Photo Credit: Izabela Szczutkowska.
FFO: Jack White, Tom Waits, Pavement, John Lennon, Beck, etc.
“Brings a welcome edge to the Irish singer-songwriter milieu” – Hot Press
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Galway in the west of Ireland and influenced by artists such as Tom Waits, Devendra Banhart and Sufjan Stevens, Kevin Herm Connolly’s indie folk stylings have of late taken on a Latin and Mediterranean tint, due to his time spent living and travelling in South America and Spain. In fact, new single ‘Chango‘, as well as several more songs due for release later this year, were recorded in the latter country, between the cities of Valencia and Oviedo.
Having written his first song at the age of eight, Kevin played in a grunge band during his teenage years in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
Moving to Dublin to attend university, he joined the alt-country band El Diablo before releasing ‘Monsters’, the first collection of his own songs, under the name Herm. Ireland’s leading alternative music magazine (Hot Press) and radio station (Phantom FM) included it in their top ten Irish albums of the year.
This was followed up by ‘Make It Up’ in 2019, described as “accomplished and impressive” – (Hot Press) and “refined and contemplative” (Connacht Tribune), showcasing a development in Kevin’s songwriting from the quirky and edgy indie pop of his debut to a more reflective and organic approach.
Recent high points have included the success of single ‘Cariñito (English Version)’, a cover of the Peruvian cumbia classic, which led to features on several news programmes in that country, as well as recent tours around Spain, including his first concerts in the cities of Barcelona, Valencia, Cadiz, Santander, and many more.
IRISH TOUR DATES:
19.06 BEWLEY’S THEATRE, DUBLIN
09.08 THE OL’ 55, GALWAY
ABOUT THE SONG
“I originally came across the word ‘chango‘ in a song by the French/Spanish artist Manu Chao (“Papito”) and learned that it was a kind of slang term for “monkey” in Mexico. I have since found out that it’s also used in other parts of Latin America, with varying meanings (a bird, a fish, an exclamation, …).”
“For some reason, playing this guitar riff, the word kept coming to mind for the hook. I’ve been steeped in Latin American / Hispanic culture for the last number of years so I guess it was inevitable that this kind of bleed would start happening.”
“From there, it was one of those songs that fell together effortlessly, that almost writes itself. I quickly began road-testing it at gigs, thinking, I’ll sit down and really hone it later. However, it occurred to me that no more tinkering was needed, and I decided that I would record it as soon as possible.”
“At a session in Satelite Studios in Oviedo, Spain, a couple of months later (March 2025), I discovered that they had a gorgeous Gretsch electric guitar with a sound that was perfect for ‘Chango‘. I played through a couple of takes, without a click track and without much polishing afterwards. I wanted to ensure it maintained a raw, loose kind of vibe, a la artists like Jack White and Tom Waits. We added some sprinklings of bass guitar, banjo, Hammond organ and tambourine et voila.”
“I hope you like it!” – Kevin Herm Connolly