Clonakilty singer songwriter launches debut single

AN Ardfield man was decapitated and buried in the Dublin Mountains for a few hours, but it was all for his love of music.

Alan Tobin, member of hugely popular Irish band LOWmountain, has just digitally released his first solo single called Even the sun don’t shine on lonely hearts in shadow.

It’s the first track on his solo album called Volume I which he’s putting the finishing touches to remotely with Clonakilty-based multi-instrumentalist, Justin Grounds.

Alan, a Carrigaline-based graphic artist, said turning 40 at the end of last year was the catalyst for him going into studio. ‘Instead of a party I decided to bite the bullet and release music myself. Some songs were quite old, and some newer,’ said the father-of-three.

‘Justin and I are just finishing it off at the moment. I’ve had to text my neighbours so they know that’s what I’m at, when I’m repeating the same line over and over again, and I’m not just going insane!’

Alan describes his sound as ‘electronic folk,’ with a touch of beat boxing, and says he’s drawn to darker songs as they ‘make you feel like you’re not alone.’

‘This first track is a song about mental health, and about the separation of the mind from the body,’ he says. The accompanying video had input from Cork man Brendan Canty, who directed Hozier’s Take Me To Church.

‘I know Brendan from Connolly’s of Leap, and knew he was looking for young directors for music videos, which meant he was also looking for music so I sent him the track and he paired me up with Richard Harvey which is how we ended  up in the Dublin Mountains,’ he said.

Alan goes by ADT Recordings, and a second track will be released on July 24th. The album is due for release at the  Clonakilty Guitar Festival in  September. LOWMountain are also putting the finishing touches to their third album.