Dermot Kennedy

Life and death. Joy and pain. Love and loss. Dermot Kennedy has always been fascinated by extremes. On his brilliant debut EP, 'Doves & Ravens,' the young Dubliner draws inspiration from all the moments of brightness and darkness this world has to offer, crafting music that's at once soaring and intimate, stripped-back and explosive. Stuttery hip-hop and R&B-influenced percussion underpins his weathered vocals as he combines organic and electronic elements into an arresting, emotional blend that calls to mind the adventurous arrangements of Bon Iver, James Blake, and James Vincent McMorrow.

Rich beyond just its production, the EP showcases Kennedy as a writer in possession of a sophistication well beyond his 25 years. He pens lyrics with a poet's eye and a rapper's precision, conjuring vivid imagery and transfixing audiences with the unique rhythm and flow of his soulful delivery.

"I think reading poetry and listening to hip hop offer a lot of the same rewards," reflects Kennedy. "The good rappers are so honest, and in my opinion they deserve to be viewed as poets. Regardless of the form, though, I just feed off of anyone who's expressing themselves and sharing their feelings."

That's precisely what drew Kennedy to the music of fellow Irish artist Glen Hansard, who he met by chance on the streets of Dublin.

"A few years later, when I was making my first recordings, I invited him to the studio," remembers Kennedy. "He couldn't make it, but he called back and offered me ten minutes onstage at his sold-out Christmas show. He said, 'You can use the guys in the band, you can do it acoustic, the stage is yours for ten minutes.'"

Kennedy made the most of his time in the spotlight, performing a stunning rendition of his 2016 single "After Rain." Praised by the BBC and hailed by The Irish Times as "woodsy romantic folk pop," the track would go on to rack up a staggering 19 million streams on Spotify, where Kennedy averages nearly 2 million monthly listeners these days.

The massive audience brought on by his streaming success has enabled Kennedy to sell out his own shows in Dublin and London now, but when it came time to record 'Doves & Ravens,' he eschewed any temptation to repeat the same musical formula that had brought him past popularity, instead pushing himself further artistically and personally than he'd ever gone before.

"I did the acoustic thing for so long, and I still love it, but what I mainly listen to is hip hop, and I think that was bound to come through in the production," he explains. "The first time we tried putting a beat over the verse of a song, I got so excited by how the acoustic element of the guitar was working with the programmed sound of the drums. I realized that if I ignored that feeling the music gave me and didn't chase that side of things, I'd be letting myself down."

The EP opens with "Glory," an emotional, infectious tour-de-force that solidifies Kennedy's status as a vocal powerhouse with equal parts grit and grace. Densely stacked harmonies meet minimalist instrumental production on the track, which is propelled forward by hypnotically off-kilter percussion loops. "I've learned that doves and ravens fly the same," he sings in a subtle nod to the two life-altering events that underlie each of the EP's four songs: falling in love and facing the death of someone close to him.

"You reassess your values after experiencing something like that," says Kennedy. "In my songs, verse to verse, line to line can jump back and forth between those two subjects. They're both always in my mind, and I think that goes a long way toward explaining the idea behind 'Doves & Ravens.' The songs all have a mix of light and shade, just like life."

On the fingerpicked "A Closeness," Kennedy reconciles the pain of loss with gratitude for having experienced something so special at all, while the rolling piano of "To All My Friends" honors the strong women in his life who have led by example, and the dreamy "Boston" harkens back to a summer in America when life was simpler.

Kennedy's live shows are intense and powerful experiences, something he's again quick to credit to the influence of poetry, in particular the African-American writers Black Ice and Amir Sulaiman.

"Watching those guys perform serves as a reminder to give everything you have with every line," says Kennedy. "They don't have music to back them up, so they have to be convincing with every word.

Convincing listeners has never been something Kennedy's struggled with. He sings with a fire in his soul and writes with raw, unfiltered honesty reflective of both his emotional and musical maturity. It's a rare combination that enables both his recordings and performances to cover such a wide and potent spectrum. Celebratory and solemn. Playful and serious. Analog and electronic. Dermot Kennedy has always been fascinated by extremes.

We flew from Orlando to Washington DC and then drove to Baltimore just to see him Live. 10/10 would do again! Seriously, we are hardcore concert junkies and this was hands down one of the most incredible concerts we have ever been to. Dermots passion and sheer talent are going to be something that everyone who see's him Live will talk about forever. We can't wait until this next round of concerts is announced. Will be seeing him at least twice <3

Put simply, 100% the best concert I've ever been to. Dermot is so, so talented and somehow sounds even better live than he does recorded. You can see and feel the passion behind his songs and it truly was a surreal experience to see him perform (front row at that!). I'm so grateful to have seen him before he makes it "big" because I know it'll happen soon. Thank you, Dermot, for "an evening I will not forget."

Dermot Kennedy is an absolute stunner! His voice is super intense and his band is killing it every time. I had goosebumps during the whole show. It’s been super intimate even though there were thousands of people in the room. I highly recommend seeing this guy and his band (the potato boys as they call themselves) live. This was my second Dermot Kennedy concert and I can’t wait for the next one!

What a show! It was wonderful seeing him live. We surprised him with red lights during “Lost”, which he thought was beautiful. He did all his new stuff from Without Fear. I’d hoped he’d do some old stuff, too, but He didn’t. Regardless, it was still incredible! His opener, SYML, was also incredible. All around just an amazing show and amazing talent.

The Fillmore show is Philadelphia was amazing. From the amazing lights to Dermot and the potato boys themselves were unbelievable. Dermot a lyrics is so emotional and when you see him live his heart and soul goes into every word he sings, it’s just incredible. See him for yourself! You won’t be disappointed!

I've only been following Dermot for the last few months and was so pleased I managed to get tickets.

Dermot has such an incredible voice that sounds as good live as it does recorded.

He was very humble and entertaining.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening and I cannot wait to see him again.

His raw emotion, true passion, and no gimmicks show will have you wishing it would never end. Dermot represents true artistry and sings his heart out on every stage. He is the definition of what an artist should be. I would never miss another show of his, by far the best I have been to!

Great show - completely mesmerizing and surreal! Dermot Kennedy is my boyfriends favorite artist and he definitely did not disappoint! Can’t wait to see Dermot next tine he comes to town, preferably in Dallas! We drove into Austin from out of town just to catch this show.

Magnifique voix rien à dire après je ne connaissais pas vraiment les chansons donc pour moi il y avait des longueurs surtout qu'il chante avant tout des chansons lentes et un peu mélancolique, mais cela ne concerne que moi. Sinon c'est un artiste à suivre c'est certain