“I Love This City” is a love letter to home, family & community and a protest song which I wrote following a march to “Save The Cobblestone”. The protest was so much more than a coming together to save a vital and cherished Irish cultural space - it was an expression of love for Dublin and all the good things going on in the city.
“Inner city girl loves a Raytown son” is the only specific reference to Dublin in the song - it is a tribute to my father who is from Ringsend (aka “Raytown”) and my mother who passed away in 2007 and was from The Liberties in Dublin’s inner city.
I met Brian Brannigfan from A Lazarus Soul on that march, and I wanted the song to be a companion piece to his incredible song “Long Balconies”. I’m delighted to work with his fellow band member Joe Chester on this version of the song – Joe is an incredible musician, songwriter and producer and his stunning record “A Murder of Crows” is one of my favourite albums of all time. Myself & Joe are joined by Joe Doyle from the Frames and Gavin Glass on vocal harmonies, David Murphy on pedal steel and my great friend from Revelino Brendan Tallon plays the acoustic guitar solo.
The video for the song was shot in The Cobblestone by the incredible Laura Sheeran.
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“This City is a satellite of love bursting with shimmering riffs and glorious hooks….the kind that would perfectly soundtrack the end credits of an indie film” Hot Press
"Bren's voice is like a hug" Damien Dempsey
“One of the albums of the year” Tom Dunne, Newstalk
"A stone-cold classic." Ralph McLean, BBC Radio Ulster