Featured Photo: Ulster Room
Letterkenny singer Arn. is riding a wave of support for new and emerging talent in Donegal’s music scene.
New voices have flourished since the pandemic, and Aaron Coleman (aka Arn.) is one of those artists who have risen in popularity.
The 27-year-old writes indie pop/rock tracks with angsty but playful lyrics. His success, he says, is buoyed by the collective enthusiasm for local talent.
“I feel that in Letterkenny especially, everybody is coming out of the woodwork, there is so much talent and so many people striving to write and perform brilliant music,” Arn. tells Donegal Daily.
“Everybody has been top quality. It feels Donegal is having a renaissance.”
Arn. credits key figures like Stephen Crane and Alan McLaughlin for giving a platform to new music.
Fresh from recording in the Ulster Room (video available on YouTube here), he highlights the importance of venues like the Ulster Mead factory in Convoy and the Mouthpiece open mic nights at the Cottage in Letterkenny. These spaces, he says, are crucial in giving opportunities to a vibrant artistic community.
Guitarist Eoghan Rainey and Arn. in the Ulster Room, Convoy
“There is so much talent here in Donegal it’s hard to describe. Having the Ulster Room gives everyone a chance to enjoy an intimate performance video from a local artist they might never have seen before,” he said.
“And for an artist, playing your first gig is terrifying, but The Cottage gives people an audience and a stage. Whether people are singers or instrumentalists, and even opera singers, it’s great to see so many people are enthusiastic to perform.
“The fact that there are kind-natured people that think your music is good enough to be heard, you couldn’t ask for better.”
Arn. has graced stages across the country since releasing his self-titled debut album in 2021. His influences range from The Dubliners to the mid-2000s UK hard rock/emo pop scene. He skillfully weaves coming-of-age frustration and self-deprecating humor into his music, resonating with listeners who still enjoy that ‘guilty pleasure’ of emo rock.
“I don’t intend for my songs to be funny, it just kind of happens. A lot of it is steeped in truth which is why I think people enjoy it,” he said.
Music has always been Arn.’s passion, dating back to his childhood days singing along to the radio and in school choirs.
“I was scared to release music for so long. Then Covid happened, and I asked myself what I was doing.
“We were cooped up with nothing to do so I cracked in and started recording a load of songs. I released quite a lot of them in 2021 and started playing live gigs as soon as lockdowns lifted.
“I’m here now, kept going and I’m loving life.”
Arn. is gearing up to release his first new track in a year and a half, with a packed schedule of gigs and gatherings on the horizon. After an appearance at Clubeo in Leo’s Tavern last Friday, next up is a Mini Mouthpiece at The Cottage Bar on 13th March, The Circle Sessions in Dublin on 25th March and Smithfield Creatives on the 4th of April.
Arn. is now backed by a talented band of friends and skilled musicians, namely Eoghan Rainey, Lorcan O’Donnell, Ciaran McBrearty, Matthew Melia and Ronan McBride.
Fans can also look forward to a new EP this summer, with details to be announced soon.
Check out Arn.’s music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/213NqzkCY7HdMj3qv3Rr0i?si=MSJ8d3vkRuCdt3ex_N84Bg
Bandcamp: https://arnmusic1.bandcamp.com/
Visit the Ulster Room YouTube channel to enjoy more local talent: www.youtube.com/@UlsterRoom
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