New to Hot Press: Martin McDonnell

Martin McDonnell is only 18 years old, but has been singing pretty much all his life. When he was younger, he sang in a small school choir. However, it was just last year that his girlfriend, Fiona, gave him the confidence to step on-stage and sing his heart out.

With so many singer-songwriters out there, it's hard to gain traction. McDonnell, though, certainly has - not least because of his unique soothing voice. "Sometimes, when people are vocally trained, they can sound very theatrical," he reflects. "They sound like everybody else. Maybe I'm lucky that I haven't had singing lessons, so I put my own little stamp on things."

As well as folk, McDonnell also has a passion for classic rock acts like Queen and Led Zeppelin. "I came up with the idea of having modern-sounding, poppy verses," he explains, "and choruses that sound like '70s/'80s rock."

McDonnell has big ambitions, though says he would be equally happy gigging at weddings. As he rightly notes: "If you enjoy what you're doing, you never work a day in your life."

Martin McDonnell supports KTG at Art Café, Dublin on September 27. 'Like You Did Something Wrong' is out now.