Dermot Kennedy has shared “Honest,” the third and final single from his upcoming album The Weight of the Woods, which is out April 3 via Island Records.
The Weight of the Woods is Kennedy’s third album. It was largely written and recorded in a studio down the road from his home in rural Ireland alongside close collaborator Gabe Simon [Noah Kahan, Lana Del Rey]. The pair then traveled across the pond to Simon’s Nashville studio to complete the process.
“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.”
With a refreshed approach to his songwriting and production, Kennedy’s vocals are placed in the spotlight. “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-center on this album.”
Kennedy will also play a series of intimate shows at record stores across the UK from March 23 to April 1. He also recently announced that he will perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May. Kennedy’s largest headline tour to date will take place in May and June 2026. Those shows include six UK dates, a return to London’s O2 on June 5, and July 2 headline shows at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
In March, Kennedy hosted MISNEACH, a new annual global music festival conceived and curated by the singer-songwriter himself. The sold-out festival took place in Sydney, Australia and Boston, MA timed to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The events shone a spotlight on Ireland’s rich musical heritage and culture with a bill featuring established and rising artists alike, including The Frames, Matt Corby, Kneecap, Meg Mac, Amble, Sorcha Richardson, The Scratch, Susan O’Niell, Fynch, Cliffords Mick Flannery, Florence Road, The Swell Season, Ye Vagabonds, Nell Mescal and headline sets by Kennedy.
Buy Dermot Kennedy’s The Weight of the Woods on vinyl and CD here.
