Kevin Neary captivated the audience with his performance as a part of the Hot Press Y&E Series last night.

Performing live from his office, the Galway singer-songwriter began his set with a fresh, soulful take on Hozier's 'Work Song.' He used a loop pedal to create beautifully-layered harmonies to weave throughout the track.

The Galway singer-songwriter didn't shy away from vulnerability during his set. He chose to play unreleased and drafted songs. The 'Work Song' cover was followed by one of his original songs, 'Harder to Walk Away,' an unreleased song he wrote at the start of lockdown in 2020 that features his piano and soulful, emotive voice.

The following two songs were also unreleased. The first was a draft of a song based on an electric guitar riff he hadn't been able to write the right lyrics for. Nevertheless, he performed the catchy riff with placeholder lyrics that the audience still expressed love for in the comments of the livestream. 'Moving On,' the other unreleased track, is about getting lost in things during the pandemic and asks the question: "Are we so lost in our dreams that we forget what they mean?"

'Take Me Anywhere,' a track he wrote in 2020 for one of his best friends when they were both going through a tough time, was the second to last song in the set. Though he played an acoustic version of the track for the Y&E Series, a version with a full band is available on Spotify.

Neary ended the set with a song he teased as his next big single, which he plans to release at the end of this year or beginning of the next. He described 'Man of Faith' as "when you meet someone and you're absolutely enamoured with them."

Watch Neary's performance below:

 

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Watch the Hot Press Y&E Series performances every night live on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressmagazine) at 7.30pm – supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. 

Up next on the Y&E Series: 

Friday, August 27: GALIA ARAD

After touring the world with Jools Holland – playing the 3Arena, Glastonbury, and the Royal Albert Hall – and releasing two acclaimed albums, Galia Arad returned with 'Lion's Den' earlier this year. The Dublin-based singer-songwriter's music has previously been heard in Felicity, Marvel's Cloak & Dagger, and movies such as After Words, starring Marcia Gay Harden. Exploring a heart-achingly powerful, Americana-flavoured sound, 'Lion's Den' arrives ahead of the release of Galia's upcoming EP – expected later this year...

Keep an eye on hotpress.com and our social media platforms for more information...