THREE years ago Jamie Duffy was a student in Belfast looking out over city hall when he made a decision that would change his life.
He was studying for a politics degree but always had a passion for music and when he posted a video he didn’t expect what happened next.
Jamie (23) explained: “I was living in Swanston House opposite city hall in Belfast and I just didn’t go out one night and instead I put up a video of a little song that I created.
“The next morning it had a million views - and I realised then, well if that’s a million people who just listened to it that night, and the music has made them feel something, I think that steered me in a completely different direction nearly immediately.
“I didn’t go to class the next day - I just sat and thought about it all. It really is a domino effect and three years later I’m on tour.”
The Monaghan-based musician’s career has soared since, with his unique blend of neo-classical tunes mixed with pop and trad influences.
He told The Irish News: “I studied politics in Queens and finished that, seen it through, but I’m from a musical background in Monaghan, my grandparents were in showbands and throughout their life they’d have been travelling around Northern Ireland in their in their prime.
“So how could you not be sort of inspired to be a musician after having that background? It was a real good place to be nurtured as a musician and a lover of the arts.
“Moving from politics to music has been a good gear change. I did a TED talk at the start of the year in Stormont, actually, which was a nice way to balance politics and music and get to do both together.
“I sort of said that politics and history can often be the matches to music’s fire in many ways, from The Cranberries to Kneecap, I mean, people have done it for decades and decades.
“With instrumental music it gets a little bit more not as obvious. But I mean, I have a song called Into the West, which was inspired by the famine and the famine’s impact in Co Monaghan and my own local community. So that’s my two cents on the relationship between my politics and my music.
“I think the industry that I’m in, particularly more the classical side of things, quite often the door is more stubborn to open, especially for a 23-year-old who didn’t study at these fancy music conservatoires.
“I mean, I’m from a showband background, not a Mozart background if you get me, so I’ve often found that sometimes it can be a little bit difficult. I never thought of music as a career until it sort of gave me a tap on the shoulder.
“My music is neo-classical and there’s definitely elements of pop and folk to it too, which is why I think that particular genre creates an easier bridge to most people, because it’s not hardcore classical. Music is eclectic and people’s tastes are eclectic, and I think classical music is definitely growing and becoming more popular, especially in 2024.
“I’m really excited because in my two years at uni I’d usually just walk around Belfast going to Kremlin or Limelight and that was only two years ago - now I actually have to go up and be serious and play these lovely gigs”
::Jamie Duffy plays The Mac, Belfast Saturday, October 5 before The Courthouse in Bangor (Oct 11) and the Market Place in Armagh (Oct 17). Tickets on sale from shine.net