Exclusive Interview with Tommy Keyes: From Hiatus to Hitmaker

When it comes to second acts, few are as remarkable—or as prolific—as Irish singer-songwriter Tommy Keyes. After stepping away from music for nearly four decades to pursue a demanding career outside the spotlight, Keyes made a triumphant return to the scene and hasn’t looked back since. Over the past nine years, he’s released an impressive eight albums (with a ninth on the way), topped international charts, and earned airplay across the globe. His work blends nostalgic textures with fresh storytelling, cementing his place as a powerful voice in the modern singer-songwriter landscape.

From his early days with Dublin rock band Sidewinder in the late ’70s to crafting tracks that reflect both cultural memory and timeless emotion, Keyes draws from a deep well of experience and insight. Songs like “Better Times” and the chart-topping “Suzi Quatro (Teenage Discos ’73)” capture both his musical instincts and lyrical wit, while his latest album, The Key of Blue, showcases a songwriter at the height of his creative powers.

Exposed Vocals caught up with Tommy to talk about his unique musical journey, the evolution of the Irish music scene, and what fans can expect from his upcoming album Down With Jazz And Out With Paganism Too. Here’s what he had to say.

Exposed Vocals: Your musical journey is quite unique, with a significant hiatus before returning to the scene. Can you share what inspired your return to music after nearly 40 years?

Tommy Keyes: I was in a demanding job which left no time for gigging but I was always a songwriter, although I wasn’t doing anything with the songs. However, as I got closer to retirement from that job, I became more and more determined to make up for lost time once it was possible to get back to performing and releasing music – and as soon as I had come to that conclusion, the songwriting floodgates seemed to open and I found myself rapidly building up a stockpile of material. I’ve been back in music now for over 9 years and in a couple of months I’ll be releasing my 9th album in that period!

Exposed Vocals: “Better Times” offers a blues-tinged melody reflecting on the promises of a brighter future. What personal experiences or observations influenced this track?

Tommy Keyes: I can’t point to any specific personal experience. When I’m writing a song, the musical ideas come first and I then look for phrases that fit the key musical hooks. In this case it was “better times are coming, better times you’ll see”. Once I had that, I needed to build a story around it. It didn’t have to be my story!

Exposed Vocals: Your latest album, The Key of Blue, has received acclaim for its nostalgic yet fresh sound. How did you approach the songwriting and production process for this album?

Tommy Keyes: I’ve been releasing an album pretty much every year for the past while, so a year’s songwriting goes into each one. I develop the songs in the way I described them in the previous answer, and refine them in my gigs. When I’m ready to record I get together first with the two guys who’ve played guitar, bass and drums on all my albums, and work out the basic arrangements with them. When we go into studio we already know exactly what we’re going to be doing and I then bring in the other instruments and singers to add their parts. A 16-track album generally takes me 8 studio days, we’re pretty fast.

Exposed Vocals: Having been part of the Dublin rock scene in the late 1970s with Sidewinder, how has the music landscape in Dublin evolved since then?

Tommy Keyes: The 70s was a golden era in Irish music. Bands like U2 and the Boomtown Rats were contemporaries of ours, before their international success. There were countless bands but, just as important, there were countless venues. It’s completely different now, it’s very difficult for new artists to find places to play.

Exposed Vocals: Your music seamlessly blends elements of rock, pop, and blues. Which artists or genres have had the most significant impact on your musical style?

Tommy Keyes: I’ve often had critics see elements of Randy Newman or Tom Waits in my style – even Gilbert O’Sullivan in aspects of my songwriting. That’s probably because I’m a piano player! But for any songwriter of my vintage, the Beatles inevitably were a major influence.

Exposed Vocals: Tracks like “Richmond Nights” reflect a deep connection to Dublin and its culture. How does your environment influence your songwriting?

Tommy Keyes: That’s a great question and shows you’ve really done your research. Quite a lot of the “stories” I develop in my songs come from my own experiences – I guess it’s an obvious source of inspiration for any songwriter!

Exposed Vocals: With the rise of digital platforms, how do you feel the music industry has changed for independent artists? What challenges and opportunities have you encountered?

Tommy Keyes: It has completely undermined the opportunity for songwriters and independent musicians to get fair recompense for their work, that’s for sure. On the other hand, it enables us to get our music out there, without relying on record labels. So there are pluses and minuses.

Exposed Vocals: Your single “Suzi Quatro (Teenage Discos ’73)” reached No. 1 on the iTunes chart in 2022. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this track and its reception?

Tommy Keyes: It came from a fun challenge I set myself – to see how many song titles from around 1973 I could shoehorn into the lyric of one song. There are around 16. When we came to record it, we decided to do it in the style of a Chinn-Chapman production of that era (Suzi Quatro, Mud, Sweet etc). Someone sent it to Suzi Quatro herself and she messaged back to say I’d captured the feel of the sound perfectly. It was nice to get that!

Exposed Vocals: Collaborations often bring new dimensions to music. Are there any artists you’d like to collaborate with in the future, or any memorable collaborations you’ve had?

Tommy Keyes: Generally I don’t collaborate in songwriting, although I have released two tracks where I turned other people’s poems into songs. My albums, though, are in a sense collaborations with some very gifted musicians and singers as I encourage them to work out and arrange their own contributions.

Exposed Vocals: Looking ahead, what can fans expect from you? Are there any upcoming projects or performances you’d like to share?

Tommy Keyes: The new album is called Down With Jazz And Out With Paganism Too. It will be released in May and I’m very excited about it.