Daragh Dukes
Daragh is a composer, producer and songwriter currently active mainly in TV and film. He works across a broad range of styles and is increasingly sought after as a musical collaborator. His composition work includes the multi-award winning Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Movie, the Reel Art film Photo City, and the documentary films Fallout, Outsiders and The Man with the Moving House. He has scored many TV series’ including GAA USA, The Pet Surgeons and The History of Irish Comedy on TV. Work for TG4 includes Poc na nGael, Anseo I Lár an Ghleanna, Nancy Corrigan - Spéirbhean Acla, Bailte and Gael UK. He also composed for John Boorman’s Afterlife.
Under the moniker Headgear, Daragh has written and produced 4 critically acclaimed albums – Where This Good Life Goes, Headgear, Flight Cases and most recently Omphalos released in May 2022. Musically, Headgear has been described as "ambient / contemporary / jazz / indie / leftfield / cinematic / collage / experimental / chillout / and pop", so let’s just say it draws from a broad palette.
Daragh was also singer/ songwriter with The WYOs, whose song A Letter From Saint Jude, featured on the Spiderman 3 Soundtrack Album. In 2018 he began Asylum Speakers with the release of Empathy in G Minor.
He is an experienced live performer, sometimes working alone but more often with an eclectic ensemble. He’s frequently been invited to perform at festivals including The Great Escape, La Route du Rock, The Electric Picnic and Body & Soul, and he has also performed live on the BBC, RTE and France Inter. In 2016 he collaborated with dancer Katherine O’Malley on Bias, which was produced by Liz Roche Company and premiered at the Dublin Dance Festival. In 2022 Daragh created the sound design for Performance Corporation’s Disappearing Islands performed at Belmullet Tidal Pool.
Daragh has a first class Masters in Music Technology from the University of Limerick. His dissertation The Art of Voice-Media Composition is a study of musical endeavors that have concentrated on the alliance of voice and technology.
Some praise for Daragh’s music:
The Irish Times *****
“...will swim around in your head forever”
Hot Press *****
“Creations of real beauty”