Rebecca Harkin – singer-songwriter from Derry

Rebecca Harkin is a singer songwriter and actress from Derry, Northern Ireland. She has been a performer since she was old enough to sing and has met some of the most important people in the world while representing Ireland.

Rebecca Harkin videos
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She has already performed in prestigious venues and festivals and on radio and television in Ireland and America. She is ready to embark on what promises to be a long and successful recording career.

She told Irish Music Daily: “Music has always been my true love, hobby, friend and life ambition. I have been surrounded by it ever since I was a child, coming from a family who are all musicians too. I can’t put into words how much I love it, and I think that in itself expresses the depth of it!”

Harkin shone from an early age

Irish singer songwriter Rebecca Harkin
Rebecca Harkin

Harkin showed early promise as a musician and has been singing since the age of three. When she was four she began studying at the MacCafferty School of Music, where she went on to achieve high qualifications in music and drama.

She comes from a musical family and her brother, Keith, is also a successful singer both as a solo artist and with Celtic Thunder.

As a child she took part in several singing and music competitions. Her performance as a soloist at her primary school show was televised.

At age 10, Harkin travelled to Lourdes to represent Derry as both a soloist and as a member of the Derry Diocesan Choir.

Meeting Hillary Clinton

In 2009, Harkin took part in the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Baltimore, Washington. She sang solo at the Washington National Irish Beauru for an audience that included several American and Irish politicians. While Harkin was in Washington she met high ranking politicians Hilary Clinton and Governor O’Malley.

When Harkin was 20 she appeared in Irish Language television station TG4 in a series called Ealu 2. The series was about prisoners who escaped from Irish prisons in the 1920s.

She is thankful for the support she has received from her family and fans during her career. “Some highlights would be performing in France to thousands of people, traveling to America on numerous occasions to represent my country to perform for politicians or events, and performing on BBC Radio 1 in 2013.”

EP release with brother Keith

Rebecca Harkin has signed as a singer song writer
Rebecca has signed as a singer song writer

Rebecca and Keith have recorded an EP together which is to be released on Keith’s own label, Busty Music Ltd. She has signed up to Busty Music as a singer songwriter.

Speaking about her song writing process she said: “I only write songs that mean something to me and therefore don’t rush, writing down any old thing that pops into my head. Song writing is my way of singing things I would never have the courage to say!

“I am so lucky to come from Ireland and to be surrounded by such a beautiful country with so much culture. This really influences my music and I often make reference to it in my songs.”

Big future in store for Rebecca

Her debut solo album ‘Things Man Be Someway’ is to be released in 2014 followed by a tour that will take in several countries. She will also release a line of jewellery to go along with her album.

It is likely to be the first of many albums for the budding song writer and she hopes to stay in the music industry for the rest of her life. She said: “My ambitions are to be able to live off a life fuelled by music. It’s such a tough industry to survive in and I can only dream that I will continue to do so!

“As long as someone wants me to sing….Il be singing my heart out!”

Rebecca Harkin
Rebecca Harkin videos
Singers main page