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Derry native Colm Warren has carved out one of Ireland’s most distinctive musical journeys. Best known as the former frontman of acclaimed Belfast punk band The Twenty, Warren stepped away from music for almost a decade before re-emerging with an entirely different artistic vision, trading punk’s raw energy for emotionally charged, orchestral-backed songwriting.
His unexpected return began in 2020 with the release of his debut solo single, Void. The song was followed by Shame and Choked, completing a trilogy exploring themes of grief, identity and the search for meaning. All three releases received widespread acclaim and secured radio airplay across BBC and RTÉ.
In 2021, Warren revealed a more reflective side with Just Me, a meditation on solitude and inner peace, before releasing September Roses on the morning of his young daughter’s fifth birthday.
Following another period away from the spotlight, Warren returned in late 2023 with Truth, a deeply affecting duet featuring Irish actress and performer Maeve Smyth. Described by Hot Press as “a spine-tinglingly intimate, stunning duet”, the song led to an invitation to perform with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at Dublin’s National Concert Hall as part of the broadcaster’s Christmas celebrations. During the concert, Warren also received widespread praise for his moving piano-led rendition of Shane MacGowan’s A Rainy Night in Soho.
Throughout 2024, Warren released the singles Alright, Dead Days and Thinking of You, each accompanied by beautifully crafted self-produced videos which have now accumulated more than 140,000 YouTube views. Alright, in particular, confronted themes of illness and loss, with Clash describing it as “a moving listen… unveiling a true vulnerability.”
Although 2025 brought just one release, Warren delivered an ambitious and emotionally resonant interpretation of Guns N’ Roses’ Estranged. Rotate praised the recording, writing that it was approached “not as a performer decorating someone else’s work, but as an artist excavating his own history. The result is profoundly affecting. His voice, worn yet resilient, carries the weight of years lived, of battles fought both in public and private.”
Remaining as unpredictable as ever, Warren returned in March 2026 without warning to release Without You on World Down Syndrome Day. Accompanied by an uplifting video created in collaboration with members and families from Down Syndrome Cork, the song is a tribute to Warren’s sister and nephew and is dedicated to “the 1 in 800 babies born everywhere with Down syndrome.” The video was featured as “A Reason To Be Happy” on Newstalk, while The Journal praised both the song and its accompanying film for being “heralded for its efforts to bring inclusion and positivity.”
Now, Warren returns with his latest single, Good Morning, released on 17 July.
Written for his friend and long-time collaborator John Byrne following the death of Byrne’s wife, Christine O’Gorman, in June 2025, Good Morning is an intimate and profoundly moving reflection on grief, friendship and enduring love.
Byrne, one of Ireland’s best-known musicians and arrangers who regularly performs with country star Nathan Carter, has collaborated on every one of Warren’s solo releases. His piano performance on Good Morning forms the emotional heart of the recording.
Speaking about the song, Warren said, “Good Morning was written for my friend and collaborator John Byrne after he lost his beautiful wife, Christine O’Gorman, in June 2025. John has worked with me on every one of my solo releases and recording this song was incredibly difficult for everyone involved, for obvious reasons. I don’t really want to say much more because I’d rather let the song speak for itself. I feel incredibly privileged that John was able to contribute such an inspired piano performance. As always, I’m humbled to work with someone of such immense talent and extraordinary humility. John is a beautiful person who simply doesn’t deserve the pain he and his children have had to endure. I am so sorry for their unimaginable loss. Good Morning is my small way of trying to tell him that. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created together in Christine’s memory, and I hope John is too.”
Good Morning was produced by Joe Egan, mixed and mastered by Aidan Cunningham, with the accompanying performance video filmed by Mark Bennett and made possible through the support of Peter Maher.
Never one to follow trends or industry expectations, Colm Warren continues to create music on his own terms. His songs are deeply personal, emotionally fearless and uncompromisingly authentic. Rather than chasing commercial formulas, Warren writes to confront life’s hardest moments, creating work that quietly resonates with audiences who discover it.
With Good Morning, he delivers perhaps his most moving and personal release to date.
Find Colm Warren: Facebook, Spotify
For more information, please contact: Danielle Holian | danielle.holian@decentmusicpr.com
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