When Kean Kavanagh watched Paul Mescal score a goal in Normal People he almost cried. The name has a double meaning given that, in the Irish sense, it might signify a footballer or hurler who has made the intercounty team. He talks about wanting to capture the “duality” of Ireland and the US in his songwriting – and his love of classic country music, that most American of genres, alongside punk, indie and hip-hop. He is wary about the way townie Ireland and GAA identity are often depicted in the media. “It wouldn’t be the style of country music I would be into at all.

Source: The Irish Times December 03, 2025 17:37 UTC