By Tara McCormack
Playing regularly in pubs across counties Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone, David James has already made a lasting mark on the Irish country music scene.
Hailing from the small Donegal village of Killea, the 26-year-old began his journey into music at the tender age of 14.
And like many from the county, country music was deeply ingrained into the Killea man’s upbringing.
“I started singing at secondary school, doing some musical theatre and some productions,” David told Country Beat. “I gigged in all the pubs from when I was 14, and just sort of advanced that on.
“I always really liked country,” he added. “It’s a bit of a cliché to say that ‘country is always in your house’, but when you’re from Donegal, that is genuinely the case.”
David’s rise in the world of country music has coincided with a successful career in radio.
At 18, he was given a big break when Linda, now the producer of his show, approached him after an interview about a local festival and asked if radio would be something he’d be interested in.
“I, then, did a demo for Highland radio, and I’ve been with them ever since,” David shared.
His programme on Highland Radio, ‘The Jive Time Show’, is a popular requests and dedication-driven segment that features American and Irish country music, along with a few classic hits.
Currently, he is performing at the ‘Highland Radio Hooley’ in Salou until September 21, sharing the stage with big names such as Margo, John McNicholl, Robert Mizzell, and Claudia Buckley.
However, he said, the next couple of years for him is just about building momentum.
“I’d like to keep recording, before, eventually, getting my own concert tour going and maybe developing something in that line,” he added.
Read David’s full interview in the Donegal News ‘Country Beat’ on shelves now!
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