Dermot Kennedy on Tour
Folk singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy has quickly taken the world by storm, rising from a small town in Ireland to release a number of charting singles as well as work with revered musicians and producers like Glen Hansard and Mike Dean (Kanye West, Travis Scott). In 2017, the dynamic performer went on the U.S. festival circuit and played Lollapalooza, South by Southwest, Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo, making an international name for himself with his high-energy shows. The following year, he went on a world tour and played shows in the U.S., Australia and Europe, hitting Coachella and also playing an NPR Tiny Desk Concert after being voted NPR Slingshot Best New Artist of the Year. Kennedy's live shows flesh out his intimate tunes with a full band, bringing the audience fully inside his expressive songs. Kennedy's tour in 2019 took him across multiple continents as he incorporated tracks from his sophomore album, Without Fear, into his set.
Dermot Kennedy in Concert
Born in 1991 in Ireland, Kennedy was attracted to music at a young age, picking up a guitar at 10 and taking the plunge into songwriting a few years later, at 14. Before long, Kennedy was performing at open mics around Dublin; eventually he found himself busking — playing music on the street for money — in cities around the world. After high school, he studied classical music at the university level for a few years, but ultimately decided to pursue folk music. Kennedy's big break came when he won first place in a major upset at the South County Song Contest at St. Finian's GAA Club, putting him on the radar of industry professionals and singer-songwriters around the world.
After he self-published on Spotify, some of Kennedy's music found its way onto Discover Weekly playlists, which helped him get noticed by a wider audience. His first charting single, "Young & Free," reached No. 82 on the Irish Singles Chart, but his breakthrough came with 2018's "Power Over Me," which reached No. 10 on the Irish Singles Chart, No. 21 on the U.S.'s Hot Rock Songs and No. 5 on Adult Alternative. "Power Over Me" has since been certified gold. Kennedy signed to Interscope and, in January 2019, released his self-titled debut album, which hit No. 5 on the Irish charts.
