Waterford singer-songwriter Mark Duggan is gearing up for a major new chapter with his debut album, Hold That Ghost Down, led by the quietly compelling single ‘Don’t Know Why’. Blending acoustic folk-rock with subtle electronic textures and a clear affection for classic songwriting, Duggan creates music that feels familiar without being predictable, balancing introspective lyrics with arrangements that know when to pull back and when to let loose.
‘Don’t Know Why’ is built around the uncertainty of a relationship coming undone, capturing that strange space between knowing something is slipping away and still hoping it might work out. There’s a melancholic quality to the track, but it never gets too weighed down by its own sadness. Instead, Duggan finds a little resilience in the cracks, letting the song grow naturally from intimate acoustic passages into fuller, more expansive moments.
There’s a definite nod to the warmth of ’90s soft rock here, with shades of R.E.M. and Tom Petty running through its melodic foundations. What makes the track work, though, is the way Duggan allows a little roughness to remain. His performance feels human and unvarnished, giving the song a lived-in quality that suits its subject matter. Rather than smoothing out every edge, he lets the imperfections become part of the appeal.
That sense of organic movement was central to the song’s creation. Duggan initially set out to write something that would keep building from beginning to end, returning to a handful of chords until melodies and lyrical fragments began to take shape. You can hear that intention in the finished track, which gradually gathers momentum without losing the reflective mood that makes it so engaging in the first place.
Duggan’s interest in storytelling goes back to childhood, when his father introduced him to The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen through an MP3 player. Inspired by the way songs could create entire worlds in just a few minutes, he began writing his own material at nine while learning guitar. That early fascination has continued to shape his approach, with music serving as a way to explore memory, isolation and the often complicated business of moving forward.
His award-winning debut EP, Long Way Home, offered an early glimpse of that ambition. Originally developed as a final-year college project, the 20-minute piece follows a man travelling home late at night after an extended period away. It’s a concept that reflects Duggan’s interest in music as a continuous narrative, rather than simply a collection of standalone tracks. With Hold That Ghost Down, he brings that storytelling instinct into a more expansive format, exploring what happens when loneliness becomes comfortable and how difficult it can be to break away from the past.
‘Don’t Know Why’ offers a strong introduction to that world. There’s an understated confidence to Duggan’s songwriting, with the track relying on melody, atmosphere and emotional honesty rather than unnecessary embellishment. As his debut album approaches, he sounds increasingly comfortable with his own direction, drawing on familiar folk-rock traditions while allowing enough space for experimentation.
Hold That Ghost Down promises to bring those elements together in a record about confronting old habits, finding momentum and learning to let go. If ‘Don’t Know Why’ is anything to go by, Duggan has a knack for turning complicated feelings into songs that feel both personal and easy to connect with. It’s a promising introduction to an artist whose greatest strength lies in knowing that sometimes the most affecting music comes from leaving a little room for imperfection.
