Local musician releases new album after recovering from health issues

Local musician Wayne Brereton is preparing to release a new album after overcoming health issues during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Gracefield resident began working on the album, 'The Robin’s Call', in February 2021 saw Wayne when he was released from isolation. He first began working on the album in 2019 but Wayne suffered a setback due to a congenital heart condition. A valve he received in 1995 suddenly stopped working and halted his active life. Although he was not bedridden, he did have limited energy to carry on with life and this is when he decided the time was now to start working on this project.

Wayne explained: “It was always on my mind to do it. I fell ill in 2019. When I was recovering I thought it was time (to return to music.) In between lockdowns and surgeries I worked on songs.”

Wayne underwent cardiac surgery in February 2020 and said that there was a lull of about four or five months then before he could go back to the studio and make music. “Joe Egan from Clara gradually started taking in new clients. In between lockdowns and schedules we eventually got there.”

“I was able to find my own way of crafting songs. Even though I was down in health it gave me a passion and a drive.”

Athlone folk singer Eva Coyle also features on the song, 'The Mountains Of Pomeroy.' “It was great to join forces with her on the album also. I hope people get enjoyment from it (the album) and share the music.” He also hopes that people will appreciate the struggles that others have to go through to pursue what they love.

He found inspiration for his new music from his travels abroad and said that he was backpacking in Australia a number of years ago and heard a woman singing an Australian folk song called Redgum.

As well as this, Wayne’s grandmother Minnie was born in Scotland and raised by Irish parents and returned to Ireland at the age of 16 in 1932 which is why he feels a strong connection with Scottish ballads, folk music, and Australian folk music as some of his relatives emigrated there in the early 1900’s.

Wayne said: “I came across the (Scottish) song Shepherd Lad and it rang a bell with me. The other songs I picked up from gigging, travelling and meeting other musicians.”

The chosen title was in connection to both of Wayne’s grandmothers as they always spoke of the robin as a strong resilient bird that protects itself and will always return to where it should be and in local folklore, the belief that the robin arriving at your back door or garden was always someone who had passed on and that they were coming back to say hello.

Wayne commented: “It was a victory for me to finish this record, with so many trials and obstacles in the way. It is my hope that you enjoy the songs and feel a connection with them the same way I have.”

Wayne's love of the Irish language is also present in the new album. He is a fluent Irish speaker and translated the song Come Rain or Come Shine by David Francey into Irish to put his own spin on the track. Wayne also worked as a tour guide in Kilmainham Jail, which puts him very much in tune with the love and culture of Irish songs and ballads.

Speaking about making music independently after playing in bands such as HOGAN, Turas and The Cardinal Sins Wayne said: “This album was solely about me. It was my project. I have been a part of other bands where it was a group project. Working with Joe Egan I could work in the way I wanted to.”

The Laois native takes inspiration for his music from Sean Keane, Christy Moore, Luke Kelly and Shane McGowan. He also cites his father as the biggest influence for the crafting of his own style.

Wayne stated that they “always instilled a love of folk and traditional music” in him. “Everybody has a comfort in something. Music is what keeps me going.”

Wayne describes the sound on his new album as folk with Irish, Australian and Scottish connections. “Every song has a story and meaning to it. People identify with different aspects, people may find a connection with songs.”

Wayne first started playing music when he was about twelve years old and worked on a charity single for Crumlin Hospital when he was just 14 which raised £6,700 for the hospital at the time. He played in rock brands with friends throughout his teen years. He was the guitarist and songwriter for an pop/rock band HOGAN before fronting his own band, The Cardinal Sins. “We all get together once in a while and do gigs.”

Wayne's new album, 'The Robin’s Call' will be released on all streaming platforms on Friday, May 26 and will be officially launched that evening in The Anvil Inn Portarlington at 9pm. It is currently available for presale on Bandcamp. Wayne will be performing in Whelan's Dublin on June 15 and in the Blackbird Bar, Ballycotton on Friday, June 23 at 9pm.