Dermot Kennedy
“Life’s been nuts lately,” Dermot Kennedy tells me, his head wrapped in endless weekend festival slots and hectic scheduling of studio time over the last few months. “I’ve been writing for so long and gathering music together, it’s going to be a lengthy process and I’m trying to grab as much time as I can…” It would seem that breathers are nothing short of a myth in Kennedy’s eyes, and as a musician striving to be at the top of his game ensures every second counts.
Edging almost two million monthly listeners online, Kennedy has already solidified himself a tight-knit audience so early on into his career – a glimpse of the superstar he’s blooming into. Unique blends of poetry tied in with sprinkles of hip-hop as heard in his Doves & Ravens EP caught countless eyes along with fellow Irishman and folk icon Glen Hansard who shared the spotlight with Kennedy at one of his sold-out shows – how’s that for just getting started?
There’s no rush, which is why the 25-year-old isn’t hurtling to bring a debut project to fruition, “it becomes a major deal putting together a proper LP and I want to get it right.”
As we root through the contrast between the British and Irish music scene Kennedy insists that no matter the size of the area it’s apparent one thing remains the same: everybody knows each other. “I live a little bit outside Dublin city, I wasn't necessarily part of the scene and I still don't think I am,” he ponders. “I stood on my own in hopes of being unique, I'm not sure I can compare them because I always did my own thing.” Despite distancing himself, it doesn’t take away the inspiration that blossomed within his hometown. “Right outside my front door at my home in Ireland is a giant forest that as a landscape was perfect for me to cultivate inspiration for writing songs,” he paints a portrait down the phone. Guffawing, “Considering all of my friends were down in the village and you have no way of getting there so you've got to do something to occupy yourself.”
“I've never given it too much thought,” pausing as we touch over musical beginnings. Contemplating, “I probably played my first gig when I was 15 so 11 years have passed since then and I guess last year or so was when things have started to gather pace and momentum but I never second-guessed it or even thought about it as a career.”
Family plays a pivotal part in Kennedy’s life and his parents were spectators all throughout the miraculous decisions he made as a child. “It's funny because myself and my drummer were in our own band together during college, we were talking about how hilarious it was that our parents were so supportive of us considering some of the stuff we did musically.” He’s nosedived every genre, exploring divergent soundscapes the likes of David Gray and Ray LaMontagne – an array of singer-songwriters he destined to be like. College opened Kennedy up to Bon Iver (a gradual step-up, obviously) which led to an arrangement of sounds brewing up as he worked alongside ample producers. “The fact I had been listening to so much hip-hop meant that came into the production and I feel like the last two years I've been starting to dive into the acoustic world again into something that's more exciting and challenging.”
One peak at social media and you could say it would be useful for Kennedy to move his bed on stage, as it’s where he spends a profusion of his time. To the point of getting used to living out of a suitcase (let’s hope there’s an iron at hand), Kennedy’s about to embark on a monumental tour across Europe and UK ahead of jetting off to the U.S. “There’s twelve of us on the road and it feels like a mini family, even on the days when you could be knackered and you're trying your best to be excited about a gig; everyone always boosts each other up,” he laughs, elucidating how the band and him cope on the bus. “It's always a great vibe.”
Kennedy needs no shamrocks, he radiates luck and has just bagged himself extra dates in London and hometown Dublin down to demand. “I spent enough time busting my ass trying to sell tickets in these cities so the fact that people are buying them easily now is a huge milestone.”
Dermot Kennedy is well on track to causing a commotion in music; from taking creative control in every step of his career to blending together antithetical genres and victoriously making it work – the full package is signed, sealed and is making its deliverance as we speak.
But what’s next for the man that’s seamlessly done it all? “It's ambitious but I really want to play Brixton Academy; I want to do that big time,” with an Electric Brixton gig already under his belt it’s not a million miles off… “I just want to be in a situation where I've brought out a body of work I'm totally proud of and that's brought me to the world in the right way and presented me to everybody in a way I'm totally happy with.”
Words: Jordan White
Photography: Lewis Vaughan
Fashion: Kamran Rajput