With the recent release of his debut album, 'Without Fear', Dermot Kennedy talks favourite songs, opera school and what he lost in Australia.
It’s been three years since the Irish singer-songwriter seeped into the collective consciousness courtesy of self-publishing on Spotify Discover Weekly.Since then, he’s toured the world, popping up everywhere from Coachella to Splendour In The Grass as well as steadily drip-feeding his ever-expanding army of fans emotionally gutsy singles such as ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘Power Over Me’. Oh, and he was personally introduced on stage by the Irish president.
With over 8.5 million monthly listeners on the platform that launched him and his debut album just released, how does the 27-year-old Dublin native feel about it all? “I can genuinely say I’m only excited.
“I’m not scared or intimidated. It feels like a really nice moment,” he says. “It’s important for me to release full-length projects. I want that to be how I do things. I’m excited to put a bunch of new music out and tour.”
Kennedy will be playing a run of national shows in Australia next year. He’s looking forward to coming back Down Under. “In America or Europe, you don’t get to see the cities you’re in.
“It really is bus, venue, then leave. But in Australia, we’ve had a few days off to do cool things. We went to Rottnest Island, Fremantle, Sydney and Melbourne. Byron was amazing.”
Kennedy made his Australian live debut earlier this year at Splendour In The Grass. But it wasn't smooth sailing, with the singer discovering his worn-out voice was due to singing the wrong way.
“Five minutes before we went on stage at Splendour, I didn’t think we should do it because my voice felt so bad, even though I’d seen a doctor that morning and taken steroids. We played a headline show in New Zealand the next day and the exact same thing happened.
“I went to a bunch of doctors. It turned out my vocal cords were in particularly good condition, which I found really hard to believe because of how difficult it was for me to sing.
“The problem was I had a massive build-up of tension in my neck from singing the wrong way for three years. Essentially, my neck was like a coiled spring, so no notes could get through. I lost a whole octave in Australia. Now, I’m almost back to full strength.”
Ironically, had Kennedy paid attention to his classical music course at Maynooth University, none of this would have happened. “I had a vocal tutor in college that I never went to. I could have avoided all this by going to that tutor.
“I was a very reluctant student. I thought it was a waste of my time. I’d love to go back. The calibre of the musicians and lecturers I was around was just crazy. I had to sing opera for my exams every year, become this other person and wear a tux. Thank God, there are no recordings.”
He doesn’t think the opera rubbed off on his own performance style. “If there’s anything I take from classical music it’s how epic it is, how cinematic and powerful it can be.”
Those qualities are important to Kennedy, as evinced both by the songs on ‘Without Fear’ – his favourite is the atmospheric opener ‘An Evening I Will Not Forget’ – and the songs he didn’t write but wishes he had.
“‘Shine’ by David Gray is a total masterclass in songwriting. Also, a song called ‘Comrade’ by Volcano Choir. I listen to that every day. That’s how you should deliver a song. No matter what you’re saying people feel something.”
‘Without Fear’ is available now.
Dermot Kennedy 2020 Tour Dates
Tue 28 Apr - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)Wed 29 Apr - Enmore Theatre (Sydney) - sold out
Fri 1 May - The Fortitude Music Hall (Brisbane)
Sat 2 May - Forum Melbourne - sold out
Sun 3 May - Forum Melbourne
Tue 5 May - Astor Theatre (Perth)
