Fionn Regan

Regan's early releases included the single "Little Miss Drunk", a 7", and two EPs titled Hotel Room and Reservoir, which were released on a small indie label, Anvil Records. He also self-released a 'tour only' EP called Campaign Button. Following these releases, in 2006 Regan signed to former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde's independent record label, Bella Union in the UK, resulting in Regan's debut album The End of History being released on 7 August 2006 to major critical acclaim. Regan was hailed as a leader of the new 'Brit' folk movement, The Guardian saying "Folk has a new Pied Piper."{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/aug/04/popandrock.folk | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Betty | last=Clarke | title=CD: Fionn Regan, The End of History | date=4 August 2006}}

Following his UK success, Regan was subsequently signed by the American label Lost Highway Records. The End of History was released in the US on 10 July 2007. The End of History was produced by Regan himself (mixing the album with Simon Raymonde). Mojo magazine gave the album four stars in a review that dubbed the disc "a debut that oozes rare confidence, startling maturity and originality".{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} The album received a slew of 4 and 5 star reviews from publications including The Times and The Guardian.{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article696705.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517062224/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article696705.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 May 2011|title=Fionn Regan: The End of History|work=Times Online | location=London | first=Dan | last=Cairns | date=6 August 2006 | access-date=2 May 2010}}{{cite news|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1836725,00.html|title=Fionn Regan, The End of History|work=Guardian Unlimited | location=London | first=Betty | last=Clarke | date=4 August 2006 | access-date=2 May 2010}}

Regan has toured worldwide and played many festivals around the world including the Glastonbury Festival, XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, New Jersey, Electric Picnic (Ireland), Summercase and Benicassim (Spain), Bestival (Isle of Wight) ACL (Austin, Texas) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (San Francisco) and Laneways Festival Australia. He was invited to perform with Lucinda Williams on her 2007 tour, Williams saying at the Irving Plaza NY concert that Fionn is "his generation's answer to Bob Dylan".{{cite web|url=http://kevchino.com/shows/fionn-regan/fillmore-new-york-at-irving-plaza/93 |title=Fionn Regan Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza Review on Kevchino |access-date=20 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004030937/http://kevchino.com/shows/fionn-regan/fillmore-new-york-at-irving-plaza/93 |archive-date=4 October 2011 }}

Around this time, Regan was photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair magazine's prestigious music portfolio.{{cite web |url=http://www.losthighwayrecords.com/e/fionn/vanityfair.jpg |title=Archived copy |website=www.losthighwayrecords.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019074921/http://www.losthighwayrecords.com/e/fionn/vanityfair.jpg |archive-date=19 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}

In July 2008, Regan was invited to perform as part of a filmed live concert, "Liam Clancy: Live The Bitter End". During this concert in honour of Liam Clancy, he shared the stage with Clancy, Tom Paxton, Shane MacGowan and Odetta. This was Odetta's last filmed performance before her death. This was also Liam Clancy's final filmed concert. Clancy had first risen to fame as part of The Clancy Brothers, the group which first sparked the Irish folk revival of the 1960s.{{Cite web|url=http://ctlfilms.com/productions-all/liam-clancy-friends-live-at-the-bitter-end-nyc.html|title=- Productions All – LIAM CLANCY & FRIENDS: LIVE AT THE BITTER END, NYC|website=Ctlfilms.com|access-date=25 March 2020}}

In 2008 Regan recorded a follow-up album to The End of History with producer Ethan Johns (son of the legendary 60's producer Glyn Johns) for the Lost Highway label, who refused to release it. The album remains unreleased and Regan has referred to this album as The Red Tapes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldenplec.com/2011/08/12/interview-fionn-regan/|title=Page Not Found|website=GoldenPlec.com|access-date=25 March 2020}}{{cite news| url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/fionn-regan-the-bray-wanderer-returns-2846504.html | work=Irish Independent | first=Eamon | last=Sweeney | title=Fionn Regan: The Bray Wanderer returns | date=12 August 2011}} The following year (2009) Regan retreated to County Wicklow, Ireland to record what would become The Shadow of an Empire without any record label involvement or intrusion. Jeff Barrett of Heavenly Records was one of the first to hear the completed album and quickly signed him up.{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/8102344.html?new_layout=1|title=100 Acres of Sycamore|work=Hot Press|author=Tyaransen, Olaf|date=29 July 2011|access-date=28 June 2014}} Regan released the album to critical acclaim on 8 February 2010,{{cite web|url=http://www.irishnews.com/articles/616/613/2009/8/28/626167_392085110890Fionnonh.html |title=Fionn on his way to the Electric Picnic |work=The Irish News Online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117110218/http://www.irishnews.com/articles/616/613/2009/8/28/626167_392085110890Fionnonh.html |archive-date=17 January 2016 }} achieving several four-star reviews from several publications, including Mojo, Uncut, Q, Hot Press, Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and The Independent.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fionnregan.com/#1730523/PRESS|title=FIONN REGAN|website=Fionnregan.com|access-date=25 March 2020}}

In 2010, Regan gave a special performance in Dylan Thomas' boathouse in Laugharne, Wales.{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fionn-regan-and-dylan-thomas-celtic-connection-is-sheer-poetry-1946155.html | location=London | work=The Independent | date=16 April 2010 | title=Fionn Regan and Dylan Thomas' Celtic connection is sheer poetry}} The following year in August, Regan released his third studio album, 100 Acres of Sycamore, with the track "Dogwood Blossom" featuring prominently in Shane Meadows' TV drama This Is England '88. Regan performed at the Eurosonic Festival in 2012 when Ireland was the "Spotlight Country".{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0105/2fm.html |title=RTÉ 2fm gearing up for EuroSonic |date=5 January 2012 |access-date=5 January 2012 |work=RTÉ Ten |publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann }}

On 17 August 2012, Hot Press announced that Regan had completed his fourth studio album, The Bunkhouse Vol. 1: Anchor Black Tattoo. The album was released on 7 September and Regan described the album by saying: "you can call it folk but I feel in a lot of ways it's like an Irish punk album, in that it's pure, it's stripped down." The album's themes range from the Irish Sea ("Mizen to Malin") to "the hallucinatory" ("St. Anthony's Fire").{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/Fionn-Regan/news/Fionn-Regans-fourth-album-on-the-way/9102901.html|title=Fionn Regan's fourth album on the way|work=Hot Press|date=17 August 2012|access-date=18 August 2012}}

In April 2017, Regan released his fifth studio album The Meetings of the Waters via independent label Abbey Records under his imprint 'Tsuneni Ai'. The album maintains Regan's traditional folk influences but explores a theme of electronica. "His first album for five years is still a folk record at heart, but one swathed in electronic orchestrations".{{Cite web|date=13 April 2017|title=Fionn Regan: The Meeting of the Waters review – experimental, ambient folk|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/13/fionn-regan-the-meeting-of-the-waters-review-experimental-ambient-folk|access-date=6 November 2020|website=the Guardian|language=en}} Perceived by many to be the "Regan's best work since his award winning debut", the album received numerous four-star reviews including: The Guardian, Irish Times, Thank Folk for That, and was nominated for the RTÉ Music Choice Award in 2018. To support the lead single, also titled "The Meetings of the Waters", Regan released a music video starring actor Cillian Murphy.

His single "Be Good or Be Gone" has been used in the television dramas Grey's Anatomy, Nearly Famous, and Skins and "Dogwood Blossom" featured in hit series' This Is England '88 and Normal People. His song "Put A Penny In The Slot" has been offered as an iTunes Free Download of the Week. The Welsh actor Rhys Ifans has a tattoo of Regans' lyrics "Be good or be gone". Ellie Goulding and Andrea Corr have been quoted in the press saying they are fans of Regan's music.{{cite web|url=http://elliegoulding.com/news/ellie-reveals-the-soundtrack-to-her-life |title=Ellie Reveals the Soundtrack to Her Life « Ellie Goulding |access-date=20 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329044923/http://elliegoulding.com/news/ellie-reveals-the-soundtrack-to-her-life |archive-date=29 March 2012 }}[http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/lsquomy-life-i-smash-it-all-to-p.htmlsrsquo-704592.htm] {{Dead link|date=January 2012|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}

Regan's song "Put a Penny in the Slot" was selected to be included on a special compilation album created by IASCA and FMC in partnership with Culture Ireland to present the gift of music from Ireland to dignitaries the Queen and President Obama and their international press corps travelling with them during their individual visits to Ireland in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.iasca.ie/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D107%26Itemid%3D138 |title=MFI CD |access-date=20 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330192622/https://www.iasca.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107&Itemid=138 |archive-date=30 March 2012 }}

Bon Iver's track "00000 Million" on their album "22, A Million", features a sample of the line "The days have no numbers" from Regan's track "Abacus".

Regan was nominated for two Meteor Music Awards (Best Male and Best Newcomer) in 2006 {{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} and The End of History was nominated for Irish Album of the Year at the Choice Music Prize,{{cite web|url=http://www.choicemusicprize.com/|title=Shortlist|work=Choice Music Prize}} and was one of the twelve shortlisted albums for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize.{{cite web |url=http://www.nationwidemercurys.com/ |title=Shortlist |work=Nationwide Mercury Music Prize |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314034015/http://www.nationwidemercurys.com/ |archive-date=14 March 2007 |access-date=30 October 2007 }} He was nominated for the 2008 Shortlist Prize, the US equivalent of the Mercury Prize.{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/news/4354038.html|title=Fionn Regan and The Thrills Nominated for Shortlist Prize|work=Hot Press|date=3 January 2008|access-date=28 June 2014}}

In 2009, Regan was invited to speak and made an honorary member of the Trinity College Literary Society, the chairman saying "In his music, Mr. Regan has done more than many artists to erode the boundaries between music and literature, with his lyrics always possessing the most beautiful poetry."{{Cite web |url=https://heavenlyrecordings.com/100-acres-of-sycamore-by-fionn-regan-%E2%98%85-10th-anniversary-vinyl-reissue/ |access-date=2022-07-10 |website=heavenlyrecordings.com}}

File:FionnReganSSW.jpg

{{Main|Fionn Regan discography}}

• The End of History (2006)
• The Shadow of an Empire (2010)
• 100 Acres of Sycamore (2011)
• The Bunkhouse Vol. 1: Anchor Black Tattoo (2012)
• Cala (2019)
• O AVALANCHE (2024)

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|http://www.fionnregan.com/}}
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{{Fionn Regan}}

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Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:Lost Highway Records artists

Category:Musicians from County Wicklow

Category:People from Bray, County Wicklow

Category:Bella Union artists

Category:2000s in Irish music

Category:2010s in Irish music

Category:2020s in Irish music