Shades of Cohen and Waits in intimate surroundings

Harry Fennell is a contemporary Irish answer to Leonard Cohen. A master of considered, evocative folk ballads, the Dublin native has been a familiar face in Galway music for several years, performing in local venues and busking on the city’s streets.

Harry and his band play the Mick Lally Theatre next month, on Saturday, September 14, as part of A Modern Movement.

A seated, cabaret style show in front of 100 attendees – it feels like the perfect fit for Harry’s music. With that smaller capacity and an attentive theatre crowd, he will be taking full advantage of the gig by telling some of the stories behind his songs.

“We were in there last week for promotional videos. I walked in and I was like, this is perfect. The height of the room. We did a very interesting theatre in March – The Dot Theatre, which is 35 seats, really small,” he says.

“The novelty of it was that it was a small venue. This is actually a beautiful big theatre. It’s definitely where the music is meant to be played. Love doing venue gigs as well but you have so much more control over things in a theatre.”

In March, Harry released Excuse the Barkin’, an acoustic, americana lament for the end of a relationship. He is never shy of drawing on his influences – Dylan, Cohen and Shakey Graves among them – and this song echoes through some of their halls. A sweetness coats its gloom.

“It’s definitely one of my more honest ones. It kind of fell out of me. I was very emotional writing the song. It was about an amicable breakup and how you’re doing that for the other person to let somebody off and let somebody go to live their life.

“Even though that’s a nice thought it’s probably a little harder in ways because you don’t know whether you should have done that.

“It's very influenced by Tom Waits’ Martha. Meeting up with them later. Chatting about what went wrong and stuff. It’s kind of a heartbreak song – classic folk heartbreak,” he continues.

Pictured: Harry Fennell...playing the Mick Lally Theatre on Saturday, September 14, as part of A Modern Movement.