CJ O'Loan

"I don’t write music to be better than someone or different, I write it because it’s what I love and if I can help a stranger by lifting their mood or by giving them a break from the world and having a dance then, to me, that’s what matters."

Up n Comin' NI are proud to introduce CJ O'Loan, a 22 year old from Belfast. While CJ's career revolves around music, it is not the only art form that he uses to express himself. CJ is also a star of theatre and street dance.

CJ, unlike many artists, only got involved in music around the age of 18. "I thought I hated music but I actually hated the way it was taught. I fell in love with music technology and the idea of making music for people and helping them record and distribute their songs. After a few years I decided that it was my time to give it a shot and apply my skills to a career." 

Family and friend's influences play a large part in the musical path that artists follow. CJ comes from a family with very eclectic music tastes so he grew up inspired by "everyone from Madonna to Metallica." Two of CJ's biggest musical influences, however, are The Gorillaz and David Bowie. "It appealed to me that they were able to create such stylistically different pieces but still stay true to their sound with an example being 'ziggy stardust' and 'let’s dance' by Bowie."

CJ's career began by making rap beats and EDM music for other people. Like many artists, his music has evolved since then. "It has taken a lot of different genres to finally find my style at the root of funk and disco. Parts of these styles can still be heard in song like 'No Güd 4U' and 'Tribe of the Vibe.'

"The one thing that has kept me going is the quote 'shoot for the stars, and even if you fail, at least you will have made it to the moon!'"

"I love collaborating with others as they help fuel my inspiration. The only issue is that it’s very hard to find people who have the same time and dedication as you do." Many people in the music industry bring this issue to light. If you are also a song writer who is interested in similar content why not get in touch and see what you can create together! 

CJ describes his creative process as, "getting inspired by strange concepts, sounds, chords or scales." While this may appear to be a broad statement, it isn't surprising. CJ's music varies greatly in mood, tone and content. This can only be achieved when inspiration comes from many different places. "I tend to day dream and surrender to abstract thought a lot in day to day life and I let the questions and scenarios drive my music. As stated before, most of my music can be interpreted differently by two people or tell a deeper story."

What makes CJ's music different from mainstream artists is his strong focus on storytelling and narrative. "A lot of my songs tell mini stories about fictional characters or concepts. For example, I thought about how love can cause the same words to have two different meanings to a person. This inspired the song Lust; the song sounds happy but gets darker the closer you listen."

CJ's dedication to both those he works with and creates music for is inspiring. He even claims that his proudest achievement is "the overwhelming support and willingness that I have from people who want to help out or get involved."

When asked about his favourite gig, CJ talked about a Christmas Time Concert he had performed in at his University. The event wasn't on a huge stage, and it wasn't completely sold out, but that didn't matter. The crowd consisted of many of CJ's friends and classmates who knew his songs and sang along. "It was really inspiring to hear and see the positive reception my music got from the crowd."

Since the pandemic, CJ hasn't been performing very often apart from some renditions of 'Minnie the Moocher' at pub karaoke nights. He is hoping that 2023 will see many more gigs and performances with the completion of his upcoming album 'Funk the System.' "No matter what happens I will still be making music for the random few who stumble across me. I would like to go out gigging and have heard positive feedback and anticipation for the realise of my next album."

The future looks very bright for CJ with the release of his new album 'Funk the System' and hopefully many more releases afterwards. While writing, producing and distributing music has always been a focus for CJ, he is also currently a dance teacher at Throwing Shapes ENT and studying a PGCE in music. A busy man!

Make sure to check out CJ's music and keep up to date with upcoming events and gigs: 

• Spotify: CJ O'Loan
• YouTube: CJ O'Loan
• Instagram: theofficialcjexperience

Music is available on most streaming sites including: Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Shazam, etc.