About Me

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Music to Move your hips to!

Oonagh Derby is a qualified Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager from Lurgan in Co Armagh and found her music career shortly after her son was born.  Having spent her childhood year learning old songs and music from her family “around the kitchen table”  its no wonder she ended up penning her own songs – its in the blood!

Starting out in Irish Traditional and Folk music, Oonagh’s debut album – HARMONY STREET – was received worldwide to great critical acclaim.  Produced by Gerry “Banjo” OConnor, the album of original compositions picked up awards all over the world from Chicago to Australia and even made it onto the list for BBC Folk Album of the year and recently Harmony Street has made it to the big screen – having just been used in a new movie “A Bump Along The Way” starring Bronagh Gallagher.  The album, recorded in Belfast, with the amazing talents of Cormac OKane, Gerry OConnor, Nicky Scott, Gerdy Thompson, Liam Bradley, Barry Kerr and Colin Henry.  Harmony Street is definitely music to tap your feet to!   The band toured widely with the album and great fun was had, but there was always an itch to explore different genres.

Following the success of Harmony Street, Oonagh and co musician Cormac O Kane teamed up with colleagues Liam Creagh and Donal OConnor to open RedBox Studios in the university quarter in Belfast.  A multi media facility that creates, composes, produces, films and edits all things media.

Oonagh then embarked on a TV and Media career becoming a producer and production manager specialising in music TV for many TV Companies and main stream broadcasters.

Not surprising then that her own musical career took a back seat.

Finally there was time for the second album BREATHE, launched in Sept 19.  A definite side step into blues and jazz without ever forgetting where you are from.  This is definitely music to move your hips to!

Oonagh has taken all her experiences of the last few years and written strong sexy, sassy stories set to great melodies with a stellar line up – Cormac O Kane, Dick Farrelly, David Bell, Nicky Scott and Peter Mc Kinney.  A much more confident and mature and self-assured sound – it’s like Oonagh’s music has grown with her.

“What can I say about me?  Well, I came to music later on in life with a lot of life experience behind me – and I was glad for that.  The stories I tell in my songs are of real women and real things.  I’m a daughter, mother, partner, sister and friend and all these things find their way into my music.”