A cliché has it that you have to beware of the quiet ones, because most of the time their voices speak sharper and with more range than the loudmouths. Every cliché, however, has a grain of truth in it, and so it’s fair to say that while County Cork singer-songwriter Mick Flannery is outwardly reserved, his songs are fluent in expressing layered aspects of the human condition, its flaws, triumphs, and general uncertainty.

An award-winning, double-platinum selling artist, Mick Flannery has not only released his self-titled sixth album, but also oversaw the world premier of the stage musical, Evening Train (named after his 2007 debut album). As musical influences from albums by the likes of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits seeped into his creative DNA, Mick absorbed, learned and honed the craft that would send him on his way into the world. The path was smoothed somewhat when, at the age of 19, he became the first Irish songwriter to win the Nashville-based International Songwriting Competition. By the time he turned 21, he had signed to a major label and released his debut album.

With his latest release, Mick touches on loose themes of ambition and the search for a meaningful life in the context of a musician’s sometimes feckless and dysfunctional lifestyle. Threading a line throughout is Mick’s uncanny knack for blending melody with thought-provoking lyrics.

Music Producer and Mixer from Dublin, Ireland

Mick Flannery was brought up on a farm outside Blarney, Co. Cork, Ireland. His first real connection to music was watching an unplugged Nirvana covering Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World”. After a stint in a music college in Cork, he travelled to the U.S. where he “wandered around for a time.” 

If asked, Mick adamantly refuses to talk about himself. The best you’ll get from him on any given day is, maybe, an admission that he’s a bit “grumpy”, he enjoys a good game of poker, and he’d love to own a Gibson® ES-335.

So, if you’re determined to get up close and personal with Mick Flannery, you’re gonna’ have to kick back and listen to his music because that’s where he actually talks about himself. Mick writes all of his songs (words and music) and plays both piano and guitar.

“Mick Flannery is a singing and songwriting force to be reckoned with.” Siobhán Long, Irish Times

“Mick is a songwriter of the first order … His voice is pained, gravelly, and powerful. Recorded or live, it carries through and stops you in your tracks.” Urban Folk, New York

Mick’s current band:

Mick Flannery – lead vocals, piano, guitar
Karen O’Doherty – violin, vocals
Yvonne Daly – vocals
Hugh Dillon – electric guitar
Brian Hassett – bass
Christian Best - drums

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