Bren Holmes Honors Sinead O'Connor With 'Ordinary World (For Sinead)'

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Bren Holmes has shared his new single "Ordinary World (for Sinead)", a tribute to late Irish singer Sinead O'Connor and a preview from his sophomore album "A Rush To The Start Line", which will be independently released on CD on February 6, 2026

"I didn't set out to write a song about her," he said of the track. Reybee sent over these details: Written during the Summer of 2023 for the follow-up to his debut album Everything You Never Wanted, the song's primary narrative was derailed by the untimely and unexpected death of fellow Irish musician Sinead O'Connor. "The original idea for the song was completely different, but then I received the sad news that she had passed, and something happened inside me that found myself writing about her life. I just felt her story needed to be told through a song."

Retelling of her struggles dealing with religion and authority throughout her life, "Ordinary World (For Sinead)" is a propulsive indiepop song that finds Holmes in an introspective mood, singing "A life forsaken / Misunderstood and suffered for your words / I watched you weeping / I sympathized, but never wiped your tears." "I wanted a dark, fast song that I thought could pay homage to her in some way," he recalls. "I told my co-producer Bryan Dobbs that I wanted to go for a melancholic vibe like that of The National and he took that cue and helped me turn it into what we have now with its hard bass and drum foundation."

While he confesses that he never had a direct relationship with Sinead other than "a few mutual friends and growing up a few miles away in Ireland," her life story was the fuel he needed to write the mesmerizing tribute. A chance meeting while he was one of the founding members of celebrated Irish rock band The Young Dubliners (which he left in 2019), however, left an indelible mark on him. "I had met her briefly backstage at a Waterboys concert in Los Angeles in the late '90s. She bummed a cigarette from me," he laughs.

Filled with indie rock anthems, ballads and alt-pop bangers, A Rush To The Start Line finds the songwriter moving away from the Irish rock/Americana genre that he occupied for the last 25 years. "With this album I felt like I was getting back to writing songs in a style that I had grown up with in Europe," he says. "I just wanted to play songs that came naturally to me and not having to worry about any particular genre. I had only played Irish music when I came to the States in the early '90s, but before that, I listened to punk, ska, pop, metal... I've always been a fan of a good hook." Returning to his varied roots was energizing for him. "Since my debut three years ago, I've hopefully grown and matured into a better singer/songwriter. I believe I've delivered a better sounding album overall."

With hooks aplenty and a tight grip on melody, A Rush To The Start Line is a masterclass in musical artistry. From the upbeat pop of "Don't Say You Will" ("a simple breakup song that has a happy vibe but carries a heartbreaking story"), to the syncopated pop of "Shine" ("a lil' love song about how someone can change your life in an instant"), to the breezy indie ballad of "This One" ("about the current state of the world and all its woes...hoping that peace and love will prevail over everything in the end"), to the festive album closer "Song for Christmas" ("a story about a soldier who's stationed abroad and is missing his loved one during the holidays"), the album showcases Bren's innate ability of being a master of storytelling. A chiming pop song in the vein of Crowded House or Billy Bragg, the anthemic "Gloria" is a heart-wrenching tale of a runaway teen whose biological family is pleading for her safety from an abusive foster situation. "It's a message that needs to be heard," he explains. "I think it was just one of those songs that came onto my lap from above (or elsewhere) and it just wrote itself in a day or so!"

For thirty-plus years, Bren Holmes has been playing his craft as a musician, songwriter, and bandmate. As an original member of the Irish rock band The Young Dubliners, this Los Angeles-by-way-of-Dublin Ireland band has gigged all over the world--and lived to tell about it. Deciding to part ways with the band in 2019, Bren pursued a solo career and released his solo debut, Everything You Never Wanted in 2021 with special guests including Brett Anderson (The Donnas), Cindy Wasserman (Dead Rock West), Jayson Sites (Half Pint Jones), Dave Raven (Keith Richards, Nellie McKay, John Doe) and Rachel Grace (Foo Fighters, Usher, Annie Lennox).

Bren Holmes' second album A Rush To The Start Line features bassist Paul Bushnell (Tim McGraw), Ward Poulos (Elektolab), Ben Thomas (Dweezil Zappa), Victor Varadi (Crosscutter), Bob Boulding (The Young Dubliners), Maggie McCabe (Maggie's Farm), Tim Boland (The Black Watch), Mike Finn (The Unforgiven), Jesse Olema (Dwight Yoakam, Post Malone), Nikki Christie, and Mary Morales. It was co-produced by Bren Holmes and Bryan Dobbs and will be released independently on CD on February 6, 2026.

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