The tribute was an emotional coda to French’s life, bringing together collaborators, admirers, and friends to perform the music he left behind. The performance centred around a rendition of ‘We Didn’t Know We Were Ready,’ a song co-written by French alongside an ensemble that included Ólafur Arnalds, Ye Vagabonds, and Niamh Regan.

Arnalds, an Icelandic composer and longtime collaborator, described the night as “an honour.” Writing on social media, he reflected, “This song is an expression of community and creativity that has now taken on meanings we could never have imagined back when we wrote it.”

Artists like Dermot Kennedy, The Staves, Jófríður Ákadóttir (JFDR), and Christof van der Ven took to the stage, their voices intertwining in honour of a friend. French’s wife, Steph French, lent her own vocals to the occasion. The cello of Kate Ellis provided a mournful undercurrent, while the haunting harmonies of Sandrayati Fay and Laoise Leahy filled the room. 

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A post shared by Ólafur Arnalds (@olafurarnalds)

Eoin French began his career modestly with the Cork band Hush War Cry before stepping out on his own under the name Talos, inspired by the mythical Greek automaton who guarded Crete. His music, like the myth, blended grandeur with fragility, crafting deeply human yet otherworldly soundscapes.

Talos’s 2017 debut album, ‘Wild Alee‘, introduced his ethereal style, with swirling synths and delicate falsetto creating cinematic tracks like ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Your Love Is an Island.’ Critics hailed it as “a spectacularly assured debut,” earning it a Choice Music Prize nomination. His follow-up, ‘Far Out Dust‘ (2019), deepened his exploration of texture and emotion with tracks like ‘The Light Upon Us,’ solidifying his reputation for blending intimacy with universality.

Often compared to Bon Iver and James Blake, French’s music bore a distinctly Irish sensibility, evoking his homeland’s landscapes and poetic traditions while imbuing his songs with quiet spirituality. His final album, ‘Dear Chaos‘ (2022), embraced uncertainty, a fitting coda to his exploration of human complexity.

In December 2024, the posthumous EP ‘Sun Divider,’ created with Icelandic composer Alti Örvarsson, further cemented Talos’s legacy as a transcendent artist whose music defied genre, geography, and time. The EP came to life through a year-long collaboration between Örvarsson and French, with recording sessions split between Iceland and French’s homes in West Cork and London. True to French’s wish that his unfinished work be shared, ‘Sun Divider’ is the first of three projects set for release.

The tribute on Friday (3 January) was more than an event of entertainment; it was a communal act of remembrance. French, who balanced a career in music with his training as an architect, had always viewed his art as a space for reflection. His music, critics often noted, felt like structures built for the soul—delicate but enduring.

Ever since his first album drop he has delivered absolute crackers to the scene and has, in the meantime, released a second studio album last year (2022) called Sonder. Reaching successful levels of feedback and a great deal of critical acclaim, the Irishman continues his pop journey to a steady fame. Bringing him to headlining position at his coming festivals.

The festival All Points East is an annual event prepared to, over the course of 10 days, show the public how to put on a show. Based in London’s Victoria Park it allows the audience to indulge in an alternative rock affair with a beautiful combination of other popular music artists.

As Dermot Kennedy joins the club we can officially accept that the lineup has been rounded up. This includes Stormzy, Kehlani, Sampha, Knucks and more on the first day (18th August). The second day (25th August) consists on a different approach to the stage with bands such as The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Girl In Red, Amyl And The Sniffers, Black Midi and many, many more good acts.

The third day (26th August) is where our friend Kennedy steps in who will be playing alongside Olivia Dean, AURORA, SG Lewis, Novo Amor and more to be announced. Finally the final day (28th August) will be showcasing Haim, Girl In Red (again apparently), Tove Lo, Confidence Man, Snail Mail, Tamino, Romy and too many more to continue. It is quite a freely directed festival and the layout of the acts seems to work perfectly amongst each other.

Dermot Kennedy will make his appearance in London as a grand finale to finish off his mammoth tour around the globe. Having already commenced, today (4th April) he will be playing at the International Centre in Bournemouth, he will be making his way through several cities in the UK before crossing the pond to the US all the way through May and June. Once his American tour comes to an end in the Big Apple his trip returns to Ireland, Scotland and finally, the Big Smoke.

Tickets are already available to buy for all his shows, including All Points East.

Click here for tickets.

UK Tour Dates: 

04/04/2023 – International Centre – Bournemouth
05/04 – Plymouth Pavilions – Plymouth
07/04 – AO Arena – Manchester
08/04 – International Arena – Cardiff
10/04 – First Direct – Leeds
11/04 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
13/04 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
14/04 – The O2 – London
15/04 – Royal Albert Hall – London
23/06 – Marlay Park – Rathfarnham
24/06 – Marlay Park – South Dublin
07/07 – Thomond Park Stadium – Limerick City
08/07 – Thomond Park Stadium – Limerick City
09/07 – Thomond Park Stadium – Limerick City
13/07 – Esplanade Castle – Edinburgh
14/07 – Scarborough Open Air Theatre – Scarborough
27/08 – All Points East – London

GO GO GO! Tickets are now ON SALE for This Is Tomorrow! See @DermotKennedy , @GerryCinnamon and @samfendermusic plus many more!
Head to >>> https://t.co/5pGOmwLztg pic.twitter.com/B5CJKmO0O9

— This Is Tomorrow (@ThisIsNCL) May 27, 2021

Announced as the headline acts for this year’s event include Sam Fender, Gerry Cinnamon and Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy. Kennedy will headline the festival with its first day on Friday, along with Blossoms and British rapper Bugzy Malone. Cinnamon will headline on Saturday after performances from Tom Walker and ‘Naïve’ singers The Kooks. The festival’s final day will be closed by headliner Fender, Sunday also includes sets by Fontaines D.C. and Manchester rockers Pale Waves. Other acts to perform include singer Mahalia, Irish rock band Inhaler, Circa Waves, Nadine Shah and 2020’s one to watch act Billy Nomates. Dermot Kennedy also took to Twitter to announce his headline performance as well as express his excitement for his set.

I’m headlining @ThisIsNCL Festival in September!! Tickets are available from 10am this Thursday 27 May from https://t.co/wDXiHSQ1l9 pic.twitter.com/OkFPIMUODT

— Dermot Kennedy (@DermotKennedy) May 26, 2021

The festival was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has changed promoters since allegations of staff mistreatment. The festival was previously promoted by SSD Concerts who were involved in the claims made public on the company review site Glassdoor after their Instagram account was allegedly hacked, the claims stated that SSD Concerts were underpaying staff and making employees feel uncomfortable at their workplace. The festival is now promoted by one of the largest event promoters within the UK, Kilimanjaro Live.

CEO of Kilimanjaro Live, Stuart Galbraith had this to say about the return of This is Tomorrow.

“The pandemic has caused huge challenges for the live industry in 2020 and 2021 and when the opportunity came up for us to get involved with This Is Tomorrow it was a complete no brainer and a very easy decision for us to make, It’s a brilliant festival with huge potential in an area which has been traditionally over-looked as a music market. We’re delighted to be able to get this back in the diary and hope to see everyone in September for what promises to be one hell of a party.’’

The festival will also be putting on a free festival for NHS key workers as a thank you for their hard work throughout the COVID pandemic. The free festival will take place on the bank holiday Monday May 31st 2021 and will be held in Exhibition Park, headliners include Sam Fender, Gerry Cinnamon and celebrated British rockers Royal Blood. The one-off event will raise money for Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust and The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Tickets are now on sale for This Is Tomorrow as well as their This Is For The NHS event.

Click here to buy tickets.

At the time of the accident he wrote on social media; “They tell me I’m lucky to be alive but although I sustained serious injuries at the time I lost consciousness so I don’t remember much, what I do remember is the non-stop love.” The song talks openly about bleeding out and potentially dying from injuries he had inflicted.

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A post shared by Bugzy Malone (@thebugzymalone)

The song was also accompanied with an intense music video, directed by Myles Whittingham, shows the story of a tough boxing match. However, even though there is so much anguish in the video, there are also constant themes of love and support from the side of the ring, a perfect symbolism of the support Bugzy felt from his friends, loved one and fans throughout the accident.

Dermot Kennedy, who featured on the song, shared his pleasure and admiration of being a part of the project, taking to Instagram to say; “So inspired by your resilience and passion, thank you so much for having me on this one.” Bugzy replied to the post saying; “Thank you my brother, an honour to have you on the project!” followed by a love heart emoji.

This also comes following the news that Bugzy’s album The Resurrection will be out on January 22nd 2021. The album will feature Don’t Cry along with previously released singles M.E.N III and Doe’d Up.

Don’t Cry is out now on all platforms, you can watch the music video below.

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‘Paradise’ with @meduzamusic is out now! Thank you so so much to everyone who’s contributed with their #DermotParadise piece, they’re so beautiful. I’ll be sharing some other favourites on my Stories over the next few days. X

A post shared by Dermot Kennedy (@dermotkennedy) on Oct 30, 2020 at 2:49am PDT

MEDUZA also added in their own Instagram post: “Its been a long journey, 1 year after our latest single release but we back, people needs music now more than ever to go ahead in this hard and crazy moment, the only thing we can do is trying to do our best with music to give you what you guys deserve. Hope you love this track as much as we do.”

The dance track paired with Dermot’s strong vocal performance makes for a definite hit for fans of both MEDUZA and Dermot. There will also be a music video coming out tonight. This is MEDUZA’s second single of 2020 after they released Born To Love with UK artist SHELLS, a track that has already racked up 32 million Spotify streams. Dermot Kennedy also released music earlier this year and his single Giants is currently #2 in the Irish charts.

Dermot will also be appearing on The Graham Norton Show tonight to perform Giants. Other guests include David Walliams, Jessie Buckley, Bill Bailey and Octavia Spencer. Dermot assured fans on social media that tonight’s performance will be a special one.

Tune in to @TheGNShow on BBC One from 10:45pm this Friday to watch a very special performance from us. X https://t.co/jXvT7qOmYM — Dermot Kennedy (@DermotKennedy) October 28, 2020

Dermot Kennedy will also be releasing a complete edition of his album Without Fear on November 6th. The extended collection is set to feature “all his releases over the last 12 months and also includes two previously unreleased recordings.” Without Fear: The Complete Edition tracklist is below:

1. Giants
2. An Evening I Will Not Forget
3. All My Friends
4. Power Over Me
5. What Have I Done
6. Moments Passed
7. The Corner
8. Lost
9. Rome
10. Outnumbered
11. Dancing Under Red Skies
12. Outgrown
13. Redemption
14. Without Fear
15. The Killer Was A Coward
16. Temptation (live from Soundwaves)
17. Days Like This
18. All My Friends (Lost In The Soft Light sessions)
19. Outnumbered (Lost In The Soft Light sessions)
20. The Corner (Lost In The Soft Light sessions)

Paradise is available now on all platforms. You can listen to the song below.

Regarding the event Dermot said; “I’m so excited to announce that I’m making my Soccer Aid for UNICEF debut on Saturday 6^th September at the best football stadium in the world, Old Trafford. I’m so proud to play for the Soccer Aid World X FC event against England and we’re keeping that trophy – football is not coming home.”

Dermot is no stranger to sports. He played centre midfield for Crumlin United until 2017 and claimed a championship title four years in a row.

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Oh my god, this is so exciting!! Thank you @socceraid for having me join the 2020 World XI team for @unicef_uk on Sunday 6 September. It’s for an amazing cause and I’m so proud to be part of it. Live and exclusive on @itv and @wearestv1 X

A post shared by Dermot Kennedy (@dermotkennedy) on Aug 27, 2020 at 11:04am PDT

Dermot will be joining other musicians like Olly Murs, who will be returning to Soccer Aid after recovering from knee surgery. Marvin Humes, Santan Dave and Chelcee Grimes will also be joining the line-up. Chelcee has written songs for huge acts such as The Saturdays, Dua Lipa and Kylie Minogue. She is also a footballer and currently plays as a forward for Fulham Ladies. Danny Jones has also announced he will be returning to the field in a humorous video with bandmates McFly.

@ItsDannyJones is back!

England’s number will get his fourth Soccer Aid for @Unicef_uk cap next month

… The @mcflymusic boys will be pleased

— Soccer Aid (@socceraid) August 21, 2020

Soccer Aid For UNICEF is the world’s biggest celebrity football match, raising money to give kids the best start in life. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event will also raise money for Save Generation Covid. Every £1 donated will be trebled to £3 courtesy of the UK government and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Soccer Aid has raised for than £38 million for UNICEF UK since it began in 2006.

Other players that you can look forward to seeing on your screens are celebrities; Jason Manford, Joel Dommett, Kem Centiney, Roman Kemp, Joe Wicks, Lee Mack, Iain Stirling and Mark Wright. There will also be a range of footballers playing for both sides such as; Robbie Keane, Yaya Touré, David James, Kelly Smith, Lianne Sanderson, Patrice Erva, Liv Cooke, Julie Fleeting, Wes Brown, Katie Chapman and Andy Cole with Wayne Rooney announced as manager for the England team.

The makeshift England squad will take on World XI FC on September 6th. The event will be live streamed exclusively on ITV and STV at 6:30pm.

In an Instagram post, Dermot talked about the video saying; “It felt so special to be given this unique view of Dublin City while it was at a standstill. This video represents the longing I feel for playing music for people, and I want it to take you on a journey back to the way things were when we got to sing together. We will get there again.”

The video created an emotional response from fans, who felt the same longing for live music and any of the other things they have lost because of the pandemic. One fan commented on the video sharing her experience of being completely alone during the lockdown and said; “In the video you pass my office that closed for lockdown, you run on the Luas tracks that I would normally have frequented, you stand outside the Olympia theatre where I had tickets for events that would have normally have shaped my summer.”

She added; “This video is so personal and so beautifully portrays the unique experience of lockdown in a bustling city and the disruption that has occurred in our everyday lives. No one knows how long it’s going to take, but some day we will get back to where we were. And it will be incredible.”

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An alternative video for Giants is coming tomorrow at 3pm BST. I’ll be in the chatroom on YouTube answering some of your questions before the premiere – see you then! X

A post shared by Dermot Kennedy (@dermotkennedy) on Aug 18, 2020 at 7:01am PDT

When the song came out in June it was accompanied by a music video which used the 360° visualiser feature to display the quote “2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather the most important year of them all.” This is a quote from a poem by Leslie Dwight titled What if 2020 isn’t cancelled? This poem talks about how 2020 won’t be written off but will be the year for change, where everyone comes together rather than pushing each other away. This comes just after Dermot Kennedy’s live streamed performance at the Natural History Museum in London, with Normal People star Paul Mescal. Both stars took to the stage to perform some of Dermot’s best-known hits and Paul reading out pieces of poetry in between songs, all underneath the Irish Whale skeleton named Hope, who is suspended over the museum’s Hintze Hall.

For those who didn’t catch it, here is @mescal_paul with the amazing @DermotKennedy That voice though Paul, just wow wow #DermotKennedy #paulmescal pic.twitter.com/lOJDY0oZVl — Gloria Moreno (@glori_musica) July 31, 2020

Dermot Kennedy got his start busking on the streets of Dublin, where he is from, as well as Boston in the United States. He was then signed to Interscope Records in the US and Island Records. He shot to fame with his song Outnumbered. Giants is his first single since his number one debut album Without Fear, which was released last year.

The ‘Some Summer Nights at the Natural History Museum’ will be a pay-per-view event. Speaking about the event, Dermot said; “I’m incredibly excited to be playing a show at the Natural History Museum in London. To have the opportunity to bring my music into a place filled with so much history and wonderment means so much to me. We’re going to do something truly unique and I can’t wait for you to see it.

“This is easily one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been involved in and it feels like a privilege to get to put this show on and in this time when I can’t play shows as I normally would, it gives me so much joy to be able to share this event with you. Poetry, music and history will all come together for this event and it’s going to be so special.”

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Presale is now open for our live-streamed show at London’s Natural History Museum! Thank you to everybody who’s signed up for it – I can promise you this is going to be incredibly special. Tickets go on sale this Friday 10 July at 9AM local time. Link to join mailing list in stories. X

A post shared by Dermot Kennedy (@dermotkennedy) on Jul 8, 2020 at 1:13am PDT

Dermot will be joined by his full band but also a very special guest star, Paul Mescal. The Irish actor has recently shot to fame following his performance as Connell in the hit series Normal People. Dermot said in an announcement video. “We’re going to be joined by Paul Mescal from Normal People, which is incredible. I’m so grateful to him for getting involved and being up for it. This is going to be so special.”

While it isn’t confirmed that Paul will be singing at the event, after seeing the videos Paul uploads of himself singing on Instagram, it would seem like we are in for a remarkable show. 

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A post shared by Paul Mescal (@paul.mescal) on May 8, 2020 at 2:41pm PDT

This announcement follows a very busy week for Dermot as his album Without Fear broke the record for the most time an Irish debut album has spent at No.1 so far this century. He also recently released his new single Giants. Tickets are going on sale Friday 10th of July and there will be an option to donate funds to the BLM Global Network.

The BRIT nominated artist revealed the meaning behind Giants saying; “Change hurts and growing hurts. Giants is a song about just that, steeped in bittersweet nostalgia. It’s about acknowledging our loss of youth and how time inevitably changes things. Yet in the same breath the song is an encouragement to be brave – individually, and collectively. Walking into an unknown future together can be beautiful just as much as it is scary.” 

He goes on to speak about his own experience of feeling hopeless during the last few months due to the global health crisis and the need for the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement; “this song has carried me through as a reminder that the future is still full of hope and there is an opportunity in the darkness and a brighter future can await.” He encourages his listeners to carry that message with them.

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Change hurts and growing hurts. Giants is a song about just that, steeped in bittersweet nostalgia. It’s about acknowledging our loss of youth and how time inevitably changes things. Yet in the same breath the song is an encouragement to be brave – individually, and collectively. Walking into an unknown future together can be beautiful just as much as it is scary. As events have unfolded over the last few months and have at times felt hopeless, this song has carried me through as a reminder that the future is still full of hope and there is opportunity in the darkness and a brighter future can await. I want people to listen to this song and hold on to that thought. Let go of the past and grab the change that is in front of us, and make it for the better. Even if it hurts. The time is now. Link in bio.

A post shared by Dermot Kennedy (@dermotkennedy) on Jun 24, 2020 at 4:37am PDT

This wonderful track is accompanied by a video which uses the 360° visualiser feature to display the quote “2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather the most important year of them all.” This is a quote from a poem by Leslie Dwight titled What if 2020 isn’t cancelled? This poem talks about how 2020 won’t be written off but will be the year for change, where everyone comes together rather than pushing each other away.

Dermot Kennedy has also announced that all of his UK and Ireland tour dates have been rescheduled to Spring 2021. He took to Instagram yesterday to announce in a video saying “It’s a shame, but it’s okay. I’m just excited, above everything, to get to share these moments when we’re able.” He then went on to clarify that all tickets that have been purchased will still be valid.

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Alongside the Irish shows and the American shows that we’ve had to move already, the UK shows are now going to be next year, too. I’m excited above everything to get to share these moments with you when we’re able to. All tickets for every show still remain valid. I’ll see you then, and thank you for your patience. I hope everyone’s well. X

A post shared by Dermot Kennedy (@dermotkennedy) on Jun 23, 2020 at 7:00am PDT

Kennedy got his start busking on the streets of Dublin, where he is from, as well as Boston in the United States. He was then signed to Interscope Records in the US and Island Records. He shot to fame with his song Outnumbered.

The rescheduled 2021 tour dates are as follows:

24/04/2021 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
25/04 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
29/04 – Alexandra Palace – London
30/04 – Alexandra Palace – London
04/05 – O2 Academy Glasgow – Glasgow
05/05 – O2 Academy Glasgow – Glasgow
04/06 – St Anne’s Park – Dublin
14/06 – Gleneagle INEC Arena – Kilarney
15/06 – Gleneagle INEC Arena – Kilarney
16/06 – Gleneagle INEC Arena – Kilarney
24/06 – Ormeau Park – Belfast
25/06 – Malahide Castle – Dublin
26/06 – Irish Independent Park – Cork

The 28-year-old Dubliner has recently wrapped up The Without Fear Tour with two sold-out shows at 3Arena in his hometown. Kennedy expressed his gratitude for his fans in Dublin for coming to see his shows:

I’ve been around the world a few times in the last year, but now I’m home and I’m ready to play the biggest shows of my life. Two sold out arena shows in my hometown. 13,000 people each night. To say I’m grateful feels so hollow.
.
by @lucyfosterphoto pic.twitter.com/LBbrGiQ9qI

— Dermot Kennedy (@DermotKennedy) December 21, 2019

The Without Fear Tour is a tour in support of Kennedy’s debut album with the same name. The LP hit the peak of UK Albums Chart back in October, with “Outnumbered” becoming the singer’s biggest hit in the UK. He also released one self-titled compilation of his pre-debut songs in January.

In 2020, the “Power Over Me” singer will continue building his hype by embarking on a new tour. One of the announced legs is in the UK, including five shows in three cities. Check out the dates below.

Tour Dates:
28/03/2020 — Victoria Warehouse — Manchester
29/03 — Victoria Warehouse — Manchester
31/03 — O2 Academy Glasgow — Glasgow
01/04 — O2 Academy Glasgow — Glasgow
03/04 — Alexandra Palace — London

Tickets are on sales now via Seetickets.