The High Kings, have returned with a powerful new track, blending traditional elements with a modern sheen courtesy of their new single The Rocky Road To Dublin – The Celtic Remix. A rousing take on the Irish classic, the track builds on the band’s previous version featured on the #1 charting 2025 film Sinners. The Rocky Road To Dublin – The Celtic Remix also paves the way for the upcoming Australian tour which kicks off tonight.
The Step It Out World Tour will visit some of Australia’s most iconic venues, kicking off on Thursday 11 September in Brisbane, before heading to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and finishing in Fremantle on Saturday 20 September, with the Perth and Melbourne shows already completely sold out, and low ticket warnings in place for Brisbane, tickets for The High Kings’ Step it Out Australian tour are on sale now from
metropolistouring.com/the-high-kings-2025/ .
We caught up with the band for a Q+A
Hi, thanks for taking the time to chat with Hear 2 Zen, what have you been up to today?
Today I’m in our tour bus in the USA on the East Coast Traveling from Rhode Island to Upstate New York. Listening to the latest albums from John Oates, Doobie Brothers and Dropkick Murphys.
I’ve also written a new song on my studio which I travel with.
Tell us about yourself, how long have you been performing/creating music for?
I grew up in a small village in the south of Ireland. Mooncoin in County Kilkenny.
Immersed in and obsessed with music from the very first time I ever heard Elvis on the radio.
At 11 years old I was the pipe organist at Mass every Sunday.
Started my own Rockabilly band out of school and toured for years around Ireland.
Had numerous Top 10 songs in Europe in the 90’s. Charted in Russia, Finland, Macedonia, South East Asia and Ukraine on the back of touring constantly in those territories with Paul Young, Bonnie Tyler, Belinda Carlisle, etc
Landed the lead vocalist roles on two major Broadway shows. Riverdance and Movin’ Outnin which I was the Pianoman, playing 26 of Billy Joel’s songs over a 2 decade timeline.
The show broke all previous box office records for a musical when we did the first national US Tour.
Who are your greatest inspirations?
My wife Michelle and my 3 wonderful children, Josh, Ava and Sophie.
Why?
I always feel like I won the family lottery. I travel a lot for music and they have never moaned about that of how long I’m gone for. They’re the reason I keep doing this and it’s an incredible feeling to go home after a tour and the 5 of us just get to hang out and chat and have a lot of fun. I genuinely feel blessed.
How do you create music? Are you lyrics/story driven, or does the music/melody come first? Explain your process.
It depends on the inspiration at any given moment. There’s no fixed way that I write. Sometimes it’s words and music together, other times it’s words and then i figure out the melody later.
I like story driven songs, history driven, mostly Irish history.
However I also like fun upbeat songs, and these really connect in our live show. 77A which will come out in the Fall is one of these.
I’ve also cowritten a new song that Im convinced will be a total ripper.
I just need to convince my manager haha
What has been your greatest challenge so far in performing/creating music?
I always strive to connect to a song when I’m singing it. Almost like living within the walls of the story and have a mini internal movie play out as I’m singing.
I do this every night during The Town I Loved So Well. That gives me such an incredible buzz and the audience reaction hopefully reflects that.
The most challenging part not creating music for me is finishing up a new song, bring a thousand per cent certain it’s a winner, and not getting a reaction from anyone. As I said I’ve got one of those now, and it’s going to kill me to give it away soon.
Tell us about your new release,The Rocky Road To Dublin, how did it come about?
Brian Dunphy and I were hanging out with Oscar and Grammy winning composer/ producer Ludwig Goransson in Los Angeles earlier this year and he played us some new pieces he was working on for the Warner Brothers movie SINNERS. We were blown away and after a while Ludwig asked us to add our lead vocals to two of the songs. The Rocky Road to Dublin and Will ye go Lassie Go?
‘Rocky Road’ blew up on a massive scale globally and it was inevitable that The High Kings re-recorded a new version to commemorate that which has just been released last week.
It’s already a huge hit.
What advice do you have to artists who are just starting out?
Get out there and gig! TikTok live is all well and good to develop numbers and get a following but nothing beats getting in front of a live crowd and seeing the whites of their eyes.
Believe in yourself and your abilities. If you write your own music, never ever let anyone depreciate what you do.
Follow through if you know you’ve got something special.
Your manager works for you. Get them to ensure the piece you believe in is a hit! That’s their job.
You’re the artist and you should call your own shots.
Tell us your favourite Zen practice.
I drive into the Dublin mountains at least once a week when I’m at home and I have a quiet place that I go to where it’s just me and the views of the city in the distance. I always find that re-centres me and reactivates my driven nature.
