I remember when Dermot Kennedy’s music found me back in 2017. It gave me something that no other music had been able to give me. It served as a mirror to my deepest thoughts and memories, and every time I listened, it reflected some of the most beautiful moments of my life and some of the darkest moments of my life. When I wasn’t listening to his songs, I was reading his lyrics, and when I wasn’t reading or listening, my mind was always pondering over them. I’d never found a connection that deeply to music and had stumbled upon something that I didn’t even realize I was missing.
When you find something that special, I think it’s normal to yearn for more of it. With each new song release from Dermot, I look for something that will unlock a new part of me so that I can heal in some way, and that’s exactly what I found within his latest single, “Innocence and Sadness.” Back in the summer of 2020, Dermot teased an unfinished clip of this song on Instagram with the caption “Steady Rhythm Joy”, and I’ve been craving the final product ever since.
I was fortunate enough to attend an early listening party not that long ago where Dermot played the unreleased tracks from his forthcoming album, Sonder, due to be released November 4, 2022. Among these tracks, was the highly anticipated “Steady Rhythm Joy” or what we now know to officially be “Innocence and Sadness.” I wrote down my impressions as I was listening to each song, and for this one, I wrote, ‘this sounds like it was recorded live, it’s very raw.’ Dermot later confirmed that it was recorded live, in one take. Another thing I scribbled down was the phrase ‘souls hidden,’ from the line “some people spend their life heads down, souls hidden.” I remember hearing this and getting wide eyed. What a beautiful way to describe being guarded while also being an inspiring message for people to be vulnerable and open themselves up to the world around them. My favorite lines are probably, “all the love that just got stolen from your wide eyes…let your tears erode my shoulder like a cliff side.” I really dislike being any sort of burden to other people and tend to hold a lot inward. This line is so comforting in the way that it invites you to release your emotional burdens knowing that someone wants to be there for you through your darkest moments. The visual depiction of someone being willing to carry something that heavy with you is beautiful.
While this song is emotional and touches on topics of loss and grief, it also serves as a reminder to cherish every moment, and that joy can be found in the simple, steady moments of life. Steady Rhythm Joy.
Dermot recently announced European tour dates. I’ve seen him live a handful of times, and he does not disappoint, so be sure to grab a ticket if you can. Click here for tour dates and other information.