Rising singer Roe Byrne has opened up about his friendship with Jedward – and how the twins have supported him in his budding music career.
Dubliner Roe Byrne, 18, met the Lucan lads a few years ago through his father, who used to work with Jedward, before he started busking on the streets of Dublin.
He said the trio have kept in touch ever since – praising Jedward for being a huge support to him.
He told us: “They’ve very supportive which is surprising because I was so young when I knew them first and I would’ve been a huge fan. They’re very sound.”
READ MORE: https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/irish-showbiz/jedward-offer-host-big-brother-27636111
Roe and his guitar are a familiar sight around the streets of Dublin, having busked on Grafton Street since he was 14.
The Rathfarnham native is the son of Anthony Byrne – who worked with Thin Lizzy for over a decade as their stage manager and drum technician.
Opening up about his musical journey, Roe said: “I played the drums… dad used to be a tour manager but he’s a drum tech. He played the drums so I picked up the drums when I was 10, maybe younger and when I got into secondary school, I picked music for my junior cert but I realised I couldn’t bring in drums every day so I picked up the guitar and my sister was learning the guitar so I thought if she can do it, I can do it.
“I learned two songs and she quit but I kept going. So I started playing the guitar in first year and I started singing but I didn’t take it seriously until I started busking and realised it is something I really enjoy and I really could get a move on in an industry that I had no idea to get into.
“I was 14 when I started but there’s a rule you can’t busk on your own until your over 16.”
Opening up about busking for the first time, Roe said: “I remember for the first six months I was so nervous, and I didn’t fit in with anybody. All my mates now, I was probably a little bit intimidated by them just because they are so comfortable doing what I wanted to do.”
Roe released his latest single, Set Me On Fire, in January and the music video will be launched as part of Kinia Creative Tech Fest this weekend.
With over 50,000 followers to date across his social channels, Roe is a rising star on the Irish music scene, and will play live to 1000 young people from all over Ireland at the Kinia Creative Tech Fest, which takes place on Sat 25th March.
The event, which is part of Ireland’s first ever Kinia Creative Technology Week, provides an opportunity for young people to broaden their skills and aspirations and be recognised for their creativity in Digital Media, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths.
Roe will also be performing at two sold-out shows supporting Leah Heart in the Olympia on March 31 and Isaac Butler in Whelan’s on April 2.
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