Dermot Kennedy Announces Third Album 'The Weight Of The Woods' With Lead Single Funeral
Thursday, 22 January 2026
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Silken Weinberg
Dermot Kennedy will return with his third album in spring.
The Irish singer-songwriter will follow-up 2022's 'Sonder' with 'The Weight of the Woods' on March 27 via Island Records.
Featuring 14 tracks mostly written and recorded in a studio near his home in rural Ireland with long-time collaborator Gabe Simon, with influence by a stay in Nashville, the album is said to be Kennedy's most confident yet. He said:
"To me, the album is a beautiful homegrown thing with Irish instruments and an Irish story. There’s a forest behind my house, which is a haven for my sense of wonder. It’s a peaceful place where I can escape. I’ve entertained the idea of living somewhere else, but I don’t think I’d be happy anywhere else."
With a fresh approach to writing and producing, Kennedy has allowed his voice take centre-stage for the first time: "If I get up in a pub with just a guitar or a piano, I’m certain that I can sing to a room full of people. It’s where I’m the most comfortable. I wanted that element to be front-and-center on this album."
Alongside the album's announcement, Kennedy has released the lead single, Funeral, a stirring folk-pop track that showcases his powerful vocals and comes with a Charlie Sarsfield-directed video starring Charlie Rowe.
Kennedy will support the LP with his biggest headline tour to date in spring and early summer, performing across Europe before six arena shows in the UK, including a return to The O2 in London on June 5 and two hometown shows at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on July 11 and 12. Tickets are on sale now.
Last October, Kennedy shared the song Melodies, from the Nobody Wants This Netflix series soundtrack. Earlier that year, he put out the single Let Me In, which followed his 2024 EP 'I've Told The Trees Everything'. Neither will feature on the new album.
'The Weight Of The Woods' tracklist:
1. The Weight of the Woods (Reprise)
2. Honest
3. Refuge
4. Funeral
5. Endless
6. Sycamore
7. Often, Lately
8. Turnstile
9. Wasted
10. Blue Eyes
11. Trepidation
12. The Only Time I Prayed
13. Happiness
14. The Weight of the Woods
Dermot Kennedy Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Mon May 11 2026 - COPENHAGEN Falkoner Center (Denmark)
Tue May 12 2026 - STOCKHOLM Annexet (Sweden)
Thu May 14 2026 - HAMBURG Barclays Arena (Germany)
Fri May 15 2026 - BERLIN Max Schmeling Halle (Germany)
Sun May 17 2026 - ZURICH Halle 622 (Switzerland)
Mon May 18 2026 - PARIS L Olympia (France)
Wed May 20 2026 - ESCH SUR ALZETTE ROCKHAL (Luxembourg)
Thu May 21 2026 - BRUSSELS Forest National (Belgium)
Sat May 23 2026 - MUNICH Zenith (Germany)
Sun May 24 2026 - VIENNA Gasometer (Austria)
Tue May 26 2026 - DUSSELDORF Mitsubishi Electric HALLE (Germany)
Wed May 27 2026 - AMSTERDAM AFAS Live (Netherlands)
Fri May 29 2026 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Sat May 30 2026 - MANCHESTER AO Arena
Mon June 01 2026 - CARDIFF Utilita Arena
Tue June 02 2026 - LEEDS First Direct Bank Arena
Thu June 04 2026 - BIRMINGHAM Utilita Arena
Fri June 05 2026 - LONDON O2 Arena
Sat July 11 2026 - DUBLIN Aviva Stadium
Sun July 12 2026 - DUBLIN Aviva Stadium
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