PREMIERE: Gavin Doyle – Redamancy (2020)

Hailing from Dublin, Gavin Doyle began his musical journey in school playing the whistle. Not exactly a cello, but it works. Doyle wrote his first song at age 7 after which he began learning a wide range of instruments, including the saxophone and piano. Embracing his natural talent for music, he joined the Phoenix Youth Marching Band as a teenager gaining experience as a performer. As time passed, Doyle turned toward the guitar and vocals for both songwriting and performance.

Previously part of indie-rock band Karma Kreek and pop-rock band The Geddes, Doyle performed at well-known Dublin venues; however, his path does not seem to lie with a band. Building his talent, Doyle established himself as a session musician and recently released material as a solo artist. In 2014, he reached the semi-finals of RTE’s The Hit with his original track ‘Blush’. After a brief hiatus from songwriting, Doyle is establishing himself as a solo artist with very moving music.

A follow-up to the well-received track ‘Before The Fall’, ‘Redamancy’ is Doyle’s second single in 2020. Keeping with the soothing sound and concept of heartbreak, ‘Redamancy’ may be considered a continuation in sharing Doyle’s failing romantic relationships. I doubt this means he is an awful partner, but based on his heart-wrenching sound I like to think he’s merely being rebuffed by someone terrible.

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Doyle’s seamless combination of piano, guitar and violin contribute to a sentimental sound. Add his effortless singing and it becomes hypnotic. What I enjoy is the careful, elegant arrangement of instrumentation and the raw vocals. Emotional and insightful, ‘Redamancy’ seems to teeter on the cusp of Irish pop and pop-rock. It also teeters on the cusp of merely contemplating the lyrics and sobbing your heart out in sympathy.

Ironically, the term ‘redamancy’ refers to the act of loving in return. Doyle’s single ‘Redamancy’ is about not being loved in return. Sentimental, genuine and forthright, the vocals share a passion and pain beyond imagination. Now, it may be that I’m a sucker for the Irish, but Doyle’s Irish inflection may have swayed me a tad. I’ll admit it, the vulnerability of the single actually moved me to tears.

I fell in love with the Irish when I was a teenager crushing on Ronan Keating, Nicky Byrne and Colin Farrell – to be fair, everyone crushes on Colin Farrell. Since then my adoration has progressed to Irish comedian Dylan Moran, their friendliness and their Gaelic terms (‘craic’ is actually a word). The latest addition to my Irish obsession is Gavin Doyle and his single ‘Redamancy’.

You can find out more about Gavin Doyle on his Facebook and Spotify.