25th March 2007
Just a quick one this time, to let you all know that 21 demands just went to Number 1 yesterday with "Give me a minute", entirely on downloads (an amazing achievement), David's download "Don't look back in Anger) is at number 7, and both Scubadice and Maeve O'Donovan's tracks are still top 40. Congrats to all. I mainly blame your producers!!

David O'Connor's single, "On Borrowed Wings" was finished in the allotted 72 hours (Lord help us). Sounding huge!! And will be due for download any second, and available in the shops within a week or so.

And most importantly of all, "Songs of Consolation" CD's pressed, and just covers to be printed. We'll be ready to go by Easter, and you can get it directly through this website. Hopefully we'll have at least two buttons initially: Paypal and CD Baby, and we'll add iTunes as soon as it's up on the system!

Can't wait. I'll send you all a message as soon as we're ready to roll!

22nd March 2007
"Give me a Minute" by 21 Demands went straight into the Irish charts this week at Number 2, based on downloads alone, recorded only a week ago in my place, and produced by myself and Larry. Actually the story is even more exciting than that. This week, we have four downloadable records in the Irish top 30, all recorded and produced by us for the final four acts in You're A Star series 5.

So Scubadice have a Number 8 hit singing a cover version of Greenday's holiday

David O'Connor, (the final winner of the competition) is at 20 with a cover of Noel Gallagher's "Don't Look back in Anger".....

while Maeve O'Donovan is at number 25 with the Stevie Nick's song "Landslide" also recently covered by the Dixie Chicks.

To cap the week, we find ourselves down in Joe Egan's "Loft" studio in Clara County Offaly (where I mixed "Songs of Consolation" my own forthcoming album) this time, recording the winner's single for Universal records. David won as I mentioned, and he's been given a very strong pop ballad written by Bryan Adams and Elliot Kennedy called "On Borrowed Wings". The pressure is on and we've only three days to record and mix it. Hope you all like it. It will be available for download on Friday coming.

13th March 2007
Contents Under Pressure!!
Okay, so I got the new album, "Songs of Consolation" all mastered and stuff, and I was patiently waiting for You're a Star to come to its natural end, when the MPO CD pressing plant in Dublin ceased its operations last Friday. There was a mad scramble and now (as there's only one pressing plant left in the country!) I have to get everything in to the system on Thursday.

So this is a map of my life for the next few days. Wednesday: do all the band charts for the last two You're a Star shows. 10 hours Thursday: Helix for Camera rehearsals for semifinal and final of You're a Star. Get masters of "Songs of Consolation" into MidAtlantic. 9 hours Friday: Final Rehearsal with acts for closing weekend of You're a Star, mid afternoon soundcheck RTE, and Late Late Show with acts that night (lots of hours) Saturday: Semifinal day. In the Helix at crack of egg. Rehearsals and soundchecks all day. Show live at 8pm. Results at 930. Drive home. Don't crash. Fall into bed. Sunday: Final day. In at 8am. Same as yesterday but with one fewer act. Go live at 630pm. Results at 8pm. Wrap party soon after.

Monday- start recording single with this year's You're a Star winner for Universal records. Get artwork in on Songs of Consolation. Try not to have breakdown. Kiss kids goodnight. Fall asleep.

25th February 2007
The sweat is pouring off me now!!!?
I spent a couple of days last week mastering the new album, "Songs of Consolation", with Fergal Davis in the "Suite Studios" in Dublin, and except for a couple of small things, we're just about finished. Ciaran O'Brien photographer is due to do the pics for the album cover next week, and Brian Hogan (yeah the same guy that played bass for me on the album) is working on the cover.

The reason it's all so mad is because we're right in the middle of season 5 of RTE's "You're a Star" with a live show a week, and to be truthful for the ten weeks we're on the air, my life is not really my own. We're down to the top 6 acts now, and the heat is on, baby!!!!

The response to the launch of my myspace page has been phenomenal. So many offers of gigs, distribution, publishing. Thanks Fran King for getting me to do this! I spend so much time trying to get the sound right in studio, I forget the real work starts now, with getting the music out to everyone who will listen to it. I feel there's a genuine audience out there for what I do, and with the help of this myspace thing, hopefully, I'll find it. Can't believe all the people who have come on as friends in just 7 days!

12th January 2007
Well the mixes are done, and I'm just playing the tracks to a few colleagues, getting their recommendations and making whatever changes are necessary, and then we're ready to release! "Songs of Consolation" ready and on the way (at last!). You're a Star series 5 begins its live leg this coming Sunday at 6:30pm on RTE 1. Hope to see you all there. This year, in the acoustic unplugged stage, in the Helix Theatre space, we have piano, acoustic guitar and percussion as last season (Larry and Lance Hogan are joining me), but we have also added two extra female backing vocals? to add some colour. Joanne will be joining us, as will Lorna McLoughlin, she of the Henry Girls.

16th September 2006
Just completed the audition phase of the new You're a Star season, so now I can get back to the album. Wahay!!!!

12th September 2006
Well now, Charity You're a Star was a huge success, and as you all know by now, ex Irish International footballer, John Aldridge won the competition for Temple Street Children's hospital. Over the following couple of weeks, we put together a single of his favourite song from the competition, "Lily the Pink" and it's on release from today. So please help Temple Street buy their Cat Scan machine and get John Aldridge to number one, by buying a copy of the new single!

2nd August 2006
So after the Sullivans' top 5 hit, we're pleased to announce that The Jades first single Beautiful Day (from debut album Read Between the Lines, produced by Larry Hogan and myself) is now a radio hit, featuring at No 2 of Larry Gogan's radio chart.

If you've been living in Ireland, you'll know that You're a Star Charity Special is now on air, and will be for the next week or so. Tune in and hear some of your fave songs being finessed, butchered or liberally reinterpreted. As the shows MD, I think we have an above average number of genuinely talented celebs this year, which makes my job so much easier, but we still have a few delightfully brutal acts. Tune in quickly before they get voted off! If you've missed all of it so far, check out the RTE website for the background...
http://www.rte.ie/tv/star/

1st August 2006
Hi all, you can hear an interview I did for the Susan McReynolds radio show last Saturday morning on the web by clicking here. I discuss the now started Charity You're A Star 2006, my career as a composer, the adoption of our two kids, the death of my mom among other things. Have a listen and email me your thoughts!

Just a quick reminder that Charity You're a Star is on the Air now, and going strong for the next couple of weeks. Tune in Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays until Aug 13th.

8th July 2006
Sullivan Brothers go straight into the Irish charts at No 5, (Number 1 in the heatseeker's chart beating George Michael, Shayne Ward, Razorlight, Lily Allen and Mundy on their first week of release!) with Rojo and Tony Ryce-Kelly song "High". Keep it going guys......

Kieran Kennedy is in Schull (West Cork, lucky guy) mixing tracks for my new album, "Songs of Consolation"........

Producing album for "Elation" half way through recording now. Tracks sound great.

Rehearsals for forthcoming Charity You're a Star begin as I try to whip ten or more unsuspecting celebrities into shape as singers and entertainers of the future.......

24th June 2006
If You're in Poland for the weekend!
Joanne and I are headlining the SOS festival in Torun, Poland this coming weekend, 30th June-1st July, singing a host of tunes, mostly from the forthcoming album "Songs of Consolation". Check it out at http://www.songofsongs.pl/english.php. See you there!

And if you're in Ireland........
Also this weekend, the Sullivan Brothers are releasing their debut single, "High", a tune written by myself and Tony Ryce-Kelly, and produced by Larry Hogan and me. If you're living in Ireland, get out and buy it this Saturday (July 1st) and let's get it to Number 1! Here's a sparkling mp3 snippet for you.

25th April 2006
Songs of Consolation
(working title of new solo album)
It’s almost there folks!! Every time I get close to getting it finished, up pops another series of "You’re a Star" or something else and I’m back producing someone else’s tunes! But the fabled solo album is to be finished before the summer. I promise.... It’s been a year and a couple of months in the making, but after a series of gigs in the US in early April (and an impromptu gig in Devon last week), the songs have finally been given an airing. The reception to them was so great that now I’m full of determination to get it done and out and into the shops.
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