Mick Flannery

With a gravelly voice and a song aesthetic that draws from American folk, rock, and Irish standard forms alike, Mick Flannery burst onto the scene in 2005 after a stint as a stone mason in his native Blarney, as well as time spent touring America's clubs and honing his songwriting craft in Nashville. Roughly contemporary with his first releases in 2004 and 2005, Flannery was preoccupied with various songwriting competitions, catching finalist and semifinalist positions in international competitions as well as some wins in the Nashville's U.S. Songwriting Competition. Though 2005's Evening Train brought some attention to Flannery and raised his star somewhat, he continued to spend time on the road playing in Ireland's clubs, developing his sound and lyrics into a more introspective form with a rootsier sound. With 2008's White Lies, Flannery made his first appearance on the Irish charts, debuting within the Top Ten.