Dermot Kennedy has found international fame, but he will always remember his roots, as a busker trying to make it big.
The singer performed there in the early stages of his career and in a recent interview, confessed it gave him a “thick skin” which helped him when navigating the music industry.
Opening up to Dave Moore for Today FM, Dermot explained: “The best thing I learned from it was you just get such a thick skin you know what I mean?”
“It puts me in a position where any time I play now I’m just like, ‘Well this is what it is’ and of course we’re playing places sold out and it’s a funny dynamic in the sense that people are here because they want to be here but busking is the complete opposite.”
Explaining some of the challenges, Dermot shared: “People actively don’t want to hear you and so it’s just a very real thing.”
“I remember years ago I’d spend so much time at home making music, waiting to get a gig in Whelan’s and I would never get it, but then the busking you just have an audience right there all day every single day. It’s not easy, people that do it for a career – I really do admire them because I find it quite difficult.”
When asked what was harder; performing for thousands in sold out stadiums, or busking, the Dubliner wade in, saying: “Firstly I think the busking is harder, I do.”
“Especially in Ireland and when you’re that age that you’re in school and all that, it’s almost a social thing. You’re just like, ‘Where do I exist in the world?’ and, ‘Do people like me as a person?'”
But discussing the pros of stadiums, he confessed: “But we played a gig in Paris two days ago and it was like Olympia type venue, there was about 1,800 [attending] and we just had a blast, we loved it and we were trying to pick it apart afterwards and we were all having a laugh on stage and we were all joking with one another and it’s like we need to bring that to Glasgow to 15,000 people.”
“You can’t walk out on stage and get real serious and not talk between songs. The best way it will work is if we have a good time.”
