Young Roscrea songwriter makes waves in a sea of uncertainty

Having only taken to the stage in Roscrea Castle with Mundy and riding the crest of a wave after several successful songs, Jack Keeshan is making waves at a time when many musicians have retreated and shaped his pandemic experience into a time of productive reflection.

A proud Roscrea native, Jack Keeshan is not just some other young fellow with a guitar strung round his shoulder - this becomes evident when you see the young man perform.

He has the fingerprints of Bob Dylan and the echoes of Bob Marely flowing through his music and he listens to artists beyond his generation like Tom Waits and The Doors. As a result he is a young songwriter with a very different message.

Much of his music is recorded in Music Time Studios in Roscrea and he has received airplay on national radio during the last year and although has taken to the stage, is currently suffering like many musicians waiting for the eventual easing of nightlife restrictions and not playing to live audiences as much as he normally would.

"In today’s world music can be very formulated and constructed in many diverse forms and because of this type of manufactured process, having an artist who can stand by their authentic self is important", Jack told the Tribune.

"On one hand it’s key that these beliefs and morals be there and on the other there must be awareness so they don’t compromise their work, they need to strike a balance".

Jack’s "morals and visions stem from his passion", he said. "When the songwriter plays he oozes passion and dedication and it is truly infectious while also having the ability to inspire passion in other people".

Jack has already built a reputation for resonating with people through song and spoken word. He believes it does not matter "who someone is or whether they are rich or poor, young or old, the thing to keep at the front of our minds is that everyone has something to teach even down to someone we may believe has nothing to teach, they always do if you just listen".

Jack's positive philosophy is explored in his lyrics. Mental health is an important issue for him and he has done a lot of work through busking and working as a mental health officer during his years at college.

Currently Jack Keeshan is working on a new release titled 'Internal Dialogue' - a six track EP that deals with dark social issues like domestic violence, the housing crisis and addiction, which will be released early next year. You can also check out his music on Spotify, YouTube and Facebook