Rising music star and viral sensation Jamie Duffy plays the National Concert Hall's Studio space on 12 and 19 March. We asked him the BIG questions . . .
Tickets priced €15 (10% discount for Friends of NCH or groups of 10 or more) are available here.
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The 22-year-old Monaghan musician and songwriter made history late last year when his with debut track, Solas, amassed more than 65 million streams on Spotify - making it the most streamed debut song by an Irish artist since Hozier's Take Me To Church.
Jamie blends traditional, popular, and classical influences and his other works include Into The West, collaboration with County Mayo cellist Patrick Dexter, What Am I Here For? with Waterford band Moncrieff and Eyrie with Swedish neo-classical composer Peter Sandberg, whose work can be heard on the soundtrack to Netflix’s Stranger Things.
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He also recently worked with Limerick band Kingfishr on a piano version of their debut single Flowers-Fire.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I once worked a nine-hour shift as a hotel pianist (not so fun, I guess). After nearly 23 years on this earth, I’m still learning how to properly solo a football. As a politics graduate, my eyes are firmly set on an Áras race 20 years from now.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe it as neo-classical with a large serving of traditional, new age and also pop thrown in. I hate trying to label a genre on myself and find it quite difficult at times. I very much try to tell a story in each song, and that’s done through strong, fitting melodies of course. As a multi-instrumentalist, I usually perform on the piano, whistle, or vocals which is exciting and musically freeing too and I’m looking forward to homing in on my sound this year.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I take a lot of inspiration from Enya, musically I see her as like a mother figure to me even though I’ve never actually met the woman. Ludovico Einaudi and Tom Odell are also massively impactful to my musicianship so I’d like to think I’m like a strange love child of all these people.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
The first gig I can remember going to was one of the annual local musicals my grandfather produced each year. They were big productions, absolutely everyone in the community got involved. I have a distinct memory of the choir singing I Will Follow Him, from Sister Act. Loved it.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Oh goodness, I wish I had a really cool, indie answer, but the first physical record I ever bought. I can’t believe I’m actually sharing this publicly but I was 11, and it was a CD of Candy by Robbie Williams, I have no further comment on that one. That was a very random purchase, but I do have very clear memories of my father’s colleague (very much illegally) downloading the hits of 2010 onto a memory stick for me.
What’s your favourite song right now?
My favourite song right now is The View Between Villages by Noah Kahan. It has a lot of meaning to me. Believe it or not there are many parallels between his lyrics, and how I feel and have experienced my own life in rural Monaghan, even though the song is about his hometown in Vermont. That’s when you know a song will stick with you.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Tough one. I love this line from Cinnamon Girl by Lana Del Rey: "There's things I wanna say to you, but I'll just let you live/like if you hold me without hurting me, you'll be the first whoever did’. I think it’s a really profound, well thought out, beautiful lyric.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It would probably be Video Games by Lana Del Rey, I want to go up the aisle in a suit, and then down the aisle in a box to that song, whenever those times come (hopefully both quite a distance away yet). That song’s existence is of the reasons I’m making music.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Please do follow me on Instagram @jamieduffyy or any other social media platform! Hopefully I’ll be popping up around the place throughout the year, where you least expect me to;)
Alan Corr
