Nathan Carter has opened up about releasing an emotional song about his late friend and mentor who died earlier this year, saying the track has "definitely helped" him to vocalise his grief.
The 30-year-old country singer said penning Wings to Fly in honour of his late friend Nicky James, who tragically died of a heart attack in February, was a cathartic experience.
Speaking to Dáithí Ó Sé and Sinead Kennedy on Today on RTÉ One from his home in Fermanagh, Carter said he "had no interest" in music following the sudden passing of his friend.
"I wrote that song at the start of this year. I lost a very close friend - a guy called Nicky James - who was my mentor in music since I was a kid.
"He passed away suddenly in February and I stopped singing and playing music for a few months. I just had no interest in it."
Carter explained how his manager persuaded him to pen the heartfelt song and admits "it's nice to remember him" every time he hears it.
"My manager persuaded me one day to do a writing session and we wrote that song in memory on Nicky.
"It's a song that is obviously very dear to me. He's sadly missed."
"I hadn't really spoken to anyone about the loss of him and then I sat down and wrote this song and it definitely helped.
"Now I'm talking about him in interviews and I mention his name any time the song is played. It's nice to remember him in that way," he said.
When asked how he is coping amid the pandemic, Carter said he's had "some good weeks and some bad".
"It was definitely different. There's been some good weeks and some bad. I'm just trying to stay busy and mentally trying to keep my head right I have to be doing stuff. I can't just be sitting at home," he said.
"I've been doing different little projects. I've built a man cave in the garden; I've released a new album; and I've done loads of interviews and TikTok. I'm trying to stay busy."
You can catch the full interview on the RTÉ Player.
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