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Dermot Kennedy

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Dermot Kennedy
Kennedy performing in 2019
Kennedy performing in 2019
Background information
Birth nameDermot Joseph Kennedy
Born (1991-12-13) 13 December 1991 (age 32)
OriginRathcoole, County Dublin, Ireland
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2009–present
Labels
Websitedermotkennedy.com

Dermot Joseph Kennedy (born 13 December 1991) is an Irish singer and songwriter. He is known for his 2019 singles "Outnumbered" and "Power Over Me", his 2020 single "Giants", and his feature on the 2020 Meduza single "Paradise". He is signed to Interscope Records in the US,[1][2] and Island Records[3][4] for the rest of the world. His debut major-label studio album, Without Fear, was released on 4 October 2019. His second album, Sonder, came out in 2022. Dermot also released an EP called I've Told the Trees Everything.

Early life and family

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Dermot Joseph Kennedy grew up in Rathcoole, County Dublin, Ireland.[5] An avid football fan and player,[6][7] Kennedy started playing guitar at age 10, and songwriting at age 14; however, he states that he did not begin to take music seriously until the age of 17.[8][better source needed] His parents were supportive of his musical study, and he credits his father for frequently driving him into Dublin to perform at open mic nights when he was underage.[9] His mother submitted an application for him to study classical music at Maynooth University in County Kildare. He remained at university for three years. His paternal aunt is Irish TV personality and former newscaster Mary Kennedy.[10]

Career

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Dermot Kennedy officially began his career busking at 17 years old; however, his career did not become viable until his mid-twenties, having spent over a decade in the industry.[11] Through busking, he was able to develop his sound, travelling to multiple major cities such as Dublin, Ireland and Boston, US to perform.[6] In 2015, Kennedy uploaded the song "An Evening I Will Not Forget" to the streaming platform Spotify, with which he believed he was "really reaching people".[11] He was also invited to open for Glen Hansard, whom he had previously met while busking in Dublin and stayed in touch with via text message.[6]

Outside of his solo career, Kennedy began a band named Shadows and Dust with three other members during his studies, which included Micheál Quinn, who is Kennedy's tour drummer. Although he enjoyed the experience, the band split up in 2015.[6]

In 2018 and 2019, he toured the US, Australia and Europe to sold-out audiences. His first festivals were Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2017; Lollapalooza,[12] South by Southwest Festival[13] and Austin City Limits Music Festival[14] in 2018. He played Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival both weekends in 2019.[15][16]

In 2018, he was voted by listeners as NPR Slingshot's Best New Artist of The Year,[9] appeared on NPR's Music Tiny Desk Concert in a 14-minute live acoustic session,[17] on WGBH's Fraser performance studio in a 20-minute live session.[18] He made the BBC's Sound of 2019 nomination list.[19]

After releasing singles and EPs, Kennedy released his first complete album in late 2019, titled Without Fear. The album consists of many of his past works, with some even dated eight years prior to the album's release.[11]

Kennedy was nominated for international male solo artist at the 2020 Brit Awards.[20] In 2021, Kennedy contributed a cover of the Metallica song "Nothing Else Matters" to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist.[21]

On 3 March 2022, Kennedy won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year 2021 for his song "Better Days".[22]

He released Sonder, his second studio album, on 18 November 2022.[23] He describes the album title as "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own."[24]

Philanthropy

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In early 2020, in collaboration with other artists, Kennedy contributed his vocals to Songs For Australia, covering Matt Corby's "Resolution".[25] The album, organized by Julia Stone, was created to raise proceeds in aid of organizations helping Australia recover from their bushfire crisis.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy participated in Billboard's Live At-Home concert.[26] He helped them raise money for the non-profit Housing Works, by organizing a short virtual concert. Following that event, Kennedy organized his own virtual concert, Sound Waves, in May 2020 in support of WHO's Solidarity Response Fund.[27]

On 6 September 2020, Kennedy played for the Soccer Aid charity match for the first time, joining other celebrities in raising money for UNICEF UK.[28] Playing for the World XI team against England, he helped them win their second match in a row, scoring one of their three goals.[29] The team ended up winning in a penalty shootout, turning their 3-3 score, to a 4-3 score victory.[30] He was later named Man of the Match.[31]

Musical style and influences

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In his music, Kennedy has tried to bridge his two genres, folk and hip-hop, together.[6] This is a change from his past works, which were more acoustic. Unlike some songwriters, he does not write with specific moments or events in mind. He writes them naturally when listening to the track, as specific memories and emotions are triggered through the music.[32]

GQ magazine described Kennedy as a "singer with a rich, reverbant voice, [with] epically emotive songwriting skills (think Ed Sheeran, but darker, more melancholy)".[5] The New York Times, of his 2018 South by Southwest Festival performance, said he has "a grainy, melancholy voice that can crest with a howling rasp..."[33]

He cites Ray LaMontagne, David Gray, Damien Rice and Glen Hansard as inspirations for his folk style. His recent work included hip-hop influences, reflected in his collaborative work with Mike Dean on the EP Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy, which Kennedy has also described as a "mix tape".[12][34]

Personal life

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Kennedy purchased a house in Ireland in 2022.[35] He is intentional about maintaining his privacy, saying he has "always been resistant to the idea of celebrity".[36] He says he does not desire to impose his political views on his supporters.[37] On 20 June 2023, Kennedy apologised after he used a term derogatory to Irish Travellers during an interview with the Canadian TV music channel Much.[38]

Discography

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Main article: Dermot Kennedy discography

Studio albums

References

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  1. ^ "Dermot Kennedy Artist Bio". interscope.com. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  2. ^ Henry, Keryce Chelsi. "Acoustic Singer Dermot Kennedy On His Hip-Hop And 'Def Poetry Jam' Inspirations". Forbes. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Artists".
  4. ^ "'The album is exceptional': Island talks global ambitions for Dermot Kennedy | Talent | Music Week". www.musicweek.com.
  5. ^ a b Johnston, Kathleen (28 October 2018). "Could Dermot Kennedy be Ireland's answer to Ed Sheeran?". British GQ. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Dermot Kennedy busks his way from Dublin streets to the mainstream". RIFF Magazine. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  7. ^ Kennedy, Dermot (7 June 2016). "Crumlin United. What a club..last game tonight to wrap up the league for the 4th year in a row. Love it pic.twitter.com/qXDu5UHRFG". @dermotkennedy. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  8. ^ "YouTube Music's Dermot Kennedy on FaceTiming Travis Scott". Metro. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Dermot Kennedy, NPR Slingshot's Best New Artist". NPR. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Mary Kennedy praises her nephew, Dermot Kennedy". RTÉ News. 24 November 2019.
  11. ^ a b c Clayton-Lea, Tony (13 July 2020). "Dermot Kennedy: 'I won't let anyone take advantage of me or my music'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Dermot Kennedy On Mike Dean Collaboration". The Recording Academy. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Dermot Kennedy On World Cafe". NPR. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  14. ^ Austin City Limits Radio (8 November 2018), 93 Seconds with Dermot Kennedy [Interview] | Austin City Limits Radio, retrieved 18 January 2019
  15. ^ Also in 2019 Dermot played the main stage at @ElecticPicnic Irelands largest music festival emicom666 (27 April 2019), Dermot Kennedy (live) @ Gobi stage Coachella Palm Springs Los Angeles USA 21 April 2019, retrieved 22 May 2019{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Dermot Kennedy to play 'dream come true' Coachella gig". RTÉ News. 3 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Dermot Kennedy: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert". NPR.org. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Dermot Kennedy – live in studio". WGBH Music. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  19. ^ "BBC - Sound of 2019 Live". BBC. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  20. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (11 January 2020). "Brit award nominations 2020: Dave and Lewis Capaldi top pile, with women shut out". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 11 January 2020. Producer of the year will be announced ahead of the awards ceremony; the rising star award for hotly tipped new talent has already been awarded, to soul singer Celeste.
  21. ^ He, Richard S. (10 September 2021). "Every Metallica Blacklist cover ranked from worst to best". loudersound. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Dermot Kennedy wins RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year 2021". RTÉ News. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022. IN November 2020 Dermot Kennedy and Dave Grohl of the FooFighters were involved in a broadcast race on the radio station Absolute Radio with ambiguous purpose
  23. ^ "Dublin's Dermot Kennedy Lands Second UK No.1 Album with 'Sonder'". 25 November 2022.
  24. ^ "Dermot Kennedy Breaks Down New Album Sonder Track by Track: Exclusive". 18 November 2022.
  25. ^ Zemler, Emily (17 February 2020). "The National, Kurt Vile Contribute Covers to 'Songs For Australia' Benefit Album". Rolling Stone.
  26. ^ "Dermot Kennedy Covers Kid Cudi's 'Pursuit of Happiness' During Billboard Live At-Home Concert: Watch". Billboard. 30 March 2020.
  27. ^ "Here Are All the Livestreams & Virtual Concerts to Watch During the Coronavirus Crisis: Week of May 18". Billboard. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  28. ^ "Dermot Kennedy to play in Soccer Aid 2020 charity event". IrishCentral.com. 27 August 2020.
  29. ^ "How Soccer Aid 2020 was won on penalties by the Rest of the World". inews.co.uk. 7 September 2020.
  30. ^ "Soccer Aid 2020: What happened and who won?".
  31. ^ Kennedy, Dermot (6 September 2020). "Dermot Kennedy on Twitter: "Got the win, massive amounts of money raised for @UNICEF_uk, and man of the match. Incredible feeling"". Twitter.
  32. ^ "Interview - Dermot Kennedy". Montreal Rocks. 26 February 2020.
  33. ^ Pareles, Jon (18 March 2018). "South by Southwest Music Festival: 17 Acts That Stood Out". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  34. ^ "You Should Know... Dermot Kennedy". JOE.co.uk. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  35. ^ Groundwater, Colin (2 May 2023). "Dermot Kennedy: "As soon as I wake up, I immediately think about my voice."". British GQ. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  36. ^ Ewens, Hannah (5 July 2022). "Dermot Kennedy: Ireland's elusive songwriter on second album 'Sonder'". Rolling Stone UK. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  37. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (26 April 2020). "Dermot Kennedy: 'I don't want to be the guy with an album full of love songs'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  38. ^ "Dermot Kennedy apologises to the Irish Traveller community". RTÉ News. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
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