[Cover photo credit to Michael Jacobson]

For thirty-plus years, Bren Holmes has been a musician, songwriter, and bandmate. As an original member of the Irish rock band The Young Dubliners, this Los Angeles-by-way-of-Dublin Ireland band has gigged all over the world.

Deciding to part ways with the band in 2019, Holmes pursued a solo career and released his solo debut, Everything You Never Wanted in 2021. Bren Holmes’ second album, A Rush To The Start Line will be released on February 6th, 2026.

The album features bassist Paul Bushnell (Tim McGraw), Ward Poulos (Elektrolab), Ben Thomas (Dweezil Zappa), Victor Varadi (Crosscutter), Bob Boulding (The Young Dubliners), Maggie McCabe (Maggie’s Farm), Tim Boland (The Black Watch), Mike Finn (The Unforgiven), Jesse Olema (Dwight Yoakam, Post Malone),Nikki Christie, and Mary Morales. It was co-produced by Bren Holmes and Bryan Dobbs.

Rush To The Start Line finds the songwriter moving away from the Irish Rock/Americana genre that he occupied for the last 25 years.

He says:

With this album I felt like I was getting back to writing songs in a style that I had grown up with in Europe. I just wanted to play songs that came naturally to me and not having to worry about any particular genre. I had only played Irish music when I came to the States in the early ‘90s, but before that, I listened to punk, ska, pop, metal… I’ve always been a fan of a good hook.

Since my debut three years ago, I’ve hopefully grown and matured into a better singer/songwriter. I believe I’ve delivered a better sounding album overall.

Holmes has recently released the indie Pop single “Ordinary World” which is dedicated to his fellow Irish musician, Sinéad O’Connor.

Holmes explains:

The original idea for the song was completely different, but then I received the sad news that she had passed, and something happened inside me that found myself writing about her life. I just felt her story needed to be told through a song.