Eugene Donegan
Meath singer/songwriter Eugene Donegan released his eagerly anticipated debut album “Little Apples” in 2009.

With his debut album “Little Apples”, Eugene Donegan is intent on carrying the listener with him on an ambitious trip which takes in the formation of the Roman empire, the mundane everyday life of his hometown of Navan, and even to heaven.

Wherever the destination, love is seldom far from Eugene’s mind, and it’s the kind that seldom works out. Dissecting failed relationships and lamenting lost love over the course of an album is a bleak prospect, but Eugene’s stunning musical settings somehow manages to uplift the listener, or at least break their fall.

In the fragile beauty of “Loved You Too Much” and “Martha’s Field”, Eugene equals any of Ryan Adams’ haunting ballads of loss, while in the country-tinged “Tonight Is The Night” he echoes the honest, heart-warming delivery of his hero Kris Kristofferson. He even doffs his cap to compatriot Paul Brady in the opening bars of the ambitious “The Gods Are With Us”.

However under the guidance of producer and collaborator Declan O’Rourke (Since Kyabram, Big Bad Beautiful World), “Little Apples” charm lies in Eugene’s ability to confidently forge a style which is uniquely his own. Eugene Donegan’s debut marks a new voice in the pantheon of Irish storytellers, it is now only a matter of time before it is heard.

Featuring 11 tracks honed from Eugene’s personal experiences, the subject matter is sometimes difficult but the songs are uplifting and ultimately carry a sense of hope.

Eugene has spent the last two years playing the length and breadth of Ireland supporting the likes of Damien Dempsey, Duke Special, Cathy Davey and Declan O’Rourke and Clive Barnes as well as performing his own gigs with backing band Geriko.

Eugene’s 3rd single “Tonight Is The Night” will be released on the 6th March 2010 in The Spirit Store, Dundalk.