ABOUT

About Frank O’Dea

Frank O’Dea is a Dublin-based songwriter, pianist, producer and visual artist whose work spans music, painting and conceptual art — all driven by a focus on storytelling, character, and connection.

Across everything he creates, the goal is simple:
make work that people recognise, feel, and come back to.

Music & Songwriting

Music has always been at the centre of Frank’s world.

Raised in a musical household, he grew up around songcraft and performance. His father, Vincent O’Dea, wrote Christmas Candles, a song that achieved chart success in Ireland and was later recorded by Bing Crosby — a strong early influence on Frank’s sense of melody and timeless songwriting.

He came through Dublin’s live scene, performing with bands such as Tin Can Alley and playing venues including The Underground and J.J. Smyth’s, before going on to work as a pianist across many of the city’s best-known spots.

These early years shaped a clear approach:

the song comes first.

His writing has been recognised across Ireland, with runner-up placements in national songwriting competitions including Moville, Glinsk, Golden, Bantry and Sligo.

Over the years, he has written and collaborated across multiple projects, including:

• The Candyman Song (co-written with Mark Crosbie, recorded by Pat Ingoldsby)

• The Cardboard Cut Out Girls — an indie country pop band built around melody, harmony, and character-driven songwriting

• The Frabens — an ongoing creative project exploring alternative musical ideas

• The Frank O’Dea Songbook — a growing catalogue of original work and collaborations

His music is defined by consistency rather than hype — a steady focus on writing songs that hold together and last.

The Cardboard Cut Out Girls

One of Frank’s major creative projects, The Cardboard Cut Out Girls, is a five-character indie country pop band built around strong melodies, acoustic instrumentation, and layered vocal harmonies.

Blending indie pop brightness with country warmth and a playful sense of personality, the project centres around distinct characters — Juniper, Zara, Maeve, Skye and Ivy — each bringing their own identity into the music.

The project reflects Frank’s wider creative direction:

music as a world, not just songs.

Visual Art & Conceptual Work

Alongside his music, Frank has built a distinctive career as a visual artist working across painting, installation and conceptual art.

Based between his studio in Clontarf and Balla Bán Art Gallery — the independent gallery he founded in Dublin city centre — his work sits between fine art and social commentary, combining bold visuals with sharp observation of everyday life.

His paintings are known for:

• strong colour and graphic energy

• urban and cultural subject matter

• humour, character, and immediacy

Subjects range from live music scenes and nightlife to fashion, relationships and modern city life, with more recent work expanding into abstract and conceptual themes, including lunar and space-inspired pieces.

His installation and conceptual work often responds directly to real-world events, turning cultural, political and economic moments into physical, visual pieces.

Notable works include:

• The Anglo Irish Bank Shareholder — created from worthless bank shares after the financial crash

• Confessions of a Banker — a live installation staged outside Dublin’s Central Bank

• Brexhausted and Alternative Facts — works exploring political and cultural narratives

His work has been featured in publications including The Guardian, The Irish Times and BBC News.

Balla Bán Art Gallery

Through Balla Bán Art Gallery, Frank has created a platform not only for his own work, but for a wider community of artists.

The gallery focuses on contemporary Irish and international art that is:

• accessible

• relevant

• connected to real life

It has become both a creative base and a cultural space, supporting emerging and established artists while reflecting the same ethos that runs through Frank’s own work.

A Growing Creative World

Beyond his current projects, Frank is developing additional character-led and conceptual projects, expanding his work into a broader creative universe that blends music, visual art and storytelling.

This direction reflects a long-term vision:

not just individual works — but connected ideas, characters and worlds that evolve over time.

The Approach

Across music, art and concept work, Frank O’Dea’s approach remains consistent:

No rush. No noise.
Just a focus on creating work that connects.

Follow the idea.
Follow the song.
Let it lead.