We Speak Music
“Without You” Highlights Inclusion and Storytelling in Colm Warren’s Latest Release
Colm Warren has returned with “Without You,” a new single that places storytelling and social awareness at the forefront of his evolving catalogue. Released in alignment with World Down Syndrome Day, the project is accompanied by a collaborative video with Down Syndrome Cork, positioning the release within a broader conversation around inclusion and representation.
Warren’s journey to this point has been marked by significant transformation. Beginning as the lead figure in The Twenty, he has since transitioned into a solo artist whose work emphasises introspection and emotional nuance. His early solo trilogy—“Void,” “Shame,” and “Choked”—introduced audiences to a more contemplative voice shaped by absence and return.
In the years that followed, Warren expanded both his thematic and musical reach. Collaborations such as “Truth” with Maeve Smyth and his performance with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at the National Concert Hall demonstrated a growing confidence in larger-scale arrangements. His tribute to Shane MacGowan, performing A Rainy Night in Soho, further cemented his ability to connect with audiences through reinterpretation.
Recent releases, including “Alright,” “Dead Days,” and “Thinking of You,” have continued to build his profile, with strong online engagement and critical support from outlets such as Clash. His 2025 reworking of Estranged reinforced his interest in revisiting and reframing emotionally complex material.
“Without You” marks a notable shift toward deeply personal subject matter. Written for his sister and inspired by his nephew Ódhrán, the song reflects on the impact of children with Down syndrome, presenting a narrative grounded in lived experience. Its orchestral framework, arranged by John Byrne and recorded at The Nutshed Studio in Co. Offaly, underscores Warren’s continued commitment to sonic depth.
The video, directed by Tetsuhiko Endo and produced by Therese Shannon at Rubberduck, features performances from members of the Down Syndrome Cork community, including Sean McMahon, Emma O’Connor, David Wall and Mike Clifford. By placing participants at the centre of the narrative, the project moves beyond representation toward genuine collaboration. As Warren prepares further releases in 2026, “Without You” stands as a significant statement of both artistic and social intent.
“Colm Warren is one of those rare artists who operates entirely on his own terms; ‘Without You’ is a beautiful, deeply human piece of work that doesn’t just showcase his evolution as a songwriter, but also his ability to connect, uplift, and give voice to stories that truly matter,” shares music publicist Danielle Holian, Decent Music PR.
Murray & The Movers follow up the release of their late-night blues-rock cut ‘Dirty Laundry’ with ‘Squeaky Clean’, a frisky, electrified reworking that pushes the song into sharp-edged rockabilly territory.
‘Squeaky Clean’ is the sunny-side-up flip of ‘Dirty Laundry’ — swapping late-night smoke and tension for bright rockabilly swagger, clean cowboy boots and good-time rhythm. Built around crisp stick sounds, woody percussion, twanging guitars and scooting grooves, the track rolls through Americana country-blues territory with a grin on its face. If ‘Dirty Laundry’ was after dark, ‘Squeaky Clean’ is the sound of throwing open the blinds and skipping down the street in freshly polished cowboy boots.
Fronted by Lizzie Mack, whose voice moves between raw intimacy and controlled power, and anchored by Murray Cook’s instinctive guitar work, the two tracks reveal both sides of Murray & The Movers: one slow-burning and shadowed, the other sharper, louder and built for speed.
Drawing on blues, country, garage rock and classic soul, the band’s sound is never revivalist. Instead, it lives in a distinctly cinematic space — music with dust on its boots, neon in its reflection, and a sense of backstory running through every musical choice. With the high-energy release of ‘Squeaky Clean’ juxtaposing the restrained, cinematic, tension-building moods of ‘Dirty Laundry’, Murray & The Movers showcase their great versatility across the same song.
Following the release, Lizzie Mack and Murray Cook will head to Spain in summer 2026 for a run of intimate duo shows, bringing their raw chemistry and stripped-back sound to a series of close, atmospheric rooms from Madrid to Barcelona. For tickets and information on the shows, visit- https://www.murrayandthemovers.com/
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