New kid on the block

In isolation, the scene on the stage could be any concert venue in the world; the INEC Killarney, the 3Arena, Wembley Stadium or even Madison Square Garden. A colourful backdrop, bright lights and a singer with a smile, microphone in hand.

However, it is actually the upstairs of Central Bar in Navan, 5,000km away from New York city and completely empty, as it is only mid-morning. Singer-songwriter Jake Carter is posing for pictures as the photographer snaps him against different settings around the room. He is both enthusiastic and relaxed, messing about in between shots.

New on the Irish music scene, most people know Jake as Nathan Carter’s little brother, something that does not bother him particularly but he is working diligently to carve a niche of his own. Jake describes his music as “pop with a hint of Nashville”, and is currently gigging up and down the country.

Having moved from Liverpool to Fermanagh to live with Nathan after completing his A-Levels in June, Jake is doggedly pursuing a career in the music industry. Almost everyone advised the 19-year-old to go to university, though evidently he did not pay much heed.

“My family wanted me to go to university, Nathan was telling me to go to university, a lot of the lads in Nathan’s band said the same, everyone was telling me to go to university – but I had it in my head that I was just going to leave and start gigging, which is what I did. Touch wood, everything has been going great so far,” he says.

Across the road in his agent’s office, Jake exclaims, in his trademark Scouse accent, that he is starving, having only eaten two Weetabix before leaving Enniskillen in the early hours of the morning. When tea is being offered around, he replies he would love a cup, but laughs that he only wants a half spoon of sugar as he is trying to be healthy.

In his and Nathan’s house, Jake hails himself as the healthiest and cleanest (albeit his brother is not here to defend himself). The Liverpudlian says that moving to Ireland was a natural progression, as he spent a lot of time here in recent years.

“Since Nathan moved over, I was back and forth whenever I was off school, so it was sort of inevitable that I’d move over. Everyone in Enniskillen has been real friendly and I’ve gotten to know a lot of people around the town, it’s sort of like I’m one of them at this stage.”

On the road

For anyone who wants to take the first step in becoming a singer, Jake’s advice is fairly simple – get your driving licence. This was instrumental in allowing him perform on the one-man pub and club scene around the north of England before he moved to Ireland.

He then drove a Berlingo van and has since upgraded to a Transit, which is parked outside with his name across the side. Once the interview is over, he hightails it downstairs to put more money in the parking meter, as he is no stranger to parking tickets.

Jake has already released three singles; Trouble, Wild and Free and Having a Party, all with his pop-country sound. There are more tracks in the pipeline, which he says will lean more towards pop, but he concedes that he “will always sing with a bit of a country twang”.

Along with his current spate of gigs, Jake also recently landed the role of Aladdin in panto at the SSE Arena in Belfast this Christmas. It is undeniable that the role is very apt for the singer, the resemblance is striking and Aladdin was even his nickname in school.

Coming across as honest and not dressing things up, Jake explains that he is slightly nervous about the role, having not done any acting before, but he makes no bones about the fact that he is excited to work opposite his co-star.

“Nadia Forde, who is a model, singer and actress, is playing Jasmine, so I’m not complaining. It’s a real family orientated performance – it’s laid back and if I mess up I’m sure I won’t be shot or killed. I can laugh it off, I’m looking forward to it.”

Hindrance and a help

The Carter brothers are set to do a duet on Nathan’s upcoming Christmas TV show and the youngest is giving nothing away as to what they will be singing. Jake is undecided as to whether or not he is wary of being in Nathan’s shadow. At first he concedes that it is both a hindrance and a help having a brother who is one of the biggest names in Irish music. He explains that they are different artists with different sounds.

The singer changes his mind, however, coming around to the idea that being Nathan’s brother is most definitely more of a help than a hindrance. Jake recognises that he gained invaluable knowledge of the music industry from hanging around with his brother and, close as ever, Nathan is still his first port of call for advice.

“I was always going to his gigs. Even when he was 18 and I was 10, I was tagging along in the van. He would give me a packet of crisps or something to shut me up at the gig in pubs and clubs that I definitely shouldn’t have been in. I was always in the background sort of learning.

“Whenever we come off the phone with whoever we are speaking to at the time, we always ask each other’s advice on what we should think we should do. It’s great to have someone around whose opinion you can get.”

Jake might not have reached Madison Square Garden heights yet or even the same level of fame as his brother, but the scene on the stage looks promising. CL