New single released by Cork-based Paddy Dennehy 

Cork-based musician Paddy Dennehy, a folk singer-songwriter originally from Limerick, has released a new single from his upcoming album.

He recently announced a new album, entitled ‘Love and Be Brave’. It is set to be released on May 25, with a live launch event at Coughlan’s Bar in Douglas St, Ballintemple, on May 28.

He has just shared a new track from it called ‘She’s Mine’.

“’She’s Mine’ quickly became my favourite song on this album,” he said.

 “It’s a protective chant, rampant and effusive in parts, and measured in others.

“All with the sole aim of warding off the dangers of the world. Keeping anyone with harm in their hearts away from the one that I love.”

As a child Paddy would rush to get a guitar or play the piano very loudly in the hopes that visitors might hear it and request a song before they left.

He says he was not imbued with a keen sense of subtlety or restraint but has been working on this over the years. His first real sense of feeling a connection to music was listening to Mick Flannery perform ‘Evening Train’ on The Late Late Show.

From here there is a clear trajectory of influences —Mick Flannery led him to Tom Waits. Tom Waits led him on to Randy Newman, which led on to Nick Cave. Other influences would surface in later years, but Flannery, Waits, Newman, and Cave have formed the bedrock of Paddy’s music.

When he started writing his second album, Paddy lived alone on his father’s small farm in rural Limerick. It was a long way from anywhere and afforded him plenty of time to think, write, and play with everything on full volume. It was both cathartic and challenging.

He highlighted the new album’s title — ‘Love and Be Brave’. 

“That’s the point of the album,” he said.

 “Love bravely, never passively and don’t take love as a given thing in this world. It must be earned and protected fiercely.”

• Tickets for the Cork gig are €20, available at coughlans.ie