Keywest
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Keywest are an Irish pop folk band formed in Dublin. Its current members are Andrew Kavanagh (lead vocals, harmonica), Andrew Glover (acoustic guitar, piano, backing vocals), Luke Murphy (electric guitar, backing vocals), and Conor Ray (drums, percussion).[1][2] They are known for their rise from the Irish street busking scene to the mainstream music industry.[3]
History
[edit]Andrew Kavanagh and Andrew Glover are childhood friends who grew up in Artane, Dublin.[4] After a year of busking on the streets of Galway, the band moved to Dublin to busk on Grafton Street, a street in Dublin known for its street performers.[3] In 2015, the band was fined for violating the decibel limit in Dublin's busking bylaw.[5]
Keywest signed to Marshall Records in November 2018,[6] and released the album - "Ordinary Superhero" in 2019.[7]
As of 2025, Keywest is independent, funded by direct purchases of their music and through Patreon.[8]
2012: The Message
[edit]The band released their debut album The Message through the Irish indie label Alphastar Records in 2012. The album peaked at No.15 on the Irish charts and No.2 on the iTunes chart in Ireland. It was self-produced and engineered by Mark Needham, who also contributed to music by The Killers, Katy Perry, Fleetwood Mac, Neon Trees, and Dan Frampton (The Script).[9] The album was a double CD release, with CD1 being the main album and CD2 being the Undelivered EP.
The Message featured the singles "Back Into Your Arms," "Feels So Cruel," "In the Fight for Love" and "Straight Through My Heart." The singles were played on Irish radio, and the band was called Ireland's most-played Irish independent artist of 2012.[10] The Message has since been certified triple-platinum in Ireland.[citation needed]
In 2012, Keywest was nominated for Best New Act at the Meteor Awards, and The Message was nominated for Best Debut Album in the Hot Press Hotties Awards.[citation needed]
The band also signed a worldwide publishing deal in Los Angeles with Peermusic in 2012.[citation needed]
2013: Electric Love EP
[edit]The band followed up their debut album with the Electric Love EP, which featured the title track and single "Electric Love." Electric Love went straight to number one in the Irish charts and was released independently through the band's own label "Sonic Realm" records.[11]
2015: Joyland
[edit]Keywest released their second album Joyland on 25 September 2015, and it went straight to the number 2 position on the Official Irish Chart, climbing to the top spot the following week. They also appeared on the front cover of Irish music magazine, Hot Press. Joyland had four singles: "All My Mistakes," "Carousel," "This Is Heartbreak" and "Apple Tree Hill."
In 2014 and 2015, the band won the 98 FM award for Dublin's best street artist. In 2015, the band was voted Most Promising Artist in Hot Press.[12][citation needed]
2018: True North
[edit]The band's third album, titled True North, was released on 30 March 2018. It entered the Irish charts at number 3, reaching number 1 on the Independent Music Chart. Keywest received three nominations at the 2018 Irish Post Music Awards: Best Song, Best Album, and Best Band.[citation needed]
2019: Ordinary Superhero
[edit]Their fourth album, Ordinary Superhero, was released 18 October 2019 and reached number 8 on the official Irish Album Chart. The song "I'm Not Me Without You" features Irish singer Una Healy.[13]
The title track, "Ordinary Superhero," was released at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in conjunction with Irish and UK charities supplying PPE to frontline workers. The music video for the song depicted frontline workers during the pandemic.[14]
Current members
[edit]- Andrew Kavanagh – lead vocals
- Andrew Glover – rhythm guitar, piano, backing vocals
- Luke Murphy – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Conor Ray – drums, percussion
Awards and nominations
[edit]- Best New Act – Meteor Awards 2012 (Nominated)
- Best Debut Album – Hot Press Hotties Awards, 2012 (Nominated)
- Best Street Act – 98 FM Best Of Dublin Awards 2014 (Winner)
- Best Street Act – 98 FM Best Of Dublin Awards 2015 (Winner)
- Most Promising Artist – Hot Press Hotties Awards 2015 (Winner)
- Best Song – Irish Post Music Awards 2018 (Nominated)
- Best Album – Irish Post Music Awards 2018 (Nominated)
- Best Act – Irish Post Music Awards 2018 (Nominated)
Discography
[edit]| Keywest discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 4 |
Studio albums
[edit]| Year | Album Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRL [15] |
UK | ||
| 2012 | The Message
|
15 | — |
| 2015 | Joyland
|
1 | — |
| 2018 | True North
|
3 [16] |
— |
| 2019 | Ordinary Superhero
|
8 [17] |
— |
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart. | |||
Singles
[edit]| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL [15] |
UK | |||
| 2009 | "Miss You Most" | 6 | — | |
| 2011 | "Back into Your Arms" | 25 | — | The Message |
| 2012 | "Feels So Cruel" | — | — | |
| "In The Fight For Love" | — | — | ||
| 2013 | "Electric Love" | 55 | — | |
| 2015 | "All My Mistakes" | — | — | Joyland |
| 84 | — | |||
| "This Is Heartbreak" | – | – | ||
| 2016 | "This Summer" | True North | ||
| 2017 | "The Little Things" | |||
| "Cold Hands" | ||||
| 2018 | "Something Beautiful" | |||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart. | ||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "KEYWEST". breakingtunes.com. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ "Band | Keywestofficial". keywest-officialsite. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Keywest Interview". hotpress.com. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Keywest: 'busking shaped us'". www.farmersjournal.ie. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Dhillon, Fiona (5 October 2015). "Busking appeals falling on deaf ears as Keywest pays decibel fine". Dublin Evening Herald. p. 11. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "Keywest - a Marshall Records alumni band". marshall.com. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Interview: Keywest's Andrew Kavanagh on busking, mental health, and their new album Ordinary Superhero". hotpress.com. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Get more from KEYWESTOFFICIAL on Patreon". Patreon. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "Mark Needham Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor..." AllMusic. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Lynch, Richard (11 November 2016). "Irish Band Keywest come to Dolans this November 26". I Love Limerick. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "Sonic Realm Records Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ https://www.hotpress.com/music/inside-the-new-issue-the-ihot-pressi-hotties-13562173
- ^ O'Connor, Sorcha (25 April 2019). "Una teams up with Keywest for new single after going solo". Dublin Evening Herald. p. 22. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "Official Charts - Ordinary Superhero". hotpress.com. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ a b Steffen Hung. "Discography Keywest". irishcharts.com. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 6 April 2018". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 6 April 2018". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
External links
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