Kevin Walsh to Release Debut Single 'Embrace the World'
This single will not only launch his hard won career in music, but its success has the opportunity to offer inspiration to other autistic artists.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Mar. 10, 2022
Cork singer, songwriter, and musician, Kevin Walsh will be releasing his debut single, Embrace the World, on 13th April in what he terms, "a gesture of hope for autism awareness in the community for Ireland and beyond."
Kevin, who was diagnosed as autistic at age 5, has faced many challenges in his journey to becoming a professional musician, this single will not only launch his hard won career in music, but its success has the opportunity to offer inspiration to other autistic artists. This symphonic ballad, with its rock undertone and wide array of vocal styles, was inspired by some of Kevin's favourite musical theatre ensemble numbers. Inspiration for the vocal composition of the track came to Kevin from supergroups formed by Bob Geldof, Michael Jackson and Irish Women In Harmony, as it features an eclectic mix of talented vocalists; Emma Langford, Ger O'Hanlon, Lisa Curran, Molly Lynch, Rebecca Houlihan, Stephen Gormley, Caroline Kay and Mark Daly. The track was produced at Kitten Lane Studios by Aidan O'Connor, and at MTU Cork School of Music by MA graduate, Emily O'Leary with Mix Engineer Rik Appleby of Lionheart Productions, and Fergal Davis Mastering.
"By embracing widely different vocal styles within our super group performance, I wanted to allude to the variety within Autistic diagnoses, as each person on the spectrum is an individual with different support needs and ranges of abilities."
The music video for Embrace the World, directed by award-winning director-producer Yvonne Coughlan of RSVP (Red Sandstone Varied Productions), was shot over ten days, with 11 crew, and a cast of 21 character roles, 13 dancers, and 22 special extras. This ambitious video production dramatically illustrates key moments of Kevin's life growing up as an autistic person, and the impact on his family; from a non-verbal child with eating difficulties to an adult with a First Class Honours degree in music. Jean Law (Fair City, The South Westerlies) portrays Kevin's mother. Logan O'Leary, Paddy Hayes and Roy O'Connor portray Kevin at various stages of his life, both Logan and Roy are on the autism spectrum, as the project works to follow the disability maxim, 'Nothing about us without us.' The Embrace the World vocalists and Kevin himself make appearances at locations in Kerry, Limerick, Cork, London and Barcelona.
Embrace the World is supported by a FundIt crowdfunding campaign with 278 pledges. The campaign drew local and national media attention. 50% of all proceeds from the single and its related merchandise will be donated towards AsIAm, the national charity providing a one-stop shop for the Autism community in Ireland. "AsIAm's mission statement emphasises education, empowerment, advocacy and community, four areas which strongly resonate with me"
The pre-launch for Embrace the World on March 24th, at Firkin Crane theatre is a reception followed by a talk-show style event and features artists Mark Daly, Rebecca Houlihan, Lisa Curran and Ger O'Hanlon, including performances from composer Kevin Walsh, as well as a preview of the music video. To celebrate World Autism month, we mark the official release of Embrace the World on the 13th April. Physical copies are available for sale at all Embrace the World events, with digital downloads and merchandise available via Bandcamp. Embrace the World can also be found on all digital streaming platforms.
Find Out More About Kevin Walsh: https://www.facebook.com/Kevin.Walsh.MusicIRE, https://www.instagram.com/kevin.walsh.music
Find Out More About Embrace the World: https://www.instagram.com/embracetheworldrsvp/ https://www.facebook.com/embracetheworldRSVP .
SALE / STREAMING LINK
https://kevinwalsh.bandcamp.com/album/embrace-the-world
KEY EVENTS
- 24th March 2022. Pre-Launch at Firkin Crane, Cork.
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13th April 2022. Dublin. Official launch event. Radio airplay. Video Premiere. Song becomes available online through Bandcamp and all music streaming services
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Christmas 2022. EP release, featuring versions including celebrity duet, choir, multi-lingual, Live group performance.
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