With rock's most powerful manager, Paul McGuinness, fighting his corner, and the corporate might of Sony Records on his side, Paddy Casey boasts a formidable team to help him on his trek to the top. The 23-year-old Dubliner started his career on the streets, busking songs by Prince, The Waterboys and Bob Dylan when he really should have been at school. Inspired by fellow-buskers Glen Hansard (The Frames) and Mic Christopher (The Mary Janes), Casey began writing his own songs and showcasing them at various singer-songwriter nights around town, and was soon spotted by Sony Ireland. Casey's debut album, Amen (So Be It), displays a canny folk sensibility, particularly on the poignant Sweet Suburban Sky and the head-swaying Everybody Wants, but also shows that he has yet to form his own musical identity.
The sniff of hype which accompanied his high-profile signing has been partially dispelled by the genuine public interest in Paddy Casey. His tour dates (Casey plays Dublin's HQ tomorrow) are usually sold out and audiences mesmerised by his cool, commanding onstage demeanour. And when Casey hits his emotional stride, even the pins pause in mid-drop.
