Sinead and the Dawnbreakers: Tom Waters, Ray Waters, Iain Hornal and Luke Roberts
“LIFE’S good,” was the summation from Irvinestown-born Sinead Quinn this week.
The musician, who lives just outside London, is keeping busy through a variety of projects.
Sinead and her husband Paul Stewart (of The Feeling fame), had their first child, Emerald, back in April 2012, and it was just 10 weeks after that Sinead found herself back on the stage.
Recently, she formed ‘Billington and Quinn’ with Tom Billington and continues to perform both on her own, and with her band ‘Sinead and the Dawnbreakers’.
The Dawnbreakers name references to a showband that included Sinead’s mother, Philomena.
“It’s starting to pick up again, with a couple of different things on the go,” she said this week.
“I’ve been doing a lot of gigs with the Dawnbreakers, and started up this duo lately. It’s called Billington and Quinn. Tom was in a band that was signed a few years ago called Mohair.
“We do covers and we’ve been doing gigs locally and have been asked to write music for an independent film.”
Sinead and the Dawnbreakers features Ray and Tom Waters, cousins, on guitar and double bass respectively, Iain Hornell on guitar, and Sinead’s husband, Paul, on drums.
“We still haven’t done an album, and before I had the baby it was my intention to get that out. Everything came to a standstill for a while, but now I want to get back into it and release an album.”
Over the summer, the band were invited to Childwickbury, a festival on the estate of the late Stanley Kubrick (Clockwork Orange).
“His wife had us back for the third year in a row at the arts festival. It’s really nice.”
Sinead first came to nation-wide attention as a contestant in Fame Academy in 2002, which she finished second.
“I’ve very fond memories,” she reflected.
“Sometimes somebody back home will mention the hysteria back home in Fermanagh – I’m proud of it, so many years on. I think it’s tougher these days.
“I think the judges seem to do well out of it every year. Some of the contestants do well – like One Direction who flew – but at the same time people know that before they go in and that’s the risk you take.”
And, looking ahead to the rest of 2013 and into 2014, she spoke of her aims: “Just to keep enjoying playing gigs, hopefully get an album out with the Dawnbreakers, and just keep enjoying playing. I’ve always been a working musician.
“Before I was on that show I was working as a musician – and I’m still working as a musician. Life’s good!”