Manx musician Daniel Looney has released a new song which has taken over ten years to complete.

Daniel, a 48-year-old from Baldrine who grew up in the island, has released ‘Shining Star’ - a song which was started in his 20s and finished in his late 30s.

Talking about the new song, Daniel said: ‘I started Shining Star in my late 20s but couldn’t finish it. Years later, after gaining confidence and encouragement from my wife, I decided to do my first solo gig.

‘I needed material, so I went back to the song and finished it by responding to the first half of the song, and it came together quickly.

‘It is particularly meaningful to me, as it’s a conversation between two versions of myself, and carries a strong, hopeful message where my older self reassures my younger self that "it’s going to be okay”.’

As well as his solo work, Daniel is also in the band ‘Looney and the Vikings’, who have performed at venues across the island (including Bushy’s TT Village) for more than 10 years.

Detailing how the band was formed, Daniel said: ‘A couple of friends who worked for Viking Office Systems asked me to sing with them for a work event. After a few drinks, I agreed, and our bass player came up with the name - Looney (my surname) and the two Vikings!

‘The Vikings have now played nearly every venue in the island, and we’re proud of our decade together.’

As well as being in the band, Daniel also created his own solo project called ‘Loonstar and the Astronauts’, which sees him collaborating with other island artists to perform songs that ‘didn’t fit’ the style of the band.

He said: ‘An old workmate used to call me “Loonstar”, and I liked it enough to turn it into an alias. I created this space-inspired name to reflect my love of sci-fi and the idea of collaborating with different musicians. The Astronauts are those who join me for each song.

‘Shining Star was recorded at Ballagroove Studios with Gyp Buggane, who also played some bass on an earlier track, plus Sue Harrison who played Sax. They were the first Astronauts, but I hope to work with many more.’

Daniel also received the Judges’ Recognition Award at last year’s Songwriters Final at Quids Inn in Douglas, performing 40 minutes of original material alongside one cover song.

He praised the support of those around him, including his mother who passed away in 2023. He said: ‘I started learning to play instruments a bit later, but I was always drawn to writing my own songs rather than playing covers.

‘For years, I was far too shy to share my music, so my mum was my only audience. I used to burn CDs of my songs for her to listen to in the car. She was not only my biggest fan but, for a long time, my only fan.’

Daniel’s new song Shining Star is available on all popular music streaming platforms, and can be found by searching 'Loonstar and the Astronauts'.