Gerry Casey Interviews Michael Christie of The Kings Of Cool

September 5, 2026

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Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey’s Interview with Michael Christie of The Kings of Cool

The Kings of Cool are a Ballyshannon, County Donegal band whose music blends classic guitar pop, soft rock, country, jazz, and the melodic craft of timeless songwriting. Built around Michael Christie, Jason Kelly, and Stephen Gallagher, the band carries the easy chemistry of musicians who have known each other for years, played together in different settings, and found a new creative spark at exactly the moment the world seemed to stop.

The group first came together as The Kings of Cool in 2019, playing a Thursday night residency at Dicey Reilly’s pub in Ballyshannon. What began as a live outlet soon became something more enduring. When the COVID lockdown brought live music to a halt in 2020, the pause gave the band time to write, record, and rethink what they wanted to do next. Instead of waiting for the old world to reopen, they started building a new body of original music.

That creative burst began with songs written and recorded remotely, with Michael Christie and Jason Kelly both bringing new material into the project. The response from radio, online listeners, and supporters encouraged the band to keep going. By 2021, The Kings of Cool had already released multiple songs, proving that their lockdown project had grown into a serious recording band with its own voice.

The Kings of Cool’s sound is rooted in melody, harmony, and warm musicianship. Their songs draw from the spirit of artists such as The Beatles, Nick Lowe, Squeeze, Waylon Jennings, Steely Dan, and Joe Jackson, creating music that feels familiar without feeling stuck in the past. The band’s arrangements are polished but unforced, with guitar-pop hooks, country color, jazz-leaning turns, and soft-rock warmth all working together naturally.

In 2023, The Kings of Cool released their debut album, Angels in Disguise, launching it with a hometown concert at the Abbey Arts Centre in Ballyshannon. The album gathered much of the material the band had been writing and recording since lockdown, giving listeners a fuller picture of their songwriting identity and the musical conversation between Christie, Kelly, and Gallagher.

The band also carries a strong connection to Ballyshannon’s musical heritage. Their 2021 single “King of the Guitar” paid tribute to Rory Gallagher, the legendary guitarist born in Ballyshannon, and reflected the pride the group takes in coming from a town with such deep musical resonance. Rather than simply leaning on local history, The Kings of Cool use that sense of place as part of their own story: three seasoned musicians writing new songs from the northwest corner of Ireland with warmth, wit, and craft.

In recent years, The Kings of Cool have continued to release new music, with singles appearing across 2024, 2025, and 2026. That ongoing output shows a band still moving, still writing, and still expanding its catalog. Their songs are built for listeners who appreciate strong melodies, thoughtful arrangements, and music that values feel over flash.

The Kings of Cool are not trying to chase trends or reinvent themselves every five minutes, which frankly is a mercy in an age where too many bands sound like they were assembled by an algorithm with a leather jacket. Instead, they make music with heart, character, and the lived-in confidence of players who understand the simple magic of a good song. From Ballyshannon to the wider world, The Kings of Cool bring classic craft into the present with style, warmth, and plenty of charm.