Cormac Neeson announces 'WHITE FEATHER' Irish Tour

Cormac Neeson frontman and songwriter of Irish Rock royalty The Answer releases his debut solo album ' White Feather' via Warner 26th of April 2019. The album was recorded in Nashville U.S.A and features co-writing and production from legendary Bob Seger guitarist Blue Miller, whom has since passed, Cormac wishes to honor Blue in this album.

Cormac is delighted to announce a new relationship with Mecap NI that will see Neeson become an ambassador for the learning disability charity and will see Mencap fully support his new forthcoming single Broken Wing and album White Feather.

The new partnership stems from an instant connection with the lyrics of Neeson’s new song Broken Wing. In 2014, his son Dabhóg was born three months prematurely and with Down’s Syndrome. The impact of that life changing experience had such a lasting and profound effect that Neeson sought solace in penning an autobiographical and emotional account of his inner thoughts and what it’s like to bring up a child with disability.

Commenting on the track, he says “I’ve never written a song like Broken Wing before. Even though I’ve heard it hundreds of times now, I still get emotional every time I sing it back because of just how relevant the lyric is to my life and my family’s life. It’s my hope that maybe when people hear this song they can relate to the message. I can’t speak highly enough of the Mencap Children’s Centre who have provided invaluable support and advice to us and played a major role in my son’s development”

Cormac’s son Dabhóg attended the Mencap Children’s Centre in Belfast when he was two years old. The Centre is a unique specialist learning environment for children with a learning disability, autism and developmental delay, which is run in partnership with the Belfast Health Trust. The charity also provides programmes and family support services to help parents and carers of young children with a learning disability.

Margaret Kelly, Director of Mencap NI and the team at the Children’s Centre were immediately taken with the power of the song, Margaret said: “We are very excited to be working with Cormac Neeson on this new project, the very emotional song ‘Broken Wing’, inspired by his son Dabhóg who attended the Mencap Children’s Centre last year. The song and Cormac’s family story will help raise awareness of learning disability and Mencap’s early intervention work to give all children the best start in life. The lyrics in this song are very special and will connect with so many parents, we are delighted to be involved.”

Co-written by Neeson and Tennessee legend Blue Miller, the track was recorded in Nashville and mixed in Belfast. It features an emotional arrangement that combines the best of both those rich and diverse cultures, including beautifully crafted Nashville pedal steel by John Heinrich (who has performed with artists such as Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, and Tammy Wynette) to a magical blend of choral backing vocals from some of the finest Northern Irish singers, hand-picked by Neeson. The production and sound of the finished recording conveys the vulnerability that such a delicate subject matter demands.

In support of the single, Neeson has also made a short mini documentary about the making of Broken Wing in which he himself gets the extra chromosome 21 that forms the genetic ID of Downs Syndrome, tattooed on his shoulder. The documentary, lyric video and main music video for Broken Wing will be released in the lead up to World Down’s Syndrome day, March 21st 2019.

Dylan once wrote Destiny is a feeling you have that you know something about yourself nobody else does. If you try to be anyone but yourself, you will fail; if you are not true to your own heart, you will fail. Then again, there is no success like failure.

Cormac Neeson, the lead singer of Northern Irish rock band The Answer, blazed the road to rock n roll glory for the better part of a decade, touring the world, supporting AC/DC on over 300 shows as well as sharing the stage with legends such as The Rolling Stones & Aerosmith, achieving both fan and peer respect as not only an outstanding vocalist but consummate performer. Yet, recessed deep within his creative subconscious lay his Dylan destiny, a Celtic ˜knowing” that constantly gnawed for release from the straight jacket of rock n roll.

The result of three entrepreneurial self-funded writing trips to Nashville, is White Feather, a first solo album which propels Neeson into the life affirming world of Country soul, Celtic roots, Americana and laid back Folk rock. Through a series of crafted, introspective songs, he delivers a vulnerable, personal and very different sound drawing heavily on his recent experiences. Neeson has co-written songs with leading USA and Nashville country songwriters including 2016 Tennessee songwriter of the year Corey Lee Barker; Steve O Brien, Blue Miller, Chase Akers, Blake Densmore and Allen McKendree Palmer who between them have sold in excess of 30 million songs.

In January 2018, he packed his bags once again and headed to Nashville to track 15 songs for the White Feather album at the historic and famous Studio 19, now The Sound Kitchen. Purchased in 1964 by Scotty Moore, Elvis’ guitarist, Studio 19 has recorded a veritable who’s who of great American artists including Bruce, Dolly, Garth, Alabama, the list goes on. The studio is an icon of Nashville’s famed music row and Neeson tapped into the cities immense recording history and ambiance, working with some of the finest Country musicians from Detroit, Chicago and Tennessee, including guitarist John Heinrich (The Everly Brothers, John Mellencamp, The Beach Boys, Ronnie Milsap), multi-instrumentalist Pevy Pevahouse (Trace Adkins), Doug Kahn (Bass) and Steve Grossman (Drums), both from the Gibson Miller band and performers on India Aries Grammy award winning album Voyage To India.

Everything about this process has felt right. From the creation of these great songs to the cutting of the record, it’s been one huge emotional release for me.....like destiny unfolding the way it was always meant to happen (Cormac Neeson).

In White Feather, he has shed a skin, revealing something about himself that defies all previous perception. Perhaps for the first time in his career Cormac Neeson is, as Dylan would put it, being absolutely true to his own heart and he wants the world to know it.

Cormac Neeson tours Ireland this May with his ' Unholy Gospel Choir Band '