Jade McGowan - the next big thing !
Jade McGowan is only 14 and at the moment is having her junior cert in St Louis Secondary School in Dundalk, Co.Louth . She is definitely a person to watch as her skills and the perseverance to become the next big artist are fuelled by her love and passion for music.
Jade, when and why did you start playing?
I start playing guitar 5 years ago because when I was younger I used to watch Hanna Montana and I wanted to play guitar, but now it's more, now it's a passion.
What was the first tune you have learned? And it was hard?
Stand by me by Ben E King and no, it was basic cords, like the 4 basic cords
I understand you took guitar lessons. Which was the first song you played and who inspires you?
The first song I played was Fix You by Coldplay. I am inspired from bands like Kodaline, Ed Sheeran definitely, Arctic Monkeys, 1975. I like mostly unique indie bands.
What was the first song you ever remember hearing? Your first song you loved.
Fix you by Coldplay
You have a deal with Windmill Lane Recording Studios Dublin to record your song and all the proceeds to go to Suicide Awareness Charity . Who came with this idea?
My mom. I always wanted to do, like if I wrote a song to donate all the takings to charity.
What's next for you?
Keep on singing, go to Music College and become a known singer and writer. Next I want to learn piano, and as many instruments as I can
X-Factor or Voice of Ireland?
X-Factor no because it's too commercial. The voice of Ireland is good because you are not judged on how you look. I like that. But I want to become known by myself. Like Ed Sheeran who start playing on Grafton Street. And I Want to start to go to The Open Mic in Dublin. I want to work hard to get noticed. I don't want to just show up and people to know me.
What made you compose the song?
After my uncle commit suicide, I don't know, I love music, it wasn't meant to be a song, I just wrote down my feelings and turned into a song. I put it all together in different place, like the beach, It took a while, it was different, it wasn't just one, it was like different lyrics in different places , different places inspired different lyrics.
Does it bring back any feelings when you are singing that song?
Yeah, when I was singing that song, I remember being on the beach writing some lyrics and then sitting in my room crying . So it brings back feelings, but they're happy feelings now because this song makes me happy, for what the song do to other people, how it helps them.
A message for our readers?
I just want to let people know it's okay not to be okay, and it's so important to talk if you feel depressed or low in yourself. I play Gaelic, I am quite good in school, have such good friends and I still had my own issues with depression and self harm so never judge anyone really I suppose is what I'm trying to say but without the help I got from talking I hate to think where I would be now, I was so lucky to have spoke about it and got the right help otherwise I might not be here today, and just to remember tomorrow is always a new day.
I try to stay positive in life every day because been negative and around negative people only makes a bad day even harder
