Laura from Visit New Ross sat down with music sensation Jake Carter to talk about all things Christmas and music! After his performance at the newest venues in New Ross Jake said the Library Parkm was “one of the most memorable gigs I’ll ever have because it was so long that we were out, and it was just so great to finally come back!” let’s find out more..

 

1. Big welcome to you Jake Carter and thanks for sitting down with us. Let’s get started with you telling us a quick bit about yourself. Who you are and what do you do?
Hi, my name is Jake Carter, I am 23 and I am from Liverpool, and I am a singer. I started performing in 2017 and have been involved in a few shows on RTE including Dancing with the stars and Ultimate Hell week, but my main love is singing and performing!

2. Your show at the summer sessions was your first time in the town, tell us what your first impressions were on New Ross?
It was great, it was such a buzz to be back gigging. It was probably 18 months since I had last been on stage with the band and we got such an amazing day for it. The sun was splitting the stones down in New Ross and it was probably one of the most memorable gigs I’ll ever have because it was so long that we were out, and it was just so great to finally come back!

3. So, things begin to return to some normality for the entertainment industry and you decide, now is the perfect time to push your mentality even further by taking part in RTE’s Ultimate Hell week, tell us a little about that experience?
That was a mad experience! You really could find me anywhere, but I said yes when I got the call last May because I hadn’t worked for about a year before that. I didn’t know much about it, I had watched the English S.A.S show, but I really didn’t know what I was letting myself in for. When we had our first zoom call with the producers, and they were telling us what would be happening, and I remember thinking What have I signed up for!

4. What does Christmas look like in the Carter house?
Every Christmas I go 100%, I throw myself at it! I am mad into Christmas; I absolutely love it. Our Christmas is pretty normal, we have all the family around- grandparents, cousins- there’s normally about 15 people there for dinner. I am always up early, even now, I am still a big kid, and I am always the first one up Christmas morning. But it’s pretty normal to be honest, loads of food, loads of games and these days probably a bit too much drink! But I love Christmas I really do, and in the last few years I have even gotten to be a part of pantomimes in Ireland, which has been an amazing experience, but I have missed the whole lead up to Christmas and having that free time to enjoy the season!

5. Tell us what has been the best Christmas gift you have ever received?
The best gift I have ever received, even though I am not a drummer, was a drum kit I received when I was about 10 or 11. I don’t think my mum and dad were too happy that Santa had brought me that gift after about an hour of me playing it relentlessly at six o’clock in the morning. Obviously, I did not go on to become a drummer, I preferred being at the front of the stage, but that probably was one of the best gifts I ever received.

6. What is your favourite Christmas movie?
My favourite Christmas film in Elf!

7. And finally, we can’t let you leave without giving us Jake Carters favourite Christmas song.
Other than my own Christmas song, a duet I released with my brother Nathan Carter ‘Feels Like Christmas’ in 2018, I would have to say- as cliche as it is- ‘Fairy tale of New York’- I think that is everyone’s! Although there was a song a few years that I loved, ‘River’ by Joni Mitchell, Gavin James did a cover of it, and it was just beautiful!

8. What does 2022 have in store for Jake?
Hopefully, fingers crossed, lots of gigs! And hopefully as well, I will be releasing my first album. I haven’t gotten a chance to release my album since I started my career in 2017. There have been a few singles and an EP, but lockdown was great because I did nothing but write loads of songs and write with other amazing song writers, so there is a huge bank of songs there just waiting to be released. At the minute, we are trying to pick out the perfect songs to release and each week it changes, but because it’s my first album I want it to be just right. So hopefully that’ll be released in 2022 and we are hoping to get back on the road touring all over Ireland. Fingers crossed 2022 will be filled with loads of gigs and loads of new music.