Ronan Kealy, known as Junior Brother (born 1993), is an Irish alternative folk singer-songwriter from County Kerry.[1][2]
Junior Brother | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ronan Kealy |
| Born | 1993 (age 31) Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Origin | County Kerry |
| Genres | alternative folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | guitar, tambourine |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Labels | Strange Brew |
| Website | juniorbrother |
Early life edit
Kealy grew up in County Kerry. He attended St Brendan's College, Killarney and studied English in University College Cork and Ballyfermot College of Further Education.[3]
Career edit
Junior Brother moved to Dublin in 2014 to begin his career.[4] His stage name is taken from a character in the Elizabethan play The Revenger's Tragedy.[5] He was named as one of RTÉ's Rising Irish Stars of 2018,[6] and as one of The Irish Times' "Irish music contenders ready to break through in 2019". His first album, Pull The Right Rope, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize.[7] In a 4-star review for The Irish Times, music journalist Tony Clayton-Lea wrote: "...the tales told here are full of wide-eyed wonders and keen observations. Between the clatter of one and clarity of the other, Junior Brother’s songs are the real deal."[8] Music website The Last Mixed Tape wrote of the album: "An album of pure expression, Pull The Right Rope is a masterclass in the sheer joy of creation."[9] In March 2019 he appeared on The Tommy Tiernan Show,[10] and in April 2020 on Other Voices (Irish TV series).[11]
Discography edit
EP
- PowPig/Junior Brother (2019; a 4-A-side single with fellow artist PowPig)
Studio albums
Awards and nominations edit
Choice Music Prize edit
| Year | Nominated Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Pull The Right Rope | Album of the Year | Nominated[14] |
RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards edit
| Year | Nominated Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Pull The Right Rope | Best Folk Album | Nominated[15] |
References edit
- ^ "Junior Brother | Clonakilty International Guitar Festival | 16 – 22 September 2019". clonguitarfest.com.
- ^ "Junior Brother To Release 'The Back Of Her Hand'". IMRO. 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Former BCFE Rock School student Ronan Kealy (aka. Junior Brother) making waves in Ireland, the UK and beyond this summer". BCFE. 27 August 2019.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Eoghan (6 February 2019). "Junior Brother brings his off-kilter alt folk sound to Cork festival". irishexaminer.com.
- ^ "Junior Brother". thelist.ie.
- ^ "Ones To Watch: Rising Irish Stars of 2018". rte.ie. RTE. 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Junior Brother on Breaking Tunes". breakingtunes.com.
- ^ Clayton-Lea, Tony (23 May 2019). "Junior Brother: Pull the Right Rope review – The real paradoxical deal". irishtimes.com. The Irish Times.
- ^ White, Stephen (17 June 2019). "Review "An album of pure expression" Junior Brother – Pull The Right Rope". thelastmixedtape.com. The Last Mixed Tape.
- ^ "Behind the music: Junior Brother". 12 November 2021.
- ^ Clark, Stuart (9 April 2020). "Junior Brother, Anna Mieke, Alex Gough, Thumper & A. Smyth appear tonight on Other Voices". Hot Press.
- ^ Wilson, Danny (12 June 2019). "Sound: Junior Brother". Totally Dublin.
- ^ Porzio, Stephen (22 May 2019). "Kerry folk singer makes excellent debut". Hotpress.
- ^ "Choice Music prize 2019". Choice Music Prize. 2019.
- ^ "RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Award Winners Announced". Journal of Music. 25 October 2019.
External links edit
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