ABOUT US
AtSongs is a song publishing company based in West Cork, Ireland, an exceptionally beautiful part of the world. We work with individual voices and original songwriters whose music represents genuine depth and quality. AtSongs passionately believe in creativity in song making and the natural, compelling musicality that surrounds and inspires us. Simply put, the talent we have (and nurture) here is world-class.
Dr Owen O’Brien is the founder of AtSongs. He has been a musician and a songwriter from an early age, initially self-taught and later classically trained. As part of his musical education, he learned songs by (among many others) The Beatles, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Little Feat, and Elvis Costello. He is signed to Warner Chappell and has co- written songs with numerous gifted songwriters, including Scott English and Declan Sinnott.
As so often happens, Owen discarded his early love of music for the ‘good job’. He started his own business, and so began a successful entrepreneurial career. Starting in the early 1980s, he set up an import/distribution business, acquiring unique agencies and selling/distributing to the retail sector. In 2007, he sold this business to a multinational company. Owen also got involved in the commercial property sector, making a well-judged exit in 2006/7. In the lead up to this, during 2004/5, Owen completed an MBA at University College Cork (UCC). In 2012, he completed a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) at UCC on The Teaching of Entrepreneurship at University Level. During his career, he has also assisted and invested in several start-ups.
Music, however, is Owen’s true passion, which is he why established
AtSongs. He regards AtSongs as a golden opportunity to create a music production/publishing business that will launch the careers of young songwriters in Ireland. “I started this publishing business for the love of music,” he says, “and to encourage and develop the careers of up-and-coming songwriters in Ireland. The skill and talent here is nothing short of astonishing.”
Chris Ahern is A&R Manager for AtSongs and has been involved in the music industry in Ireland for over 35 years. Chris is a musician/songwriter and a member of Cork-based swing trio, Stargazers (with whom he has recorded three albums, including 1987’s Mercier Park, for which he wrote the title track). In 2002, Chris released his debut solo album, Certain, and in 2008 as a co-writer (with fellow Stargazer Johnny ‘Fang’ Murphy) he released the album, Apollonia. Chris has also co-written with Irish singer/songwriter, Karrie - their songs have been covered by Mary Coughlan (Elbow Deep on her 2020 album, Life Stories) and Mick Flannery (Old, Old Dream in his stage musical, Evening Train). Other songwriters he has collaborated with include Irish songwriters Nicole Maguire and Jennifer Clarke, and US producer/songwriter/musician Bruce Brody (Maria McKee, Rickie Lee Jones, Patti Smith, U2).
As a music educator, Chris founded, in 1989, the Music, Management & Sound course in CSN, Cork. Graduates from this course have gone on to work in the music industry worldwide as recording artists (including Sinead Lohan, Mick Flannery, O Emperor, Stephanie Rainey), sound engineers, and agents. He also lectures in Songwriting and Professional Studies on the MTU Cork School of Music Degree and Masters’ programmes. As A&R Manager for AtSongs, Chris looks for songs that hook him from the very start. “My earliest memories of listening to great songs,” he says, “involved being gripped from the opening riff, all the way through and then wanting to listen again, straight away. I still love to come across songs like this, especially new ones.”