Grammy-nominated songwriter and former INXS frontman Ciaran Gribbin has announced the release of his new single, ‘Tighten Up The Knot’.
His songwriting network reads like a who’s who of the craft. He has written with Andrew Farriss, the INXS co-founder and chief songwriter behind 75 million records sold, and his bandmate Jon Farriss and bassist Garry Gary Beers. He has penned songs with Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol — the Northern Irish songwriter who co-wrote Ed Sheeran’s global smash ‘Shape of You’ and with Pam Sheyne, the Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter behind Christina Aguilera‘s number one hit ‘Genie in a Bottle’, whose songs have sold more than fifty million records.
He has also collaborated with Alain Whyte, Morrissey’s principal songwriting partner of over a decade, who has since written for Madonna, Chris Brown and the Black Eyed Peas, and with CJ Vanston, the Hollywood composer and producer whose credits span Toto, Joe Cocker, Def Leppard, Ringo Starr and Barbra Streisand.
Born during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, Ciaran came of age against a backdrop of conflict, division and raw human drama. Those formative years in Belfast and Derry were spent playing gig after gig in the city’s toughest bars and shaped him into the instinctive storyteller and emotionally fearless songwriter he is today.
Ciaran was a founding member of beloved Irish band Leya, which toured for seven years with major acts including Snow Patrol and Embrace, and released the critically acclaimed album Watch You Don’t Take Off. The band was nominated for Best New Act at the Irish Meteor Music Awards.
Photo Credits: Mick Oliver Photography
His first major breakthrough came in 2010 when the Grammy nomination for ‘Celebration’ catapulted him onto the world stage. He soon became a fixture at the world’s biggest music festivals, including Brazil’s legendary Rock in Rio.
‘Tighten Up The Knot’ is a high-energy, upbeat pop track exploring resilience and the love of family in a turbulent world. Recorded at Aviator Studios, Sydney, and produced by award-winning producer Paul Beard (Lily Allen, Robbie Williams), the song blends piano, Americana-infused guitars and hook-filled melodies.
Ciaran Gribbin describes the new single as:
“I wrote this song from a parent’s perspective — the love I have for my children and the desire to protect them from whatever storm the world brings.”
The single follows a remarkable career that has seen Gribbin co-write the Grammy-nominated “Celebration” for Madonna, compose the soundtrack for the film Killing Bono, pen the Oscar-shortlisted ‘Hey Baby Doll’ — performed by Al Pacino in Danny Collins — and tour the world as frontman of INXS.
Gribbin returns to Ireland this August and is available for interviews, live sessions and acoustic performances.
Upcoming Irish Dates:
- 30th August — Live At The Square Festival, Derry
- 6th September — Whelan’s, Dublin
Connect with Ciaran Gribbin