Damien Dempsey

Damien Dempsey has been writing and singing in his own north Dublin accent since the late 1990s, when doing so was still unusual in Irish popular music. His breakthrough came with Seize the Day in 2003, recorded with producer John Reynolds, and songs from it like Colony, which traces the long history of conquest and emigration, and Negative Vibes remain fixtures of his sets. Reggae and dub sit alongside the folk balladry, a habit picked up from years of listening as much to Bob Marley as to traditional singers.

Dempsey boxed as a young man and carries some of that bearing on stage, standing still and singing hard rather than working the room. He has recorded with Sinead O'Connor and John Grant, and his own material moves between social anger and plainly affectionate songs about family and friends, including Apple of My Eye.