Longford's K Muni and ND bring Far Away close to home

If the mark of an absolute banger of a song is one you hit the repeat on when it come to an end then Nevlonne Dampare (aka ND) and Kofi Appiah (aka K Muni) latest drop is just that.

Longford Town is once again front and centre of their video ‘Far Away’. The town doesn't just feature visually, it permeates the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IIxiijlVvE

“It's very tough,” K Muni says of the graft it takes to turn something they clearly have a gift for into something sustainable, “we are trying our best.”

That “best” is pretty damn good. The production values of the video, the slick clever knitting of beats and lyrics shows these lads know how to make music. Of course hard work and talent are just a part of the ingredients to success, there needs to be a little luck.

As a rapper they can't hone the craft in the way that singer songwriters traditionally do. An evening of covers in a local bar for a couple of quid is not an option for for ND and K Muni.

“It's an expensive business,” Kofi tells, “You have to pay for the music videos, going into studio. These things do cost a bit, but it's something we believe in. We have had support at different times. Shane Crosson has been trying to push rap in Longford putting on shows.”

To cope with that the two young men have a alternative career paths. Kofi is is a student of studying business and law in NUI Maynooth, while Nevlonne studies law in NUI Maynooth.

On top of the regular difficulty of “making it in the music business”, there is the other shadow that has loomed over the arts for the last three years: “This year I was doing an internship and NV was not in college as much as he would have liked because of Covid. We have not had an opportunity to perform together while in college.”

For updates, follow @academymusicofficial on Instagram. You can also follow Kofi (@kmuni.fth) and Nevlonne (@darealnd) individually on Instagram.