‘It’s just an absolutely gorgeous venue’
City Stages winner Tia Burke on playing the 3Olympia and her passion for music… By Keeley Ryan
For singer-songwriter Tia Burke, taking to the stage at the 3Olympia Theatre is a dream come true. The Kildare native opened for Self-esteem at the Dublin venue on February 26 after being named the first winner of Three’s City Stages. The initiative sees some of the best buskers from around the country perform for a chance to support acclaimed international acts in upcoming 3Arena and 3Olympia shows.
And Tia told Chic how having the chance to take to the stage at the 3Olympia is has been a“huge, huge dream of hers”.
She said,“it’s just an absolutely gorgeous venue. It’s probably my favourite one in Dublin, to be honest. It’s incredible.
“It has a very nice charm to it. I think that as a performer, in a venue this size you’re nearly in with the crowd. The crowd are right in front of you.you can see everyone and see their faces, just from looking out from the stage.
“It’s that nice size of a venue where you really have that connection with people, and people are here to really listen to music — and that’s what I love about it.”
Tia added that being a musician was something that she has always wanted to do, as she recalled how her songwriting – and love for music —Í came about.
She continued,“it was something that was always there for me, since I picked up my guitar.
“When I was younger, I started writing poems and all that stuff. But then I picked up the guitar and started putting words to music, and that’s how the songwriting came about. It became a way for me to express myself through the years.
“I started going to open mic nights and that really got me going doing music. “I’ve always wanted to be a musician, it’s always something that’s been my main goal and my main drive. I’ve been working so hard for probably about seven years now, since secondary school when I picked up my guitar. “I did open mic nights, gigs, pubs — anything that I could get my hands on.” Tia told how one of the things that she was looking forward to the most about playing the gig – besides“being able to look out on amazing crowd”– was the chance “to say to myself,‘thanks for not giving up on yourself during those two years during Covid, where I thought I wouldn’t see a stage again’.” She said,“it’s kind of surreal to be coming out onto the stage at the Olympia.
“Things were taking off a little bit for me before Covid, but then everything went bang — it happened to everyone.
“To be on the stage after having the doubts — ‘oh, I won’t be able to do this again’, ‘oh, I won’t be able to perform a gig in a pub or anything’ — it’s just unbelievable to step onto the stage and share the music that’s been in my bedroom for too long. It’s great to bring it to an audience and share it — it’s meant to be shared.”
The singersongwriter also opened up about the impact that
Covid and the lockdowns had – and why she found it“quite hard to write music at that time”.
She recalled,“i’d just come out of school and went into college. I really wanted to pursue music after college, but obviously everything shut down.
“It was quite lonely at times, being an artist. You’re thinking, ‘oh, I’m gonna get loads done; I’m going to write this, I’ll do that’. But then you realise you don’t have collaborators, you don’t have people to work with — you’re not getting that energy off other people to bounce off of to write music.
“I found it quite hard to write music at that time.
“I’m not totally introverted. I am, at times — but it’s hard to be introverted, not see people and then put that into music that is going to uplift people.”
Tia told how it was an“amazing experience”to be able to take part in City Stages and“see the amount of talent that there is in Ireland”.
She said,“city Stages was a fantastic opportunity for me. It really gave me an opportunity to share my music and meet other musicians. I signed up via the form online and it’s just been an amazing experience.
“I went down to Waterford for it. I met loads of other artists and we got our professional videos done, which is great — when you’re an artist starting out, to have quality content like that is so important.
“To meet all of the other musicians and just to see the amount of talent that there is in Ireland, it’s absolutely unbelievable. And for opportunities like this to be given to up-andcoming talent like me — and everyone else who entered City Stages — is brilliant.”
Tia shared her biggest piece of advice for anyone who is thinking of a career in music.
She said,“just keep going and just take your opportunities when they come to you — and don’t be afraid to ask questions of people or ask them for help. And just to keep going and to believe in yourself.
“Even I have trouble sometimes believing in myself, but this is one of those great days you have as an artist where it’s like,‘those seven years of grafting and working and going to those open mic nights and pub gigs have paid off’.
“Not that I won’t go back to doing things like that or my busking, but it’s just amazing to have an opportunity like this to really show off my music in such a gorgeous venue.”
And as for what’s next for her, Tia told how she has some exciting things in the pipeline.
She said,“what’s next for me is to get more recorded music out, singles — and an EP is hopefully in the pipeline, too.” ■
For more information about Three’s City Stages, visit www.three.ie/music/bestbuskers-ireland-three-city-stages.html.you can follow Tia on Instagram at @tiaburkemusic.
“IT WAS LONELY AT TIMES, BEING AN ARTIST...”