Kean Kavanagh announces debut album The County Star

Kean Kavanagh has today announced his forthcoming debut album The County Star, alongside brand new track and video ‘A Cowboy Song’. Fortified by a driving rhythm, the single leans into a lived-in Americana feel, imbued with inflections of Irish trad.

The County Star drops on 6th June via Heaven-Sent.

Two album release shows are also confirmed for 18th June at London’s Lexington and Bello Bar in Dublin on 20th June.

Alongside today’s track arrives another incredible installation of multi-part video series starring Peter McGann (Republic of Telly; Small Town, Big Story). As directed by Kojaque & Robert Bass, today’s video centres in on the origin story of fictional Portlaoise Elvis character, Pa Campion.

“There’s a really interesting phenomenon of small town Irish Elvis’s, it seemed to match the Irish connection to Americana that is peppered throughout Kean’s album,” says Kojaque. “So for ‘A Cowboy Song’, we felt we needed to know more about Pa Campion, who is the man behind the Rhinestones?”

Previous single, ‘The Whistle' marked Kavanagh’s first solo release since 2023’s Wrestling Music EP, and the 2020 mixtape Dog Person before it. Known for his work as a producer and co-founder of Soft Boy Records, Kavanagh has built a reputation for sharp, candid storytelling and a singular creative voice. With ‘The Whistle’, a new chapter begins to reveal itself.

Alongside his own rise, Soft Boy Records, founded in 2015, morphed into a cultural behemoth of its own, gripping the Irish music scene and becoming the subject of a Boiler Room documentary about the label and collective. With his co-founder Kojaque, Kean has found himself sharing stages with names such as Loyle Carner and Lana Del Rey, performing solo-slots opening for Maverick Sabre and Vampire Weekend, currently settled in London, Kean’s career leaves a strong mark and highlights his unique place in Irish music.

Pre-order The County Star here.

Tune into the new single from Kean Kavanagh below