Singer from Royal Oak releases debut single
Katie Jay has just released her debut single, 'Surface Level'
KATIE Jay, a musician and singer from the Royal Oak in Bagenalstown, has just seen a dream realised with the release of her debut single on Friday 30 January.
Katie, a multi-instrumentalist who plays keyboards and the ukelele as well as sings, released her single , accompanied by a stunning music video that was shot and produced by Katie herself. is an electro-pop, dance-driven sound that delivers an impactful message about diversity and persevering through difficult times.
Katie teamed up with Carlow producer and musician Joe Cleere, who brought the track to life as part of his Paper Planes Project in late 2024. Through the Paper Planes Project, Joe received funding that enabled him to work with five local artists, helping them to develop their work and ultimately producing their music for the world to enjoy.
Katie said: “The Paper Planes allowed me to have great studio time with Joe. He’s fantastic. This whole process has been a dream come true and it has been so amazing to work with such an amazing producer. The opportunity to work on the video with my closest friends and family was so much fun, too.”
Katie Jay’s real name is Katies Jacques and she’s the daughter of sound engineer Chris Jacques, while her mother is Angela Keogh, a writer who’s married to playwright John MacKenna.
Katie is no stranger to the stage either, having performed in John’s collaboration with Leonard Cohen on their play, , as well as John’s original work, .
Katie roped in her sister Mairenn Jacques to choreograph and dance in the video that accompanies her single, while friends Louise Morrissey and Muireann Maloney are dancers in it. Drummer Joe Clarke also guests on the video and took the photos of Katie to promote the single.
is the first in a collection of tracks Katie plans to release in 2025. Each song in this series reflects her signature dance-pop style while delving into the challenges she has faced.
by Katie Jay was released on all major streaming platforms on 30 January.
