Biography
Mick Flannery from Ireland arrived on the worldwide stage in 2005 via his opening release Evening Train, whose warm textured vocals and roots-oriented songcraft drew immediate notice. That album highlighted an approach shaped by American folk and rock alongside Irish roots, and further releases strengthened his standing when White Lies in 2008, Red to Blue in 2012, and I Own You in 2016 each reached the Irish Top Ten.
Born in 1983 and raised in Blarney, County Cork, Flannery first encountered folk and blues through his mother, a singer/songwriter. In his teens he started composing original songs under the sway of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Nirvana. After secondary school he spent his days as a stone mason while completing a music management and production course at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork. He next traveled through America, spending time in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Nashville, where his evocative literate material attracted early grassroots attention. Back in Ireland he issued the 2005 album Evening Train, a work created for his production course and first imagined as a musical about two brothers; it earned widespread acclaim and brought him an EMI contract.
White Lies followed in 2008, displaying a more introspective tone that debuted at number six in Ireland, eventually reached platinum status, and earned an RTE Choice Music Prize nomination. His third album, Red to Blue, arrived in 2012, held the top spot on the Irish album chart for three weeks, and featured the singles “Gone Forever” and “No Way to Live.” Both his fourth album By the Rule in 2014 and fifth album I Own You in 2016 entered at number one.
The self-titled Mick Flannery, his sixth long-player, appeared in 2019. Recorded in Los Angeles with Australia’s Tony Buchen, it also topped the Irish chart. That same year Evening Train was adapted into a stage musical that premiered at the Cork Midsummer Festival. In May 2020 Flannery issued the single “Run a Mile” to raise awareness of domestic abuse, directing all proceeds to the Women’s Aid charity. The live set Alive: Cork Opera House 2019 followed in July, preserving his sold-out performance at the venue.
Born in 1983 and raised in Blarney, County Cork, Flannery first encountered folk and blues through his mother, a singer/songwriter. In his teens he started composing original songs under the sway of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Nirvana. After secondary school he spent his days as a stone mason while completing a music management and production course at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork. He next traveled through America, spending time in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Nashville, where his evocative literate material attracted early grassroots attention. Back in Ireland he issued the 2005 album Evening Train, a work created for his production course and first imagined as a musical about two brothers; it earned widespread acclaim and brought him an EMI contract.
White Lies followed in 2008, displaying a more introspective tone that debuted at number six in Ireland, eventually reached platinum status, and earned an RTE Choice Music Prize nomination. His third album, Red to Blue, arrived in 2012, held the top spot on the Irish album chart for three weeks, and featured the singles “Gone Forever” and “No Way to Live.” Both his fourth album By the Rule in 2014 and fifth album I Own You in 2016 entered at number one.
The self-titled Mick Flannery, his sixth long-player, appeared in 2019. Recorded in Los Angeles with Australia’s Tony Buchen, it also topped the Irish chart. That same year Evening Train was adapted into a stage musical that premiered at the Cork Midsummer Festival. In May 2020 Flannery issued the single “Run a Mile” to raise awareness of domestic abuse, directing all proceeds to the Women’s Aid charity. The live set Alive: Cork Opera House 2019 followed in July, preserving his sold-out performance at the venue.
Albums
