Up-and-coming Irish pop singer Tim Chadwick has revealed that he thought being open about his sexuality would harm his music career.
The 27-year-old singer-songwriter's profile has been on the rise over the past number of years and he is currently getting lots of airplay for his effortlessly catchy and emotionally bruising single I Need to Know.
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment as this year's Pride Festival kicked off, Chadwick said that how he feels about the annual celebration of LGBTQ rights has changed over the years.
"Before I was kind of afraid to delve into that side of myself", he said. "Then a couple of years ago I was able to come out and received very well.
"I remember my biggest fear with coming out was that for some reason being a musician I wouldn't be able to be successful, which I know probably makes no sense now, but that was a deep rooted fear back when I was younger.
"I thought it would be a part of myself that I would have to hide, or people wouldn't take me seriously."
The singer said that now he realises that "this was meant to happen, this makes the most sense".
He explained: "Now I'm able to be so open and honest about the subject topics of songs, talking about boys...
"For me for Pride, it's being able to be yourself and being recognised for that and having everyone else around you celebrate you and treat people as equals.
"It's kind of developed, I used to be in a way afraid of it and now I'm celebrating it the best I can."
His songs have been resonating with listeners with their emotional honesty and Chadwick says he feels in the right place now to fully express himself.
"You can dress everything up in production but if there's a bit of meaning behind it, a bit of conversation and a story, that's what draws me in", he said.
"What I'm glad is happening is that it's translating. Obviously I know how I'm feeling and once I write it down I can understand it. So when people say 'oh that same thing happened to me' or 'I felt that way', it means everything.
"In some of the songs I don't shine the greatest light on myself, because I'm insecure in some things and a bit mad when it comes to relationships and stuff like that, so I definitely don't play it cool.
"So when anyone else comes to me and says 'I think I'm the same as you in that scenario', I'm like 'Yes! There's more crazy people out there!'
"I've also in the last couple of years just become more confident in getting out there. I think when I was younger I didn't know how to say what I wanted to say, or if I had enough courage to say it.
"So now it's great that it's all falling into place, the songs and recognition and stuff like that, I'm glad it's happening now where I feel like my most authentic self."
He is busy in the studio working on new music and said "sad bangers" is the over-arching theme between the tracks.
"It's high production but I hope that the lyrics give you a bit of a punch, in the best possible way", he said.
After going down a storm at Sea Sessions in Bundoran last weekend, Chadwick is gearing up for some more festival appearances.
"I'm off to Indiependence at the start of August and then I'm planning a headline show for September, which I haven't really talked about, very excited. So it's kind of all go."
