Country music star Nathan Carter told David Hennessy about his forthcoming tour, album, working with Guy Chambers and raising his profile in the UK having long been well known in Ireland.
Nathan Carter is one of the biggest names in Irish country music.
Born in Liverpool with parents form Co. Down, he won an Irish World award early on in his career.
Since then he has gone on to relocate to Ireland and earn legions of fans with his hits like Wagon Wheel.
It is also no coincidence that Nathan’s success has coincided with the image of country music as a genre getting a makeover.
Once considered out of date and out of touch, singers like Nathan, Lisa McHugh and Derek Ryan have made it trendy again.
Nathan has been working on his new album and is set to tour the UK, playing the London Palladium on 16 March. He will follow this by touring Ireland.
Certainly seems like an exciting time for you..
“Yeah, the last couple of months have been really busy across Ireland.
“We’re away this week on a Caribbean cruise, the Irish cruise that leaves from Florida on Friday.
“We’re heading out there for a week with Daniel O’Donnell and a few singers on that.
“And then when we get back from that, we kick off the UK tour which we’re really excited about.
“We’ve got a new band, a lot of new band members, some brand new music and taking in really good venues like the London Palladium, Manchester Bridgewater Hall, all over the country around England and Scotland.”
You released the new track Cannibals a little while back which is a lot of fun so you must be delighted with the reaction to that…
“Yeah, that’s a cover I recorded the end of last year and just stuck it out in Ireland, just to keep the radio waves ticking but I’m actually working on a brand new album at the minute.
“I’m over in London the last couple of months working with Guy Chambers.
“He’s co-written the album with me and he’s producing it so we’re hoping to get a single out this summer off that album and release the album towards the end of the year.
“That’s the plan.
“It’s a full original album, all brand new music so that’s very exciting.
“I’m actually in the studio today just putting down vocals and we’ll be featuring some of the brand new songs on the gigs coming up, the gigs across the UK.”
Guy Chambers is best known for his work with Robbie Williams writing many of the former Take That man’s hits including Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Rock DJ etc.
What is it like to work with someone like that?
“Yeah, it’s been really good. Really good. I was a bit nervous at the start co-writing with someone who’s had so many big hits through the years but we get on really well and the album’s sounding great.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the way it’s progressing so it’s exciting to be getting some brand new tracks out that I’ve co-written.
“My own stuff is important to me so looking forward to seeing what people think of it.”
Is it a bit surreal though? I bet you didn’t think you would be working with the songwriter when you were singing along to Angels, that song that everyone loved, all those years ago..
“It’s very surreal.
“He had a gig in his studio last night so I ended up singing it (Angels).
“I’d never sang it before but obviously grew up with the song.
“That was kind of surreal, singing Angels with him playing piano beside me.”
I know you have gone into your own family history for inspiration in the past, what sort of themes are you writing about this time around?
“There’s a couple of romantic songs but to be honest, I get inspiration from just day to day things that go on.
“I’m writing notes in my phones all the time, just sayings that people come up with, stuff that happens on the day to day, everyone’s life, that we all go through, good times and bad so yeah it’s just general stuff to be honest with you.”
You are coming back to London Palladium a venue you have played a number of times before..
“This is our ninth time going back so we’re really excited.
“It’s always one of the best gigs throughout the year.
“We’re hoping it will be a sellout so fingers crossed.
“It’s the day before St Patrick’s Day on the Sunday so we’re very excited for it.
“It should be a really good night.
“It always is: Great atmosphere, wonderful venue, one of the plushest places we play for people to come and watch a gig.
“I think everyone kind of loves going to the Palladium,
“It’s just iconic at this stage, isn’t it?”
I saw you with Gaby Roslin during the week, didn’t you even get her playing the accordion? Looked like fun..
“Yeah, she was good fun actually.
“That’s my second time being on the show.
“She invited me back whenever this new album is going to be out so we’ll be going back over to see her.
“But she loves what I do which is great to have a backing and support.”
Is that symbolic of something I’ve noticed? Do you feel the UK is waking up to a bit more in recent times?
“Yeah, it has.
“I mean, I did a good bit of TV there last year.
“We did a good few TV shows around, BBC Breakfast and ITV.
“I did one of them cooking shows and stuff.
“And it’s growing all the time.
“The UK is such a big market that I hadn’t really tapped into before because I had previous management and I was kind of always in Ireland playing all the time.
“The way it’s going at the minute we’re going to be spending a lot more time, I think, based in the UK and doing a lot of PR and promo.
“Obviously when this new album comes out, I’ll be pushing it heavily on radio and TV.
“I think it is.
“I can feel it kind of changing at the minute.
“People are discovering the music and who I am as a person and there’s so many people in the UK compared to Ireland that just have never heard of me.
“It’s a bit of a tough job but we’ll get there, I think, in the end.”
After all it is where you started, in Liverpool…
“It is, yeah.
“Until I was 18, I was still based in Liverpool with mum and dad and then I moved to Ireland which is, oh God, 16 years ago now so it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride.”
Your previous album Music Man was so called because music has always been there for you and meant so much to you.
You said, ‘For as long as I can remember, my life has revolved around music. It’s a language I’ve always understood, which started out as a hobby and has grown into a career which I am so privileged to enjoy every day’.
Music has always been so important to you..
“My whole life: Being in a choir to competing in Fleadh Cheoils, playing the accordion, being in a ceili band, being obsessed with music growing up. It’s just my whole life revolved around music.
“I was never really one for sports.
“I’m not into football at all so it was always music for me.”
What did the Fleadhs mean to you?
“I think once you start winning medals and stuff in competitions, it definitely gives you a bit more encouragement.
“And not that I thought I was the best at anything really musically, but I had a right go.
“I felt like I could do it so I did enjoy and still do get enjoyment from playing music and singing, no matter whether that’s in a pub or a trad session or London Palladium, I enjoy it.”
Were you a real ‘Fleadh baby’? Was it every single year?
“Yeah, until I was 15 I competed every year from when I was maybe six or seven so the Fleadhs were always our summer holiday in Ireland.
“We would travel over for a few weeks and stay wherever it was whether it be Cavan or Listowel or Enniscorthy. We were all over Ireland every summer growing up.”
I bet even winning competitions you couldn’t foresee the sort of career you would go on to have…
“No, definitely not.
“I didn’t imagine that at all.
“When I started I was singing in pubs and clubs and loved it and I still would do it if I had to do it.
“If I wasn’t playing the Palladium, I’d still be playing somewhere.
“So it’s worked out very well, Thank God, and hopefully many years to come.”
You started in pubs, clubs and I imagine Irish Centres, isn’t that right?
“Yeah, it’s sad to see because a lot of them Irish centres that I grew up playing and cut my teeth in are no longer there.
“A lot of them are closed, but it was good times when I was growing up.
“I met a lot of good people.”
That’s the good thing about the Birmingham festival Páirc which takes place on the grounds of the new Birmingham Irish Centre and you have played in its first three years.
The good thing is that new things are emerging even as old things fall away..
“Totally it’s great for the Irish community.
“We’re actually booked for this year’s event again.
“They just booked us the other day and that promises to be the biggest one yet, I think, with the line-up they’re talking about so yeah, great to see festivals like that happening across the UK.
“I enjoy working with the lads.
“They run a really good company there and they’re doing a lot for that community, the whole Irish community around the UK really because a lot of people travel to those gigs so yeah, delighted to be working with them.
“We get on very well.”
Did you do some gigging at Liverpool Irish Centre starting out?
“Oh, totally.
“I used to gig there once a month for the pensioners, the Irish pensioners.
“I’d be there with me guitar and me accordion singing away every month and I do still call in.
“If I’m home, we generally go for a pint and call in and see everyone.”
It certainly seems like your home city of Liverpool has really renewed its Irishness in recent years with the Irish festival, St Patrick’s parade..
“Yeah, it really does seem to be, and the amount of younger Irish people that are there is unbelievable.
“I mean, all the students travel from Belfast and all over Ireland really to go to Liverpool so I think it’s the other county that’s not on the island of Ireland.”
All you have to do is look around the city centre and see all the Irish pubs that I don’t believe were there years ago..
“No, not when I was growing up.
“They’ve all kind of sprung up over the last 10 years.”
Is it always special when you get back to Liverpool to perform?
“It is, yeah, because I don’t get to see a lot of friends and family because I obviously live in Northern Ireland so whenever we do get to play there, it’s kind of extra special just to see friends and people that I don’t get to see throughout the year.”
When it comes to highlights of your career, is it something like singing for the Pope in front of 60,000 people in Croke Park that is hard to beat? Does that remain a particular highlight for you?
“It would do, yeah.
“I mean Andrea Bocelli was on before me and then Riverdance came on after so it was a stellar line up and to be involved in it was kind of one of those pinch me moments that I still look back on and am very proud to be involved with.”
I bet that is another thing you couldn’t have foreseen when you were in that choir as a boy..
“No, definitely not.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride so far but I think it’s hopefully going to be another roller coaster for the next 10 years.
“That’s the plan.”
You have achieved some proud things in music.
You can say you’ve outsold Beyonce in Ireland. Does that sound kind of crazy?
“Yeah, totally,” Nathan laughs.
“Again, not something I would have expected growing up in Liverpool.
“But I’ve been very lucky with the fan base.
“They’re very dedicated.
“We have a lot of the same people coming to gigs all the time.
“The fans make it possible for me to do what I do.”
I’ve seen you in action, how you interact with your crowd and how they interact with you. It is special, can you put your finger on what makes it so special? Is it because they feel you’re one of them maybe?
“Yeah, I think just the fact that if I see someone, if they want a picture, I always stop and get selfies.
“I generally do a meet and greet when we’re allowed.
“You’re not allowed in the Palladium unfortunately but most of the gigs I do, I’ll go down afterwards and meet everyone and go for a drink with them generally.
“So I think it’s the case that I’m just one of them and they’re the same as me.
“There’s, hopefully, no diva involved.”
You must feel proud with what you’ve done for the scene in Ireland since yourself, Derek (Ryan), Lisa (McHugh) came along, you have revitalised the scene.
Would you be proud when you look back on that?
“Oh, yeah, totally.
“It was great at the time.
“There was so many new people getting involved with the gigs and buying the music.
“It had been considered so uncool for so many years if you were singing country.
“It was very uncool to go to a country gig.
“I think the perception of it has changed and I think it took a younger generation to get involved.
“As you mentioned, Lisa and Derek and Cliona Hagan, the sort of younger generation to get involved and they brought the younger people with them.”
I have noticed you also like to help those coming up after you. Say someone like Claudia Buckley just as one example, you like to send the elevator back down that way, don’t you?
“Totally, yeah.
“I was helped out whenever I was starting out by different singers who called me up and gave me a chance to perform on a stage so I always try and do the same if I can.”
Wagon Wheel has been such a huge song for you. Songs like Dance with Everybody and Cannibals seem like they’re set to be similar moments in the set also…
“Yeah, we’ve got a brand new set list for this tour so it’s lively.
“There’s a few ballads throughout the night but there’s a lot of new stuff, material that we haven’t performed before so it’s a new show.
“And as I say, we have a seven piece band, a couple of new guys on board with us that are brilliant musicians so we’re really excited to get back on tour and show everyone the new gig.”
I remember the day you had the thronging crowds in Tir Chonaill Gaels Park for London Irish Vintage Day belting out Wagon Wheel, was that pretty special for you?
“Yeah, it was.
“It was good.
“It would be good to get back and do it again sometime.
“But that was a good one though, for sure.
“The weather was fantastic that day, really helped.”
What’s next? I guess it’s all about that album..
“That’s what we’re kind of concentrating on at the minute.
“The tour is kicking off in March but we’ll have new music out this summer and watch this space, as they say.”
Nathan Carter tours the UK from 13 March and plays London Palladium on 16 March.
His album comes later this year.
For more information, click here.
COMPETITON! COMPETITION! COMPETITION!
WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO SEE NATHAN CARTER AT LONDON PALLADIUM
The Irish World is delighted to offer a pair of tickets to Nathan Carter’s concert at London Palladium on Sunday 16 March. For your chance to win this wonderful prize, send your name, address, email and phone number to David@theirishworld.com. Put Nathan Carter competition in the subject line and tell us which song you would love to hear Nathan singing at London Palladium.
Closing date: Sunday Monday 10 March.
Normal competition rules apply, best of luck!