While on tour in Europe in the fall of 2022, I had the opportunity to record at the legendary Hansa and Windmill Lane studios. I went in with these songs I’ve been playing solo, mixed in some new ones that I had just written and captured them in a stripped down way. I brought my acoustic, a mandolin, an e-bow and a delay pedal and that, plus the sound of those hallowed halls, is all you hear. These songs have the traditional and sonic weirdness mixed together, just like me.

Hansa Studios is built right by where the Berlin Wall used to stand. It’s a room where you feel rock and roll history all around. David Bowie’s face greets me as I walk in and echoes of U2 seem to still be in the walls. Windmill Lane is equally iconic and just a short walk from the River Liffey in Dublin. Kate Bush and The Waterboys ring in my ears as I stroll into the studio.

I was intimidated to record in these studios; many of my favorite albums have been made here. Finding my voice in the characters of these songs was liberating and the encouragement from engineers Arne and Michael really pushed me forward. There was a moment right before I sang Heroes where I took a deep breath and looked around. I’d been hanging out with rock and roll ghosts all day and now my spirit would haunt these spaces as well. "Enjoy this moment" I said quietly to myself and then I sang.

It's my October album.

October 6 in Berlin and October 21 in Dublin. The instrumental "October" captured a sweetness, a calm, a contentedness that was a new, unfamiliar feeling to me and I hope it brings the same feeling to you. And it sounds good loud.

~Bobbo Dec 2022

1. The Cold War (Sroka)
2. The Sea (Byrnes, Byrnes, Riddle)
3. October (Byrnes)
4. Untitled (Byrnes)
5. House of Cards (Byrnes)
6. Crooked Jack (Behan)
7. Heroes (Bowie)
8. Time Enough (Byrnes, Keating)
9. Too many miles (Byrnes)
10. Granby Row (Byrnes)

Songs 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 recorded and engineered by Arne Bergner at Hansa Studios, Berlin, Germany October 6, 2022

Songs 2, 6, 8, 9 recorded and engineered by Michael O'Brien at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland October 21, 2022

"Award winning singer songwriter Bobbo Byrnes takes an unexpected and mesmerizing turn with his latest release, "Music For Train Stations", an ambient album that transports listeners into a world of atmosphere, texture, and emotion. Departing from his signature Americana and folk rock roots, Byrnes crafts an evocative sonic experience inspired by movement, transition, and the quiet moments in between." ~Hemifrån Sweden

With "Music For Train Stations", Byrnes channels the spirit of ambient pioneers like Brian Eno, while infusing his own unique sense of storytelling through sound. Designed to accompany journeys both physical and introspective, the album blends piano and organ motifs, ethereal layers, and immersive field recordings, creating a meditative space for listeners to lose themselves in.

“This album was born from the idea of sound as a companion”, says Byrnes. “There’s something deeply poetic about the time spent in train stations, waiting, watching, reflecting. I spent a lot of time in the train stations of Europe last fall on tour, and I wanted to create music that could live in those moments, offering a sense of calm, curiosity, and motion all at once”.

The album cover is a photo he took from the Liège, Belgium, train station where Bobbo found himself stranded for several hours and the idea was born. "Music For Train Stations" is a departure in style, but not in spirit, Byrnes’ signature warmth and depth remain at the core of each track, inviting audiences into a contemplative soundscape where every note tells a story.