“With his soaring, perfectly sustained tenor vocal range, Kevin Walsh could easily become the next wonder of the West End” – Amelia Vandergast, A&R Factory
“Walsh brings a sense of classical artistry to a flamboyant persona… his trained tenor is a shining silver of light.” – Nicole Mendes, The Other Side Reviews
Cork’s own Kevin Walsh is set to captivate audiences once again with his latest single, “Ruby,” a heartfelt ballad inspired by the themes of his previous acclaimed music video. “Ruby” will be available on Bandcamp and all major music-streaming platforms starting November 8th.
Pre-order on Bandcamp / Pre-save on Spotify
Opening with the poignant question, “Will I send a text or an e-mail? Or should I make a phone call?” the song features the nostalgic felt piano tones of Dylan Howe (Rowan) and strings by Maria Ryan, returning from Walsh’s Embrace the World supergroup. Aine Delaney’s arrangement weaves these elements seamlessly with Kevin’s classically-trained lilt, beautifully supported by background vocalist Sarah Hickey.
Drawing inspiration from renowned artists like Tom Waits, Sarah MacLachlan, and Randy Newman, “Ruby” is a plaintive plea for reconnection, filled with the sense and sadness of recalling a lost love. The track continues the story begun in Walsh’s award-winning music video, a cover of Meat Loaf’s “Not a Dry Eye in the House,” depicting two young lovers separated by force majeure as the eponymous Ruby pursues fame and fortune.
“This song is part of an EP I plan to release next year,” says Walsh. “The music video [for “Not a Dry Eye”] was the pilot for that story, and this song carries it forward. The whole EP centers around that relationship. Long-term, my dream is to write a full musical movie based on this storyline.”
Under the expert production of Kealan Kenny and the vocal coaching of Rebecca Keogh (RK Vocal Studio), Kevin has embraced a more subtle vocal approach for “Ruby.” “I usually only have two approaches when singing; loud and louder,” Walsh admits. “My previous releases were big rock numbers, but Rebecca has been a trojan in unlocking the different shades of my voice, and Kealan doubled down on that approach in the studio. It might have taken two hundred takes, but we’re onto something!”
Kevin Walsh will celebrate the release of “Ruby” with an intimate solo performance on November 13th at Al Spailpin Fanach, Cork with support from online busking sensation Padraig Cahill. Despite the nerves of this release—”the first time I was in a supergroup and the second round I was covering Meat Loaf, this time it’s all me”—Walsh is excited to share “Ruby” with the world.
About Kevin Walsh
Overcoming early challenges as a non-verbal autistic child, Kevin Walsh found his voice through music. He honed his craft in many local and semi-professional musical theatre productions. His first single, “Embrace the World,” an ode to Autism Awareness, soared to #1 on the Irish iTunes Singles and #19 on the Irish Homegrown Charts with an eclectic style reminiscent of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Disney and Rufus Wainwright.
Following this success, his heartfelt cover of Meat Loaf’s “Not a Dry Eye in the House” continued his chart-topping streak and he finished out 2022 with a showstopping performance at Cork Opera House. The award-winning music video of the cover set the stage for inspiring his upcoming poignant piano ballad “Ruby” and a debut EP slated for 2025, Kevin’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of art and resilience.
