Jack O’Rourke

Jack O’Rourke has been described as “one of Ireland’s most gifted songwriters”. A Cork man by birth, Jack first came to prominence with his ode to misunderstood youth and growing up gay, ‘Silence’ – which became a torch song for the Irish Marriage Equality Referendum. He went on to release his debut album Dreamcatcher to massive acclaim, peaking at No.5 in the Irish album charts. From winning the Nashville-based International Songwriting Award to playing his Dreamcatcher album live with an orchestra at Cork Opera House, Jack’s fledgling career has been conspicuous by its high water marks. Chosen as a 2019 headliner for Other Voices, Jack was featured prominently in the television series. Jack certainly references the musicality of Leeside turn of phrase, but his songs explore unique character studies, matters of the heart and are deeply personal, yet universal. Comparisons have been drawn over the initial years to various musicians (Bowie, Kate Bush, John Grant, Guy Garvey). However, the further Jack embarks into his own musical oeuvre, his own identity has begun to emerge. More recently, Jack recorded an album of piano based reflections on a changing world, which will be released later this year. He was also awarded a Residency at Centre Culturel Irlandaise, Paris to compose a concept album, which will commence in 2022.