Seamus Harty’s charismatic disposition and breathtaking voice were utterly enthralling as he performed a set of well-loved and still-unreleased acoustic tracks on on the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions Y&E series, supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

He opened the set with the stunning ‘Get What You Deserve’. Immediately, his immaculate vocal control stole the show as the busker dove into a resounding, deep tone. Harty cracked jokes about the song, stating his inspiration came form a line from last year’s film Joker, one that terrified his dad and sent him into a state of reflection. The anecdotes between each track explaining the relatively mundane stories that transpired into beautiful songs create a sense of familiarity and intimacy. ‘Give Me a Reason’ and ‘Heaven Knows’ were two of the newest tracks he premiered, the first being written just before leaving Dublin due to COVID and the second a more lighthearted track inspired by the funky influences he’d been listening to lately.

With original songs already so perfectly tailored to his talent, he stunned with a pair of covers from Amy Winehouse and Kaelo. Amy Winehouse is always a tough act to follow up, but it was as if her essence had overtaken Harty’s soul as he delivered a massive cover of ‘You Know I’m No Good’.  Kaelo’s ‘Way Down We Go’, a personal favourite of Harty’s, once again seemed written just for him. His versatility between emotional ballads and softer, funkier tunes proved that there’s nothing we can’t expect him to do next, an exciting prospect as he furthers his music career.

His performance was met with love — even an offer for management in Latin America — and it’ll be exciting to watch him get back to busking on the streets and release some new tracks soon.

Revisit his performance here:

 

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Y&E sessions @culture.heritage.gaeltacht

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