With a string of acting credits to his name, multi-talented artist Niall McNamee steps back into the spotlight with guitar in hand to release his long-awaited debut album ‘Glass and Mirrors’ via his own label Wellboy, distributed by Absolute. Influenced by the likes of The Pogues and Christy Moore but equally Oasis, Coldplay, Paul Brady and even Brian Wilson, Niall puts a modern twist on his Irish heritage, mixing the best of Celtic post-punk passion with a 21st century alt-rock perspective. A self-described romantic football fan who writes songs, Niall often thinks to himself “this is what I want to say, but how would Shane MacGowan say it,” with the result being a soaring, melodic collection shaped by the chaos, charm and contradictions of his life as a struggling artist living in London. The album opens with recent single “Clapham Wine,” written for a friend following a horrendous breakup, immediately baring pure Celtic soul from Niall’s brogue to the stomping rhythm and gorgeous guitars, while “Falling In Love for the Day” explores the wild romance of planning a future with someone you’ve just met, and the pounding “Magpie With a Mullet” is ready made for ceilidhs everywhere, complete with fiddle, bodhrán and penny whistle.
Niall’s songwriting has crafted beautiful ballads dotted throughout the album, with “Another Life” dramatically picking apart the what-ifs and could’ve-beens of a fractured romance, the 90s-reminiscent title track reflecting a dark period when he was doubting everything and wondering if he’d wasted or fucked up his life, the deeply personal “Leave My Home” featuring stunning falsetto, the pain of revisiting old memories in “Donegal Hill,” and one of his earliest songs “Clones Fireman” written when he was 17 and inspired by the story of his grandparents who met a week before his grandmother moved to England, became pen pals for 5 years until his grandad decided to go over after they lost touch, flipping a coin at Holyhead that brought him to the West Midlands where he bumped into her very quickly and they proceeded to live a long life together. For all the album’s meticulous piecing together, songs like the boisterous “Wokingham” and the rollicking “Man Complete” turn up the noise and are full of life, while “Moon Belongs To You” is presented with a calmer and reflective sway, with the final song “Rose Of Marylebone” ending on a hopeful and happy note feeling like a song only Niall McNamee could have written about falling in love with a girl from a really wealthy background, enjoying the disparity between them and driving this princess in his shit van.
After moving to London at 17, Niall worked on building sites whilst auditioning and playing live in Irish pubs to pay the rent, with his irrepressible personality, songwriting ability and charismatic live shows quickly building him a devoted fan base as well as a role in the West End as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, with film and TV parts following including starring opposite Pierce Brosnan and a major fight scene with Jackie Chan in ‘The Foreigner’ plus taking the lead in award-winning feature film ‘Love Without Walls’ for which he also wrote the original soundtrack. This Autumn sees Niall feature in two brand new films, playing Irish world cup team goalkeeper Alan Kelly in the feature film ‘Saipan’ starring Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke, plus playing the lead in the romantic comedy ‘One Night in Bath.’