Dermot Kennedy: 'It's lovely to see Ireland having a musical moment'
Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy speaks with Lynn Rusk about his new album, The Weight of the Woods, and his world tour, including a date in Leeds.
Dermot Kennedy, who began his career busking on the streets of Dublin, has come a long way as an artist.
The 34-year-old singer-songwriter, known for hits such as Outnumbered, Giants, and Power Over Me, has recently become the first Irish solo artist to reach number one with each of his first three studio albums.
Kennedy is also set to headline two nights at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in July, becoming the first Irish solo artist to achieve this milestone.
The musician is currently embarking on his biggest headline tour to date, with a night to come in Leeds, says that despite these achievements, he remains simply proud to be Irish.
“This (has been) the longest time I’ve taken off from touring in my life,” Dublin-born Kennedy says. “It feels daunting, but very exciting at the same time to be touring again.”
Commenting on his recent milestones, he adds: “I think regardless of making history, or any kind of personal accolades, I feel proud to be Irish wherever I go.
"I think being Irish, you’re kind of well received globally, which is lovely, and whenever I’m on tour it makes me very proud to be part of the Irish music scene and Irish music history. It means an awful lot to me.”
His third album, The Weight of the Woods, follows the success of his 2019 debut, Without Fear, and his 2022 album, Sonder. It was inspired by the forest behind his home in the Irish countryside, rooted in the kind of honesty that comes with returning home.
Kennedy, who has performed in venues around the world including the Sydney Opera House and Madison Square Garden, reflects on the importance of home as an international touring artist: “It’s always been very important to me.
"I think it’s something I potentially worry that I take for granted. On a day like today, the sun is out, everything’s starting to grow, and it just feels like, truthfully, not in a corny way, there is nowhere I’d rather be.
“I’ve just never really entertained the idea of being somewhere else. It means a lot to me to be here.
"I’ve always been a home bird, which is funny because now I obviously travel so much and spend a lot of time away from home, but it’ll always be there for me. And it’s something that grounds me in a very important way.”
Kennedy collaborated with producer Gabe Simon, who worked on Stick Season by Noah Kahan, for this album, which was recorded across Ireland, Norway, and Nashville.
“It felt pretty long in the end. It’s one of those things where you feel exhausted by the end of it,” he says. “But one thing I can say quite sincerely is I never had a day where I didn’t want to go into the studio. I think that’s quite rare, and I was looking forward to it every day.”
Kennedy says The Weight of the Woods feels more confident than his previous records. “I felt more established as an artist, and more sure of myself in terms of the decisions I make, and I think that feeds into everything.
“I think the album is soundly polished, and that was important to me. A lot of the music I love, like Zach Bryan’s for example, can be imperfect. There can be noises that technically shouldn’t be there, but they add to the character of the music. I wanted that to come through too.
“I think it felt like a nice place to land after albums one and two. Album one is very organic and easy because those songs were already there.
"Album two is written in the blur of touring and building a career. This one felt more settled, where I’ve gotten to know myself within the music industry. It just felt a bit more confident.”
Kennedy’s upcoming tour begins in Europe, before continuing to Japan, the US, and finishing in Australia and New Zealand.
“I’m always excited to go to Australia and New Zealand. It’s in November, which is at the end of a long year, but I always look forward to those shows. The atmosphere is always quite special,” he says.
“To be honest, it feels like you’re as far away from home as possible, so there’s something quite magical about it. I’ve never been to places like Alabama or Gilford, New Hampshire, before either, and we’re playing shows there too.
"It’s always surreal being so far from home and getting to see these places just based on music I’ve made. It really is a lovely feeling.
"We’re also going back to venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and The O2 Arena in London. It’s nuts, and I’m very excited to find my feet again on this tour.”
Irish folk trio Amble will support Kennedy for the majority of his Europe and UK arena tour. For the Dublin Aviva Stadium shows, he will also be joined by Dublin-born singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe.
Speaking about the new wave of Irish artists, Kennedy says: “I think for a long time we’ve had this idea of ‘punching above our weight’, it’s something we’ve been doing for decades.
“It’s obviously very healthy at the moment, which is brilliant, but I want to help in any way I can. We’re taking Amble with us right up to the Aviva shows in the summer, so that’s going to be a good experience. I hope it’s a good experience for them.
“I also went to see Aaron Rowe play in London last week, and that was a wonderful thing to see. It’s just nice when someone is talented and has songs worth hearing that the world is open to it. It’s lovely to see Ireland having that moment.”
Dermot Kennedy is at First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds on Tuesday, June 2. Visit www.dermotkennedy.com/tour