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Andrew Kavanagh and Andrew Glover (Kav and Glover as they are known) grew up in the same housing estate in Artane, Dublin.
Both come from musical families and so it was inevitable really they would end up in some sort of musical ensemble together.
“We grew up and we were literally like, ‘Hey, you can do music, I can do music, let’s do it together’,” laughs Glover.
After finishing secondary school, having played together throughout their teens, they graduated from the studio they set up in Kav’s family’s shed and got their own place.
They wanted to take music more seriously and made it their sole focus.
After a while, they took off to the US for a period, busking to fund their travels. It was there that the band and the name “Keywest” really took hold.
“We went from the west coast to the east coast and then down south,” explains Kav.
“A couple of vagabonds just rolling across America, busking in places. Key West in Florida was the last place we had been before coming home.
"When we were in Key West we couldn’t busk because there was a festival on. So we convinced a pub that we were a band from Ireland that do cover gigs.
“We got in, did a big cover gig, entertained the crowd and made some money to get the flights home. Then we kept it up when we got home and kept the name as well.”
While in America, they met Jimi Lock and Harry Sullivan from the UK. Upon moving home, the two sets of lads came together, setting up camp in Ireland, officially starting Keywest.
Kav is the lead vocalist, Glover is on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, Jimi is on electric guitar and back backing vocals and Harry plays the drums.
Galway from the get-go
Sitting down with Kav and Glover ahead of Keywest’s new album Ordinary Superhero (out 11 October) and their Ireland, UK and European tour, one thing in particular is abundantly clear to Irish Country Living: time spent busking has had an immense influence on the band.
To this day people still think they are from Galway, as it was busking on Shop Street that first got them noticed. Kav and Glover played there right from when they left school.
Of course, you may be wondering, why these Dublin men went west to busk? Well, they did try first in Temple Bar, Dublin, but not knowing all of the rules surrounding busking they were quickly shut down.
So they went to Galway where things were more relaxed. They played there every weekend for a couple of years, before returning and doing a couple of years on Grafton Street.
Busking, Glover says, is by far Keywest’s biggest musical influence and has really shaped performances.
“It’s tough and any little change in your mood or performance can shift things. Basically, what we learned was good energy, good rhythms and hopefully good songs will attract a crowd.”
Having such strong connections to Shop Street busking, the guys are firmly against new busking laws set to be introduced there in January.
These would see – among other changes – buskers having to cease performing when a crowd gathers that stops the movement of pedestrians, amplification and backing tracks banned until after 6pm and drum kits banned at all times.
Busking in Galway was fantastic for us
“It’s such a shame to hear that they are going to change the rules down there for buskers,” reflects Kav.
“Busking in Galway was fantastic for us. I know we didn’t really interrupt any shops, because we used to hang out with them all the time.
“At one stage – we shouldn’t even tell this story – but we had no batteries, we forgot them. An unnamed shop allowed us to run an extension lead into their shop.
"That would tell you we had no issue with the shops, they were glad to power what we were doing outside.
“Who’s next to come through busking on the streets down there? Ryan Sheridan played down there, we crossed paths a few times. Who are you harming really at the end of the day?”
Music mayhem
Andrew, admitting it’s ludicrous with a laugh before he says it, describes Keywest’s music as “hearty street mega folk”.
I started out thinking music was too much of a pipe dream to make a living at it
There has always been a strong folk element, but again they stress, street performing is their biggest influence.
We wonder, having been so young committing to a future in music, did either of the boys ever consider another path?
“I started out thinking music was too much of a pipe dream to make a living at it,” says Kav. “Then slowly but surely you wade into the waters and you realise you can do it.”
For Glover, there was never any other option. “I was studying classical piano very seriously since I was like five, so for me I was always musically driven.
"When I was a teenager it morphed itself into guitar and writing songs. That morphed itself into forming Keywest. For me, no, I never thought about anything else.
"Thankfully for almost, but not quite 10 years now we have been making a living from it. We still haven’t had to get a real job,” he smiles.
For more information on Keywest’s upcoming tour and album see www.keywestofficial.com
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