Exchanging the streets of Dublin, Ireland for sold-out stadiums worldwide, Dermot Kennedy has quite the story in the music industry.
With more than 12 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Kennedy has amassed a dedicated fanbase and is a platinum-selling artist in more than 12 countries. The expressive storyteller aims to captivate his audience with powerful vocals and hypnotizing lyrics.
The Charlatan sat down with Kennedy to discuss his musical journey, behind-the-scenes work and upcoming Canadian shows.
The Charlatan (TC): Where did your relationship with music begin?
Dermot Kennedy (DK): I started playing in the streets and pubs of Dublin when I was 15 or 16 years old before joining a band. Around the age of 23, I started doing solo music again. I spent so much time going to different record labels and dishing out my own press kits, driving around in my old Ford Fiesta. Nothing would happen because I didn’t know what I was doing, so I felt quite defeated. I felt so far from getting anywhere.
I wanted to do something different, so I released three songs called, “After Rain,” “An Evening I Will Not Forget” and “Shelter” over the course of a month and a half. That way, I could see what happened. Ironically, that was the time things worked out. I carried on playing shows around Dublin and organized a show in London, where there were only about 40 people. A good few people came up to me and said that they had heard my music on Spotify. On that day, I went from literally five plays a day on those songs to 50,000.
If I had to pinpoint the moment my music became a career, it was probably that. I’m still kind of building on that moment. We have built off this idea that if you make music that you’re proud of and play a show [where you] give it your all, I think it truly can work out.
TC: Where do you draw inspiration for your songs?
DK: I quite like the idea of telling stories that are attached to the people in my life, such as friends and family, along with my own stories. I’m quite enamoured with the idea that I might be the one to sing and write songs in my community and my circle, but we all have the same feelings. I like the idea that I can be a voice for them sometimes.
TC: What defines your musical style?
DK: When I get asked this, especially at American and Canadian customs, I can’t tell you. Sometimes I say I’m a singer song-writer acoustic style, but that’s not it, really. What I listen to is hip-hop exclusively, like all the time, and I think it influences my music gently. So in my head, I feel as though I’m a singer-songwriter who listens to hip-hop all the time, and [that genre is] finding its way into my music.
TC: What is your creative process like?
DK: It’s ever changing. Sometimes I’ll have lyrics written down that I’ll make music for and sometimes I’ll just have music that deserves lyrics. What I prefer is definitely when both are happening at the same time. If the lyrics can take shape around how the music feels, the music can then be mirrored by the lyrics. That’s how the good stuff happens, when both things can come together.
TC: You released Sonder last year. What has been fans’ response to the album?
DK: First and foremost, it’s been beautiful. I think for me, it’s a tricky thing with your second album because you don’t want to alienate anybody but you don’t want to be stagnant and do the same thing again. All these venues on tour have gotten much bigger, and so when I have a song like “Homeward,” and I go play it in amphitheatres and stadiums, it feels like it belongs there. It’s beautiful for me because when I’m writing songs in the studio, it could be counter-productive for me to try and be the acoustic guy.
TC: Have any personal reflections about Sonder arisen over this year?
DK: Definitely. I’m trying to figure out who I want to be in every sense—in terms of career, personal life and what [I’m] trying to achieve alongside creative fulfillment. It’s a funny thing in music—it almost feels like you don’t want to get overly ambitious because that can get in the way of what you’re trying to do creatively, from a career point of view.
I don’t think I’ve experienced any type of success yet that beats the feeling of doing something exciting in the studio. I’m very conscious of moving forward and chasing after that feeling. I’m so proud and happy of the music that I’m making.
TC: You’re currently on a 2-week Canadian tour with a stop in Ottawa on Oct. 13. Why did you choose to devote this leg to Canada?
DK: It’s important to me, being from Ireland, a country that people often skip on tours. It’s a no-brainer to me to play in Canada, and to play to people you haven’t seen before and places you haven’t been before. When I did a few shows with Shawn Mendes last summer, it felt like a really beautiful thing to get to play to people. [There was] a very welcoming environment in Calgary and Winnipeg. It was an atmosphere I wanted to return to. It’s always been interesting to say you say you’re on a North American tour and you only hit Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
TC: What’s next for you?
DK: Down time for me is very important, [especially] before we start our Australian tour. I think people don’t necessarily have an awareness about how crazy it can get for artists when they’re promoting albums and travelling on tour. Of course, we are in very privileged positions, but it’s very full on, and rest becomes a very important thing. I will be taking some time off between Canada and Australia.
Kennedy will be performing at the Canadian Tire Centre on Oct. 13. Tickets can be found here.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured image provided by Ally Bottero.
