Damien Dempsey

Damien Dempsey is an Irish singer-songwriter from Donaghmede, Dublin, whose work centres on folk and folk-rock and draws on traditional Irish song. He writes socially focused songs about the positive and negative effects of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger era. He sings mainly in English and also uses Irish to a lesser extent.

Early influences and training

Dempsey’s early musical experience comes from the singalongs held at his family home when he is a child. His vocal style also reflects sean-nós singing, alongside the influence of Bob Marley and Elvis Presley.

After secondary school, he studies for two years at Ballyfermot’s “Rock School”, where he learns musical performance and the practical side of the music business. The school’s label releases his early EP The Contender.

Recording career

His first commercial single, Dublin Town, reaches No. 18 in the Irish charts in 1997. A re-recorded version later appears on his first album, They Don’t Teach This Shit In School, which is released in 2000.

In 2002, the Negative Vibes EP includes the title track with Sinéad O’Connor, and the release leads to support slots on her Irish, UK and European tour.

Seize the Day is released in 2003 in Ireland on Clear Records through Sony, and the following year in the UK on IRL. It enters the Irish chart at No. 5 in its first week and later achieves double-platinum sales. The album is nominated in four categories at the 2004 Irish Meteor Awards, where Dempsey wins two awards. It also receives “CD of the Week” in the Sunday Times.

His third album, Shots, is released in 2005 in Ireland and the UK, reaches No. 1 in the Irish album chart and is certified platinum later that year. In 2006, he releases his first live album, Live at The Olympia, recorded at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre in December 2005; it enters the Irish album chart at No. 10.

Touring, collaborations and wider recognition

Dempsey tours widely in 2004, including headline dates and support slots for Bob Dylan on the Irish leg of Dylan’s European tour. He also makes his first appearances at The Fleadh and Womad that year.

Morrissey invites him to support him on several UK and Irish dates and on his autumn 2004 US tour. Morrissey later signs Dempsey to the Attack label.

A documentary, It’s All Good: The Damien Dempsey Story, by Dara McCluskey follows his career up to the release of Seize the Day. It is broadcast on RTÉ and shown at film festivals in Ireland and New York.

At the 2006 Meteor Awards, he wins Best Irish Male.