Acclaimed Irish/Scottish singer and guitarist Robin James Hurt returns this autumn with ‘A Song, A Story Told‘ — a bold, beautifully handmade album out now.
Hurt, a musical journeyman revered for his spellbinding live performances and rich legacy performing alongside icons like Sinéad O’Connor, Ronnie Drew, and Finbar Furey, now steps forward with his most intimate work yet. A departure from the polished studio formula, this record was born not in soundproof booths but in Hurt’s own home — captured on four- and eight-track cassette machines, echoing the raw honesty of a bygone era.
At the heart of the album is a creative kinship with Dublin poet and songwriter Tony Floyd Kenna, whose evocative lyrics anchor the entire project. “Tony writes loud rock’n’roll and I write folky instrumentals,” says Hurt. “We met in the middle with a song called Take Me Home.”
That first collaboration — a powerful meditation on emigration, longing, and return — sparked something immediate. The duo kept writing, unearthing stories that stretch across grief, hope, joy, and ancestral memory. Their songs are not just melodies — they’re emotional landscapes.
Lead single ‘Hey Mary (Play A Song For Me)‘ pays joyful tribute to acclaimed Irish musician Máire Úna Ní Beaghlaoich, celebrating the transformative power of street music in Dublin’s heart. Elsewhere, the title track ‘A Song, A Story Told‘ becomes a tender lullaby from parent to child, while ‘Room Full Of Music’ swings with grooves that beg to be danced to — and remembered.
Rather than polish away the edges, Hurt embraces the grit. Using vintage gear and his lifelong guitar collection, he creates an analogue warmth that feels like it’s breathing right beside you.
This album is not a product. It’s a project of passion, woven from lived experience, hard-earned craft, and artistic trust. A celebration of Ireland’s lyrical lineage, told in two voices — one writing, one singing — both carrying the weight of history with a wink and a roar.
‘A Song, A Story Told‘ is a love letter to anyone who’s ever carried a melody home, who believes songs can still say something worth hearing.