INTERVIEW: Gavin James Talks 'Hearts on Fire' & Touring with Niall Horan

"How can we love with our hearts on fire?," Gavin James sings in the chorus of his latest single "Hearts On Fire." Well, the answer is simple. Once you hear Gavin's music and see him perform live, it's impossible not to love it -- heart on fire or not.

Over the last few years, Gavin released his very first album, has supported megastars on tour including Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, this year released his new single "Hearts on Fire," as well as teamed up with EDM producer/DJ Alan Walker on their collab "Tired," and is currently out on the road with Niall Horan.

How Gavin James Got His Start In Music

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Gavin got his start in music at a young age when he learned how to play guitar at at a young age, and grew up in a musical family. Gavin's great-grandparents were Opera singers, his grandfather was a "comedian and whistler, which sounds mad but he was really good at whistling" (according to Gavin), and his parents played a lot of music in the house by artists like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and more. He tells iHeartRadio, "A lot of music in the house while I was growing up."

After picking up the guitar, Gavin began playing Irish music and often performed at festivals. He explains, "I did lots of festivals, which is like competition for people who play Irish instruments and stuff. So, you just play the tin whistle, which is really strange. But then I started playing like, 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica on the tin whistle. My dad was like, 'Maybe you should get a guitar.'"

Following his dad's advice, he began to play the guitar. He tells us, "I didn't really sing for a while, I just kinda wanted to be an electric guitar player. Then, eventually I started busking in town and in Dublin, and pretty much on the street. And then I was like, 'I can't just play guitar, I have to learn how to sing.' Then [I] just pretty much shouted my head off for two years on the streets, and got a gig in a bar, and pretty much gigged around Temple Bar, which is a touristy area; kind of like Time Square, but obviously a lot smaller. But [I] pretty much just gigged there for four years, and did seven nights a week, and then started writing my own stuff in between that, and then quit and was like 'I got to start doing my own stuff.'"

Gavin James

Gavin James' Favorite Artist: Bob Dylan

As he mentioned before, Gavin's parents played a lot of Bob Dylan around the house. Eventually, Bob became Gavin's favorite artist of all time. Gavin explains, "I think the my favorite person ever is Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan's definitely number one. Definitely. Whenever it's like three o'clock in the morning and I'm out, I always kind of turn into Bob."

One of Gavin's go-to Bob Dylan songs at 3am? Dylan's 1965 song "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

After busting out a little of the song on his guitar, Gavin concluded, "Yeah, I love Bob Dylan. He's my favorite, definitely."

"Hearts on Fire" & What Fans Can Look Forward to Next

Gavin's latest single is called "Hearts on Fire," a folky pop tune inspired by long distance relationships, which for the singer/songwriter happens a lot when he's out on tour. And as he explains, it's much different from the ballads of his debut album. He tells iHeartRadio:

"It's definitely a lot different than my first album, because my first album was mostly ballads about one person, and then I kind of got a band in between that, and we started doing bigger shows back home in Europe. So we wanted to get something a bit more pumpy and more kind of festival, kind of crazy stuff. I wrote it [about] just being on the road a lot, like months at a time and trying to maintain relationships with friends and family at the same time. But it's definitely a lot different than anything I've released before."

After touring with Niall, Gavin hopes to come back to the states to tour again soon. But he also wants to put together a new album, and release a new single in the new year. He says, "Definitely new album, new single in the new year as well, and then some little things from the single."

Gavin James

What It's Like To Tour With Niall Horan

Gavin has toured with artists like Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, but currently, he's on Niall Horan's Flicker World Tour, opening for his fellow Irish singer/songwriter. What's it like touring with Niall? Gavin explains:

"He's awesome, he's amazing. The band is sounding better every time, they're so good. He pretty much asked me in London. I did a show in London, and he was like, 'You want to do a United States tour?' And I was like 'Yeah, of course I want to do that. It's great.' But he's just a genuinely, really lovely guy."

And they do get to hang out. Gavin tells us, "Philly was the first day, pretty much, of this part of the run. So we showed up, and then ... he just hangs out. It's pretty much ... nice dude. Well, he lives down the road from me in Ireland, like an hour down the road. But, yes. It's kind of like having the lad around, it's cool."

Photos: Rachel Kaplan


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