The Galway-based musician says his slow-cooked, latest album is a true labour of love, which saw him take regular trips to the studio of producer and engineer Paddy Jordan.
Inspired by the hootenannies of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, O’Connor began writing in 2003, completing his first album that same year.
He cut his teeth busking and playing open mics across the city, county and country, gracing the stages of Róisín Dubh, the Town Hall Theatre and Whelan’s. More recently, he could be heard at the Creamery in Salthill or at Cullen’s at the Cottage on the grounds of Ashford Castle.
He has a rich mix of influences including The Pogues, Dolly Parton, John Prine and Kris Kristofferson, and O’Connor’s roots are firmly in folk. His voice, however, is unmistakably Irish, with a touch of irony and the dramatic, balanced by moments of deep sincerity.
O’Connor says he wants to thank his listeners for their support over the years, and hopes they find pleasure in this new album.
See www.bandcamp.com/mikeoconnor from 7pm on November 30.
