Dermot Kennedy: Everything there is to know about his upcoming album
'The Weight of the Woods' is out in March
'Power Over Me' singer Dermot Kennedy has now revealed he will releasing his third album later this year. 'The Weight of the Woods' is set for release on 27th March, and will feature 13 songs on the standard version of the album, with several different versions available.
Dermot's album was created between Ireland and Nashville, and the singer has described the album as "organically" Irish, without trying to force it, so let's find out more about the forthcoming release.
What is it the upcoming album called?
It is called 'The Weight of the Woods'. He announced the name of the album along with the release date on 23rd January, with a video showing him walking up a hill through a wood.
What is the artwork?
Dermot released the artwork, along with the tracklist. The artwork shows Dermot sitting in a stone archway, wearing a long brown coat. He captioned the post: 'The Weight of the Woods tracklists!! Certain special versions with certain special songs, particularly one you guys have been asking me to record for quite some time, and I think we captured something very beautiful! These songs mean so much to me, I can’t wait for you to have them ♥️'.
What does the album sound like?
While the album was created in Nashville, home of country music, and his native Ireland, Dermot admitted it isn't country. He told Scott Clarke during a recent Hits Radio interview: "No, I'll definitely be inspired (by country music), but I could pretty much confidently say I won't do this."
However, the singer did open up about its sound saying: "The bulk of it's made down the road from where I live. So mostly it wasn't this kind of considered thing of like, 'oh, I need to make this Irish sounding album'.
"I feel like that just kind of happens organically, through the instrumentation, there was a bazooki involved, there was mandolins, there was barons - like this Irish drum, a traditional drum. And so the sound just kind of showed up by itself."
What is the tracklist?
As mentioned above there are several different tracklists depending on the version of the album you have, they are listed below.
Standard LP
- 'The Weight of the Woods' (Reprise)
- 'Honest'
- 'Refuge'
- 'Funeral'
- 'Endless'
- 'Sycamore'
- 'Often, Lately'
- 'Turnstile'
- 'Wasted'
- 'Blue Eyes'
- 'Trepidation'
- 'The Only Time I Prayed'
- 'The Weight of the Woods'
Digital and cassette
This version includes one extra track called 'Happiness', which appears as track 13.
- 13. 'Happiness'
- 14. 'The Weight of the Woods'
D2C Exclusive Double LP
In addition to the digital and cassette tracklist there are two more.
- 15. 'Stockholm'
- 16. 'Carrickfergus' (Live)
Indies Exclusive Double LP
In addition to the digital and cassette tracklist there are two more (different tracks to the D2C Exclusive).
- 15. 'Black Water'
- 16. 'Deserve'
When will it be released?
It will be released on Friday 27th March 2026.
What formats is it on?
As mentioned above it will be available on several different formats, digital and cassette, along with various LPs.
When is he on tour?
Dermot will be on tour later this year, coming to the UK in May, June and July. The singer told Hits Radio: "I just want to take that feeling from the smaller venues and bring it to those shows and I think that's quite doable. I think sometimes you can be led to believe like, 'Oh, I'm playing an arena, there needs to be this much going on and the show needs to be like this to keep it' and it's just like, I don't know.
“I've been reminded time and time again for the last 10 years that the music isn't off, you know? And if you can get the right people in that room, they feel the same way. So yeah, you don't need to overthink it."
Take a look at other albums out in 2026:
Madison Beer - 'Locket'
Release date: Out now
Early in 2026, Madison Beer released her album 'Locket'. The album featured her songs 'yes baby' and 'bittersweet' and will be supported by 'The Locket Tour' coming to the UK in May.
Jason Derulo
Release date: Out now
Jason Derulo dropped his album 'The Last Dance (Part One) on Friday 23rd January! The album arrived just days before his arrival into the UK for his huge tour!
Louis Tomlinson - 'How Did I Get Here?'
Release date: Out now
Louis Tomlinson announced in September 2025 that he would be releasing his third album 'How Did I Get Here?' on 23rd January 2026. The album features his hit songs 'Lemonade' and 'Imposter'.
Charli XCX - 'Wuthering Heights'
Release date: Out now
Charli XCX has released 'Wuthering Heights', the album accompanies the release of the new adaptation of the Emily Brontë book, directed by Saltburn director Emerald Fennell.
Leigh-Anne - 'My Ego Told Me To'
Release date: Out now
Leigh-Anne announced in October 2025 that she would be releasing her album in 2026. The album called 'My Ego Told Me To' will be supported by a tour of the same name.
Bruno Mars - 'The Romantic'
Release date: Out now
Bruno Mars' latest album 'The Romantic' released on 27th February, and was preceded by a new single which released on 9th January. This is the singer's first solo album since '24K Magic' in 2016.
Harry Styles
Release date: Out now
Harry Styles confirmed in January 2026 that he would be releasing his fourth album in March. The album was released on 6th March and is called 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.' and features the lead single 'Aperture'.
RAYE - 'This Music May Contain Hope'
Release date: 27th March 2026
RAYE announced in January 2026 that her second album would be entitled 'This Music May Contain Hope' and would be released on 27th March 2026! She shared the news on Instagram alongside the album artwork, which shows her holding onto a rope and opening a door in the sky which shows the album's title as if it's the sun. We don't yet know the full track list, but we know that fan-favourite 'Where Is My Husband!' will appear on the record.
Dermot Kennedy - 'The Weight of the Woods'
Release date: 27th March 2026
In January, Dermot Kennedy announced he would be releasing his album 'The Weight of the Woods' in March. The album was created between Ireland and Nashville, and the singer has described the album as "organically" Irish, without trying to force it, he also revealed despite doing work on it in Nashville - home of country music - it wasn't a country album.
Zayn - 'Konnakol'
Release date: 17th April 2026
Along with announcing the release date for his new song 'Die For Me', Zayn has revealed he will be releasing his fifth solo album called 'Konnakol' in April. The album's unusual title means 'the South Indian Carnatic art of performing complex percussion syllables vocally, acting as a rhythmic language for composition and education'.
Melanie C - 'Sweat'
Release date: 1st May
In October 2025, Melanie C has announced she will be releasing a new album called 'Sweat' in 2026, and it will feature her current single, which is the title track. The album will include 13 songs including the lead single and is the singer's 'most euphoric record to date'.
Westlife - '25 - The Ultimate Collection'
Release date: 8th May
Following the hugely exciting news that Westlife will be going on 'The 25th Anniversary World Tour' in 2026, the band announced a new album called '25 - The Ultimate Collection'. The album features many of the band's biggest hits along with some new material recorded by all four members of the band. Originally due for release in February, the date was put back until 8th May due to 'some unavoidable scheduling changes'.
Now read:
Dermot Kennedy: How the 'Better Days' singer became famous
Dermot Kennedy's biggest songs from 'Outnumbered' to 'Paradise'
Dermot Kennedy opens up about his new album and upcoming tour