I first came across David Keenan when he played a support slot for Hothouse Flowers when they played at Billy Byrnes for Kilkenny TradFest 2016. He was nothing short of stunning and it’s a word much used by people who have seen him play. He is a wordsmith to his core and many critics compare him to writers but that is to miss the point. David takes his cue from the great tradition of ballad singers but with a new twist. His voice could do justice to the songbook of older writers and indeed his insistence on singing in his own voice would lead you to the conclusion that he writes and sings in that style but his work is that of a modern songwriter, mixing the personal with the broader strokes.
His live shows are communal, a gentle insistence in a collaboration and he takes great care to reach out beyond the footlights, as anyone who witnessed his performance in Cleere’s on March 31st will confirm. This was a masterful performance from someone who has studied his craft, an old head on young shoulders.
It was a real pleasure to have him drop by Studio 2 to chat about his writing. Time was against us but i think we got an insight into an artist that is destined for great things. Here’s hoping for some luck along the way, because he is not lacking in talent.
In an unexpected treat he played a song that had been written only two days before his visit to Kilkenny. Expect great things…
You can get further information on David and his work, including live shows on his website
