“See I’m in love with how your soul’s a mix or chaos and art, and how you never try to keep ‘em apart.”

Born in Rathcoole, Ireland, Dermot Kennedy started playing guitar at age ten. Four years later he started writing music for fun and then eventually went on to study classical music at a university.

He began being noticed in the public eye in early 2016, when featured on Spotify Discover Weekly. For several years, he self-published his material on the platform with his band, Shadows and Dust. They have been streamed over 300 million times as of October 2018.

Dermot Kennedy’s voice has been described by the New York Times as “a grainy, melancholy voice that can crest with a howling rasp…” To put his music into perspective, think Ed Sheeran but darker and more melancholy. He writes his own lyrics, making them thoughtful, poetic, and raw.

His style is unique and hard to describe. It ranges from hip hop to indie depending on the song. His most popular songs are usually the more hip hop based ones.

In 2018 and 2019 Dermot went on a world tour. Touring everywhere from the United States, Australia, and Europe to sold-out audiences, he took the world by storm. He also played at many popular festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits Music Festival. 

On October 4th, 2019 he released his newest album, Without Fear, in which he wears his heart on his sleeve. His poetic self-written lyrics mixed with his very raw vocals make this what most think to be his most successful album. 

With his new album, Dermot is touring the world from the United States to Ireland from October until December. He ends his tour where grew up to add sentiment to the success of his new album.