For Those I Love: David Balfe on the influences that fed into his acclaimed album 

The death of his close friend inspired the concept, but David Balfe's record took cues from a diverse range of sources, including Kanye West, The Streets and Shelbourne FC 

David Balfe's For Those I Love entered the Irish album charts at No 2.  Picture: Faolán Carey

David Balfe recently released his self-titled debut album For Those I Love.  An initial word-of-mouth buzz has gradually given way to widespread acclaim and a race up the charts for a record that was created as a tribute to his late friend Paul Curran. 

It is laced with samples from the likes of the Clancy Brothers and Sampha, and and The Streets were an obvious touchstone. Here, Balfe discusses some of the influences on the record, from his home estate in Dublin to football to clubbing.