Cork singer-songwriter hopes debut single will inspire fellow artists with autism

Musician Kevin Walsh pictured at his home in Ballincollig, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

A gifted singer, songwriter and musician has launched his debut single with a supergroup featuring a West End star and folk sensation Emma Langford, in what he hopes will be a gesture of hope for people with autism.

Kevin Walsh, 28, from Cork, was diagnosed with autism aged five, and has faced many challenges over the years.

But he said he hopes the launch of his single will not only launch his music career but also offer inspiration to other artists with autism.

“Music is my way of expressing myself to the world around me. By sharing myself, my story and my music, I hope to change peoples’ attitudes towards people with autism,” he said.

“By embracing widely different vocal styles within our super group performance, I wanted to allude to the variety within autistic diagnoses, as each person on the spectrum is an individual with different support needs and ranges of abilities.” 

Described as a symphonic ballad with rock undertone, Kevin’s single, Embrace the World, features a variety of vocal styles and was inspired by some of his favourite musical theatre ensemble numbers.

Inspiration for the vocal composition came from supergroups formed by Bob Geldof, Michael Jackson and Irish Women In Harmony, he said.

His track features an eclectic mix of talented vocalists including Emma Langford, rising West End star and college friend, Molly Lynch, Ger O’Hanlon, Lisa Curran, Rebecca Houlihan, Stephen Gormley, Caroline Kay and Mark Daly.

It was produced at Kitten Lane Studios by Aidan O’Connor, and at MTU Cork School of Music by MA graduate, Emily O’Leary with mix engineer Rik Appleby of Lionheart Productions, and Fergal Davis mastering.

The music video was directed by Yvonne Coughlan of RSVP (Red Sandstone Varied Productions), was shot over 10 days with 11 crew and a cast of 21 character roles, 13 dancers, and 22 special extras, at locations in Kerry, Limerick, Cork, London and Barcelona.

It illustrates key moments of Kevin’s life growing up as an autistic person, and the impact on his family, from a non-verbal child with eating difficulties to an adult with a first class Honours degree in music.

Jean Law, who has starred in Fair City and The South Westerlies, plays Kevin’s mother, with Logan O’Leary, Paddy Hayes and Roy O’Connor portraying Kevin at various stages of his life. Logan and Roy are also on the autism spectrum.

Kevin lives in Ballincollig, with his mum, Cathy, who says his gift for music was evident from an early age.

She fought for him to attend the MTU Cork School of Music despite not having the required leaving cert.

He excelled, topped his class three years in a row, and graduated with honours.

His Embrace the World project was supported by a FundIt crowdfunding campaign with 278 pledges.

Half of all proceeds from the single and merchandise will be donated to the national autism charity, AsIAm.

The single goes on worldwide release on April 13 to mark World Autism month.

• The single is available for download on Kevin Walsh's website, via his Bandcamp page, and on all digital streaming platforms.