After introducing himself to the world with his stunning debut single 'Francis' earlier this year, Dublin-based artist and producer Evan Kennedy is back once again to deliver his wondrous new offering 'Pearphone'.
Capturing more of that fresh and shimmering alt-pop aesthetic he is quickly earning a reputation for, 'Pearphone' makes for a brilliantly warm and inviting listen. With his rich and alluring voice layered across a sweeping production from start to finish, he is continuing his rise as one of the more exciting names emerging so far this year.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I was flat out on all the usual European sadboy shit, Hail to the Thief by Radiohead, loads of Massive Attack, Bon Iver, Pearl Jam… and then when I was 14 I was like ‘hmm I wonder what rap is like’ so I picked up the Gangster’s Paradise album by Coolio and that was my first outing on that front. R.I.P. to my bro Coolio, we all miss you.
What was the first album you remember owning?
LimeWire aside, Meteora by Linkin Park is the first one I handed my own money over the counter for. Probably directly led to the bleach blonde head on me now.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
One of many is The City by Anderson .Paak; Look I get it — he’s on his soul stuff now, but old electronic .Paak will always be my favourite (pls come back .Paak).
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I’ll sit in my local coffee shop for two hours a day slaving through books for interesting words and build lyrics out of the combinations of these words, then come home freestyle them over something I made the day before or so, think it sounds cool, and then dislike the shit out of it for a few months until I push it up the hill hard enough and then think it’s adequate enough to drop. Habitually.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Bjork, Caroline Polachek, Grimes, Omah Lay, Underworld, Low, Ween, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Harmonize, Lorenzo Senni, Pinegrove, Vybz Kartel and Crosby Stills & Nash. Shout-out to absolutely all of them.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Not having some bleak repetitive job force you to get up in the morning.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Having the crushing inadequacy and fear force you to get up in the morning instead.
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Evan Kennedy's new single 'Pearphone' is available to stream now. Watch the new video for it in the player below.