Darren Kiely’s journey with music has always been driven by something pure. When he picked up a guitar for the first time as a teenager in a small town in Co. Cork, he simply wanted to be able to play along to the songs he loved.

As he developed his skills, he gradually challenged himself more: first learning full covers, then playing gigs, and eventually trying to write his own songs. Throughout this long process, passion and natural curiosity kept him going.

“It was never like, ‘I’m gonna do this full time’ or ‘I want to play stadiums’,” he recalls. “It was just one thing leading to the next challenge or step.”

That mindset eventually brought him to where he is today: one of the first artists signed to Sony Music Nashville’s non-country imprint Free Flight Records, and an artist who has built a loyal fanbase with emotionally rich, folk-influenced music. However, releasing his own music wasn’t always part of the plan for the 28-year-old.

In 2022, after steadily building a career performing cover songs at events and weddings, he reached a point where he could make a stable living. Still, he felt something was missing. “Somewhere along the path, I was like, ‘I don’t want to play cover gigs forever, but I do want to see if people will listen to my music’,” he says.

Writing his own music became an emotional turning point. “A lot of the time I felt like I was drifting through life, not really thinking about things,” he explains. “When you write it down or record it and listen back, it hits you in a way where you discover things about yourself.”

The decision to create his own material came from the belief that he had something meaningful to say. “In the music I listened to growing up, I learned a lot about life and myself,” he says. “But I also thought: there are songs that never talk about my experiences or how I see things.”

So far, that instinct has proven right. His music offers fresh perspectives on universal themes like regret, relationships, and self-doubt, as heard in songs such as “Mom & Dad” and “How Could You Love Me.” In “Avalon,” he reflects on his connection to Ireland and why he felt the need to leave.

Now based in Nashville, Kiely originally left Ireland for New York in 2019, where he began performing live. The pandemic cut that chapter short, sending him back home before he later returned to continue building his career. He eventually worked a desk job in accounting while focusing on his music.

“It’s a really tough place and it toughened me up a lot,” he says about New York. “Music is like that too—you keep trying even when things don’t work out.”

Eventually, he moved to Nashville in 2023 after hearing about its songwriting community. There, he found the creative environment he had been looking for. “I’m a very small fish in a big pond here,” he says. “And I like that. I can learn from the best and improve.”

His releases—from his debut single “How Could You Love Me” to his EPs “Lost” and “From The Dark”—show a clear artistic evolution, often centered on hope even in difficult moments. “There’s always a bit of hope in every situation,” he explains.

His upcoming music continues in that direction, blending introspective storytelling with folk-pop sensibilities. Songs like “Find It In You” and “Married On My Phone” explore modern relationships and emotional distance, while “Old And Grey” reconnects with his Irish musical roots.

Across his work, Kiely continues to evolve without losing his original intention: authenticity. “I just want to sing songs that I believe in,” he says. “Songs that people can feel I truly care about.”

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