For thirty-plus years, Bren Holmes has been playing his craft as a musician, songwriter, and bandmate. As an original member of the beyond-beloved The Young Dubliners, this Los Angeles-by-way-of-Dublin bard has gigged all over the world–and lived to tell about it. Realistically, one of three things comes characteristically from such a hard-earned pedigree. First Option: Burn out and take up (bitterly or otherwise) another profession entirely; Second Option: Soldier through till his or her band either breaks up or hits the dreaded casino circuit, or the Third Option: Make a well-it’s-about-time-it-happened solo album. Bren thankfully, and wonderfully, chose the Third Option. In the fall of 2019, Bren decided to part ways with the band in the pursuit of a solo career. After several months, he put together a list of songs he had written and got together with co-producer Bryan Dobbs to record his very first solo album, Everything You Never Wanted. Everything You Never Wanted stands a most welcome addition to the cross-genre pantheon of one Irish ex-pat guy with an acoustic guitar (plus some illustrious muso-friends) vs. the Big Bad World. Fans of Bren’s former band will doubtless wonder how much this new LP will evoke–or maybe lay to rest somehow–his longtime affiliation with a live act (and a recording act nine albums strong) that endeared itself to thousands. One listen, however, will immediately raise smiles… and perhaps a pint or two. Powerfully humble and sincere (but with a twist), these ten songs take hold and stick with you straight away. While the music represents a departure of a fashion, Everything You Never Wanted delivers deeply rooted, gritty Americana, timeless rock ‘n’ roll, and stripped-down pop, while smacking a wee bit with a kind of Hibernian melancholy and Irish fighting spirit.
Not only is Bren a skillful bassist and accomplished singer-songwriter (and one to watch in order to hear where he goes on the next LP), but he’s a quite accomplished (read: professional) photographer as well, having exhibited at several hip galleries in both L.A. and Dublin and shot shots for commercial use as well. His photography holds the unembellished honesty that his music possesses. As might be expected, it’s Bren’s work that graces the album cover of the record you now possess. More of Bren’s photo artistry can be discovered at www.brendopix.com/.