Junior Brother
+ Etain + Liv Dawn
An idiosyncratic, challenging and richly lyrical singer/ songwriter, Junior Brother is the pseudonym of Co. Kerry, Ireland singer Ronan Kealy. Following his acclaimed debut album "Pull The Right Rope" (a Choice Music Prize nominee for Irish Album of the Year), Junior Brother has whipped up a dedicated following thanks to unmissable live shows, and music both excitingly forward-looking and anciently evocative. His strange stories unfold with reckless abandon upon an idiosyncratic Guitar and Foot Tambourine accompaniment, influenced as much by the avant-garde as music from the middle ages and his home place in rural Ireland.
Spreading the good word in iconic venues such as The Beacon Theatre (New York), Blackpool Opera House (UK) and Vicar Street (Dublin), he has played support for a variety of like-minded acts such as The Proclaimers and Glen Hansard, the latter bringing him on a tour of the US East Coast in July 2019.
"Pull The Right Rope", Junior Brother's trailblazing debut album, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize Award for Irish Album of the Year. Two nominations were also earned at the 2019 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, for Best Folk Album and Best Emerging Folk Act. Vigorous approval from modern-day Irish figureheads such as the Rubberbandits and Cillian Murphy has furthered Junior Brother's stock, the latter playing Junior Brother several times on his BBC6 Music Radio Show. Along-side further airplay in Ireland on all major national radio stations, his television performances include appearances on the Tommy Tiernan show, Other Voices and the Choice Music Prize Awards night in Vicar Street.
PRAISE FOR "PULL THE RIGHT ROPE" "There is a fierce, coarse wildness to Ronan Kealy's debut album, which stands toe-to-toe with the finest folk that Ireland has to offer" - Lauren Murphy, The Irish Times "Part of new folk revolution that's making household names of Lisa O'Neill and Ye Vagabonds, Killarney's Junior Brother, aka Ronan Kealy, is a strange and wonderful talent." 4/5 - Sunday Business Post "Overall, Junior Brother's debut is very much like rural Ireland: raw and stark - but very beautiful." 8/10 - Stephen Porzio, Hot Press Magazine "Kealy is not only marching to a different drumbeat, but creating one that we all want to march to." - Louise Bruton, The Irish Times
Line Up
"Carries that inimitable Kerry trait and proud tradition of being a bona-fide storyteller....perhaps the strongest traits in his music and persona are a lack of cowardice mixed with talent" Remy's Music and Film Blog "His songs are full of emotion, and also lots and lots of humour...could only be written in Ireland" John Barker, Totally Irish 98fm Junior Brother is an alternative folk singer/ songwriter from Kilcummin, Co. Kerry, playing slightly unhinged, sometimes heady, folk songs of his own creation. In his music he is heavily influenced by his upbringing in rural Ireland, attempting to recreate the archaic, weird and beautiful nature which surrounds his family home and littered his childhood. Currently based in Dublin, Junior Brother's played the annual Whelan's Ones to Watch festival the last two years and has played support for acts such as the Hot House Flowers, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, and R.S.A.G. Influences include Planxty, Richard Dawson, Pentangle, Richie Kavanagh, the harp playing of Derek Bell and Alan Stivell, and the vocals of Dessie O'Halloran and Joanna Newsom.
Etain
Liv Dawn is a singer-songwriter from Scotland who delicately blends pop and folk within her music. Much like storytelling, Liv crafts compelling tales relating to everyday life and relationships in the hopes that it will resonate with her listeners and create a one-to-one connection.
Having performed in numerous acclaimed venues across Scotland, Liv’s prowess to hold an audience with her powerful vocals will always provide a captivating yet intimate show. After the release of her first single ‘Reason’ in 2019, Liv headed to London to perform and was spotted by McFly’s very own Tom Fletcher.
Already making her mark on the Scottish music scene, Liv was selected as a finalist in the prestigious BBC Radio Scotland’s Singer/Songwriter of the Year Award 2019. Liv showcased her talent during the live final held at Saint Luke’s in Glasgow and gained praise from industry personalities such as Horse McDonald, Jim Gellatly, Ricky Ross and Grant Stott.
With a successful start to 2020 by supporting Tom Walker on his U.K. Home Run Tour, Liv was also announced on festival line-ups including Glasgow’s Country to Country Festival. Releasing her award finalist song ‘Welcome Home’ and concluding 2021 by headlining The Hug and Pint in Glasgow, Liv now has exciting plans to release a meaningful, folk-tingled EP in Summer 2022.
