An idiosyncratic, challenging and richly lyrical singer/ songwriter, Junior Brother is the pseudonym of Co. Kerry, Ireland singer Ronan Kealy. Following his acclaimed debut album Pull The Right Rope (a Choice Music Prize nominee for Irish Album of the Year), Junior Brother has whipped up a dedicated following thanks to unmissable live shows, and music both excitingly forward-looking and anciently evocative. His strange stories unfold with reckless abandon upon an idiosyncratic guitar and foot tambourine accompaniment, influenced as much by the avant-garde as music from the middle-ages and his home place in rural Ireland.
His new single ‘Life’s New Haircut’ is out October 18th. The video was directed, edited and produced by Ayla Amano.
“The blades of razors split the sky long after this poem was put onto a page a few years ago. The recording of the song to tape happened to finally come just before all our worlds closed down. It found its true meaning shortly thereafter with the new shape the world span in accentuating its sentiments. Although allegorical, I believe this song speaks for itself. Aren’t you glad we’re not alone?”
Spreading the good word in iconic venues such as The Beacon Theatre (New York), Blackpool Opera House (UK) and Vicar Street (Dublin), he has played support for a variety of like-minded acts such as The Proclaimers and Glen Hansard, the latter bringing him on a tour of the US East Coast in July 2019.
Pull The Right Rope, Junior Brother’s trailblazing debut album, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize Award for Irish Album of the Year. Two nominations were also earned at the 2019 RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, for Best Folk Album and Best Emerging Folk Act. Vigorous approval from modern-day Irish figureheads such as the Rubberbandits and Cillian Murphy has furthered Junior Brother’s stock, the latter playing Junior Brother several times on his BBC6 Music Radio Show. Along-side further airplay in Ireland on all major national radio stations, his television performances include appearances on the Tommy Tiernan show, Other Voices and the Choice Music Prize Prize night in Vicar Street.
Tour Dates
26 Nov Whelan’s, Dublin
27 Nov The Great Eastern, Edinburgh
04 Dec Dolan’s, Limerick
16 Dec De Barra’s, Clonakilty
19 Dec Spirit Store, Dundalk
30 Dec Róisín Dubh, Galway
Available now on limited edition 7” from strangebrew.ie & juniorbrother.com
