We caught up with JC Stewart ahead of his performance at BBC Music Introducing at The Lower Third in London this Thursday (4th July)..
Hi JC Stewart! Please introduce yourself!
Hi! My name is JC and I am a singer/songwriter from Co. Derry, Northern Ireland.
Congrats on the release of your single ‘Hey Babe, I’m A Mess, I’m Sorry’. Can you tell us a bit more about the story behind the track?
Thanks! This is one of the first songs I wrote during my time away from releasing music. It’s a song about getting so overwhelmed with your emotions that you end up a bit numb, and how that then comes across to the people around you. This is a song apologising both to myself and to those people for letting myself get there. It’s essentially my self-therapy notes on paper, which is pretty scary to have out in the world; however, I’m very proud of it.
You took some time away to focus on writing back home in Northern Ireland. Do you think this artistic reset has changed your creative process and songwriting?
Hugely. I feel like I’m back with the most firm and unwavering idea of who I am and what I want to get out of all this. For the first time ever, I write music for me first. I obviously want it to do well but that has had to become less of a priority. I’m so excited for this next chapter and what is going to happen though.
You’ve had a lot of amazing moments already in your career – be it your work with Niall Horan, Lewis Capaldi and Tom Odell, your viral cover of the Friends theme tune which was shared by Jennifer Aniston, and your streaming success! What would you say has been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?
There’s nothing like getting to work with your heroes. Working with the three artists mentioned, plus bands like Snow Patrol and Two Door Cinema Club, has been the privilege of a lifetime. As a kid, I could never have dreamed of even meeting people like that, never mind working with them. Hopefully, I get to do that forever!
You’ll also be joining the stage at BBC Introducing on Thursday 04 July at London’s The Lower Third! What can fans expect from your live performance?
It’s gonna be a stripped back set with a big focus on story telling. Where I’m from in Northern Ireland, there is a huge, rich tradition of sitting in the pub, singing songs, chatting and feeling the highs and lows of the day together. I would absolutely love it if my shows could feel like that!
What else have you got coming up in 2024 that fans can keep an eye out for? Thanks!It’s gonna be the biggest year in my career I think. Lots of new music, lots of shows and a lot of stuff that I’m not allowed to talk about yet. I can’t wait!