‘Taylor Swift may be making millions, but many artists rely on T-shirt sales,’ admits Cork singer Darren Kiely after making ‘dream’ move to Nashville

Ireland is savouring a golden age of singer-songwriters but one young artist has admitted that sometimes T-shirt and merchandise sales can prove the difference between making money on a gig or simply breaking even.

Cork singer-songwriter Darren Kiely (27), who learned to play the tin whistle aged just five, will play the Folly Festival next weekend and confirmed he plans an Irish and European tour in 2025.

From Millstreet in Cork, Kiely moved to New York two years ago to further his career. He is now based in Nashville and has completed a coast-to-coast tour of the US and Canada.

“Nashville is a songwriter’s town,” he said. “I moved to New York in 2022 and it was fantastic. But Nashville, along with Los Angeles, are songwriters’ towns and that’s where my music brought me.”

As Taylor Swift concluded her trio of Irish concerts before 150,000 fans with related consumer spending of €165m, Kiely stressed that very few performers operate on such a rarefied level.

“The money that most artists make from gigs is vastly overstated,” he said.

“It can be a very different landscape. Merchandise and T-shirt sales can sometimes prove the difference between breaking even at a gig and making money.”

Singer-songwriters have seen the traditional income from album and single sales reduced due to the emergence of streaming services.

For many, live performances are now their bread and butter.

“I played 33 shows across the US and Canada,” Kiely said. “It is a fantastic way of honing your craft and bringing your music to a range of different audiences. To be honest, it is a dream come true for me.”

Kiely will headline the Folly Festival on Friday night (July 5) in Laois before playing showcase gigs at the Galway International Arts Festival on July 23, Electric Picnic on August 18 and the Docklands in Limerick on August 25.

Then it is back to North America, where he will prepare for his debut Irish and European tour next year.

Critics have already singled out the Millstreet artist as Ireland’s next major breakthrough star.

Kiely’s music has attracted 6.5 million streams and his showcase North American gigs have included Rockwood Music Hall and the Mercury Lounge in New York City and The Basement in Nashville. He already played two sold-out shows at the Dublin Academy.

Folly Festival director John Scanlan said securing Kiely for the Laois event was a coup.

“I cannot believe we have been so lucky to get Darren to perform at the Folly on Friday night, he is going to be such a massive star, now is the time to catch him, in such an intimate setting of the castle grounds,” he said.

“I believe anyone who misses him will be very disappointed in years to come.”

Kiely discovered his love for music when he learnt the tin whistle aged just five.

At eight, he learned to play the fiddle and immediately taught himself to play the guitar.

“Traditional Irish music had a big role to play, from an early age my sister Orla and I started playing instruments and getting involved in the local feis, fleadh cheoil and Scór competitions,” he said.

“Orla led the way, really, and I just tried my hand at anything she was doing.”

Music was always Kiely’s first love but, with his family keen that he secure a fall-back qualification, he earned a degree in physiotherapy.

GAA was also a staple of the Kiely household. He captained Millstreet to win the Duhallow U-21 hurling title in 2018.

In 2019, he focused full-time on his music, which evolved from the traditional Irish genre to more folk and country influences.

His Road Home tour takes place in 2024/25 and his EP From the Dark was launched earlier this year.

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