Dermot Kennedy Wishes He Wrote Bon Iver's Lyrics

Dermot Kennedy‘s robust vocals soared above soft piano keys during his Streets Talkin Live performance on Thursday (March 5), before he switched gears and used the same mic to answer some fan questions. As much as the The Irish singer-songwriter claims to be lyrically influenced by rappers like British breakout Dave and American artist Meek Mill, Kennedy wishes he could’ve been the mastermind behind any of fellow indie folk singer Bon Iver‘s hits.

“I feel like everything I do can be like lyrical, and there’s so many times where I try to be clever lyrically, but I feel like he just goes so simple and so human and just unlocks what I try and do just instantly,” he told Streets Talkin‘s on-air host Jordyn Rolling.

On the other hand, his favorite lyric from his own discography is a line from “Lost”: “I’ve learned in love and death, we don’t decide.”

“That is quite important to me, and I think it’s just a nice way of summing up how it’s very hard to make plans in this world because you don’t know what’s going to happen — the good side and the bad side,” Kennedy explained.

“Lost” comes off of his U.K. No. 1 album Without Fear, which he’s been touring since January. He’ll wrap up his North American trek next Wednesday, March 18 at Chicago’s Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom.

Watch Kennedy’s Streets Talkin Live performance/Q&A below.