Tyrone artists share their visions for 2026

AS we enter a new year, two County Tyrone music acts are looking ahead to 2026 after enjoying standout moments in their careers throughout 2025.

Castlederg folk-rock Brassneck Saints and young country singer-songwriter Caillin Joe, from Creggan outside Omagh, both reflected on a year of achievements while sharing their hopes and ambitions for what lies ahead.

Brassneck Saints, made up of Kiel Cathers, vocals and guitar, Chris Speer, banjo and guitar, Chris Darragh, bass, Darrell Nelson, drums, and Donegal native Derek McGinley, fiddle, enjoyed a particularly memorable year on the live music circuit.

One of the band’s biggest highlights came earlier this year when they performed at the Dicky Woodstock Festival in the Netherlands, playing to an audience of thousands.

The appearance followed the release of their single Roller Coaster on September 1, which helped further raise their profile beyond Irish shores.

Looking ahead, lead singer Kiel said the band plans to maintain their momentum into 2026.

“Our plan next year is to keep on keeping on,” he said. “There’s nothing else for it.

"We’ll be releasing a new single early next year and have some brilliant festival gigs lined up next summer, including some big festivals in The Netherlands.”

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, Kiel admitted he prefers not to make them at all.

“I’ve never met a resolution that I couldn’t spoil within a week, so it’s not for me,” he joked.

“I’ll say my resolution is to eat more crisps because life is too short to deny yourself crisps.”

Among his personal goals for the coming year is learning how to record demos at home, though he admitted technology is not his strong suit.

“I’m useless with technology, but I’m getting a nice microphone for Christmas, so I’m hoping to teach myself to record demos at home. Or just annoy my bandmates until they do it for me,” he laughed.

Dream performances remain firmly on the horizon for the band, with Kiel naming iconic venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, Pompeii, or even the Parthenon, ideally while supporting a musical legend.

“Supporting an icon like Bob Dylan or something would be the dream,” he said.

Brassneck Saints wished fans a “happy and healthy 2026” and can be followed on Facebook at facebook.com/brassnecksaints.

Seventeen-year-old Caillin Joe is also entering 2026 on a high after what he described as an “incredible” year.

Among his biggest achievements in 2025 was winning the Larry Cunningham Music Inspirational Award at the Hot Country TV Awards in April.

He also released two original songs, further establishing himself on the Irish country music scene.

His song 'No More Being Afraid' was written to coincide with a remarkable charity challenge in which Caillin climbed the highest peak in each of Ireland’s 32 counties.

At the summit of each mountain, he performed a song connected to that county.

The challenge raised over £3,000 for the mental health charity Pieta.

He later released 'A Few More Minutes', which received a strong response from listeners and continues to enjoy frequent airplay on major radio stations.

Away from music, Caillin also managed to pass all of his GCSEs and his driving theory test, an achievement he was particularly proud of.

Looking to the future, Caillin hinted that plans are already underway for his 18th birthday.

“I’m planning to have something special done for my 18th birthday,” he said. “I won’t say what it is, but hopefully it’s going to be something big.”

When asked about New Year’s resolutions, he joked: “Become a decent singer. I don’t know what my resolutions are yet.”

His goals for 2026 are clear.

“I want to keep writing music and hopefully get that hit song that’s going to make me millions,” he laughed.

“I would like to get that hit song and become more popular in the music scene.”

Caillin also took time to thank those who have supported him over the past year.

“A big thank you to everyone who has supported my music, all the DJs who continue to play my songs and all the media outlets that help keep me in the public eye. All their support is greatly appreciated.”

He ended by wishing everyone a happy New Year. Fans can follow his music journey on Facebook.

With talent, ambition and momentum on their side, both Brassneck Saints and Caillin Joe look set to make 2026 another memorable year for Tyrone’s thriving music scene.