Neil White is a Waterford, Ireland based singer songwriter. Neil grew up in a musical family, his father having played bass guitar with some of the top bands in Irelands showband era. Despite being left handed, Neil began playing guitar right handed at age 11, because “that’s the way my Dad did it!”.

He played and wrote songs with bands throughout his teens, but it was a visit to Stockholm, Sweden at the age of 19 that took his songwriting to a new level. “I had always been enthralled with place names in songs” says Neil, “and as soon as I hit the ground in Stockholm, I loved everything about the place. It gave me a new level of inspiration and I just knew I had to write a song about it. I wrote the song Stockholm as soon as I got home, and from that point I just couldn’t stop writing. I think it taught me how important it is to have a real connection with the subject of a song, if you don’t really feel it deep down, then don’t write it. I guess it was a sort of revelation, and I’ve remained incredibly passionate about my writing ever since.”

Over the next few years, Neil developed his writing and eventually released his first album “A Magpie’s Flight” in 2004. Top Irish music magazine Hotpress proferred high praise on his writing – “Those that play as well as he can often slip into mindless exhibitionism, but White makes it all relevant, if not downright essential. The music industry would benefit from more of his ilk, this deserves room in your hearts as well as space on your shelves.”

This promising start in the industry was however halted following a bad experience with a recording contract, leaving Neil unable to release any material for a few years. During this time, he achieved some success with bands ‘The Red Eye Society’ and ‘Superjerk’, but inevitably returned to his acoustic roots, releasing his next solo album ‘Caught In The Headlights’ in May 2011.

According to Neil, the process of writing and recording ‘Caught In The Headlights’ was a dream come true. “I got to work with so many talented people on this record, the whole thing was such a pleasure. After the songs were written, I did string and vocal arrangements with the incredibly talented Fintan Scanlon, we had so much fun and I learned so much during that process. I got to work with one of my favourite producers Joe Chester when we recorded the album in Ireland, and then the icing on the cake was taking the tracks to Nashville for some more recording and mixing at TJ Tunes, with Thomm Jutz, who has produced Mary Gauthier and Nanci Griffith. The whole thing was an incredible experience, I just can’t wait to get back there!”

Once again Hotpress magazine had good things to say “Sparkling guitars, terrific vocals, and the wistfulness of mid-period beatles”, “mouth watering harmonies to go, admirable stuff.”

Neil currently works from his home studio just outside Waterford City, where he is constantly writing for his next album and other projects. “I just adore the art form of songwriting” says Neil, “you never know where inspiration is going to come from next. In so many aspects of life you reach a peak at a certain age, but with writing you improve with age, or at least you should! I suppose my greatest influences in songwriting over the years have been artists like Bruce Cockburn and Loudon Wainwright III, but I’m constantly finding new writers, new songs, new possibilities. I’m now really looking forward to working with Meat Pie Music and taking my music to other parts of the world.”

• More tracks by Neil White