Ramelton athlete and musician Ben Carr’s cross-country journey has taken him to the stage of ‘Music City’ – Nashville.
This month saw the release of his debut single ‘Seventeen and the announcement of a special gig.
Balancing his studies in Physical Education with his growing music career, the 23-year-old is on track for success.
The music ventures started when Ben and his friend Donnchadh Parkinson launched the duo ‘Vintage Youth’ from a Burtonport talent competition and went on to a residency at the Monday Clubs in the Central Bar Letterkenny.
Music runs deep in his veins – his grandfather is the renowned Barney McDaid of “Barney and The Circle,” and his mother is musician and teacher Brighdin Carr.
“Realistically I wouldn’t be able to know how to strum the string of a guitar if it wasn’t for the example they showed,” Ben tells Donegal Daily.
Ben’s debut, “Seventeen,” is a toe-tapping country/folk tune. Listen here:
“I wrote most of it three years ago,” Ben explains, “but I never did anything with it. Then, I decided to record it when I was home over Christmas and Tommy at Full Tilt Studios was more than happy to take me on board.
“I’m beyond taken aback by the reaction, people at home are always supportive of their own.”
The skilled Finn Valley AC athlete and former Loreto Community School student is in his third year of a scholarship for cross country and distance running at Trevecca Nazarene University. He is studying Physical Education and is currently on work placement at Lebanon High School.
Living in Music City is a dream come true for Ben. “The music here is phenomenal,” he said. “You can’t walk down Broadway without hearing four or five different songs filtering out of the windows of bars. It’s a great buzz.” He’s already graced the stages of Irish haunts like The Lost Paddy and McNamara’s, and a recent campus gig rekindled his passion for performing.
“That’s what spurred the writing,” he says, and from the success of ‘Seventeen’, he’s been booked for another university gig.
Ben is now gearing up for his first ticketed event, a Breaking Sound showcase at the Eastside Bowl on April 3rd.
Ben will play at a Breaking Sound event at the Eastside Bowl in Nashville on April 3rd.
All the while, Ben is balancing his athletic commitments with track days that take him across the States.
With his sights set on an EP release this summer, Ben remains grounded. “I’m taking it as it comes,” he says, “but my main goal is to play music that gets people up and singing.”
Find links to Ben’s gigs and music here: https://linktr.ee/bencarrmusic
Tags:
