Irish singer-songwriter Nathan O'Regan releases his new single "Killer" through Belfast label Zenith Cafe
ORDER 7 INCH HERE
March 5th, 2025: “Killer” is the stunning new single from upcoming Irish singer-songwriter Nathan O’Regan, available now digitally and as a limited 7 inch single on Zenith Cafe. Watch the video here.
A country-blues banger that blasts out of the gates and doesn’t let up til the final note, “Killer” is driven by twanging guitars and the wail of a Hkammond organ, with a swaggering, soulful vocal from O’Regan that’s worthy of any of Nashville’s homegrown stars.
“Killer” was written by O’Regan with fellow Belfast-based musician Gareth Dunlop, a close friend and mentor, and recorded at Attica Studios in Donegal, run by Villagers guitarist Tommy McLaughlin. The song’s theme came from a discussion the two had about their life partners.
“Gareth and I have incredible, fierce women in our lives and we were joking about how we both need that from time to time” explains Nathan. “It’s like dealing with an assassin – they kill all the worst parts of you and leave you with the bits they like the most.”
On the B-side is the poignant lament “Hey Man”, written by O’Regan the night he found out a close friend from home had passed away. “It’s the last phone call that I should have had with him, but I never found the courage to call,” says Nathan. “I was in complete denial. I have a little picture of Ian just under my screen in my studio and I make sure I talk to him every day now.”
Born in Cork to a musical family, O’Regan signed to a major label when he was just 16 years old after his band won a radio competition. “I was absolutely terrible to begin with, to be honest,” he recalls now. “I definitely appreciated those early experiences of working with professional songwriters.” Yet, as is shamefully too often the case with major labels, O’Regan’s career was put on hold; his debut project stalled, and he was eventually dropped after four years.
So Nathan upped sticks and moved to Belfast, where he began making a name for himself on the local live circuit. “There was always a gig on, and it was a good way to make money, while also cutting my teeth with live performances,” he explains. “I feel like a lot of musicians might hold back, waiting for the right kind of venue or something, but I really just wanted to play anywhere that’d have me.”
He was inspired by how many like-minded, talented artists he came across: “Belfast definitely punches above its weight,” he says, “there are so many world-class players.”
Last year O’Regan signed to the Belfast-based independent label Zenith Cafe. “It feels like a momentous thing. I’ve been working towards this for almost half my life. It feels like an introduction of sorts, or starting from the very beginning.”
His early signing was “an amazing experience creatively”, he says, but also “a bit of a learning curve – it made me realise that a lot of people in this industry have no idea what they’re doing.”
He’s considerably more at home on Zenith Cafe: “It’s very DIY, we’re all working together, and they’re just really generous and supportive – everyone’s very passionate about music”.
Stand by for more news on releases and live shows from Nathan O’Regan.
Download artwork here
7 Inch Single Track List
A: Killer
B: Hey Man
Order 7-inch single here
Further information chris@swellpublicity.com (print) or
lorraine@longevitypr.com (online)