Irish songwriter Kieran Halpin plays Maleny August 6

kieran-halpin-house-concert
Irish songwriter Kieran Halpin

Irish songwriter Kieran Halpin may not know all the answers, but he knows how to construct memorable songs. Some of his best-known songs (like All the Answers and Nothing to Show for it All), have been covered by major UK folk artists.

Kieran’s house concert in Maleny on Sunday August 6 is a long-awaited encore to his 2011 concert at Bob & Laurel Wilson’s home. Kieran is on a 24-date tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Kieran is a prolific songwriter with a base in Germany, from where he keeps up a touring schedule of more than 160 gigs a year. Only the best songwriters have their songs covered by major artists and Kieran Halpin’s name keeps cropping up on albums by the likes of Ilse De Lange, Vin Garbutt, Dolores Keane, The Battlefield Band, John Wright and Niamh Parsons.

You may have heard people sing his tunes at folk clubs, pubs and festivals. Songs like All the Answers, Angel in Paradise, Nothing to Show for it All and Mirror Town are among those covered multiple times. Some of Kieran’s songs have been translated into German, Finnish and Spanish. He has recorded 22 albums in his native Ireland, Scotland, London, Nashville, Oxford and Sydney and his latest, Doll, was recorded in Germany.

On stage Kieran Halpin is powerful and passionate, intimate and intense. As one critic said, he has a ‘‘wonderful stage presence and surprising humour.

“Every song has a story and every lyric paints that story clearly”

The concert on August 6 starts with a short set of original songs from house band The Goodwills, often heard on Australia all Over.

Tickets are $15. Bookings are essential as seating is limited. Email Laurel goodwills (at) ozemail.com.au.