ON SALE NOW: How I Became A Wave Full band shows in Dublin and Cork
By How I Became A Wave shares new single ‘05:00’ and Announces full band shows for 2026 in Cork & Dublin
“I’m very proud of this piece – it’s one of the most deliberately gentle songs I’ve done. It was originally inspired by Eavan Boland’s poetry collection ‘Night Feed’. In the hour just before morning, time can play tricks on you. Minutes stretch out forever and the weight of an ordinary moment grows beyond itself, taking on a far greater significance. It’s not a Christmas song, but it has always felt like it belongs in the middle of winter.”
– How I Became A Wave’s Pat Carey
Following a recent sold-out headline show at Cork’s beloved Quiet Lights Festival and prominent support slots with Lisa Hannigan, Villagers, Gemma Hayes, John Spillane, Ailbhe Reddy and more, How I Became A Wave this week also announced
How I Became A Wave has released new single ‘05:00’ (pronounced “five A.M.”) – a beautifully delicate winter track. Listen Here.
Two full-band headline shows for Cork and Dublin next spring:
Sunday, 12 April 2026
Coughlan’s, Cork
Tickets €23 + fees | Ticket link
Friday, 17 April 2026
The Unitarian Church, Dublin
Tickets €23 + fees | Ticket link Presented by Singular Artists
Led by Cork songwriter Pat Carey, and comprising a collective of Ireland’s finest musicians, How I Became A Wave is one of the most compelling musical projects emerging from Ireland right now.
‘05:00’ sees How I Became A Wave explore more minimal textures, featuring luminous piano at its heart, composed by frequent RTÉ Concert Orchestra conductor Cormac McCarthy and performed by Rory McCarthy, alongside a delicate string accompaniment by cellist Laura McFadden that perfectly complements Kealan Kenny’s pedal steel.
The song’s fragility is echoed in Carey’s vocal performance which, as listeners of his previous single ‘Fading Out’ will know, reveals remarkable range. Here, he allows himself the space to be both vulnerable and understated.
Recent live shows at Cork’s Sounds From A Safe Harbour and Quiet Lights festivals, as well as Dublin’s National Concert Hall, have seen How I Became A Wave captivate audiences. Support slots with heavyweight musical contemporaries such as Villagers, Lisa Hannigan, Gemma Hayes, John Spillane and Ailbhe Reddy have helped to solidify the artist as an important emerging voice in Irish music. This January will also see How I Became A Wave showcase at Your Roots Are Showing, Ireland’s leading folk music conference.
‘05:00’ follows previous singles ‘Fading Out’ and ‘Cycles’, both of which have seen strong support from radio and press, with coverage from the likes of RTÉ (Radio 1 Recommends list); BBC (“Now for fans of Bon Iver, you might like what’s next… I was blown away by ‘Fading Out’.” — John Kerr), Galway Bay FM (playlist add), Nialler9, Genuine Irish, Hot Press, Golden Plec and more. Streaming performance has been impressive and growing steadily too — for an independent artist to achieve over 10,000 YouTube streams within a few weeks, earn around 10,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and secure an impressive number of editorial, algorithmic and third-party playlist adds is no small feat. Particularly in light of the delicate nature of IBAW’s music in such a competitive, fast-paced environment, this is testament to the music’s quality and resonance.
‘05:00’ captures the heart of How I Became A Wave: a project defined by its tenderness, emotion and quiet strength, with a collective approach to live shows that mirrors its ethos of connection and care.