Onya
Donegal, Ulster, Ireland | SELF
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
Frozen EP 2004
Pass the Bottle EP 2005
After Dusk EP 2007
Secrets & Lies Album 2008 (released on itunes, Cd Baby )
Johnny Depp single released in Ireland 2009
Little Diva EP released in Ireland 2009
Craic Addicts Album released under Surfchixxx 2010 ( itunes, Cd Baby )
Tracks included on Ireland's A list playlist
Somebody
Merry Go Round
The Mistress
Zoom
Little Diva
Green Eyes
Zoom - Won The Brendan Graham award for Best original lyric @ Glinsk Song Contest 2009
The song ‘Zoom’ was written shortly after a visit to Nashville, TN. Onya attended a music workshop at the famous Bluebird Café, and was introduced to four young writers who all specialized in narrative songwriting. She decided to compose a song which would tell a short story, of two young lovers caught up in the whirlwind of love and tragedy. The female singer yearns for domesticity and security, while her reckless man craves speed and excitement. Despite her best efforts to build a family life, she loses him to his passion for danger. The song is sung to a small child, and infuses the traditional lullaby of ‘The Mockingbird song’ (Hush little baby) into the narrative. The song opens with all of the hope and dreams of a young mother, and the age-old conviction that love and family will tame the instincts of her young man. But nature prevails, and the young man is lost to the lust for something more powerful than her desire for family.
The song is a story in itself, but also was written against the background of the current war in the USA. Onya was deeply moved by the soldiers and their families she met during the last tour. Many of the young men she met were excited and passionate about heading for Iraq, but their wives and girlfriends were praying for their safe return. Rather than write a predictable anti-war song, Onya was looking for an age-old and simple story of how young men are manipulated by their instinct for excitement, and the conflict between living life dangerously, and settling for comfort. There is also the point made that a loss of one life has also got devastating implications for young families left behind.
‘Zoom’ is the narrative of a simple, naïve young girl, who believes that her man will reject the lure of excitement to settle down with her and raise a family. She represents all motherhood, believing in hope and a better future for her children, but in this current climate, that is an impossible promise to make.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Onya (Aine O’ Doherty)
Aine O’ Doherty is from Bundoran, Co. Donegal. She has been a full-time singer songwriter for six years, and has performed her own music all around Ireland, Europe and the USA.
Aine started off playing in her parent’s bar, ‘The Chasin’Bull’ in Bundoran many years ago. When she went to college in Castlebar, she began to branch out onto the student circuit, and few pubs, clubs and dens of iniquity have not had the pleasure of her company over the last few years. After a successful run in ‘You’re a Star’ (Ireland's American Idol), Aine began touring abroad, and her USA debut was at an Irish festival in Boston, where she played to an audience of thousands.
In 2006, Aine continued to tour in the USA, spending time among the singers and songwriters of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, and Boston. This was a very productive experience, honing her own talents and broadening her experiences, and the result was a new batch of songs, which she began to record in 2007. She was also the subject of Tom Dunne’s ‘This Note’s for You’ TV programme, and chosen as one of Ireland’s most promising young songwriters.
Returning to America in ’07, the Gaelic name ‘Aine’ proved such an enormous challenge that the literal spelling of ‘Onya’ was agreed. Onya continued recording, while stopping off to perform in Las Vegas, New Jersey, and another residency in California. Her songs were tested and polished, and early in 2008, the debut CD ‘Secrets and Lies’ was finally mastered in Los Angeles. Onya launched the album at the famous SXSW (South by South West) festival in Austin, Texas, and returned to Ireland in March ’08 to release the album in Ireland. The single ‘Such a feeling’ was released, and received national airplay. She was a guest on several radio and television programs, including John Creedon (RTE radio 1), The Last Broadcast (RTE TV, Dave Fanning), The Ray Darcy Show (Today FM). The album is available for download on itunes, CD Baby & other download sites.
In 2008 Onya was awarded the Brendan Graham songwriting award for the song ‘Zoom’. She featured on the RTE program ‘This note’s for you’ . There was an episode devoted to up-and coming songwriters and performers in Ireland, which was mostly focused on Onya writing with Fiachna O Braonain (Hot House Flowers). Onya was one of the musical guests at the Fáilte Ireland St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with Minister Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher in California in March 2008. This month (May 10) Onya was invited to perform at Donegal Live in Templebar along with Paul Brady, Máire Brennan (Clannad), Altan, The Plea & more Donegal musicians.
In 2009, Onya formed the band ‘NoLady’ and began writing and recording the second album. Musicminders became a limited company with financial controller Aisling Sweeney. Musicminders raised 5,000 euro through savings and performance, and hired sound engineer Gareth Mannix and Clara recording studios to put down three tracks for the album. Nolady opened the Bundoran Sea Sessions festival in June 2009, and was also chosen for the Hard Working Class Heroes festival in Dublin in October. Nolady supported Imelda Mae at the Castlebar Theatre in November 2009, and also opened the ‘Toys for Big Boys’ Show in the RDS in the same month. The single ‘Diva’ was sent to radio stations nationwide, and received a positive response, including airplay on Today FM (Alison Curtis), John Bela Reilly's Undercurrents Show (2XM) among many other programmes. Onya has performed in all of the major venues in Ireland, including Whelans, Dublin, The Spirit Store, Dundalk, Castlebar Theatre, Crane Lane Theatre, Cork, The Academy Dublin (and many more) Onya has fulfilled residencies in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Nashville and Memphis. She also performed at the SXSW festival in Austin, TX. 2008 and 2009, and toured extensively in the UK, Holland & Austria.
Onya is just completed a summer program Berklee College of Music on a full-tuition scholarship where she is focusing on songwriting & performance. She played the pubs & clubs circuit at the weekends, playing Open Mics across the city through the week & attending college through the day. She collaborated with one of Berklee's full-time songwriting majors & is focusing her writing on country & roots. She made the last 30 out of 300 entrants to perform at the Singer / Songwriters Showcase hosted by Sally Taylor & Melissa Ferrick & her funk / rock ensemble will perform her original song "Let's get Naked" at the final week showcase.
Onya is currently residing in Bundoran, Co. Donegal but will return to Berklee in Fall '11 to begin a major in songwriting on a tuition scholarship meanwhile Onya will tour Europe & the U.S with Surfchixxx and spend the winter months writing & recording new material for 2011.
Onya is the lead vocalist & co-songwriter for The Surfchixxx, an acoustic female duo who tour Europe & the U.S extensively. Their debut albu
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