A Shimmer emerges from the west
Emerging West Cork indie sensation Shimmer Boy has just dropped a new single ahead of a string of performances starting here on Leeside.
The new track ‘Brixton’ is the third glimpse into the Skibbereen native’s debut album entitled ‘In the Aftermath, We Bloom’ which is set to drop on 1 July.
With his latest release, Shimmer Boy, aka Aaron O’Sullivan, cuts deep into the struggles of being an artist in Ireland today. It’s a familiar story of rejection. The song captures the frustration of Johnny, a young musician ignored by the industry for not having the “right” social numbers, and the heartbreak of feeling invisible in one’s own home country. But it’s also bigger than one story – it reflects the reality of an entire generation of Irish youth who are forced to leave for London, Australia, and beyond in search of opportunity, belonging, and the chance to make something better of themselves.
The track explores the push and pull of emigration: the hope of finding a stage abroad, and the ache of leaving home behind.
“Ireland is full of artists, workers, and dreamers who never get the chance to be seen – not because they lack talent, but because they lack numbers, resources, or access,” explains Shimmer Boy.
“‘Brixton’ is about that rejection, but also about the resilience of getting up, leaving, and chasing the dream anyway – even if it means breaking your own heart.”
The new single continues the momentum of Shimmer Boy’s previous single ‘Under the Surface’ which featured on season 30 of reality tv series ‘Made in Chelsea’ - a significant breakthrough moment for the West Cork artist. Having initially thought the feature “had to be a scam”, O’Sullivan says the responses since have been overwhelming.
“The reaction since has been unreal - the messages, the support, the buzz around the track… it’s been deadly to see,” he says.
O’Sullivan describes his upcoming album is a journey through loss, recovery, and rebirth. Across its tracks, he confronts addiction, heartbreak, migration, and hope - ultimately finding beauty in survival and the courage to bloom again. The album showcases a new willingness to learn from the past, grow, and be a little kinder to himself and those around him.
Shimmer Boy has explored various musical pursuits since playing DeBarra’s Folk Club every Friday night at the age of 15. He has gigged extensively in Ireland and abroad since his teens, supporting and sharing the stage with the likes of Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy), James Arthur, Cory Wong, Ariel Posen (Vulfpeck/Bros Landreth), Kellie Lewis, and Culture Kid, as well as playing guitar with artists such as Oscar Blue, Stephanie Rainey, Harry Hudson Taylor.
Having spent most of his early 20s in a “self-constructed musical and social chaos”, O’Sullivan’s songs as Shimmer Boy capture the highs and lows of coming to terms with past mistakes as well as the joy of self-acceptance and new beginnings. This new chapter finds him with a renewed sense of purpose, community, and a more peaceful pace of life and creativity.
Shimmer Boy plays Coughlan’s, Cork city, on 2 February as part of Cork Roots Fest, a one-night super fest giving stage to seven exciting emerging local acts.
Tickets cost €15 and are available now via coughlans.ie.