Barry Jay Hughes - Willow Tree (single)
Hailing from Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland, Barry Jay Hughes has that ability to immediately captivate the listeners and audiences. It's not only his ability as a classically trained musician, his passionate vocal that pulls the right strings in your soul but also his warm personality. He could serve as an inspiration for aspiring songwriters - he gave up his day job to pursue music full time and we have no doubt this was the best decision he has ever made. Of course it's not an easy thing to do but if you have a passion in your heart and you work hard to achieve it, nothing is impossible. Yes, we paraphrased a famous quote by Michael Flatley here but feels appropriate.
The latest release from Barry Jay Hughes is called " Willow Tree." Here's what Barry said about it: "The song was introduced to me by some local fans of mine (Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan) after a Christmas gig in 2018. Fast forward 12 months and I performed it for them in December 2019. My sound technicial that night, Martin O'Neill, encouraged me to record it but Covid-19 hit Ireland and put a stop to everything.
So....
It was all recorded remotely during lockdown and produced by Martin O'Neill in his home studio. Martin called on some of his friends in the Country music and Rock music worlds... Each musician (credited below) recorded their part in their own studio or home and sent it over to Martin. Unfortunately Martin passed away May 2021 and never got to hear the final mix of the song but he had brought it to almost completion before his passing. The song is dedicated to his memory."
Diving more into the rock/soul territory laced with country courtesy of the harmonica, this song contains the trademark velvet vocal and the more you listen the more you realize Barry Jay Hughes' versatility is truly admirable. He can sing pretty much anything and the heart and soul is always there."i took all your bad deeds and I burried them deep underneath that tree"