INTERVIEW: New album from Eoin Shannon

Coming out of Cork in Ireland, singer-songwriter Eoin Shannon‘s work feels like a series of conversations, shaped by an ongoing fascination with the mind and the way it projects stories, memories and emotion. At the centre of it all is a belief in storytelling as on of the main pillars of music, where melody and lyric are inseparable from the experiences they’re trying to capture.

Inspired by artists like Jim Croce, Johnny Cash, Kate Wolf and Dean Martin, Eoin builds his songs with an awareness of tradition, allowing him to shape chord progressions and arrangements that respond directly to the stories within each track. The structure follows the tale, not the other way around, giving his music a sense of movement that feels organic rather than imposed.

That connection between story and sound carries through into his vocal delivery and how emotion is expressed, with shifts in tone reflecting the nuances of the lyrics. Worry, frustration, happiness and everything in between are stitched into the way he sings, creating performances that feel reactive, intimate and highly affecting.

Last year, his debut album Hello Forever marked the first full expression of his sonic vision as a twelve-track project which brought together a group of collaborators. Much of the musical framework was shaped by Larry Magee, with additional contributions from Andrei Sorokin and Irish artist Chanele, resulting in a release that earned positive responses from independent music journalists and placing Eoin on the radar as a songwriter with a distinct perspective.

Now, Shannon shifts his focus toward a more conceptual direction with his latest full-length record titled Every Drunk’s Gotta Story. Framed as a journey through a dimly lit lounge bar, the album leans into atmosphere as much as story, drawing influence from figures like Tom Waits and Frank Sinatra, where each track operates as a vignette, introducing characters shaped by love, loss and the search for redemption.

Opened by the soft twang of guitar on “Sweetheart Candy Lovin,” the track slips into a bluesy rock groover where steady percussion and lightly gritty instrumentation is capped by Eoin’s rich vocal leads. “Game Night In Hell” follows with the elegant flicker of piano notes before rolling into a downtempo jazz-tinged jam that flows with smooth melodic leads and transportive arrangement.

Throughout the record, songs such as “Bartender,” “Pull Up a Stool,” and “Pour Me Some Unconditional Love” offer intricate views into other lives, capturing moments where internal struggles surface in quiet, often unguarded ways. There’s a sense that the setting itself becomes part of the storytelling, with the lounge bar acting as a space where these tale progress, overlap and occasionally collide.

Bringing the album to a close with “Last Call For The Broken Hearted,” Eoin’s emotive voice floats above soft harmonies as delicate guitar lines, warm bass notes and gentle percussion forms an engrossing finale to the release. As he continues to share his original and truly compelling artistic output, Eoin Shannon once again delivers a superb musical experience that’s sure to win ovre new and existing fans around the world.

We caught up with Eoin Shannon to find out more about his musical journey so far, his new album Every Drunk’s Gotta Story and what he’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Eoin Shannon below.

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

I was writing songs/poems at a very young age, on the family PC my father found them and said they were very good, but they are all lost forever and I doubt they were really that great.

I only started making music in 2022-2023 with the help of Larry Magee a fantastic producer, we made a lot of music together and most of the songs ended up on my debut album Hello Forever.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

Johnny Cash is one of the biggest, I love that country style, I love the massive voice of Luke Kelly he’s a big inspiration, Mick Flannery, Jim Croce, Kate Wolf, Dean Martin, Ben Harper, Bobby Blue Bland, Ryan Adams. Barry White,

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Just turning off and escaping from thoughts that’s where most of my writing comes from, just being in the present. I also paint and created the album covers for my first two albums.

What was your highlight of 2025?

Listening back to Highs and Lows, my second album once it was completed, really love the music and the overall vibe of the album.

What do you love about the Irish music scene?

There’s a lot of great bands and artists bringing Irish Celtic folk back, like Amble and Kingfisher, DC Fontaines are a great band also and massive fan of Mick Flannery, a lot of fantastic Storytellers in Ireland.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

In the quiet of the night when you want to escape or reflect.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

I started making folk music, then I switched off into the blues and now I have made a jazz album. I think my last album is probably the most mature out of the three and I think my songwriting is much more sophisticated.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

It would probably be Nick Cave, even to just work together and create something Cinematic for TV or Film. I have only become a big fan of his recently. He’s got a lot of hidden gems and I love that I keep finding them in the back of YouTube.

How did you find making your new album ‘Every Drunk’s Gotta Story’?

It was a breeze, songs just came to me so effortlessly and I found the perfect musicians to work with, who helped put it all together. It took me awhile to realize the songs could all be made into a concept album.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

I just want to help people escape and get lost in the music, sometimes it’s good to get out of the thoughts in the head and just shut off. I was hoping to create a character type journey, something easy listening.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

I listen to Boatman’s Call by Nick Cave a lot, Mick Flannery’s earliest albums especially White Lies, Closing Time by Tom Waits, Ryan Adam’s Cold Roses, Ashes and Fire and Self-entitled album.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

I just hope they find some enjoyment out of it, maybe escape from the mind for 48 minutes.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

I havnt had one of my own yet, but I’ve seen Ryan Adams and Andrea Bocelli recently and both were 10/10. It’s hard to Top Andrea Bocelli

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

Ben Harper, Ryan Adams, Nick Cave
Probably live at the Marque in Cork

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

I find most of my songs come from being in the moment, so if you can be in the present and listen to your heart and mind and pour it all out on paper.

I find if I just sing a melody the words sort of follow. If you’re not a musician Airgigs, Fiverr and Soundbetter have amazing talented musicians to work with and fantastic backing vocalists.

Finally, what do you have lined up next?

I have been working on a new album, I have a few songs I did around the time I made my first album, hoping to put them together with some other new folk songs that I have written down, I hope to make another album that I can be proud of and that sounds uniquely like an Eoin Shannon record.

Listen to Every Drunk’s Gotta Story below