Padraig Jack releases his new single ‘Minnie’ on 24th August. ‘Minnie’ is taken from his upcoming album ‘Making Sand’ which will be released in September, after its original April release date was postponed. ‘Minnie’ was released in the UK last October to excellent reviews and lots of airplay, with BBC Radio Leeds saying that it’s an, “absolutely lovely song…Padraig is going on to great things,” BBC West Midlands saying Padraig has a, “beautiful voice,” and Boogaloo Radio commenting that it’s a, “stunning track…can’t wait for more.”
Padraig composed the song on a stormy winter night in Aran a few years ago. It was the first song he recorded with legendary music producer John Reynolds (Sinéad O’Connor, Damien Dempsey, Shane McGowan) who went on to produce Padraig’s album. ‘Minnie’ tells the story of a woman who has lost her way in life and is trapped in a loveless marriage. When she ends up in a whirlwind affair with a younger man he reminds her that there can be joy in life and that it’s not too late to “reignite her spark.” Eventually they part ways after a passionate evening under a Galway sunset, and Minnie seeks and eventually finds lasting love.
Padraig Jack is from a musical family from the Aran Islands, ten miles off the west coast of Ireland. His dad is bilingual songwriter Barry Ronan and he is the nephew of the Irish poet and Aosdána member Mary O’Malley. Like his father, Padraig is proudly bilingual and writes music in both Irish and English. With influences ranging from James Taylor and The Eagles to Van Morrison and Shane McGowan, Padraig appreciates strong songwriting with a distinct point of view. He might describe his music as a mix between R.E.M. and Sinead O’Connor.
Although playing live is usually a huge part of Padraig’s career, he has had to postpone tours in the UK, Ireland, Germany and France in recent months (no prizes for guessing what the cause of that is!). However in October and November he will be playing with Damien Dempsey at five dates around the country (see below), as well as a couple of solo gigs, so if you want to catch Padraig in his true element, tickets are available through the usual outlets. For those who can’t travel to see him, Padraig will be livestreaming a concert in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on www.padraigjack.com and his social media feeds for further details.
Sat. 12 Sep. Westport Town Hall, Co Mayo (solo concert)
Sun. 27 Sep Online Stream Event – Album Launch (tickets on www.padraigjack.com)
Wed. 30 Sep. Joe Wattys, Cill Rónán, Co Galway (solo concert)
Sat. 03 Oct. Asgard Theatre, Arklow, Co Wicklow (solo concert)
Sun. 9Oct Róisín Dubh, Galway (solo concert)
Fri. 30 Oct. Maritime, Bantry (with Damien Dempsey)
Sun. 1 Nov The Venue, Ratoath (with Damien Dempsey)
Sat. 14 Nov Judge Roy Beans, Newbridge (with Damien Dempsey)
Fri. 20 Nov Crescent Concert Hall, Drogheda (with Damien Dempsey)
Sat. 21 Nov The Haven Hotel, Waterford (with Damien Dempsey)
