A name we'll have heard a lot more of by this time next year, Mick Flannery has already performed in New York, at the Dublin Theatre Festival's Spiegeltent and Cork's Opera House. Aged just 23, he is also the first Irish musician to win awards in the US International Songwriting Competition. His track 'The Tender' took the top prize in the Lyrics Only category and his song 'In the Gutter' won the award in the Folk Singer-Songwriter category. When you see the names of some of the judges - Tom Waits, Loretta Lynn, Sonny Rollins - you realise just what an achievement this is.

Raised in Blarney, Co Cork, Flannery cites his thunderbolt music moment as seeing Nirvana perform 'The Man Who Sold the World' on TV. He went out and bought their 'Unplugged' album, which soon had 'Blonde on Blonde' for company. Writing songs since 16, Flannery decided after school to study music and management at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork. While there his understanding of his own talents grew and he began work on his debut album, 'Evening Train'. He says he really wanted to write a musical but, when he found himself out of his depth with the stage directions and dialogue, he turned it into a concept album instead. That would be much easier, after all.

Telling the story of a week in the lives of two brothers, 'Evening Train' has received rave reviews both here and in the US. Flannery now has inked a deal with EMI and is recording the follow-up, due later this year. One of 2008's highlights seems guaranteed.

Harry Guerin

www.mickflannery.ie

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