IT’S been almost a year since young Belfast musician Jarlaith Mervyn appeared on The Voice Kids UK and gained a spot on Boyzone star Ronan Keating’s team.
Since then, Jarlaith (13) has continued to grow in confidence and experience, from performing at Castlederg’s music festival Dergfest to supporting Boyzlife (Boyzone’s Keith Duffy and Westlife’s Brian McFadden) in front of 4,000 people at Belfast’s Custom House Square in May.
It was during this performance that Jarlaith performed his debut single, Dust, for the first time. The song acts a poignant social commentary on the current conflict happening around the world and the devastating impact it has on the innocent people caught in the crossfire, particularly children.
“I don’t think a lot of people my age know what’s going on around the world and I just want to raise awareness of it,” Jarlaith explains.
“I see the news on TV, and it scares me that innocent children and babies are dying and the people killing them don’t seem to care.
“What kind of world is this? What will it mean for young people like me growing up? What is our future going to be? I have to tell our leaders to stop this madness.
“It angers me because it’s just wrong.”
Jarlaith explains that he has always wanted his music to mean something and have an impact on listeners, drawing inspiration from bands like Oasis, Stereophonics, Jake Bugg and The Verve. His cover of The Drugs Don’t Work by the latter has been popular on YouTube.
“Every song tells a story and most songs that I want to cover and the type of songs I want to write I want to be able to tell a story through and get a meaning across.”
It’s Jarlaith’s love of storytelling and soulful sound that caught the attention of Phil Johnston, who wrote the track alongside Jarlaith’s manager Michael Walsh.
“Phil approached me after seeing some of Jarlaith’s videos on social media and he really liked what Jarlaith was doing,” Michael recalls.
“And when he realised I was managing him he sent me through the stuff he’d been working on and I showed it to Jarlaith and we both thought it was fantastic.
“So, we went down to Phil’s studio in Bangor and wrote some more lyrics and recorded the track and that’s pretty much how we’ve ended up where we are.”
In addition to recording the track, Jarlaith also starred in the accompanying music video shot at Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre, which felt like a real “full circle moment” for the talented teen.
“I used to go to the Oh Yeah Centre every week for songwriting lessons,” he enthuses.
“So, getting to go back to film the music was a really good experience.
“It was a long day because we were filming from about 9am to 5pm which felt like an age, but I didn’t mind it.”
He admits he prefers being on stage rather than in front of the camera.
“Whenever I was opening for Boyzlife I thought I was going to be really nervous when I went out on stage but I when I got in front of the crowd, I felt far more excitement than nerves – it was amazing,” he says.
“Then when the crowd started engaging it just took it to a whole new level.”
Nerves of steel are handy to have when embarking on a budding music career - especially when your debut single has just been released.
“I don’t really know what to expect,” Jarlaith confesses.
“I’m excited to see what people think of it.
“It’s a really meaningful song with a good story behind it and it gives you an insight into what’s happening around the world.”
With his quietly confident demeanour and evident passion for music and dedication to his craft, it’s likely this won’t be the last time we hear the name Jarlaith Mervyn on the music scene.
“One day I’d really love to perform at Glastonbury, I’d say that would be my music dream,” he says.
“And in terms of success, I’d love to get to a similar level as Snow Patrol if I can.”
