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Kevin Walsh

Kevin Walsh invites listeners into a sonic expanse of theatrical romanticism with his latest single, Ruby

Kevin Walsh’s latest single ‘Ruby’ resonates with a cinematic alchemy akin to the poignant melodies of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’. Orchestrally carved and piano-driven, the production underscores the Cork native’s virtuoso tenor octave range, which has led to the anticipation of him being hailed as a soon-to-be marvel of the West End. The minor-key ballad, delivered through Walsh’s emotive voice, serves not only to showcase his impressive vocal range but also invites listeners into a sonic expanse of theatrical romanticism.

Opening with the disarmingly simple contemplation of modern communication, the single spirals into a soundscape that captures the essence of lost love and longing. The elegiac piano by Dylan Howe, along with Maria Ryan’s string compositions, harmonises eloquently with Walsh’s classically trained vocals. This orchestration, arranged by Aine Delaney and peppered with Sarah Hickey’s background harmonies, encapsulates the nostalgic heartache that imbues the track.

Inspired by the likes of Tom Waits and Randy Newman, Walsh offers a plaintive plea for reconnection which will leave you choking back the tears. Drawing from the acclaimed music video for his reworking of Meat Loaf’s ‘Not a Dry Eye in the House’, which depicts young lovers torn apart, ‘Ruby’ carries forward this narrative of separation and the relentless pursuit of faded dreams.

The release of ‘Ruby’ on November 8th, available on Bandcamp and major streaming platforms, promises to be a touching addition to the modern orchestral pop landscape. Kevin Walsh’s narrative ambition stretches further still, as he plans to weave these themes into an EP that aims to culminate in a full musical film.

As Walsh prepares for an intimate performance at Al Spailpin Fanach, Cork, on November 13th, his journey—from a non-verbal autistic child finding his voice in music to a chart-topping theatrical performer—continues to be an inspiring testament to the power of persistence and the arts.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kevin Walsh paid a fitting ode to Meat Loaf with his dynamic rock-licked cover of ‘Not a Dry Eye in the House’

With his soaring, perfectly sustained tenor vocal range, Kevin Walsh could easily become the next wonder of the West End. For now, he’s commanding the airwaves through his latest single, a cover of the Diane Warren-penned Meat Loaf classic, Not a Dry Eye in the House.

The instrumentals seem to melt away around his vocal performance in the evocative rock-licked reworking of the classic hit, which, and I might be committing blasphemy by saying this, is infinitely more arresting than Meat Loaf’s rendition.

After growing up in Cork as a non-verbal autistic child with an eating disorder and intense social anxiety, Walsh sought solace in theatrical videos and dramatic performances. Emboldened by the presence of Meat Loaf, the self-taught pianist earned a First Class Honors Degree in Music before meeting his icon virtually at GalaxyCon 2020.

In 2022, Walsh entered the music scene with the neurodivergent supergroup, Embrace the World, of which Caroline Kay and Emma Langford were members; the group soared straight to number 1 on the iTunes charts. We can’t wait to see how far up the charts he climbs with this release.

Stream the official music video for Not a Dry Eye in the House which will premiere on October 27 via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kevin Walsh drops supergroup debut single for autism awareness on ‘Embrace the World’

In aid of the wonderful charity AsIAm Ireland, Kevin Walsh empowers us to be better together on his incredible new single with a stunning all-star cast to join him called ‘Embrace the World‘.

Kevin Walsh is a Cork, Ireland-based indie-rock singer-songwriter who makes that kind of music that encourages us to turn up the volume and join hands with our fellow humankind.

Kevin, who was diagnosed as autistic at age 5, has faced many challenges in his journey to becoming a professional musician.” ~ Kevin Walsh

Inspiration for the vocal composition of the track came from supergroups formed by Bob Geldof, Michael Jackson and Irish Women In Harmony, as it features an eclectic mix of talented vocalists; Emma Langford, Ger O’Hanlon, Lisa Curran, Molly Lynch, Rebecca Houlihan, Stephen Gormley, Caroline Kay and Mark Daly.” ~ Kevin Walsh

With a vocally-excellent cast to help us assist the lost who need to be found, there is so much quality brewing here like the perfect cup of tea after a freezing winter’s day. There is so much ear-tingling brilliance on offer that feels like such a treat for all our intrigued senses, to truly hug and hold like never before.

By embracing widely different vocal styles within our supergroup performance, I wanted to allude to the variety within Autistic diagnoses, as each person on the spectrum is an individual with different support needs and ranges of abilities.” ~ Kevin Walsh

Embrace the World‘ from Cork, Ireland-based indie-rock singer-songwriter Kevin Walsh is a superbly-made single that will probably give you shivers all over your exposed spine. This is a united moment when there is so much pain all over the globe, as we hold on tight and reach those goals we have dreamed of no matter what. With so much suffering on so many corners, this is a choir-like anthem to rejoice with as we remember what is actually important.

Support this new single on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen