Behind the music - Nathan O'Regan
It's the second track to be lifted from his forthcoming debut album Olive Branch, set for release 19 September on Belfast label Zenith Cafe Records.
Having just completed a support tour with Lucy Spraggan, Nathan will be performing at festivals over the summer before embarking on the Olive Branch tour in September and October, including a date at The Workmans Cellar, Dublin on 8 October and other Irish shows including Mullingar, Castlebar, Limerick and Belfast.
He wrote Better Day for his partner when she was pregnant with their first son.
"It was written just before we had Arthur, and we were living in this tiny little house just outside of Belfast. It felt like we were boxed in," he says.
"You couldn't step in a straight line, you were climbing over things to get anywhere, and we just didn't know where a baby was even going to fit. I just wanted to tell her everything was going to be ok eventually and to keep the faith."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I was born in Cork but moved to Belfast when I left school. I'm the proud Dad of two little boys, Arthur, who's three and Oscar, who's five months old. I love cooking and think if I didn't work in music I would have wanted to work in a kitchen of some sort.
How would you describe your music?
I'm so incredibly bad at answering this question but I'll try: I try as much as I can to keep my lyrics conversational. If I can't imagine myself saying it, then I normally won't sing it either. Style wise, people have told me I sound a bit like James Morrison, Gregory Porter, Springsteen.
Most of the stuff that I think has informed the music I like making are probably from my Dad's record collection. Marc Cohn, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel all have left big impressions on me. Storytelling at its finest with the lyric front and centre at all times. More recently, I'm obsessed with Lake Street Dive, Leif Vollebekk, Stephen Wilson Jr, to name a few.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Eric Clapton Live At The Marquee in Cork. I think I was about 14 or 15. I remember the day of the gig, I had the flu or something similar working on me and my Mum thought I shouldn't go but I was adamant that I wasn't going to miss it. We went really early to get near the front and about 20 mins into Clapton's set, it was so hot in there that I fainted. I remember waking up being carried by a paramedic who was screaming "WHAT DID YOU TAKE?" at me. Their instincts were correct so I replied honestly, "two Lemsips."
What was the first record you ever bought?
American Idiot by Green Day, followed quickly by everything else they'd released. I used to sit for hours with them on repeat and try and work out the guitar parts. I was obsessed
What's your favourite song right now?
This is going to sound super specific, but right now its a song called Dela by Johnny Clegg. We've been letting our son Arthur watch some movies and he's obsessed with George Of The Jungle and there's a scene at the end where that song plays and he absolutely loves it. It's the first non-nursery rhyme song that he genuinely loves and it brings me a lot of joy watching him dance around and sing it. I'm not sure if I love the song or if I just love that we're not being asked to play Baby Shark all day long anymore, but in any case, it's a banger!
Favourite lyric of all time?
I have too many to pick just one, but the first one that comes to mind is from a song called Elegy by Leif Vollebekk where he sings, "Gonna find a way to climb out of this basement / Gonna find out what that smile on your face meant." More just from a place of being a fan of songwriting than what that specifically means, but I've never heard someone rhyme "basement" with "face meant" before and it completely blew me away! It's pretty elite stuff I thought.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Michael Flatley 'intends to seek nominations to run for President', court told
Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley is moving back to Ireland in the next two weeks as he 'intends to seek nominations to run for President,' a court has been told. An affidavit opened before Ms Justice Eileen Roberts in the Commercial Court on Friday made the assertion, following on from speculation that the Irish-American would contest the upcoming presidential election. Mr Flatley's counsel Ronnie Hudson BL instructed by Maxwell Mooney solicitor introduced the document to court as part of a case where a building contractor and insurance companies involved in carrying out works at the Flatley Castlehyde mansion in Cork are seeking to have the star put up €2.8m security for costs before his action against them begins. A security for costs application is usually made when the defendants in the case apply to the court seeking to have their costs covered if they end up successfully defending the main proceedings. It is often sought when litigants are not resident in the EU. Mr Hudson told the court that Mr Flatley's intention to return to live in Ireland in the coming days represented a 'material change of circumstances' which must be considered by Ms Justice Roberts in her ruling on the security for costs application. Andrew Fitzpatrick SC, representing the underwriting and insurance defendants in the case, objected to the affidavit being admitted to court as the judge had already reserved judgement on the application. He also said it was 'hearsay', given that the affidavit was signed by Mr Flatley's solicitor Mr Mooney rather than the man himself. Counsel for building contractor Austin Newport, Stephen Dowling SC, meanwhile said that there were no details of where he would be living in Ireland and did not meet the threshold to be admitted. Ms Justice Roberts determined that the affidavit would be taken into account. 'In fairness to Mr Flatley, I will allow the affidavit to be admitted,' she said. 'I will treat it then with the weight, if any, I give to it.' The judge also indicated that she had already begun work on the judgement and it would be delivered in a 'reasonably short period'. Mr Flatley's side has previously described the security of costs application as 'a final effort to derail my claim'. Mr Hudson said Mr Flatley is an Irish citizen and has assets in this jurisdiction and he contended it could be 'a form of discrimination' if the court were to make an order for security of costs against him. In the main proceedings, the Riverdance performer claims he and his family had to vacate the Castlehyde period property in October 2023 after alleged toxic chemical residue was detected during routine maintenance. Mr Flatley is suing Austin Newport Group Ltd, the main contractor and insurance underwriters — MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd, AXA XL Underwriting Agencies LTD and Hamilton Managing Agency Limited along with Lloyds Insurance Company. All of the allegations are denied. The court has previously heard the dancing star, who recently directed and starred in his own self-financed action film Blackbird, had been intending to move back to Ireland. Last weekend, he told Brendan O'Connor on RTÉ Radio One that he was not ruling out a bid for presidency to succeed Michael D Higgins in this autumn's election. For Mr Flatley to get onto the ballot, he would need the backing of either 20 members of the Oireachtas or four local authorities. So far, the only candidates to put themselves in the race are independent TD Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness. Conor McGregor has also repeatedly posted on social media that he too wants to be the next president of Ireland. The election must take place before 11 November, when President Higgins' term ends.
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
WATCH: Michael D. Higgins' music video for Against All Certainty featuring famous faces
Claddagh Records has released the music video for 'Against All Certainty', the title track of President Michael D. Higgins' upcoming spoken word album. The new music video is directed by Ellius Grace, whose recent credits include Christy Moore's 'Boy in the Wild' music video, and stars Irish actors Ciarn Hinds, Olwen Four and Eanna Hardwicke. A sequence of videos accompanying tracks from the album will be released ahead of the full record's release, depicting a vision of 1940s Ireland and the struggles faced by those living in that era. Against All Certainty , featuring ten original works by President Higgins to music by Myles O'Reilly, is set for release on September 5. It will be available digitally, on vinyl and in a CD hardback with a book of poetry, images and more. Watch the music video for 'Against All Certainty' below:
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Ready to reel at Boyne International Film Festival
Now in its fourth year, the festival is co-curated by local filmmaker Frank W. Kelly and Droichead Arts Centre Director Collette Farrell, and supported by LOVE Drogheda BIDS. This year's programme continues the festival's mission to champion Irish film, with a particular spotlight on local filmmakers and stories made in and around the Boyne Valley. The 2025 festival will feature a packed weekend of Irish and international short films, documentaries, animations, filmmaker workshops, panel discussions, and awards. With season tickets priced at just €35, audiences will have access to all shorts screening programmes throughout the weekend. A standout event this year is the Gala Screening of Four Mothers, the latest feature from Drogheda's own Darren Thornton, co-written with his brother Colin. The screening, taking place on Saturday 9 August, will be followed by a Q&A hosted by broadcaster Sinéad Brassil. The film tells the story of a novelist grappling with family and fame across a chaotic weekend and has already won critical acclaim. Local filmmaking takes centre stage at the Made in the Boyne Valley opening night screening, featuring projects such as Medicinal by Eoghan Timothy Hand and starring Peter Coonan, as well as works from directors based in Louth and Meath. Festival Co-Director Collette Farrell said: 'The Boyne Valley region is rich in history, creativity, and community. This festival allows us to bring that spirit to the screen while supporting Irish talent at all stages of their careers.' Workshops throughout the weekend offer valuable insight for emerging creatives, including sessions led by Dundalk-born casting director Luci Lenox, Droichead Artist in Residence Baz Black (Kin), and actress Orla Fitzgerald. A panel on casting will also feature industry leaders Louise Kiely, Barry Coyle, and Mary-Ellen O'Hara. This year's Filmmaker in Focus is TJ O'Grady-Peyton, with six of his short films screening, including Room Taken, which was recently shortlisted for an Oscar and executive produced by Colin Farrell. BVIFF 2025 is also proud to announce two new patrons: acclaimed actress Helen Behan from Laytown, and award-winning casting director Louise Kiely. Both have supported the festival since its early days and now formally join the team. The festival is made possible through support from The Arts Council, Louth County Council Festival Fund, Meath County Council, and local sponsors including The Clinch Family, Boann Distillery, Anglo Printers, and The Marcy. 'We're incredibly proud to bring this festival back to Drogheda, and to showcase the depth of talent we have in Louth, Meath, and across the country,' said Frank W. Kelly. With a combination of screenings, networking, and education, BVIFF offers both audiences and aspiring filmmakers a unique cultural experience in the heart of the Boyne Valley. Tickets and the full festival programme are available at
