8 | LUXlife Magazine Best Country Rock Artist 2025 (UK & Ireland): Marty Mone Ever since artists like Bob Dylan and the Byrds positioned country rock as the backing track to the second half of the 1960s, it has been a staple of the music scene, gaining popularity all over the world. Bringing his own unique take on the genre to modern audiences is Irish singer-songwriter Marty Mone, a former trucker who turned into a full-time artist and the owner of his own music company. For more on the artist and his original music, we caught up with his manager, Alison Cluskey. Step by step, Marty Mone is truckin’ through the octaves of the musical world, positioning himself as the face of country rock across the UK and Ireland. Originally from County Monaghan in the Irish province of Ulster, Marty exploded onto the music scene in late 2014, with his hit single ‘Hit the Diff’. Recording and producing the track by himself (which would become a common theme across his body of work) the song’s video, which Marty also shot, directed, and edited, has amassed 15 million views on YouTube to date. Following his overnight success, Marty got to work on his debut album, a ten-track record that he again wrote, recorded, and produced himself. The album includes some more of Marty’s most well-known songs, such as ‘Slip the Clutch’ and the slow ballad ‘Better than a Dream’. Two further albums followed suit in 2018 and 2021, respectively – with his second album marking Marty’s evolution as an artist by incorporating folk and pop influences into his well-established country rock sound, much to the enjoyment of fans. Marty’s entire catalogue has been produced in his own music studio (The Plot Cottage Studio), and his songs draw from his own life experiences. This adds a personal touch that is missing in a lot of music today and is something that his fans appreciate. As for this fanbase, Marty attracts listeners young and old to his records, and these fans come out in droves whenever he goes on tour and performs the songs live. To date, Marty has toured Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, playing to sizeable crowds. Headlining shows in each of these countries is a significant achievement for Marty, but some personal highlights from his touring career include playing to an audience of 65,000 people at Croke Park in Dublin during the halftime interval of a sporting event, as well as to 9,000 at Belfast’s SSE Arena as part of the lineup for the Farmer’s Bash event. Marty was also the support act for Nathan Carter during two of his shows in Ireland, kicking off both evenings by playing his songs for new people, many of whom became fans afterwards. Aside from his quality, what sets Marty apart as a live performer is that he takes the time to give back to the fans who come out and see him. As Alison explained: “Marty spends a lot of time meeting fans at every gig and event, giving each person equal time. At various tour stops throughout the year Marty can stand for four days in a row, meeting over 4,000 fans a day.” The loyalty this creates is reflected through Marty’s impressive streaming numbers, with fans streaming his songs and videos more than half a million times every week. “We have just received an award from TuneCore (New York) for passing over 100 million streams.” It is on the back of this demand that Marty has even launched a line of merchandise, with a new range having been designed and printed in-house, all within the last eight weeks. True to form, Marty’s merch consists of everything from signed plates depicting the vehicles that feature across his songs through to hoodies, baseball caps, mugs, jerseys, posters, stickers, greetings cards, stationery, and more. Fans can also download chord and lyrics books for two of Marty’s albums, allowing them to play along at home. Ultimately, despite the trials and tribulations of the music industry today, Marty Mone has been able to carve out a name for himself by blending unique and personal subject matter with a mix of musical styles. His musical output is already impressive, and with plans to release more music this year – at least four original songs – and go back on tour, there has never been a better time to seek out Marty’s music for the first time and enjoy some original, organic music from one of Ireland’s brightest singer-songwriters. Marty Mone can be found on Spotify, YouTube, and on social media, as well as at his official website, which is linked down below. Contact: Alison Cluskey Company: Marty Mone Music Web Address: https://www.martymonemusic.com/
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