Dermot Joseph Kennedy (born 13 December 1991) is an Irish singer-songwriter. He is best known for his 2019 single "Outnumbered", his 2020 single "Giants" and his feature on the 2020 Meduza single "Paradise". He is signed to Interscope Records in the US, and Island Records for the rest of the world. His debut major-label studio album, Without Fear, was released on 4 October 2019.
Dermot Joseph Kennedy grew up in Rathcoole, County Dublin, Ireland. An avid football fan and player, Kennedy started playing guitar at age 10, and songwriting at age 14; however, he states that he did not begin to take music "seriously" until the age of 17. His parents were supportive of his musical study, and he credits his father for frequently driving him into Dublin to perform at open mic nights when he was underage. His mother submitted an application for him to study classical music at Maynooth University in County Kildare. He remained at university for three years. His paternal aunt is Irish TV personality and former newscaster Mary Kennedy.
Dermot Kennedy officially began his career busking at 17 years old; however, his career did not become viable until his mid-twenties, having spent over a decade in the industry. Through busking, he was able to develop his sound, travelling to multiple major cities such as Dublin, in his home country Ireland, and Boston in the United States to perform. Kennedy was also invited to open for Glen Hansard, whom he had previously met while busking in Dublin and stayed in touch with via text message.

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