Tyrone country newcomer Cliona Hagan is kicking up a storm. Her debut single and video, We’re All Going To Die Some Day, which has aired on country music shows on the Sky channels, has been generating a lot of interest in the young singer from up north. Cliona (26) grew up in a home where country music always held sway.

“I guess I got really attached to it and that particular style of singing. I had lessons on how to sing classical music when I was younger, which proved a good education for my voice. But my heart was always in country music,” says Cliona.

She qualified from Edinburgh University three years ago and is now back concentrating on the country scene. She works as a freelance music teacher, specialising in the piano, guitar and fiddle.

Aware of the value of creating a good vibe, Cliona has secured guest spots on various shows around the Ulster region and also has performed on shows in Sligo and at other venues.

She is upbeat and enthused about the reaction to her debut song and video.

“I got inspiration to sing this song while on the road with my mother, travelling to a recording studio in the south. We stopped at a local shop before and it was playing in the store.

“My mum bought the CD from the shopkeeper and we listened to it on the way down. I wrote down all the lyrics and ended up singing this song in the studio rather than the one I intended to do,” reflects Cliona.

Emmylou Harris and Martina McBride are among her favourite singers. She has also begun to pen some original material, which she hopes to feature on a forthcoming album.

“My focus is on country singing at the moment and I am enjoying the buzz of the circuit very much indeed. There is a great respect for country music out there among so many young people again and it is exciting to be a part of the whole renaissance of the scene,” says the bubbly young Tyrone lass.