HEY YOU! DANI LARKIN
We caught up with Irish singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Dani Larkin about her new album, Next of Kin
Hey Dani, how are you and how are you feeling about the upcoming release of your album Next of Kin?
I am really excited about the release of Next Of Kin. It’s the culmination of three years’ work and I think people will be able to hear that when they put the record on. I’ve been holding on to Next Of Kin for quite some time to make sure I could find a comfortable home for it and I really can’t wait for it to become something that belongs to the people in the singer-songwriter canon.
Tell us a bit about the the title 'Next of Kin' - how did it come about and what significance does it hold to you?
The title is the very reason the record exists. I woke up one morning at a festival, about a month after I released Notes For A Maiden Warrior, and realised that my next record would be called Next Of Kin. That was 2021. As time went on, the songs started to form themselves, I started to expand my skills and knowledge in production and ultimately, l learned how to communicate thoughts and concepts in a musical way quite different from before. Next Of Kin is a multi-faceted title. There’s the surface level, who is your Next Of Kin? Is this something you’ve ever had to think about before? Then, the layer of what does it mean to be someone’s Next Of Kin? Like, who is your 3am call, you know? And finally, is it enough to be your own Next Of Kin?
All of these layers exist beyond the normative binary relationship concept. They ask the questions of what does it mean to be human, to show up for yourself and others, not just the people you love, in today’s world of chronic pain and fatigue. How can we remain steadfast in our kindness through it all?
In short, the title, Next Of Kin, is everything and nothing at the same time, a glimpse of a moment of the world we live in today.
What's next for Dani Larkin, and where can people follow you?
Well, Next Of Kin is out 30th January 2026. I’ll be doing some gorgeous in-stores for the release as well as a big show at Celtic Connections. Then the full album tour across Ireland and the UK is in March and April. Festivals to follow and some more tours that have yet to be announced. It’s a big and exciting time. The best way to stay in touch is through the mailing list. It’s my favourite way to communicate with people. You can sign up at the website: www.danilarkin.com
For fans of 'Notes for a Maiden Warrior', what similarities/differences can people expect to hear on the new record?
When I was making Notes For A Maiden Warrior, in HalfBap Studios Belfast, I wanted it to feel like I was in the room with people. That, when someone put the record on, I was sitting there with them singing the songs as if in a living room session. With Next Of Kin, I wanted people to know what it’s like to be in the room with me. To be in my studio, my musical inner landscape. To still feel the same level of intimacy as Notes but in a different way. Notes is an acoustic record with the wonder of bare bones songwriting, it’s as raw as it gets in one way. Next Of Kin is full production bells and whistles, exploring every facet of sound and thought with intention and attention. While two quite different pieces of work, they really make sense together. That’s because the song, in whatever shape or form, whether that's guitar and vocal, banjo and vocal, or soundscape and vocal, is the entity that everything else is built around. This informs everything from mic placement and instrumentation to production choices in mixing and mastering.
You've recently stepped into the world of scoring music for film. How does this differ from writing your own music?
I love scoring music. My collaboration with the Ulster Orchestra really opened avenues of orchestral curiosity as a producer beyond the realm of pure songwriting. Scoring is an incredible way to convey emotion and leave the listener to their own thoughts and to the picture of course. It’s a slightly different thing but altogether the same in many ways.
You've previously mentioned Sinead O'Connor as being a huge influence on your music and life in general. Tell us a bit about your relationship with her music and how your worlds are intertwined?
I never met Sinead so I can’t say wholly that our worlds, when she was alive, were intertwined. But honestly, perhaps like most Irish women, Sinead changed everything for me. She was testament to the power of truth and what it means to be an artist. Bold and daring and created hope for so many. Shortly after she passed away I came across a video of her singing Danny Boy on the Late Late Show just after she ripped up the photo of the Pope. That’s the reason Danny Boy is on the record. She made it so. I was asked to do a version of Haunted for a tribute to Sinead O’Connor and Shane MacGowan. It took me a full month to learn the song because I felt the pull and the mindset asked me to delve deeper into myself and Sinead’s world. It was an incredibly transformative and powerful experience.
