Following on from year which saw him beat both Beyoncé and Drake to a Number One album in his native Ireland, country-pop singer Nathan Carter has announced UK tour dates for 2017.

Nathan is developing into a household name across Ireland and the rest of the UK with tracks including Stayin’ Up All Night, Wagon Wheel and I Wanna Dance.

We spoke to him ahead of his show at the Alban Arena next month to find out more…

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

How did you get into performing?

I’ve been performing since I was four- years-old when I got a Christmas present of an accordion.

How would you describe your music to people who don’t know of you already?

I guess my music is a good mix of country, big ballads, rock `n` roll, Irish and Celtic music - a real mixed bag I guess.

You’ve been credited with bringing a younger audience to Irish music – how do you feel you’ve done that?

I guess because I`m relatively young myself, 26-years-old, younger folks can relate to me a bit more, however I`m very lucky to have fans from eight to 80 at my shows.

What are you looking forward to about taking Irish music beyond Ireland?

I love the challenge of playing new venues and new countries, for example I loved playing in France and Australia last year and I can`t wait to visit America in September.

What’s the difference between performing for live audiences rather than for TV cameras? Which do you prefer?

I love both, but I guess you can`t beat a good live audience.

What have been your best and worst of times on tour?

Thankfully the crowds are really good at  my shows now, but  I remember  back in the early days when I first started playing in Ireland that there  were really small crowds.

Where do you see yourself going from here?

I just love doing what I am doing and I want to continue to grow my career, hopefully in other countries but also to continue to grow a fan base here in the UK also.

Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans, AL1 3LD, Wednesday, February 1. Details: 01727 844488