Biography
BeRn's been scorching California's singer-songwriter stages for more than a decade,
now, but things really started to heat up with the release of her CD, "She Is Me".
BeRn's fiery brand of folk-rock and her 5-alarm voice have entertained audiences
at the Guinness Fleadh festival, San Jose with musical greats such as Sinead O'Connor,
Tracy Chapman and Shane McGowan.
In San Francisco Bern opened for both Patti Smith and They Might Be Giants at the
historic Fillmore Lounge and played Slim's where she opened for Gaelic Storm. At
the 7th Note venue Bern shared the bill with Marie Brennan from Clannad. She has
also played the main stage at Gay Pride for 50,000 people. In Ireland Bern has opened
for Jane Siberry at Whelan's, Dublin. San Francisco Frontlines magazine declared
that BeRn "has been making a name for herself playing gigs galore, and her debut
CD should make her name even more ubiquitous". The Sunday Tribune featured Bern
in the "Future Sounds of Ireland" column in early 2004. More recently BeRn has opened
for John Spillane in De Barra's, Clonakilty and has played various venues in Cork
City and County.
"She Is Me" was recorded during an unexpected return to Drogheda, Ireland that BeRn
made to help her mother fight breast cancer. She reconnected with some musician
friends, including Waterboys' fiddle-player Steve Wickham and highly-regarded studio
engineer Liam Cunningham, and ended up with 10 fantastic recordings that she brought
back to San Francisco and released in conjunction with Neesh, and independent multi-media
company. Heralded by the press as "an arresting folk-rock record...a rich audio
tapestry" (The Irish Herald), BeRn's CD "has all the proper fixings of a fine debut"
(SF Bay Guardian).
BeRn terms her music "Frock" - a mixture of folk, punk angst, rock and roll, feminism,
ire, laughter and celtic spirit, or those funny dresses she sometimes wears.
She still has enough lilt and Irish-inspired storyteller sensibilities to make her
sound like a Patti Smith version of Sinead O'Connor. The heart of the songs comes
from BeRn who, throughout her years as a singer-songwriter, has busked in the streets
of London, Amsterdam, Geneva, Bangkok, Taipei and more recently Princes Street,
Cork, Ireland. She has the rare ability to articulate the complexity of emotions
that come from such situations. BeRn's storytelling, showcased in the opening track
of her debut CD "She Is Me" encompass both Irish and American folk-styles, but adds
a defining punch of humor and feistiness that prompted Dawn Richardson of 4-Non
Blondes to declare, "BeRn's not just another wimpy chick with a guitar!"
BeRn has just returned from a trip to San Francisco, California (July 2006) where
she played a show at Dolores Park Cafe to rave reviews.
BeRn is currently working on a new CD.