Linda Coogan

Heya guys, I am a singer songwriter. With a debut album coming out in august 2006, titled holding back. heres a little about myself and my music.. Music didnt become a huge part of my life until my late teens. I never picked up a musical instrument until I was made do music as a subject in 5th year in school. I practiced non stop for about 6 months.. and then I met Eoin and formed a band. I had the lyrics and he knew his way around a guitar. It didnt take long for me to pick it up from him. Both our influences were similar, jazz, blues, folk and rock and roll. Id describe mine and Eoins relationship towards music as the most naturally drawn out equation. After the leaving cert I formed a trad band a gigged throughout the summer, then I moved to Galway to study the construction of musical instruments. Harps, guitars and other stringed instruments. After my first year as an apprentice I left as I began playing more instruments than making them. From working in Galway I picked up the harmonica, mandolin and bouzouki, I had already played the bodhran. Which in turn took my music to another level. Turning it more folk sounding at times. I re-joined the trad band and toured the country for about 2 years playing in pubs, functions and weddings. I was writing a lot at the time too. A solo demo I had recorded at a home studio got interest from an independent record label. They were offering a good deal but with no publishing rights so I had to decline. Shortly after I stopped gigging and focused on my debut album which I have just completed. On it I have 2 other musicians, a bassist,/banjo/ bouzouki player and a drummer/guitarist. It was recorded in Orion studios in Wicklow, within a week. It will be out in July 2006. I am funding and managing everything myself at the moment. As I want to get an understanding of the industry first hand before I let go of the reins. But of course will be seeking a manager in time. My debut album contains 13 tracks and is titled holding back. I try to summon up emotion in the music whist maintaining melody and a touch of sensuality in the vocals. Folk music is sang from the heart, which is how a lot of my music is performed, but I wouldnt squeeze it into any category. There is a touch of jazz and blues there too. I could've put together loads of really upbeat songs, because theres so many of them. But 'holding back' just had to be written. Each song isn't necessarily about personal experience all the time but if it's not about me it's about observation of the exterior events in my life. Most of the tracks on the album were recorded live in studio as thats the feel I wanted. I produced it myself, on a very minimal level. I wanted to keep things as simple as possible with the slightest effects on the overall sound so as to keep maintain a certain rawness to it.

Linda Coogans' current band line-up

Linda - Vocals and Guitar

Eoin McDonnell - Bass bouzouki and banjo

Daren Reilly - Guitar and Drums

Band History

Linda met Eoin in school. It was there she picked up the guitar for

the first time and became a musician, Each morning, evening and

night she would practice. Until it clicked and all made sense.

About 6 months later in late 5th year they formed a band, Mello.

With two other girls who shared the vocals. Mello lasted about a

year then it was just Linda and Eoin as it became more serious

than just a past time for them. Linda sang her songs and Eoin

backed on either bass, bouzouki, banjo, mandolin or guitar---are

we getting the picture (one talented bastard!) Eoin and Linda

came up with the music and Linda wrote the lyrics (usually while

Eoins would mess around on the guitar).

Linda’s influences stem from guns and roses to folk, country,

blues and of course traditional Irish. “My step dad Noely played in

a band with his two brothers, all trad and ballads. I remember the

first time my mother introduced me to Noely, I walked into the

sitting room after coming from guitar practice and he was sat in

the chair with his bodhran to one side of him and his acordian to

the other. We exchanged intros and jammed. My relationship with

Noely was as instant as my relationship with the bodhran...and

were both mad bastards so it was a very natural process...ha ha”.

Eoin’s influences stem from his fathers (he learned how to play

from his dad). “My brother got a gift of guitar one year and I

ended up picking it up. Thats was that really... Father used to

sing us to sleep at night, he would sometimes make up the words

and other times he would sing old folk too oh and Pink Floyd...

The Eagles... Melodic rock such as Led Zeplin, 'any 70's rock

music, and modern acoustic music really, it always has to be

melodic. I try to portray that in my bass playing”.

When Mello split, Linda and Eoin remained playing together.

Through Noely they joined a traditional lrish band, Trim the Velvet

and toured with them for about two years. Playing and heavily

partying most nights and days!! They learned alot from those days.

Both musically and performance wise. Whilst in the band Linda

moved to Galway on an apprenticeship after school. Commuting

from Galway, traveling to and from gigs. She was working as an

instrument maker in Galway City with Paul Doyle, an established

instrument maker. But it didn’t last over a year for Linda as she

managed to slide further into the playing of music instruments

rather than the making. And it was there that she picked up the

mandolin, bouzouki, mando cello and harmonica.

'When I was in Galway I started to play alot with my uncle

Jimmy Sheridan, he's a local musician, and plays the circuit a lot in

galway and around the world. The odd tour here and there. He

plays the 6 string banjo, and sings and plays the guitar. He has a

studio in his home in Mayo, and it was there that I recorded my

demo cd's. Eoin came up and we laid down some tracks in the

comfort and eased surroundings of Mayo. Making that demo was

so detrimental to my career. It was with that that I was offered a

contract with a label. And with that, that I got my voice around.

Handy for the gigs too. Although I was offered the contract ,

I turned it down, no publishing rights!!! no way!!! But it was very

amicable so alls not rotten in the state of Denmark!!" When I'd

come home I would jam my latest songs with Eoin and then we

met Darren Reilly,(an instant union of minds) and he played lead

guitar and drums for us. We gigged a few times but never really

dived into it until later.

'When I returned from Galway, where I also spent alot of time

writing, I went in search for a group of musicians that I wanted

to record my debut album with. I was already a friend of the

circus and knew Darren Reilly, their lead vocalist and front man

(also ledge on the guitar) and knew that Eoin would join in too.

So we all got together and jammed and

gelled so well. That was that, band sorted. That was the making

of the band you hear today. So basically we’ve been in rehearsals the past few

months in preparation for the album and we go into recording

end of May in Orion recording studios. Hopefully it will be

released in mid July/August. In Tower Records, Road Records

and all the cool music stores!

yes i love to play live, absolutly. its what i'm doing all this for. i play all over the place. upon the release of my debut album in sept 2006 i will be doing a nationwide tour prior to its release for promotion of the album titled "holding back"...special moment...played a gig a few weeks ago and people start singing along...they knew the words...amazing.

every type of music. the world is my influence. tom waits, tori amos, folk music, rock, jazz, blues. all of it ...

peavey, my guitar is a taylor, seinheisser mics, and stands, paul doyle handmade bouzouki.....

yes, please have a listen to some of my tunes. all anyone that takes to the road can only be after one thing.....the answer.