Colm O'Brien
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Colm O'Brien

Holbrook, Massachusetts, United States

Holbrook, Massachusetts, United States
Band Folk Acoustic

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Music

Press


"Rud Eile tisn't yer aul fella's Irish band"

“It is no exaggeration to say that much of the album’s appeal is in its superb mixture of old and new, for a seamless blend...”
- The Patriot Ledger


"Best of the Year Gone By"

O’Brien seamlessly welds some of his great acoustic compositions with traditional tunes. and it’s sometimes difficult to separate the old songs from the new ones, a testament to his great songwriting. He possesses a gloriously ragged voice that sounds like he gargled with the stale beer and cigarette butts that were swept off the floor of the many Boston area pubs that he calls home. Log onto www.cdfreedom.com to get your copy of this modern Irish folk classic. - Irish Voice


Discography

Son of The Preacher - Fatal Flower
Needs Must When The Devil Drives - The Prodigals
It Is What It Is - Colm O'Brien
Rud Eile - Rud Eile
Back to Work ? - Colm O'Brien

Photos

Bio

Colm O’Brien was born, bred and buttered in Dublin. As a child he was surrounded by music. His father, grandfather, grand uncles and great grandfather were all members of the famed Fintan Lalor Pipe Band. His grandmother, May Keogh O’Brien, was a legendary fiddler in Irish music circles and played at the All-Ireland dancing championships for 50 consecutive years and at most of the world dancing championships in that period. Colm honed his skills as a live performer with numerous Dublin bands and appeared on Irish television and radio.

He first moved to the U.S. in 1999 as a member of “Fatal Flower”. After the group disbanded he played with the ballad group “Uncle Arthur” and then with “Hiring Fair”. Colm was recruited by famed Celtic rockers “The Prodigals” and spent a year and a half as their guitarist/vocalist touring the states, playing at some of the country’s largest festivals and recording the group’s fourth album “Needs Must When the Devil Drives”.

Colm then went on to record his first solo album “It Is What It Is” which gave him the opportunity to record some of his favorite songs alongside his own compositions. The album garnered wide critical acclaim and was voted as one of the top ten Irish albums of 2005 by “The Irish Voice”, America’s largest circulating Irish newspaper.

In 2007 Colm co-founded the group “Rud Eile” and recorded the band’s critically acclaimed self-titled album. As well as performing, Colm was also associate producer on the recording. This CD featured some of the finest talents playing Celtic music in the U.S. and has brought critical praise from such far-flung places as Ireland, France and Poland. Irish Music Magazine in Dublin described the album as “a Tour de Force”.

When “Rud Eile” disbanded in 2009, Colm chose to continue working with band mate Seán Connor on fiddle. The duo made a huge impact especially at such events as Tartan Day South in Columbia SC in April 2011.

Since September 2011 Colm has chosen to embark once again on a solo career and will have a new album, "Back to Work ?", released by Christmas.