JC Stewart is a singer-songwriter hailing from Northern Ireland, known for his deeply emotive music and heartfelt lyrics. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing him in anticipation of the new acoustic version of the song "Hey Babe," which comes out today!
His passion for both music and life is unmistakable. Throughout this interview, JC painted a vivid picture of Northern Ireland, calling it a place of stunning beauty and friendly people. Influences like Alexander23 and Tom Waits shape his sound, while his new music reflects a journey of self-discovery and emotional honesty, marking a fresh, authentic chapter in his career.
Selfishly, I have to start by asking about Harry Potter World. I visited a few years ago and loved it, so I noticed you recently visited the park too. What was your favorite ride?
Haha what a place! I’m a pretty big Harry Potter fan - a bit ridiculous at this point in my life, but I love going there and to the studios. Honestly, it’s not so much a particular ride but the butterbeer that does it for me. Nectar of the gods.
I’ve never been to Northern Ireland before—could you convince me in just one sentence why I should visit?
It is the most beautiful, awe inspiring, friendly, weird and wonderful place you could ever go. Apart from the Guinness, we have amazing local food, incredible beer and the scenery is like a different planet. If you ever need to go get lost somewhere and feel at one with nature, this is the place. I couldn’t love anywhere any more.
How did establishing your home studio in Northern Ireland impact your creativity and the way you approach making music?
It was huge. It gave me freedom to pursue ideas I’d never been able to pursue before. It also gave me a lot of limitations which I weirdly loved. I’m no Jack Antanoff yet, so for me to make the best song I could, I had to use what I had around me and keep it quite simple, which was a huge lesson for me. All the songs are pretty sparse, with the lyrics, melody and main instrument being the centre, which was all I could do. It was really special to be able to create like that.
Do you find that writing in a personal environment like your home studio helps you create from a more vulnerable place? If so, would you recommend other artists choose this approach over using a professional studio?
I think there are benefits to both. I always like to start on my own, where I feel comfortable. It breeds the purest ideas which, sometimes, leads to really cool stuff. Can’t beat a big studio when you need it though. It’s always a buzz to get to record through the same desks as your heroes.
When we first met at the Alexander23 show in London, it made me curious: what are your musical inspirations if any?
Alexander is definitely a modern day inspiration. I love the way he approaches music and does it his own way. Other than that, it’s a huge range. Foy Vance, Tom Odell, Tom Waits, Snow Patrol, Maggie Rogers and Hozier would be in and around my most listened-to music right now. I love any artist who writes from the heart and gives a few different things a go. The realer the better.
Is there a song by another artist that you wish you had written?
I love an anthem, and "Run" by Snow Patrol is not only one of the best songs of all time, but absolutely goes off at a festival as well. The dream!
After a year-long break from putting out music, how will this new era of JC Stewart differ from or resemble your previous work?
The big difference this time is that I feel like I’ve made this music with blinkers on. I’ve tried to not think about anything or anyone else, and just made what I truly believe to be the best music I could have at the time. A lot of it was very healing for me and honestly, even getting to put this music out feels like an achievement after the last few years. The songs are a lot more honest and vulnerable. I know everyone says that and I’m sure everyone means it, but I really feel that I dug deep inside myself for these songs. I wanted to plant my flag, to have a shield I could fall on. I feel like I’ve done that with this project.
"Hey, babe, I'm a mess and I'm sorry" is a beautiful song, both sonically and lyrically. What intrigued me the most was its profound level of self-awareness. Do you think being a musician helps you reflect on your behavior and become more self-aware, or do you believe your music is a result of your existing self-awareness?
This song was ironically born out of a lack of self-awareness. It was written over months after coming out of a pretty tough period in my life. I’d just been drifting through things and letting the people around me have to deal with me being pretty emotionally absent. This song was me admitting to myself what it was, and eventually addressing it. I’m very proud of it.
Is there a particular song you've released that you feel hasn't received the recognition it deserves?
I wrote a song with Tom Odell called "Valium" which I’ve always been a big fan of and has been a bit of a fan favourite, but I don’t think the wider world has really heard it yet. I think it's a good’un.
Words by Ines B.
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