On Our Radar Q&A : Darren Kiely - "I've never regretted writing anything personal"

You moved to New York and then to Nashville. How has that worked out so far?

I’d been to New York before the pandemic and something in my gut told me I needed to get back. There was an energy about it that was inspiring and it was a change that I needed. I was working for an accountancy firm during the day and playing bars at night, three or four times a week. I started releasing music in August of last year and went from playing in bars to venues where I could play my own music.

I’d been recording songs in Nashville with a guy who ended up moving there. I was getting connected with people down here and heard about the songwriting scene. Like the first decision to go from Ireland to New York, I saw the opportunity to get better at music and connect with the most talented people.

I really miss Irishness and relating to people who had similar experiences growing up. I’m mostly busy, which is great, but sometimes when I’m not busy I wish I had a button to zap myself home.

You have an EP and a sold-out Irish tour coming up - how excited are you?

I’m nervous at the fact that they’ve sold-out. I would have been excited to go home anyway, but to play songs that hadn’t been released when I left initially is so exciting. I’m finding it very hard to focus on the next few weeks. I almost want to be in November and in those shows – it’s gonna be fun.

The EP is the first time I’ve been cohesive with an idea for a group of songs. They all have that underlying sense of being lost, which ties them together in a nice way. It’s different to what I’ve done before.

Your songwriting is deeply personal - do you ever find the process difficult?

It takes a lot out of you, but in a good way. It’s a really good tool for working through stuff. Sometimes when I’m in a more balanced place, I think, ‘Do I really want to dig in?’, because it throws you off a little bit. Ultimately, it leaves you in a better place when you write. You find out things which you can’t be aware of at a conscious level until you’re putting pen to paper. It’s a scary place to go sometimes, but I’ve never regretted writing anything personal.