Music has become such an integral part of every teenager's life. It’s a way to cope, heal, or even just destress. And in a world of such chaos and pressure, it is much needed.

What makes music so much more relatable than any other form of art is the authenticity and rhythm. The tune evokes unique emotions, and the lyrics are not just words; they’re poetry. And no one writes better poetry than Northern Irish singer/songwriter JC Stewart.

Image Credit: Jackson Ducassse

With over 332 million Spotify Streams, 91 million Apple Music streams, and 2 million Shazams, Stewart has mastered the art of conveying honesty through his music.

Not only has he co-written songs with artists such as Lewis Capaldi, Tom Odell, Niall Horan, Foy Vance, and Plestes, but he has also toured with the former as well as Lauv and Anne-Marie.

JC has been rapidly rising in popularity, with a number one charting single in the Czech Republic, a number two in Poland, and top twenty in Belgium and Mexico. Not to mention, he blew up over a viral cover of the Friends theme song, even getting a response from Jennifer Aniston.

And now, he has his very own debut album launching on June 20th called Space Hurts. You can find the album's title track linked at the bottom of this article.

Image Credit: Nicholas O'Donnell via Instagram

And to our luck, The Teen Magazine has had the amazing opportunity to talk with Stewart and gain insight into why he chose to pursue this path and how it has developed not just as a career, but a lifestyle.

Musical Beginnings

Growing up on a farm in Northern Ireland, Stewart began singing at a very young age. When asked about his upbringing, Stewart says that neither of his parents played an instrument.

However, he recalls, “We did play a lot of music in the house. There was a lot of local music, a lot of Van Morrison.” He shares that this style of music would go on to influence his current songs.

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Choosing Music

“I went to this workshop in the local theater, and somebody was teaching kids how to write songs. Did that. On that day, I was like, yeah, sick.

Love it. That’s me,” Stewart recalls when asked what the moment he knew music was “it”.

From there, Stewart went on to pursue songwriting. He explains that he never had any true formal training, “I took singing lessons when I was a kid for musical theater, but I taught myself most things.”

Image Credit: Nicholas O'Donnell

He learned the most from real-life experiences. “I played in pubs in Ireland. I just played loads of gigs, like four, five, six gigs a week to people who didn’t care, in the corner playing covers.” He learned from this how to develop his technique and voice.

Early Career

The arts, especially music, are an incredibly daunting career to pursue. The uncertainties of whether or not one is able to “make it” often hold people back.

Stewart first recognized these challenges, claiming that early on he thought, “the artist thing was a bit high in the sky… I just thought my job would be songwriting for other people. Which is something I still do. It’s something I love.”

When asked what field he would be in if not music, Stewart responds honestly: “unemployment.”

He goes on to say, “I think maybe I would’ve tried to be a pilot… I went to university to work in politics, but I’m glad I'm not doing that… I went to the University of Sussex in England, very boring. Did international relations… I don’t know. I always wanted to be a pilot growing up.”

However, in the end, Stewart thankfully chose to pursue his passion for music and songwriting.

Songwriting

Many artists tailor their music to deliver a message to their audience. However, when asked what message he wishes to send to his fans, Stewart says, “ I mostly write all my music for me…I think I just write because I want to, and I feel like I need to.”

Image Credit: Jackson Ducasse

When asked what his biggest source of inspiration is, he responds with “It’s funny, I don’t know…It’s just kind of anything and everything. It could be a conversation, it could be a thought…I try to do it from my real life. It makes it more real for me when I’m playing. I don’t think I really ever have a message. It’s more introspective.”

Having a career as both an artist and a songwriter, Stewart is able to produce songs that reflect whatever he wants. And like all artists, he has a personal favorite.

“There’s a song called Space Hurts… It genuinely is my favorite song. I’ve had it for like three, four years and have always been looking for the right time to put it out… It just means a lot. I love how it sounds, I love how it feels. I feel like it’s exactly what I would want it to be.”

Image Credit: Nicholas O'Donnell via Instagram

Musical Heroes

Almost everyone has an idol in their field of work or interest that they look up to. For Stewart, it is artists from his homeland: “There’s a guy called Foy Vance. He’s a Northern Irish singer/songwriter. He’s one of my main ones.”

“I love Tom Odell. I love bands like Kings of Leon. Just those big, anthemic, epic things I really like.

And then I also like the really small, introspective, homey style, piano, things I think are really cool. And then also people like Ed Sheeran, who just goes and writes bangers every time. I love that as well.”

On top of having a musical hero, every artist has that one icon they’d love to collaborate with. When asked, Stewart responds with “Oh, that's tricky. I think Elton John would be quite cool.

He could teach me how to play piano properly. For modern artists, I love what Role Models do. I think Elton John and Role Models at the same time.”

On Tour

Stewart has recently embarked on his first international tour of his career. “I’m on tour between Thursday and Sunday, and then I’m at home Mondays through Wednesdays. Honestly, the touring thing was a bit of a surprise that just kind of clicked.”

Being on an international tour, Stewart has had the amazing chance to travel to several countries. When asked which is his favorite, he says, “On tour, believe it or not, the Netherlands or Finland.”

Image Credit: Paul Sampson via Instagram

Favorite Moment

“My favorite moment from a concert—I did this one in Belfast, my home city. I have this one song called 'BT45' about my hometown in Northern Ireland, and I went into the crowd and I played it. There were like five, six-hundred people in the room, and every single person in the room sang it in perfect harmony.

I looked over, and my partners were crying. My parents were over there with the band, and I’m like, okay, this is sick. I’ll never forget that moment.”

From Now On

When asked about future plans, Stewart responds with “I don’t know, taking a holiday? I don’t know. This year is fully mapped out, obviously, and then, ya, I don’t know. It’s a bit terrifying but also quite exciting.”

In terms of personal life away from the music, Stewart says, “I’m getting married next year, so that's in the plans. And, I'm getting a dog. I’m getting a little miniature, long-haired dachshund. I’m very excited. It’s going to be great.”

Image Credit: Jackson Ducasse via Instagram

Keep Up With JC

• Instagram: @jcstewart
• X: @jcstewart
• Facebook: JCStewart
• Tik Tok: @iamjcstewart

Catch JC's Debut Album: Space Hurts Coming Out June 20th!

Song: https://jcstewart.os.fan/spacehurts

Pre-Save: https://jcstewart.os.fan/space-hurts-album-pre-save

Vinal Pre-Order: https://www.diggersfactory.com/vinyl/326858