Four years after the breakthrough success of his debut album Beginner’s Guide to Bravery, Dundalk songwriter, musician, and composer, David Keenan, is at a crossroads. After touring extensively and building a reputation as one of Ireland’s leading live performers, he returns to the studio to record new music. “Anger is easy to portray, it’s the hurt that’s hard”, he says, as we explore David’s wordsmithing over the course of 500 days.
This is a portrait of one artist as a young man, which in turn is a portrait of every musical artist as they endeavour to stand out in a world of “algorithm and blues”, and remain authentically and powerfully true to themselves.
Ceithre bliana i ndiaidh dó a chéad albam Beginner’s Guide to Bravery a eisiúint, tá an t-amhránaí, ceoltóir agus cumadóir ó Dhún Dealgan, David Keenan, ag crosbhóthar. Tar éis dó camchuairt fhairsing a dhéanamh agus cáil a bhaint amach mar dhuine de na taibheoirí beo is spéisiúla in Éirinn, filleann sé anois ar an stiúideo chun ceol nua a thaifeadadh. “Is furasta fearg a léiriú, is é an ghortú atá deacair”, a deir sé, agus muid ag scagadh cumadóireacht David thar thréimhse 500 lá.
Portráid í seo d’ealaíontóir amháin agus é ina fhear óg, ach is portráid í seo de chuile ealaíontóir ceoil agus iad ar a ndícheall seasamh amach in aghaidh na halgartam, agus fanacht dílis dóibh féin agus dá ngairm ar bhealach cumhachtach.
David Keenan
David Keenan wrote the ode to his hometown of Dundalk on the Irish border “El Paso” at 14. Self educated and guided by his grandfather’s storytelling gift songwriting has always been a full time vocation. After a number of self released EPs his first album “A Beginner's Guide to Bravery\" (2020) reached number 1 in the Irish indie Charts and was followed by the critically acclaimed second \"WHAT THEN?\" a year later. Other works include live album/concert film \"Alchemy & Prose” and the d.i.y “CRUDE” records. With a reputation as a uniquely poetic singer-songwriter/storyteller and relentless live performer he has toured consistently from a young age across Ireland, the UK, Europe, North America and Australia with events including two headline nights in Dublin's Olympia theatre, the main stage of Electric Picnic, appearances at Lowlands, SXSW, Sydney Fest, Folk Alliance, Eurosonic, Glastonbury and Celtic Connections, residencies in Paris and New York's Irish Arts Centres & a recent headline show in Ireland’s National Concert Hall.
Paddy Hayes
Paddy Hayes is one of Ireland's leading drama and documentary filmmakers based in Galway, on the West Coast of Ireland. His editorial line is simple - he makes documentaries that are dramatic, and dramas that have something to say.With 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Paddy Hayes is a leading Irish drama producer currently executive producing the second season of Hulu's Obituary, starring Siobhán Cullen and Máiréad Tyers.
He initiated and produced the show's successful first season in 2023. Hayes also produced the award-winning feature film Foscadh, which represented Ireland in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2022 Academy Awards.
His past drama credits include the teen comedy EIPIC and the IFTA award-winning Corp & Anam, starring Maria Doyle Kennedy, a series that earned significant acclaim on VoD platforms in the US and Europe. Hayes is the author of the non-fiction book Breakout, published by O’Brien Press.