From Naas to number one — folk singer Dan McCabe shares his story
Naas folk singer Dan McCabe
NAAS folk singer, Dan McCabe, comes from a long line of folk musicians and first picked up a guitar thanks to a classmate who was tired of his constant beatboxing and table-tapping during school hours.
“He gave me a busted old guitar,” he recalls. “That’s how I started off playing.”
Before long, he was gigging at local pubs. His first performances were booked in the same afternoon — one at the Townhouse, where his father once played, and another at Swan Dowlings, the livelier of the two at the time.
“I ended up being double-booked on my first ever gig,” he laughs. “It kind of continued on in the same vein of chaos since!”
From there, he expanded his reach across Kildare and eventually into Dublin’s famed Temple Bar scene.
Before the pandemic, he was playing five nights a week across the country, particularly in Kilkenny, which he described as a highlight of those early years.
But it was during the Covid-19 lockdowns that his career took an unexpected turn.
With gigging not an option at the time, Dan took a job as a porter in Naas Hospital.
In the evenings, music remained his escape.
“My girlfriend told me I should start recording and posting songs online,” he said.
“There was a real appetite for Irish music at the time, and I was lucky enough to find an audience.”
That online audience grew quickly, fueled by a sense of shared identity and comfort in traditional Irish music during difficult times, with some videos reaching an incredible 12 million views.
Then came the call that changed everything — an invitation from President Michael D Higgins to perform a tribute at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Dan performed after the Presidential New Year's Speech as a tribute to all the people who have sadly passed away from the pandemic.
“I suppose that was the moment where I went, ‘Oh sh*t, this is happening,’” he said.
“To be asked by the president to sing a song of remembrance — that was when I really felt the weight of what I was doing.”
He brought along a close friend — the same friend who had once gifted him the recording equipment that helped him go online — to his performance at Áras an Uachtaráin.
“It was one of the best days of my life. Michael D Higgins is an absolute gentleman.”
Since then, his career has soared. He recently wrapped up a 36-show sold-out tour around Ireland, ending in his favourite city to perform — Derry.
“It’s been a hell of a journey,” he said.
In 2024, he released his debut album, recorded in just two and a half days at the iconic Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin — a space that has hosted legends like U2 and The Rolling Stones.
Despite battling imposter syndrome during the sessions, his producer, Bill Shanley reminded him why they were all there.
“Everyone in this room is here because of you.”
The album went to number one on ITunes, a moment he describes as “an incredible feeling” and a payoff for the hard work and self-doubt.
“I kind of came away from the studio disappointed in myself,” he admitted. “But then Bill spent three months producing it and what he handed back to me … it blew me away.”
Now, with another stint in the studio on the horizon and a tour of Australia just around the corner, Dan is busier than ever, with lots of music plans for the future, including an album full of his own penned pop songs.
For more information on tour dates, check out Dan’s website at: https://www.danmccabe-music.com/.
