Hiya Damien, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
Thanks for joining us today… Tell us bit about where you are from and how you got into music?
I’m originally from Germany, but I’ve been based in Ireland for several years now. Music was always around me growing up, Elvis Presley was basically part of the family DNA thanks to my mother. I started writing lyrics when I was twelve years old and eventually drifted into the gothic and alternative scene in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. Somehow, more than thirty years later, I’m still doing it: just a little wiser and hopefully better at telling stories.
What’s the live music scene like in Ireland right now?
Very diverse and surprisingly open-minded. Ireland has an incredible tradition of storytelling, and I think that naturally carries over into music. There’s a lot of authenticity here that I really connect with. You know, in every second pub there are live sessions and there are lots of festivals. Ireland lives music.
Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
There are so many great independent artists around at the moment. I honestly think we’re living in a time where some of the most interesting music is happening outside the mainstream industry machine. Best example might be Bambie Thug, the big surprise of the 2024’s Eurovision Song Contest. And I recently came across Lucan O’Rourke and his mixture of Country/Folk and Rock, I like him!
Do you think it’s easy to become a victim of your surroundings sometimes?
Absolutely. Artists absorb everything around them, whether they want to or not. Especially in a place like Ireland, with all the derelict monasteries, castles and Celtic towers, lots of mythological stuff going on here and a certain melancholy, that I breathe in every day. That’s pure inspiration.
What are your ambitions for the project?
To keep evolving creatively and to connect with people emotionally. I’m not chasing trends or algorithms anymore. I’d rather make music that genuinely means something to people.
What’s your favourite social media platform to use and why?
Probably YouTube. It still allows artists to build atmosphere and context around music rather than reducing everything to a few seconds of scrolling.
We believe it’s essential to have a presence on Facebook, Instagram and X to introduce yourself to all the different audiences out there. What are your thoughts on that?
I think visibility matters, of course, but social media can easily become exhausting if you start treating yourself like a full-time content machine. I try to use it as an extension of the music rather than replacing the music itself.
What’s your view on the music industry today?
There’s more opportunity than ever before, but also more noise than ever before. It’s become harder to build meaningful long-term artist identities because everything moves so fast now.
What’s your thoughts on AI generated music?
AI can imitate structure, but I’m not convinced it can replace lived experience. The songs people truly connect with usually come from very human emotions and imperfections.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
That authenticity ages better than perfection.
What’s currently in your ears and on rotation at the moment?
A strange mixture as always: U2’s new EPs, The National, Cian Ducrot, Fischer-Z and quite a bit of Irish folk music … and Miley Cyrus & Lainey Wilson, “Younger You”, specifically the duet version. The simplicity of this country song in an era of overproduced music, the wonderful lyrics, and of course the voices of both singers are just a fantastic combination that really grabbed me. And the last line of the song: When you’re standing on the stars, just don’t forget who you are…, can be so beautifully applied to everything happening in the world right now. And for some reason, I love duets in music anyway.
What was your worst experience on stage? Any funny stories to share?
I once managed to completely forget my lyrics during a concert and started singing the words of the National Anthem instead, they somehow fit into the verses. The audience thankfully thought it was intentional.
Got any fun, funny stories from life on the road?
Mostly the usual chaos: broken vans, no sleep, getting lost constantly and surviving on terrible coffee. Looking back, those moments often become the best memories.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
My new single “Caleb” is a male/male piano-led duet with UK vocalist Jamie Wiltshire. It’s probably the most personal song I’ve ever written: A song about loss, memory and emotional vulnerability. The response so far has honestly been overwhelming.
What was the recording process like?
As for the whole album “Standarte” the recordings were 100% remote involving musicians from around the globe. The fun fact is: “Caleb” was never planned to be a duet. I asked Jamie to provide backing vocals, but when I heard him singing the lines, they just added a new dimension, just like a dialogue. That gave the whole song so much more depth, that I just had to release it this way.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Well I actually did: on “Standarte” you’ll find the more rock oriented version of “Caleb”, now we got producer Jay Dixie (remix artist for Meghan Trainor, Flo Rida etc.) to produce a radio oriented version, actually kind of pop-rock, but hey, I have no musical boundaries and I am absolutely happy Jay’s version.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Just gratitude really, to everyone still supporting independent music and artists who choose their own path rather than chasing trends.
FOLLOW DAMIAN HERE // PRESAVE HERE
🇮🇪FOR MORE NEW MUSIC NEWS FROM IRELAND CHECK OUT RGM IRELAND🇮🇪