JACK

G The Voice, TikTok and Tom Jones

- We talk to Rising Star Jack McGee

Hi Jack, welcome to the first GNI Magazine Rising Star feature, some of our readers and contributors might remember you from your amazing performance at last year’s GNI awards. But for those who haven’t had the chance to meet you or watch you perform yet, why don’t you share a little about yourself? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not singing or lifeguarding?

I’m 21 from Derry/Londonderry when I am not singing, I love surfing. We have a caravan in Donegal, and I am out on the waves at any opportunity that I can get. I love to travel and like a good night out with my mates.

How long have you been singing and what are your favourite songs to sing at the minute?

I always ask my mum and dad when they remember me starting singing and they say when I was in the school play when I was 6 or 7 years old in the nativity play. I can’t pick just one song but at the minute some of my favourite songs are “Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls” (legendary stuff there Jack!), “If I Die Young by The Band Perry,” and “Yellow by Coldplay” that I sang for my audition on the voice.

Tell us about how you ended up on The Voice. Honestly, it was pretty mad. I had just started posting covers on TikTok and Instagram when, in the summer of 2023, one of the producers slid into my DMs on Instagram. They said they loved one of my covers—I’m pretty sure it was “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande—and they thought I’d be a great fit for the show. They suggested I audition when they were in Belfast. At first, I thought it was one of those Instagram scams, but once I did a little digging and realised it wasn’t, I told some friends, and they encouraged me to go for it. Then it was audition after audition—Belfast, Manchester, and London—throughout the summer of 2023 until September. I didn’t hear anything back until December 2023 or January 2024.

How much do you get to be a part of things when you’re on the voice? Is it just a matter of following directions and singing what you’re told, or do you have a say in the creative stuff?

You get to have a say, especially with the songs. They asked me to choose 10, and then they picked the ones they thought would fit best. I had to do a one-minute demo for each of them, and then they decided which ones were good for the actual audition. As for clothes, I got to pick three outfits from my own clothes that I liked, and then the stylist took pieces from those to create the look I used for the audition. It is just one audition chance that you get so you want to look and sound your best so you listen to their advice and guidance on it all.

If you had the chance to pick a mentor from any of the four judges, who would you choose and why?

In January when I was on the show we only knew two judges Tom Jones and Will. iam and then when I heard that it was Leanne Rimes and Danny/Tom from McFly. It was always going to be Tom Jones, the guy is a legend but I would have definitely given Danny/Tom consideration too if they had turned for me, their music and style are class but Tom’s legendary status kind of tops Danny/Tom.

If you could’ve teamed up with one of the judges for a duet, who would you pick and what song would you jam out to?

This was already in my mind ahead of my audition should I have got to that point it would be Tom Jones. Then when he turned all I could think of is if I duet with him it is going to be an Elvis cover like Can’t Help Falling in Love or something really nice like that, he loves the local sound and appears to be really supportive of his acts.

What have you been up to since your appearance on the voice?

I went on a break to Budapest, I’ve been gigging away any opportunity I get and I am booked to appear in the Grand Opera House on the 21st February for a talent showcase for people from all over Northern Ireland with the guys from the Limelight/Shine are going to be there scouting people for gigs and stuff. I’ve 6-8 songs to track to do so hopefully something might come from it all.

Any advice for people considering entering the voice?

Just go for it, put your fears aside and go for it, you get such an amazing experience from it all. Throughout the whole process, you are meeting other performers, and vocal coaches and getting to see around studios and all that TV stuff. Show everyone what you can do and be yourself throughout it all.

What’s next for you music-wise?

I’m working on some original songs with this singer/songwriter from London named David. We’ve got a bunch of sessions lined up. He found me on Instagram after seeing me on The Voice, and we had a few Zoom chats to see if we click, and so far, it’s going awesome! I’m hoping to share some of our stuff by summer. I’ll still be doing TikToks and posting covers on social media, but I really want to shift my focus more to original music when I can.

What are your socials for anyone wanting to give you a follow to see what happens next?

Instagram: Jackmcgeee

TikTok: Jaackmcgeee

Interview By Gary Campion