Irish singer-songwriter Robert John Ardiff doesn’t seem to stop. With three albums, a single released last February and an Academy Award nomination to his name, he’s had a busy few years.

First appearing on the scene as a member of the band Come on, Live Long, Ardiff has since embarked on a solo career, amassing over 15 million Spotify streams. With a show in the Workman’s Cellar on the horizon, his eagerness to get going is infectious.

“I’ll try and incorporate different features of what I do, as opposed to always doing the same show” he says, thinking on what he has in store. “It’ll be a full band gig, there’ll be about four of us onstage… I’m excited for it!”

The night will see Ardiff mostly playing songs off his most recent album, Once I Was. Explaining his writing process for the LP, he says it was written to be heard in one sitting.

Grinning, he admits he doubts that many people listen to albums from start to finish. “I know that’s really weird in the days where you have Spotify and Spotify playlists” he says.

“I still love albums though, so that was the whole idea behind the record”.

Once I Was follows a man who leaves his home to travel the world, returning to find home isn’t so bad.

Ardiff reveals there’s a degree of biography to the song, explaining he left Ireland when he was 21, and since his return “had wanted to make an album about that experience”.

“I went back and looked at old recordings I had on tape machines of that time and tried to incorporate that into the album itself, just to give it a sense of atmosphere.”

“That was the whole idea behind the record- that idea of travelling and moving, and expecting something to change from the experience itself but ultimately it doesn’t.”

When asked if he tries to recreate this atmosphere at his live shows, Ardiff sits back and thinks. Nothing is rushed- every answer feels explicitly genuine and well thought out, something that works as a parallel to his music.

“I’m not really a big talker onstage”, he says, after some thought. “I’m more like song ends, next track, and then try and blend that into the next one.”

“I think people are there for the music, and to dance and listen, not to listen to me being like woe is me, buy my records” he says, laughing. Despite not doing it himself, he does have some theories as to why many artists monologue between tunes.

“It’s a bit of a mad industry- like you’re saying here’s my feelings, what do you think about them?I think you must be insecure as a default, but you enjoy walking that tightrope.

“I suppose the talking between songs probably comes from that- it’s an ‘I’m really insecure about this piece of music, so let me tell you all about it first’, kinda thing”.

With travel such a recurring theme in his music, I asked the Meath native if he thinks it’s intrinsic to his writing style. He asserts that he doesn’t know- but he certainly enjoys it.

“One of the greatest things about being in a band and playing music is that you get to go and play music in these places that you usually never would have gotten to.”

“I’ve probably been to every county in Ireland because of gigging. Who can say that about their job? I get to these places where people are accepting, where they want you to be there.”

“You’re not going door to door saying, ‘Hey, do you want to buy a set of knives?’ You’re going there with your music, and people are there to support you, and that’s incredible.”

Ardiff will play his first show in the Workman’s Cellar on September 5, with tickets on sale here.