Gavin James is taking the road to success at his own pace

Loved by Ed Sheeran and offered a lift in One Direction’s jet? Gavin James has taken his meteoric rise in his stride, writes Ed Power

THE first time I saw Gavin James perform was at a festival in 2013. It was early afternoon and all of half a dozen people huddled at the back of the tent. Most were talking and drinking and only dimly aware of the earnest young man on stage. I stayed for the first song, then, feeling self- conscious on his behalf, turned tail.

Three years later, his days of singing to empty rooms are long over. James will later this month play the biggest headline date of his career, at Cork’s Live at the Marquee festival. In December, meanwhile, he headlines the 3 Arena in Dublin. This follows sell-outs at the capital’s Olympia Theatre and a support tour with Sam Smith in the US. He is suddenly a songwriter in a hurry.