Frowning Hours – Diamond Days (2025)
With a rich background in performing arts, singer-songwriter Gerard Kelly has captivated audiences with his acting and musical abilities. For 15 years, the Irish artist graced the stages of The Abbey and The Gate, performing plays by Shakespeare, O’Casey, and many more. Skilfully balancing his music and acting careers (with a role as Teddy in Netflix’s ‘Bodkin’), Kelly proves himself a multi-faceted individual with a lot of talent to share. Today, we step away from his acting world and explore his world of music with his solo project, Frowning Hours.
Over the past year, Ireland-based Frowning Hours has been building a loyal following with international audiences and notable global features. Following his singles ‘Radio Play’, ‘Goddamn’, and ‘Someone Who Won’t’, Gerard Kelly saunters into 2025 with his new single, ‘Diamond Days’. Produced by Christian Best, the track seemingly blends the vintage folk sound of ‘Someone Who Won’t’ with the dark-pop tone of ‘Radio Play’ – all bound in an indie-rock melody.
Grungy and gritty, ‘Diamond Days’ is a wave of tumultuous music drenching you in wave after wave of dark music oozing tragedy and pain with each note. Interestingly, just as the distorted concoction of crashing drums and soaring guitars exudes the confusion of its melodic cyclone, there is an eerie stillness shimmering beneath the bold arrangement. Perhaps it’s Kelly’s rich vocals exuding a sense of confusion and vulnerability that presents the skin-chilling, haunting fragility, or maybe the rise and fall of the instruments – whatever it is, ‘Diamond Days’ is the melodic whirlwind oscillating from dark to light, then back again.
“I wrote ‘Diamond Days’ back in 2017 while I was between acting jobs, which left me in a state of uncertainty. During that time, I found it hard to stay still, racing around both emotionally and physically, often losing myself in the revelry. The song emerged on an acoustic guitar as I sat on the side of my bed. It was the first time I thought, “This song needs a full band and distortion to truly capture the feeling of chaos.” I believe the band captured that essence very well.” – Gerard Kelly on ‘Diamond Days’
Find out more about Frowning Hours on his X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
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