Country music favourite David James was delighted to sign with John Farry, who is best known for being Nathan Carter’s former manager.
The rising star, from Donegal, has new management and a new band on the road for 2025 and he is ready for his biggest year yet.
He also opened up about growing up on a farm as a child and the key advice he has gotten over the years.
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David told RSVP Country: "I was delighted to sign with John. He worked with Nathan for the last 14 years and he was on a bit of a break.
"He made contact with me and we got chatting for a while.
"He came to check out a few gigs of mine in the middle of last year and then I signed with him in the middle of October.
"My dad used to take care of my bookings in the beginning and he pushed me in wherever he could. He did a brilliant job in that role. Over the last couple of years I was doing it all myself. I was booking the gigs and promoting the gigs.
"I was doing absolutely everything. Was I making progress? Sure. But I was totally exhausted. I felt I had taken myself as far as I could on my own.
"In order for my career to progress I knew that I needed some help and that’s why I was delighted to bring in somebody with John’s experience. He had been here before."
2025 is shaping up pretty well for David after the launch of his own band this month, and he has a full diary for the rest of the year.
He said: "It's going to be our biggest year yet. The last 12 months have been great for me in terms of breaking new ground.
"I used to sub-hire a backing band called The Ryan Turner Band to accompany me at as many gigs as possible. My diary is getting busier, so I’ve decided to put my own band together - The David James Band.
"The band just launched this month and I’m really excited about it. We’ve lots more launch dates coming up over the next few weeks.
"It was always an emotion of mine to have my own band one day. I’m looking forward to this challenge."
Putting his own band on the road comes with a big financial undertaking.
The Donegal singer explained: "It comes with a huge undertaking in many different aspects. But it’s an undertaking I’m ready for at this point in my career.
"The cost of equipment is very big, as is the cost of keeping a band on the road. It comes with a lot of responsibility, including financial responsibility.
"It’s a responsibility I’m willing to take on."
If you don’t take a risk, you won’t see the rewards.
David added: "I was speaking to people before I made my decision, some in the industry and some not. I learned that I was doing pretty well and I was comfortable with my career, but I had to make that leap of faith to move on.
"If you don’t take the risk you’ll never get to where you want to. If I didn’t do it now I would probably have looked back in 10 years time and said, 'I wish I had gone for it.'
"I’m doing it now and I’m going to see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out the way that I hoped, I can always say that I tried my best."
David is going to be compared to Nathan Carter because of the connection with John Farry. Is that a compliment, or how does that make him feel? "I’m a huge fan of Nathan and I’m good friends with him, too. I really admire him, his musical ability and everything he has achieved in the industry.
"He’s amazing. I guess it’s a compliment to be compared to an artist of his stature. But, at the end of the day, there’s already a Nathan Carter out there, so I’m not going to try and be the next Nathan Carter by any stretch of the imagination.
"I’m going to do what I do. I perform songs that I love and do what I love the most, which is being on stage. Hopefully people will like what we give them."
John Farry has given David advice that he has taken on board.
He said: "In terms of advice it’s been more of the same and staying true to ourselves as people and as artists.
"It’s very important to be authentic. I love people and I love being out and about. That’s never a chore to me. I love that part of the music business."
His latest track God Bless The Farmer has proven to be a big hit.
David said: "I grew up on a farm in Donegal. All of my uncles are still farming.
"Our family home is right next door, about 50 yards, away from the farm. I spent all of my summers and a lot of my childhood on the land.
"Recording the song was a personal thing for me. It was a tribute to the farmers and my uncles, who are such hard working people.
"I didn’t expect it to get any sort of reaction. I can’t believe how well it has done."
David used to be put to work on the farm as a teenager.
He recalled: "I would have helped out wherever I could when I was younger. In the winter time, when we were back at school, we would have helped to dig up the potatoes.
"We would have gotten an odd day off here and there to dig up spuds.
"We would have told our uncles to tell our mums that they really needed our help on the farm so we could get a day off school."
David wants to use 2025 as a foundation for building his name and profile all around the country.
He said: "We’ve several launch dates in the diary. We’ve a number of dates already and I’m heading on a cruise at the end of the month.
"We’re in Galway, Carlow, Dundalk, Westmeath and Letterkenny next month too. I’ve got some festivals coming up during the summer, which I’m really looking forward to.
"I want to go back to Nashville again. I was there on holidays last year and I absolutely loved it.
"Music wise, I want to keep growing as an artist and I would love to play some concerts of my own in theatres around the country. I would love to get into that side of the business."
David's dream theatre is the Millennium Forum in Derry.
He said: "Where I live in Donegal is only five miles away from Derry. My dad is from Derry originally and we went to school there.
"It’s a city that holds a big place in my heart and it shaped me as a person. The people of Derry are unique in so many different ways.
"To play a successful show there would be a dream come true for me."
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See where David is performing next at davidjamesmusic.co.uk
Read the full interview with David James in this issue of RSVP Country - on shelves now.
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