- 2026-01-22
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MUSIC
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Dermot Kennedy Announces New Album “The Weight of the Woods”, Premieres New Song “Funeral” on BBC Radio 1
Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy has announced his upcoming third studio album “The Weight of the Woods” will be released on March 27, 2026.
It is his first album in four years, following the 2022 album “Sonder”.
From the album, he premiered the first single called “Funeral” on BBC Radio 1's New Music Show with Sian Eleri.
It was written by Aldae, Carrie K, Dermot Kennedy, and Gabe Simon, who also produced the track.
The accompanying music video was directed by Charlie Sarsfield.
Dermot Kennedy said of thew song, “I guess, firstly it's not as sad as it sounds. It's quite a triumphant thing in my mind. I think the main thing for me was, if I've ever felt the meaning of a song so much when I was singing it. I felt like I could sing the meaning quite easily. And that was a lovely feeling. It just felt like quite a triumphant thing. It felt quite a powerful thing for me.”- He continued, “It was funny. It was kind of the last roll of the dice before the album was done, too, which is an interesting feeling, because I think it takes away so much inhibition. You feel like you already have a record. You might try things that you wouldn't necessarily have tried when you're trying to sort of put an album together. And so oftentimes, really exciting things happen. And this song just kind of showed up, it just felt very exciting musically. Felt like, it kind of felt to me, like a song about acknowledging that there'll be difficult things in life and accepting that, but moving towards the good things just as much as you can, and celebrating that as much as you can.”
The new album comprises 14 tracks, which Dermot Kennedy recorded with producer Gabe Simon at a studio down the road from Dermot's home in Ireland for six weeks and Gabe's studio in Nashville. -
Dermot Kennedy said of the album, “To me, the album is a beautiful homegrown thing with Irish instruments and an Irish story. There's a forest behind my house, which is a haven for my sense of wonder. It's a peaceful place where I can escape. I've entertained the idea of living somewhere else, but I don't think I'd be happy anywhere else.”
He added, “If I get up in a pub with just a guitar or a piano, I'm certain that I can sing to a room full of people. It's where I'm the most comfortable. I wanted that element to be front-and-centre on this album.”
Photo by Silken Weinberg - source : BBC Radio 1
