Janet Devlin is the Irish singer-songwriter that the nation fell in love with during her time on The X Factor, and her blend of folk-pop with quirky unique vocals meant she stood out from the crowd and despite not winning the competition, is now paving her way through the music industry.
We got the chance to put some questions to Janet about recording new and original material, how she's grown since The X Factor and more in our exclusive interview.
What has the experience been like of recording your own material?
It's been great! Not having to sing other peoples music was so much fun, however it was a lot of pressure because no one had ever heard any of my music before.
What creative process did you go through when making this album?
I made an album called 'Hide and Seek' and due to being unhappy with the sound I dismantled and dissected the songs to get to the core of the problem. Within this process I was still writing a lot, so I decided to discard some of the older tracks and replace them with more recent songs.
What do you hope listeners will take away from the record?
I'd hope that they can relate to the songs I've written, but also I don't because some of the tracks are quite dark… I hope they can jump on the emotional band wagon and maybe use the lessons I've learned in my life to help them.
How would you say you've evolved as an artist since your time on The X Factor?
I've learnt that it's okay to question myself. That rushing into the creative process is unnecessary and that realistically you only have one chance at a first album. Even though most people who've gone on a TV talent show make it obvious that they want to stay relevant and release an album as soon as possible, I didn't find that pressure useful to myself as an artist.
What is it about music that you love so much?
I love that the possibilities are endless! I've never been great at expressing my emotions and I find that music is one of my only outlets where I feel comfortable doing so.
If you had the chance to work with anybody you liked going forward, who you pick and why?
Oh gosh, I'm always up for working with people in the industry to be honest. I'd love to work with the likes of Devendra Banhart or City and Colour and I'd also love to work with Nile Rodgers.
Will you be tuning into The X Factor this year?
I don't know if I'd have the time to watch it to be honest and I also don't really watch TV. If I can I will try to but my mum always watches it and she keeps me updated.
Who would you like to see on the judging panel?
Hmm, I've no idea. I'm sad that Sharon's not doing it this year because she's awesome!
What can fans expect from you in the coming months?
They can expect my new single 'Creatures of the Night' out in August time and also lots of gigs to be announced soon!
Where do you hope to be this time next year?
Anywhere in the world! Hopefully I'll be across the water doing my music...
Janet's latest album 'Running With Scissors' is out now.