“When you combine the transcendent poetry of Bob Dylan with the gritty, real-world rock-n-roll storytelling Bruce Springsteen made so famous, and add a dash of the political activism embodied by Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, you’ll have Irish singer-songwriter Pat Byrne.”

-Folk Alley at 30A Songwriters Festival

Following his 2021 Into The Light album, Byrne delivered strong new works in 2022. His unmistakable voice and cinematic lyrics continue to touch our universal humanity. Supported by legendary musicians from

Emmylou Harris’s band he presents another gem with “Only a Man”. Recorded at The Next Waltz with Bruce Robison and band, “Until it Isn’t” is a gorgeous rendition wistfully recalling lost love. Byrne’s December 2022 release, “Feels Like Living”, makes palpable the working musician’s struggle and uncertainty, underpinned by a nostalgic arrangement of strings and harmonium. Into the Light, recorded at the Sound Emporium studio in Nashville, takes the listener on an emotional journey with lyrics both touching and agonizing—heightened by Byrne’s dynamic vocal style. “Byrne delivers 11 original tunes ranging from the buoyant pop of “Capsize” to the anthemic rock & roll of the title track to the tender balladry of “Precious Cargo” and “Win Lose or Drown.” A strong supporting cast helps make Into the Light one of the best sounding singer-songwriter albums to come out of Austin in years. What ultimately stands out the most is how strong “Into the Light” is from start to finish. Every track radiates, and rewards repeated listening.”

-Peter Blackstock, Austin American Statesman

“I really appreciate the aggressive storytelling of Pat Byrne’s songwriting style. The overall sound draws easy comparisons to modern gritty Americana artists like David Ramirez, Ryan Adams, and Jason Isbell. Byrne deserves to be in that company with his gritty vocal and poignant lyrical style.”

-Greg Jones, Ear to the Ground Music

“Pat Byrne lives in Austin and traffics in the kind of earnest roots rock championed by artists like Shakey Graves. His voice and songwriting chops show the reason he’s attracted a lot of attention.”

-Tom Thornton, Riff Magazine

“The raspy melodic soul of Byrne’s voice recalls the emotional spells the late Austin troubadour Jimmy LaFave used to cast, though Byrne’s songwriting bears a more distinctive Irish stamp. He’s more contemporary that strict traditionalists, putting him more in the league of Glen Hansard or Luka Bloom.”

-Peter Blackstock, Austin American Statesman

December 2021 saw Byrne’s Into The Light, named a top 10 album of the year by the Austin American Statesman. He was also awarded the Black Fret “Member’s Choice” grant as of the top three vote recipients

of member vote allocation process. Byrne migrated from Ireland to Austin, Texas in late 2017. Since then, he has melded two musical cultures known for introspective lyricism and raw, from-the-heart emotion - with spectacular results.