Ocean and Mulroy Bay. Surrounded by a musical family growing up, members of acts like In Their Thousands were nearby, and brought an atmosphere of supportive creativity to young Ronan, who was in the process of crafting a musical identity of his own. “There’s a really creative atmosphere in that part of the world, it’s almost impossible to avoid getting thrown into this beautiful, artistic world that has formed in North Donegal.”

In 2020, Ronan has relocated to Ireland's capital, Dublin, attends Trinity College and has released an array of new material. The four singles highlight the many sides to Ronan's music, ranging from quiet ballads like 'Dance in the Rain' to atmospheric epics like 'Homesick Blues'. This truly is a massive step for Ronan and his music and is the beginning of what will hopefully be a memorable journey in the world of music.

Ronan's new material is produced and engineered in conjunction with Kyle Macaulay, a dear school friend and an up and coming music producer predominantly working in Irish Traditional music. This collaboration yields a fantastic blend of electric and acoustic instruments that provide great colour to Ronan's songs.