Shea Rafferty

“Keep your eyes on this guy, he’s on his way.” – Vive Le Rock After hiding away in the wilderness of Ed Harcourt’s Wolf Cabin studio, Shea Rafferty has emerged with something truly electrifying. Produced by Harcourt himself and mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, Shea’s first release in four years, Candle is Burning, arrives crackling with purpose. Signalling a bold new chapter, Shea leans into a grittier, more rock-driven sound. Expansive instrumentation meets cinematic textures, while lyrics land with sharp, unflinching honesty. With Ed Harcourt contributing backing vocals and musicianship throughout, Candle is Burning stands as Shea’s most powerful and ambitious work to date. Now two albums into his career - inc. collaborations with Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Jonny Quinn (Snow Patrol) - Shea has firmly established himself within the UK Americana scene. His music has received heavy rotation on Absolute Country and CountryLine Radio, alongside support from BBC Scotland’s Iain Anderson, BBC Ulster’s Ralph McLean, and RTÉ Radio 1’s prestigious Recommended List. He’s performed sold out shows at some of the UK’s most beloved venues, including Manchester Academy, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Glasgow’s Òran Mór, and London favourites The 100 Club, Omeara, The Green Note and Lafayette. Festival appearances include C2C, The British Country Music Festival and The Long Road Festival, and he has even carried his sound across the Atlantic to Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Café.