Fionn Regan
Fionn Regan claims to remember vividly the day he was born, on the coastal outskirts of Dublin – everything from the space to the nurse’s Korean wristwatch, and attests that the next two years of his life were spent in a staff room at a hotel, the corridors of which would often host a naked Fionn running about getting up to all kinds of mischief. Due to the house they subsequently moved to having intriguing ‘electrical pulses running through the floorboards’, the young Fionn found he always had an audience for the improvised gigs he would provide to his town and the passers by looking in from the train at his bay window.
Much of this may be true. Much of it won’t be. We’d imagine the fun is in figuring him out. Continue.
From listening to his records however we can confirm that Fionn’s claim that he fell asleep every night to the sound of traditional Irish folk, all banjos, flutes and bodhrans, is highly likely to be a truthful one. He formed different groups with friends around the age of 16, rehearsing (he says) in those old, now derelict hotel staff rooms until, as he puts it, he realised he was the only one left in the band.
Some limited edition EPs, the aptly titled ‘Hotel Room’ and the subsequent ‘Reservoir’ were recorded and released with a very DIY ethic, before the boy Ray-Gun was picked up by the delightful Bella Union records, a label who released a remarkable record by the man, ‘The End of History’, last year.
OFFICIAL SITE: An achingly up to date news source, cute little scrapbook and a friendly forum, amongst other things.
FIONN’S MYSPACE: Four songs to stream from ‘The End of History’, inclusive of its two singles to date.
FIONN @ BELLA UNION: Another news source, and a collection of press praise, but why not check out some of the other great acts on Bella Union, including recent BOTW starts Midlake, whilst you’re in the vicinity?
’THE END OF HISTORY’ REVIEW : Kevin Molloy fawns about one of his most dearly beloved albums of the past year.
’BE GOOD OR BE GONE’ VIDEO : An innovative little video for the most recent single from said album.
’PUT A PENNY IN THE SLOT’ VIDEO : The vid to Fionn’s signature tune, and the fist to be lifted from his debut LP.
UK & IRELAND TOUR DATES : See where he’s playing on these shores – the lad from the Noisettes plays drums for him, don’t you know.
AUSTRALASIA TOUR DATES : Or if you live in sunnier climes, this is where to catch Mr Regan.