One to Watch: David Keenan

Storytelling comes easy to Dundalk's David Keenan.

After a summer supporting Hozier and playing Glastonbury, David has signed with Rubyworks (home to Hudson Taylor and Wyvern Lingo) to release his debut album A Beginner's Guide to Bravery, the label that put his touring mate Hozier on the map.

David's first two singles with the indie Tin Pan Alley and Altar Wine paint a picture of what his debut LP will be made up of: evocative imagery with religious undertones told by a passionate vocal.

His vocal styling has fleckles of David Gray, Damien Rice, Marcus Mumford and Vance Joy, his voice quintessentially Irish with a familiar and endearing warmth. Look out for the standout delivery of "Yeah brother, yeah brother, yeah brother, I’ve one arm as long as the other" on Tin Pan Alley and feel the hairs stand on the back of your neck.

If you want to catch David live, he's heading out on a headline tour in December, visiting the likes of Roisin Dubh in Galway and Dolans Warehouse in Limerick. Three days after releasing his album, David plays one of his biggest national shows to date at Olympia Theatre, Dublin on January 13.

David Keenan's debut album A Beginner's Guide to Bravery is out on January 10, 2020.

© IRMA