On the suggestion of a friend, he visited Nashville for a week, where he promptly was signed to a songwriting contract with Tree Publishing and soon moved there permanently.  Not long after his arrival in Nashville, Kieran landed a recording deal with Elektra, which released his first album.  After first appearing on the charts with "The Baby," he had his breakthrough single with "You're the Best," off his 1982 self-titled album, followed by another Top Ten hit with "It's Who You Love."  Resisting pressure from the label to change his music, he asked to be released from his recording contract and went back to songwriting.

After working with fellow Tree songwriter Jamie O'Hara on the song "Bluegrass Blues," Kieran began writing songs and recording demos with him, and the two of them were signed to Columbia as The O'Kanes. They released their self-titled debut in 1986, which consisted entirely of their demo tapes.  In the course of three albums, The O'Kanes had six Top Ten hits, including Kieran's first Number One, "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You," in 1987.   Once again, label pressure to change their sound reared its ugly head, and Kieran and Jamie split up the duo in 1989 rather than give in, and both went back to songwriting.

By 1993, Kieran had developed enough material for another solo album, this time with future Dead Reckoning partner Harry Stinson producing, and he was signed to Atlantic, which released Find My Way Home.  Despite some good songs and the release of a couple of videos, the record didn't get sufficient airplay to suit a major label, and Kieran left--this time for good.   Shortly thereafter, the idea for Dead Reckoning was born in collaboration with Kevin Welch and Harry Stinson, as a way to get their music out there without interference from a major label.   Along with Tammy Rogers and Mike Henderson, the three committed themselves to putting out consistently good records and keeping expenses down by working together, and their label/co-operative has turned into the producer of the best music in Nashville today.   Kieran himself has put out three solo records on Dead Reckoning--Dead Rekoning (if someone can explain the spelling on that, please email me!), Six Months, No Sun, and The Blue Chair, as well as the 11/12/13 Live in Melbourne album with Kevin Welch.    Working without the influence of major label commercial pressures, he's been able to record a broad variety of styles on his CDs, including several songs in French--not something you hear every day on a country album, but they're all terrific.

In addition to running much of the business of Dead Reckoning and putting out his solo work, he still writes for other singers, and has been recorded by such artists as Alan Jackson, John Conlee (who recorded several of Kieran's songs), Janie Fricke (also several), Emmylou Harris, Kathy Mattea, The Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, Don Williams, and Trisha Yearwood.   Jackson had a huge hit with Kieran's "I'll Go On Loving You," which Kieran does on his own The Blue Chair album.   Kieran also plays occasionally on records by other artists, including Hank Williams, Jr., Kelly Willis, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and is one of several of the Reckoners to play with Emmylou Harris (on multiple albums).

His most recent album, Shadows on the Ground, was released in autumn of 2002 to rave reviews. It features a traditional Appalachian mountain music sound on many of the cuts, while still sounding indefinably current. "Sometimes I think the world could use more simplicity- here is my offering," says Kieran about the new CD.  It's available now--you can buy it at  Dead Reckoning or  from Amazon.com!

Music is not Kieran's only art. He's also an accomplished painter. Explore Kieran's other passion--his painting!
 
 

What the Critics Say

Imagine That:
“The innovative duet's third album of acoustic-based songs is their best. Vocal work is superb.”--Ellis Widner, Tulsa World
 

Find My Way Home:
"Kane's solo debut certainly provides reason to celebrate. He carries over the same bluegrass-inflected acoustic sound the O'Kanes favored, and his songwriting is as lean and virtually cliche-free as ever.”--Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times
 

Dead Rekoning:
"Dead Rekoning (is) a jewel of a record....”--Alanna Nash, Stereo Review

"After just two listenings, Dead Rekoning shot directly to the top echelon of candidates for my own personal album of the year award...you may never find another new label whose first release (or any release ever) is anywhere near as good as this one. ”--Bruce Winkworth, Music Monitor
 

Six Months, No Sun: 
"There's an understated power in the songs of Kieran Kane, all full of twang and heartache and romance and guys who were born to ramble." --Associated Press

"His latest CD, Six Months, No Sun, is a prime showcase for his ability to blend catchy melodies with his simplistic mastery of language."--Jim Caligiuri, Austin Chronicle

 “If anybody writes anywhere that this disc is anything but great, the fact is, they are wrong.”--centralindiana.com

“One of the best singer/songwriters  working in Nashville these days is Kieran Kane....  Six Months, No Sun is one of the strongest albums of the year."--Randy Krbechek, Fresno Online
 

The Blue Chair:
“Kieran Kane is a talented, economical songwriter who, while a romantic, has something of an edge to his musings, even when they're in French."--Fish Griwkowsky, Edmonton Sun

“Kieran Kane’s The Blue Chair, his fourth solo effort, is cozy and comforting. It wraps around you like a big warm quilt.  It’s a wonderful slice of what folks like to call Americana. It’s not quite folk, nor really country, blues or Celtic.  Probably the best thing to call it is ‘real good.’”--Lee Barrish, Cleveland Country Magazine
 

Shadows on the Ground:
"Here's a simple little gem from a master of that sort of thing.... The result is an album that seems to breathe, speak and reach." --Peter Cooper, The Tennessean

"Shadows On The Ground is an album so palpably heartfelt and pure in intent that you can almost see the ghosts of the Carter Family giving it the nod....(It) concludes with a simple but stunningly beautiful song, co-written by Claudia Scott and featuring the latter on harmony vocal."--Tony Hillier, Barfly

"It's very organic, a "front-porch, picking & singing & having fun." kind of album. It would be easy to think it's simply nostalgic or "ole-timey Americana". It is that, in part.. but only in part.... Kane is promoting timeless truths rather than nostalgia."--The Planet, Radio Australia

"Had country music stayed pretty much like the Carter Family envisioned it and still managed to stay relevant, it might sound a lot like this album...."--Brian Mansfield, USA Today
 
 

Featured Discography

Solo

Find My Way Home, 1993
Get info / Buy it from Amazon.com.
 
 
 

Dead Rekoning, 1995 
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Six Months, No Sun, 1998 
Get info / Buy it from Dead Reckoning.
Get info / Buy it from Amazon.com.
 
 

11/12/13: Live in Melbourne (with Kevin Welch), 2000
Get info / Buy it from Amazon.com.
 
 
 

The Blue Chair, 2000
Get info / Buy it from Dead Reckoning.
Get info / Buy it from Amazon.com.
 
 
 

Shadows on the Ground, 2002
Get info / Buy it from Dead Reckoning.
Get info / Buy it from Amazon.com.
 
 
 
 

With The O'Kanes

Tired of the Runnin', 1988
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Imagine That, 1990 
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The Only Years, 2000 (compilation from earlier CDs)
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With The Dead Reckoners